Source: American Management Association

Theatre at Work is an employee training firm that translates and dramatizes contemporary workplace concerns through scripts, facilitators, and a delivery style that often prompts a "That's me!" response from employees in the audience. Topics range from sexual harassment to conflict management. Here, principals Harrison and Moses discuss their novel training philosophy.

1. What led you to develop a theatrical approach to employee training?
   We worked for many years in a theatre company in Minneapolis writing plays and developing youth education programs. We asked David Andreas, CEO of National City Bancorporation, if he had any thoughts on how theatre might be used for training in the business world. He suggested that we explore the field of sexual harassment and steered us toward collaboration with employment law attorneys. Employers responded enthusiastically to our first sexual harassment training and asked if we could develop training on other topics.

2. Describe how you design and present a theater-based training program.
   We do a needs assessment interview with company representatives and often develop a questionnaire on attitudes and experiences related to a particular issue. We ask, "What key problems does this issue bring up? What's the worst thing you've experienced as a result of it? What have you tried that works in a difficult situation?" Designing the training comes later. We read a lot of books, newspapers, and special interest magazines, as well as materials supplied by the client. We usually deliver the training in a training room at company headquarters, but sometimes we perform at conferences or in hotel rooms. Our stage set is simple and very portable. Someone from upper management introduces the program to confirm the client firm's commitment to dealing with the training issue. Our facilitator introduces the play employees are about to see, then there's an in-depth discussion, either between the scenes or after the presentation. In our sexual harassment program, for example, an employment law attorney provides commentary and clarifies the legal issues relevant to the dramatic scenes.

3. Do you involve the client's employees in your portrayals of workplace situations?
   We have a core group of 12 professionals whose expertise ranges from law to organizational development. The facilitator provides information and insight from his or her area of expertise. After the impact of the theatre piece, discussion is an essential part of the learning process. The real learning begins when participants express feelings, thoughts, and insights they've gained during the session and discuss what's really going on in their own workplace. The facilitator manages the discussion and validates each person's point of view.

4. Do you involve your clients in writing or reviewing your scripts before the actual presentation?
   We have our clients review the first draft as well as the final script. We always read a new script for them so they can hear the tone as well as the content of the various scenes. We also describe the scene and the physical actions of the characters so our clients can visualize what the scene or play will look like. We then listen to their feedback, discuss any questions or concerns, and change words or lines as appropriate. Sometimes, when we've done multiple presentations on a training issue, we've changed the performance based on audience or client feedback after the initial performances. To quote one of our clients, however, we're usually very successful at "hitting the nail on the head" the first time around.

5. What are your most popular training themes? Which ones do you plan to add to your repertoire within the next several years?
   Our most popular themes are sexual harassment, stress management, and managing conflict. Stress caused by downsizing, increased workload, and lack of family time seems to be the driving force behind many problems in workers' lives. We're currently working on a new piece about the impact of family violence in the workplace. The medical costs alone exceed $5 billion annually. According to a 1994 report by the National Victim Center, business forfeits another $100 million in lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism, and lost production. Our theatre-based training will raise awareness of the issue for employers and employees alike. We'll encourage employers to channel the fear that surrounds the issue into training that can make a difference in their workplaces and communities. We're also looking at developing a program on the many kinds of workplace diversity from the context of respect. All of our training brings the theme of respect into the training room. Going to where lives are really being lived and addressing issues head-on in a way that people can value is enormously rewarding.

Alfred Harrison and Marysue Moses may be contacted at Theatre at Work, 1608 Juliet Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105. Phone 612-698-2270.

This article content is Copyright 1997, American Management Association. All rights reserved.

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