National School of Government

How do you influence someone three grades above you? It’s a challenge that faces so many these days, but one that remains extremely difficult to overcome.

We were delighted to work with the National School of Government recently, supplying roleplayers for a project for senior managers at the Department of Work and Pensions. The course, entitled ‘Consulting with Integrity’, covered a range of topics such as change management (focusing on people aspects), process improvement, facilitation, organisation culture, mind mapping and coaching skills. One part of the programme focused on personalities and behaviours, with a particular focus on handling resistance, influencing and managing upwards, and that’s where we came in.

Delegates were asked to assume a role in a roleplay session. As part of the scenario they had to challenge their manager (played by the actor) about an aspect of their work they feel uncomfortable about. Easier said than done of course, particularly when the manager is defensive and quick to pull rank! But during the sessions, it became clear that certain techniques worked better than others. Those who had most success in challenging their manager tended to build a rapport, remain calm, state the consequences, stick to their guns and be assertive throughout. Although working one to one with the actor, delegates could stop the action at any time and consult with the rest of their team as to the best way forward when things got a bit tricky.