Drama unfolds at Deloitte's tax department as managers act up
Big Five firm Deloitte & Touche has enlisted professional actors to help its tax department's junior managers in their dealings with clients.
Steps, a drama-based training company, has designed a role-play project in which actors simulate realistic work scenarios so that junior managers can develop andrefine their client-handling skills.
Peter Walker, training manager with Deloitte & Touche’s national tax training team, said: ‘The Steps team are extremely good at role playing. Because they are professional actors, they can stay very much in character and keep an air of realism throughout a role play and this makes it more believable.’
Participants think up real-life situations where they have experienced difficulties in negotiating with or handling clients, other members of staff or a partner in the firm. The actor takes on the other role while the junior manager plays himself.
The Steps Role-Play programme, lasting between seven months and a year, includes client handling, client relationships, self-management, dealing with partners and managing subordinates.
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