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Role Play Scenario 10


​One of your managers Hannah has repeatedly shown up to work drunk, in the same clothes as they had worn the day before. They typically spend most of the day locked away, ignoring their work duties, nursing their hangover. Your team’s performance is suffering as a result.

In this role play, you are to speak to your manager Hannah about this.


​Excellent Student Approach
1.         Introduction
2.         Open Questions
3.         Develop Rapport
4.         Address the issues known
5.         Identify any additional issues
6.         Summary and plan going forward
 
1 - Ask your manager Hannah if you can arrange a meeting with them. Beforehand, consider if anyone else in your team has expressed concerns, and if so talk to them.
2 - Lead with an open question, like ‘I hope you don’t mind me bringing this up, but I have noticed that you seem quite out of sorts at work sometimes, and this appears to have something to with alcohol. Are you doing alright at the moment?’
3 – Hannah’s response may be angry. Regardless, do your best to remain empathetic and calm.
4 - Your next steps rely on their response to the open question. Make sure not to anger them, or appear patronising or irritating. They may well be struggling at the moment, and you need to treat them as a human rather than as your manager. Nonetheless, it’s important that you work toward some understanding of what’s going on, and if its impact on their life, and work, can be lessened.
5 - Perhaps they should speak to someone else about this; it might be worth them seeking help if their drinking is getting out of hand. Feel assured that you are within your rights to address this issue - it is your manager’s responsibility to lead a fair workplace.
6 - Check that Hannah is aware that you want to support them, rather than that you’re angry at them. Check that they have a next step - be it talking to someone else, talking to their GP, a counsellor, or trying to reduce their drinking on their own. Make sure to come to an agreement on necessary steps to improve the workplace and consider arranging a follow-up meeting.