ABSTRACT
Role play is one of the most powerful and underused methods in small group work. Even in the most homogeneous of groups there will be striking degrees of diversity – in views, style of dress, attitudes and personality. Facilitators have to think extremely carefully about the degree of explicitness, group honesty, the size of the task and the evolution of appropriate team roles. Research into small group formation indicates that all groups are in effect combinations of pairs and triads. Reporting back from subgroups to the whole group is a common task in many situations, whether it is in the context of team-building exercises or a conference on personnel management techniques. Role play requires high levels of motivation, and there is a risk that it may overshadow the need for a parallel grounding in theory and facts.
