PRPlayers

Supporting Card Factory with Conflict Resolution Skills for Leaders

Challenge 

Card Factory sought to equip its Area Managers with the communication and conflict resolution skills needed to manage sensitive conversations around staff hour reductions. These discussions often trigger emotional responses and workplace tensions, requiring managers to respond with empathy, confidence, and clarity.

Requirements

To support this training initiative, PRP was asked to provide:

• Trained corporate role players with experience in workplace conflict scenarios

• Detailed pre-briefings to ensure accurate, realistic portrayals of team dynamics

• Role players skilled in delivering constructive, professional feedback to help trainees improve in real time

Solution

PRP sourced five experienced corporate role players, all of whom had completed our PRP+ Feedback course. These actors participated in a 2-day Area Management Development Training session designed specifically for Card Factory.

The role players convincingly portrayed staff members across different levels — from store colleagues to managers — reacting to scenarios involving:

• Personal financial concerns

• Anxiety over operational impacts

• Interpersonal tension within the team

• Feelings of demotivation and being undervalued

These realistic, emotionally charged scenarios allowed Area Managers to explore the impact of their communication style and learn strategies for managing difficult conversations with sensitivity and professionalism.

Results

The simulation-based training provided a safe and supportive environment where Area Managers could test their responses, reflect on their approach, and develop practical, transferable communication skills.

With tailored feedback from PRP’s role players, participants left the training with:

• Greater confidence in handling conflict

• Improved emotional intelligence and empathy

• Enhanced ability to build and maintain positive staff relationships

By practicing real-life scenarios with skilled role players, Card Factory’s Area Managers gained life-long tools to navigate challenging workplace conversations more effectively.