Have You Had to Role-Play at Work?

November 8, 2008

Role-playing is The Office's way of demonstrating that practice makes perfect, and Dwight and Jim's performance was comedic perfection. Jim played the client named Mr. Buttlicker while Dwight played the paper salesperson, and each role-player had his own pretend phone. Michael, of course, moderated the whole thing terribly.

My first experience with role-playing at work was during college when I was waitressing — I didn't like it then, and I still despise it. Have you had to role-play at work?

10 Comments

Rezgurl 4 years

I intensely dislike role playing games!!! Situations that they have you play to would never really happen.. at least in my little confused corner of the world!! lol

Deidre 4 years

Ugh, role playing is something that no one takes seriously. It's such an ineffective way to train.

booglass 4 years

Dwight is too easy of a mark sometimes. I LOVED this scene.

ilanac13 4 years

i have had to role-play but only during training sessions that our HR department facilitates. it's an interesting tactic that they have us do but i'm not sure that i really get as much out of doing it as i should.

PinkNC 4 years

And I've never seen this show but so many people seem to love it. I think I might go out and buy the box set starting at season one, so I can see what all the laughs are about.

PinkNC 4 years

I did it a lot at the academy while learning, and only just a few times after going to work. I don’t do the same work now but I still have done the role playing at my previous job. It helps to act out other people’s characters and your own. Sometimes you can see where you’re going wrong or maybe what other type person you need to add to the scene. Doing it in the academy wasn’t fun, but doing it now at a different work environment is sort of fun while being educated in the process. We all get good laughs at ourselves and others :)

teperry3 4 years

Only once in a meeting when we were changing the phone greeting and how to handle calls to a new department.. It was silly to listen to and watch then and has not happened since. It's silly how people tense up when they have to role play in front of the people that they work with and feel comfertable talking to on a daily basis.. or the ones who completly ignore it all together