Purpose: To illustrate appropriate and inappropriate behaviors on the job and to create an awareness of how the actions and behaviors of one person can impact a group.

Activity: Write on slips of paper different undesirable adjectives which might apply to business/office workers. Examples--bored, hot-tempered, uncooperative, beligerent, boastful, lazy, brown-noser, etc. Place all slips in a box and ask students at random to draw from the box one slip of paper and not reveal to anyone what the slip says. Select a group of students at random to simulate a business activity. Those who have drawn slips are to act out the undesirable traits they have written on their slips of paper. The others are to react in whatever way they think appropriate in dealing with the behavior expressed. Terminate the activity after a few minutes and discuss the behavior, reactions, and other ways to effectively deal with the behavior.

Additional Options:

• Include desirable traits as well (agreeable, helpful, happy, cooperative, tactful).
• Have specific scenarios for students to act out each time or have them draw a scenario from a box. Then, give one minute of prep time for actors to discuss their roles (sales department dealing with a customer who purchased a product, employees having lunch in the lounge discussing company policy, etc.).
• Have one person draw out an attribute and then enter a business setting and display that attitude. Then have the other students try to guess what trait is being demonstrated.