3.7 Case study, role-play activities and reflection exercises
- 4 min reading
- 20 min activity
This lesson brings the whole module together in three parts: a case study, a role-play and a reflection. There is no perfect answer. Make your choices, read the coach notes, and try again if you want. At the end you write your own adaptation plan.
- Follow a young newcomer through her first month and make decisions at key moments.
- Practise one difficult conversation: feedback and an unfair condition in the same talk.
- Reflect on your own strengths and write a personal adaptation plan.
Part 1: Case study, the first month
Rania, 24, from Syria, has started as a junior cook in a large hotel kitchen in Utrecht, on a six-month contract. She cooked for many years in her family's restaurant. Now she has to learn a new kitchen, new words, new rules and new people, all in Dutch and English. Follow her first four weeks.
As you decide, think about the tools from this module:
- observe and ask (Lessons 2.1 and 3.1);
- notice, fix, check (Lesson 3.2);
- the four moves of agile thinking (Lesson 3.3);
- pause, listen, ask, thank, act (Lesson 3.4);
- your rights (Lesson 2.5).
Case study: Rania's first month
Four weeks, four decisions. Choose what Rania does and read the coach notes.
Part 2: Role-play, the talk with the head chef
In week four, Rania decides to talk to the new head chef. She wants two things: to learn how to make her plates right, and to ask about the unpaid Saturday hours. This is a real test of adaptability: open to criticism, clear about fairness.
"Could you show me one plate that is exactly right?" "I'm happy to stay longer when it's needed. Could the extra hours be paid and in the rota?" "I'll write down my hours, so it's easy to check."
Role-play: talking to the head chef
Rania asks the head chef for five minutes. She wants to learn how to make her plates right and to ask about the unpaid Saturday hours. Choose what she says.
Part 3: Reflection, my adaptation plan
Now think about yourself. Use your results from the checklist in Lesson 1.3 and the well-being habits in Lesson 3.6 if you did them. Write in simple words. Your plan is saved in your account, and you can come back to it later. Other learners cannot see it.
My personal adaptation plan
Write in simple words. Your plan is saved in your account. Other learners cannot see it. Do not write names of people or employers.
Practise with a friend, a classmate or a youth worker. Use the three situation cards below. Play each one twice: once as yourself, once with the roles switched. Afterwards, tell each other one thing that worked well and one thing to try differently.
Your manager tells you that from next week you work at a different location, one hour away. Use the four moves: facts, fears, options, small step.
You told a customer the wrong price because you confused two numbers. Repair it: notice, fix, check.
A colleague says: "If you want to fit in, stop speaking your language on the break." Answer in a way that keeps your roots and the relationship.
In short
- Adapting is a set of small decisions: ask, repair, plan, listen, and speak up.
- You can be open to criticism and clear about fair conditions in the same conversation.
- Your plan turns what you learned into steps for the next weeks.
Sources
- European Parliament and Council (2019). Directive (EU) 2019/1152 on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union, Articles 4 and 5.