Script: "Clash of Perspectives"
Characters:
Manager (Haniya): Detail-oriented, prefers close supervision,
Micromanaging
Employee 1 (Sunaina): Highly skilled, independent, and overconfident.
Employee 2 (Namrata): Overburdened and struggling to balance
multiple tasks.
HR (Nehal): Rational and calm, mediates the conflict.
Scene 1: Manager’s cabin
(Haniya is at the desk, reviewing a report. Sunaina walks in with a confident
stride, followed by Namrata, who looks tired.)
(Haniya):
(looking up)
Sunaina, Namrata, how's the progress on the project? We have a deadline
coming up.
Sunaina:
It's under control. I’ve got it covered.
Namrata:
Yeah… (sighs) Sunaina’s been handling most of it. I’ve been swamped with
another project.
Haniya:
That’s not how we work as a team, Namrata. You can’t just push everything onto
sunaina
Namrata:
(irritated)
I didn’t "push everything." I’ve been doing my part, but you gave me two
projects at once! I’m overwhelmed.
Haniya:
(raising voice)
That’s not an excuse! You should’ve managed your time better.
Namrata:
nods
Haniya :
And Sunaina, even though you’re skilled, I still need to see updates. We don’t
want any last-minute surprises.
Sunaina:
(smirking)
Honestly, Haniya, I’ve got years of experience. I know what I’m doing.
Namrata:
Haniya is just making sure we stay on track. You might miss something, and
that’s where she come in.
Sunaina:
(dismissively)
Miss something? Trust me, I don't need to be babysat.
(Namrata looks uncomfortable as tension rises.)
Scene 2: Project Failure - Later
(The three are gathered around the table. Haniya is reviewing the project report,
visibly upset. Sunaina is leaning back, arms crossed, while Namrata looks guilty.)
Haniya:
This is unacceptable! We missed key deliverables, and now the client is unhappy.
How did this happen?
Sunaina:
(defensive)
Everyone kept interfering with every little detail. I told you guys to let me handle
it!
Namrata:
(sheepishly)
I should’ve been more involved, but I was ignored and was piled on with more
tasks anyways and Sunaina said she had it under control. (speaking
aggressively)
Haniya:
You’re exaggerating, Namrata. This isn’t just about workload. You didn’t pull your
weight on this project, and now we’re all paying for it.
Namrata:
(snarling)
Do you expect me to be a robot? I’m a human, Haniya!
Haniya:
(fuming)
Stop playing the victim, Namrata! This failure is on all of us, but you should’ve
managed your time better instead of relying on Sunaina to do your job and
Sunaina as you think you are the superstar and can handle everything all by
yourself guess you need others help as well!!!!
(NEHAL, the HR, enters the conversation. The atmosphere is tense.)
Nehal:
Alright, let’s calm down and figure out what went wrong here. let’s take a breath.
Clearly, there are some frustrations here. Haniya, Sunaina, Namrata—why don’t
we start by talking about what went wrong from each perspective?
Sunaina:
(sighing)
I want more independence because I know what I’m doing, and I don’t need to be
micromanaged. But …Haniya kept hovering.
Nehal:
(nods)
I understand your desire for independence, Sunaina, but part of working in a
team is accepting feedback and guidance. Haniya wasn’t trying to undermine
you but was concerned about the project’s progress. Can you see that?
Sunaina:
I get it, but it felt like she was treating me like a rookie.
Nehal:
(turning to Haniya)
Haniya, do you see how your constant checking in might have come across as
controlling to Sunaina?
Haniya:
(hesitant)
I wasn’t trying to control her. I just wanted to make sure we didn’t miss anything.
I can admit maybe I was a bit too hands-on, but I didn’t think she’d take it that
way.
Sunaina:
(sarcastic)
A bit?
Nehal:
(raising hand to calm the tension)
Let’s keep it civil. Haniya, perhaps next time you can set clear milestones instead
of checking in so frequently. And Sunaina, being skilled doesn’t mean you’re
exempt from feedback. It’s about balance.
Haniya:
(nods)
I can work on that.
Nehal:
(turning to Namrata)
Namrata, you said you were overwhelmed. Why didn’t you raise this earlier?
Namrata:
(looking guilty)
I didn’t want to seem like I couldn’t handle the workload. Sunaina was confident
she could take the lead, and I was struggling with the other project. I thought I
could juggle both.
Nehal:
(sighs)
See that’s where things started to go wrong. You should have communicated
your workload concerns. Overburdening one person, even someone as skilled as
Sunaina, isn’t fair to anyone. The result was a lack of support, and the project
suffered for it.
Scene 4: Resolution
Nehal:
Here’s what I recommend moving forward. Haniya, set key milestones for
progress checks and trust Sunaina to manage her tasks. Sunaina, make sure you
communicate openly and accept feedback when necessary. And Namrata, speak
up when you're feeling overwhelmed, so we can redistribute the work if needed.
Sunaina:
(sincerely) I can do that. I’ll try to be more open about communication.
Namrata:
(regretful)
And I’ll step up and say something next time. I shouldn’t have let it get this bad.
Haniya:
(reluctantly)
I’ll back off a little more and trust you, Sunaina. But we still need to stay aligned
as a team.
Nehal:
Good. The important thing is that we’ve addressed the issues. Let’s make sure
this doesn’t happen again.
Scene 5: Final Office Scene
(The team gathers around the table, discussing the next steps for a new project.
This time, they’re working more collaboratively, communicating openly, and
respecting each other’s strengths.)
Haniya:
Okay, let’s set clear milestones and check-ins for the project. Sunaina, I trust you
to lead this one. Namrata, we’ll make sure your workload is manageable.
Sunaina:
(smiling)
Thanks, Haniya. I’ll make sure to keep you all updated.
Namrata:
(supportive)
Let’s make this one a success.
(They all nod in agreement, the tension resolved, and the scene ends with the
team working harmoniously.)
End of Short Film.
This script highlights how conflicts due to personality clashes, overconfidence,
and overburden can lead to failures. Through proper mediation and
communication, the team learns how to work better together.
