Scenario: Assumed Rule

As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:

A participant says – “Wait. My question hasn’t been answered. The rule is that you have to answer the question”

Tags: Action Learning Coach

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Comments (3)

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    Danny Slater

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    If the question wasn’t answered, I would hope the Action Learning coach would be alert enough to ask the questioner: ‘Did you get your question answered?’ thus avoiding the statement from the questioner. If the questioner interjected the scenario statement first, I would gently ask them to reframe their thought as question.

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    DrBea

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    There is no rule that says a question has to be answered.

    I would ask – “What are the ground rules?” If no one could answer, I would reiterate the ground rules.

    Depending on the complete context of the situation I might follow with –
    1) What is the impact on the team when additional questions are asked before the ones on the table can be answered?
    or
    2) What is the impact on the team when we create rules for the team that have not been agreed to?
    or
    3) What is the impact on the team when someone avoids responding to a question?

    Followed by – How do we want to handle it from now on?

    Happy Coaching
    Bea

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    Lois Parkes

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    I would remind them/clarify the rule, which is that statements follow questions, which is different from answers must be provided to each question. That said, I would ask to whom the question is directed (the group or a team member), and ask whether that person/anyone in the group has a response. I would also point out that sometimes no one may have an answer to a question, or the question may provoke such thought that it leads the group to deep thought/silence as they consider the question.

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