As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
A member of the team you are coaching insists on answering questions that are being directed to the Problem Presenter
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
A member of the team you are coaching insists on answering questions that are being directed to the Problem Presenter
I would wait for the group to respond to the question; if questions continue to be directed to me I would remind the group to ask the team questions;. If needed, I would remind the group of my role in the action learning session.
I would first see if anyone in the group addresses this issue on the spot, but if not, I would lean in and ask who the initial question was addressed to and then ask the group to discuss the impact on the group when someone else answers a question out of turn. I would then lean out and ask the problem presenter to respond.
I would interverne and ask the eager member who this question was addressed to, and let the team to evaluate the impact of answering questions out of turn. After the team come to notice what they should follow, I would lean out and let the problem prsenter to respond the iniatial question addressed to him/her.
I would intervene by addressing the person who posed the question: Did you intend this question to be answered by X (Eager team member?
I would observe to see if this behaviour is consistent. My first intervention would be to ask the person asking the question, “Have you received an answer from the one you addressed the question to?” My next intervention would be to ask the team, “What would the impact be to the team if we answered questions not directed to us?”
I would intervene and ask the group: How are we doing as a team? Has does it affect our learning if the Problem presenter or others are not able to answer questions presented specifically to them?
As several people suggested above, I would initially intervene by asking the person who asked the question to whom they were addressing their question. If that didn’t resolve the issue, then during the first check-in I would look for someone to raise this issue upon my asking “What could we be doing better?” If no one raised the issue here though, then I would use the “Has anyone noticed . . . ?” approach to bring the issue to the group’s attention to be addressed as a group.
I would ask in the moment – What question are you answering? If they sais “That one” I would ask “who was that directed to?”
From a WHAT? SO WHAT? NOW WHAT? perspective i might use –
i’m noticing people answering questions directed to others? Did anyone else notice that?
What’s the impact on the team when members chime in with information that wasn’t requested?
If someone wants to add something what can they do?
What options does the team have if someone asks if they can share their perspective?
Happy Coaching
Bea
I would ask the person who asked the question who he or she addressed the question to. If the member keeps on answering, I would go to an intervention or check point, surface the behavior and ask what the impact of the situation will be to the team. I will remind everyone on the 2 ground rules.
I would intervene in the situation , and ask the person asking the question, “Have you received an answer from the one you addressed the question to?” And then ask the group “Has does it affect our learning if the problem presenter or others are not able to answer questions presented specifically to them? and what can we do better?”
This is a clear violation of rule 1, and it is necessary to intervene in time to make the team more fully discussed. As a coach, I would ask a question amicable, “who still remember what our rule 1 is” to make the team go on better.