Scenario: Coach Question
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
Some of the group members direct questions to you since they were aware you had knowledge of the situation; despite you repeatedly stating your role as coach.
Tags: Action Learning Coach, WIAL Action Learning, WIAL Talk
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bkknox
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As AL coach I would ask: Can anyone tell me what my role is in this situation? After the response, I would ask: Can anyone tell me, given my role, if it would be appropriate to answer questions about this situation? Can we redirect these questions to the problem presenter or to someone else on the team? Who has the next question?
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Stan Oawster
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I simply state that as their coach (in my present role) my role is to support and develop learning for the group. I then direct the question to the group and ask who else they might know that could assist with tools and resources?
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Kathleen
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I would ask, “What are the two ground rules of coaching?” Once they or I had clarified that I could not be directly involved in solving the problem, I would ask, “Are there any other ways the AL group might obtain this information?”
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Tiffany Maurycy
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I would respond as follows:
Who can remind us of the 2nd ground rule? What is my role/focus as the Action Learning Coach? Why is it important that I am not involved in the problem solving? Who has the next question?
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wthimmes
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I would begin by posing these questions: “If I change my role from learning coach to expert, how might this affect our future interactions? ” How would leadership in the team be impacted if I emerged as a basic or exclusive source of information about your challenge/issue?
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elbertor
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I would ask them to recall the briefing, and ask “can anyone tell me what my role is as coach?” I would then follow it up with “give my role and function, do you think it would be appropriate for me to get involved in the problem solving process? What is the impact if I become involved? Is there anyone else on the team who is just as qualified to answer these questions directed at me?”
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yeungpatel
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I’ll ask the team “Team, your member has a question …….. How can you help?” or “Team, how do you want to function as a team?” I’ll keep my role as a coach and won’t join the session.
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trongmai
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As a coach, I would ask the team: “How many of you wants me to explain the roles of the Coach again in a couple of minutes?”.
>> If someone says “yes”, I would reconfirm that the coach is ineligible to involve himself/herself in problem-solving process, but to help the team work effectively during the sessions, by following the ground rules. Then, I will seek for the team’s answer for the previous question, which is directed to me.
>> If everybody says “no”, I would ask the team “Who thinks they have answers for Mr. A’s question?”
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Bhagwan
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As a coach, I would rephrase the question asked to me back to the team. Now sometimes the team member would insist back to the coach?
How important is the question to the team? Can the team solve it?
Question to keep the team check .
1. How is the team doing so far in answering question?
2. In the scale of 1-10 how much is our cooperation level as a team-answering question?
3. What happens to the team discussion if the coach becomes a subject matter expert?
If they still ask.
4. What are the roles of an Action Learning Coach?
It is also important as coach to go through the ground rules and 6 components with the team before the process ensure the team understands the role of coach.
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RAIMI BIN SIRAJ
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I will response with, “Team! can anyone help to reflect the roles of the Action Learning Coach?” This is to steer the team focus on questioning to the team members instead of the coach. It will be great learning opportunity for the team to learn how to bring back their focus towards their main challenges. This can be applied in their daily work or during meeting.
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BelPacheco
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As an Action Learning Coach, I will ask the team about the role of an AL Coach. I will ask them how not being neutral to the problem can impact the whole AL process. I will also ask them about the power of questioning the diverse people in the group and how it can make A-ha moments happen. Lastly, I will ask the team how we can all move forward knowing the situation and the impact it does to the process.
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Denise Locke
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I would intervene and ask the group if anyone can tell me what my role is as coach for the group. Depending on the response I would remind them that as coach my role is not to be involved in solving the problem but to improve the performance of the group. I would then ask the group if they could re-pose the question to someone in the team. I would come back to the point in the de-brief when we are discussing group performance and ask what impacts they think it might have to involve the coach in the problem solving.
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Edo Lavika
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I would use this as a learning opportunity and ask the team: : ” Team, can anyone help me with this question?” (too make sure other member has the answer to this question). If no one can answer the question, I would ask the team: “Team, how do you think we should move on with this, knowing my role as an action learning coach?” than wait for the team’ suggestions and commitment.
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Elcee Asuncion Villa
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In full trust that the AL process will help the team find good solutions to their problems, I would remind the team of my role as AL Coach and that therefore I need to remain impartial in this discussion. I might look at all the members and add “Where else do you think the team might get your answers?”
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Vivien Reyes
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I would ask the team, “Team, what is ground rule no. 2?”. After that I would ask them, “What is then my role as coach? What is the impact if I get involved in responding to their questions? or Why would it be important that I remain in the role of a coach? What would the team need to do now?” With these questions I expect that the team would be able to realize how important i remain neutral and the holder of the process and that they take leadership for their discussion. I would end it by asking ” Who has the next question?” In the reflection learning, I would bring this up and ask, “What are some of things we could learn about solving the problem among themselves without always referring to the coach?”
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Kirsty Foster
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I would ask the team to reiterate my role as coach. And if not covered in response add that I am concentrating on the teams learning and performance, and redirect question to group.
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mattfarmer
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Kirsty – this is good but I might be inclined to ensure that in explaining that your role as coach is to focus on helping the group to perform better and on their learning they are clear that that means you are ‘not to get involved in addressing the problem directly’.
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DrBea
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I would keep it simple –
My role is to focus on the learning. what other resources do you have available to get that information?
Happy Coaching
Bea
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xin liangxin
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As an Action Learning Coach, I will ask the team “what is ground rule no. 2?”.And then ask“Are there any other ways the team might obtain this information?”
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Monique Reynaers
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The role of coach within Action Learning is the facilitation of the group process. It is not intended that the coach is directly involved in the process.
I would ask the group if anyone can tell what the role of the coach is. Then I would emphasize that it is important that I can focus on the group process and naming the learning opportunities. Then I would ask who wants to ask the next question.
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Jos Martens, MBA
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As an Action Learning coach I shall explain to the team, that it is not my role to be directly involved in the resolution process of the problem. My task is: To ask the team-member how he is able, together with the team, to search for the answer to the raised question, what is needed to reach the answer and how they should make use of it.
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Misbah Maqsood
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I will remind the group that as an AL Coach my focus has to be on the learning and better performance of the group and hence I cannot participate in the content of the session.
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Carla Nogueira
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I would remember along with the group about my role as action coaching learning. And I would check on group doubts about my role at the group.
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Lais Cauduro
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I would once again ask a member of the group what my role is. Then he would ask if everyone would be realizing that the coach was asked more than once. Then he would ask the group what the impact of this attitude was in solving the problem.
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Rohini Chopra
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I would remind the group that as their coach, My role is to enhance learning and action and to help the group focus on the process of action learning. I would then ask the group if there is consensus on my role as their coach? And then ask who has the next question to continue the discussion .
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