Scenario: My View
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Hearing the initial statement of the problem you (as coach) are clear what the real problem is. The team heads down a different path with it.
Tags: Action Leaning, Action Learning Coach, WIAL, WIAL Action Learning, WIAL Talk
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Emmanuel Ossom
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As a coach, i have to bring them back unto track to define what the real problem is. The first question i will ask them is: Do you all really share a common understanding of the real problem you have identified as a team? If yes, write down again what this real problem is. Let them read out individually what they write down. After they all have read out their real statements of the problem, ask them the next question: Do you all still think you are on the same page as to what the real problem is? If they say yes, ask them the next question: Why don’t you take a re-look at what the real problem is to see whether you will arrive at the thing or something different. If their answer to the very first question is no, How do you arrive at a consensus? Or what would help us to arrive at a consensus. If they arrive at a consensus after deliberating on this question, then you can ask them: What actions will you be taking? Otherwise i will try to repeat some of the above questions and other ones as i deem fit until they actually are able to define the real problem,
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Allen Tillman
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As an Action Learning Coach, I would intervene with the following questions:
– XX (the problem presenter) presented XX(restating the problem) are we addressing that problem?
– Going back to the problem presenter’s problem statement, are we asking the right question to address this problem?
– On a scale of 1-10, how are we reframing XX’s (the problem presenter) problem?
(Okay, who has the next question?)
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Rachael Olivier
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As a coach, I am to ensure that my biases and my opinions stay out of the door. My role is to facilitate the sessions, help develop leadership competencies and assist the group with reaching their goal without assertion of my personal opinions. In addition, what I believe might be the real problem, may not be. As such, I would continue facilitating the session as I would with other groups. I would ask the group how they felt they were doing on a scale of 1-10. In addition, I would ask if the group feels that they are tackling the problem from various angles and perspectives.
Based on the structure of the team, if the group does not reach consensus, at the end of the session, I might recommend a second session, with an additional pizza man or someone who is not part of their immediate group. This will allow for an opportunity to have a new and different perspective added to the mix.
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Yingting Wu
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An action learning coach is not directly involved in solving the problem. In this situation, I would conduct regular check-in when it’s time and ask the team if they have consensus of the problem. Let the team decide. Not getting the real problem is common for teams in action learning and as an action learning coach, I need to make sure I capture this learning opportunity and bring to the team what they have to learn
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Michal Weyna
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I will not intervene just because I think I know what the real problem is. I will let the team explore the problem for themselves and build on the wealth of perspectives they all bring to the table.
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Simone Gutwilen
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I will not intervene because my role is to facilitate the session, focus on improving group performance and help them develop leadership skills. I cant be directly involved in solving the problem. Furthermore this is my belief, not necessarily right. I will let the team explore the problem for themselves until the first intervention when we explored the consensus of the problem. If at this point, I realize a learning opportunity, I could intervene by asking some deepening questions.
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Nidlawan Saisakha
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As the Action Learning Coach, I would ask the team member including the Problem Presenter about the agreement on the problem. At least, the Problem Presenter will have the different problem with the team member and other team members might have other different problem statements as well. In the case that they say Yes which is having the same problem statement. I then ask all the team member to write down the problem statement and with from it.
with the question “Team, do we have agreement on the problem?” If they say
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Ana Motta
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As an Action Learning Coach I do not get involved in solving the problem, I’m there as a facilitator. I have to eliminate my judgments and focus on my role in ensuring the process, time management, and helping participants to perform better as a group and to develop leadership skills. What I could do at most is to intervene with a question like, “How are we exploring, on a scale of 1 to 10, from all angles?” Depending on what stage we were in. Remembering that there is the consensus stage of the problem where there is the question “Do we have a consensus, yes or no?” And then “Write what you believe is the real problem we are helping the presenter solve.” And then there is the individual question if the participant thinks he has a consensus, not enough. At this moment there are reflections on this understanding and if you do not have enough consensus you can run again and there you can have some other intervention where I would ask: “How is the quality of our questions?” Followed by: “Why is this important?” , for example. We still have a strategy possibility if another session is planned where we can see the possibility of having more diversity in the group and some specialist in the subject so that more information can arise to increase the reflection, creativity and thoughts from other perspectives.
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fatima dias
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As the Action Learning Coach, I would give some minutes to the team and ask permition for an intervention.
And I would make a powerful questionto the problem presenter: “how can we assure…”
As a AL Coach, my role isn’t to assume that I “know” the problem.
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Renata Gripp
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As an Action Learning Coach, I can not bring judgment to understanding a problem. For this there are, within the script, the opportunities to check the consensus of the problem. I can help you with (technical) procedures for consensus if you do not reach a consensus.
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Michael Lu
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As an Action Learning Coach, we facilitate the process, not the content. We help the team realize and learn from the session, but we do not intervene with our personal view. I will follow the script of checking with the team to see if they have alignment. If they do, and even if it is not the initial problem being presented, it is still a great opportunity for the team to learn and reflect. Sometimes that is when the real problem surface.
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xiaotsing ma
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The role of coaches is to inspire awareness, to start from ourselves is to realize what do we think, and to separate it from the opinions of others.
Secondly, action learning support team development their way of solving problems. They should be allowed to explore problems and try to find the right direction and way to achieve real ability growth.
So I think the intervention must not be the issue itself, but the mode of cooperation.
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Amanda Leung
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As a action learning coach, I will not get involved in the discussion. We concentrate on the process and how well the team can move on as well as developing the leadership skills, but not affecting the contents and results of the discussion. Therefore, for this case, I will ask the team questions to let the team be aware if they have consensus of the real problem and let the them explore the problem, situation and the impacts. Instead of pushing the team to close to the end, I will focus more on any learning opportunity for the team by asking deepening questions, and let them have self-reflection such that they can further improve in future.
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Catie Harrison
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As the action learning coach, I would need to check myself, my own biases and opinions. If I know the ‘real problem’ that quickly, I have likely jumped to as many conclusions as the group. I would let the group continue their discussion and focus on my role. I would follow the process of doing standard problem agreement check-ins and let the group work through their discovery.
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Gloria Alice Lobato Rodrigues
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As an Action Learning Coach I would not intervene. Coach can not engage in content, but rather manage time, facilitate the session, focus on improving group performance, and help them develop leadership skills. In an Action Learning session you have to rely on the ability of the group, the strength of the methodology, and not to make pre-judgments. It would follow up the process.
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Christine Fischer
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As the action learning coach, I would support the group in continuing to explore along their path, as I continue to read from the script. My role is to intervene whenever I identify learning opportunities. At this moment, I would not intervene because I think I am clear of what the real problem is, and the group has taken a different approach.
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Trairatt Chaisamran
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As an Action Learning Coach, I would not judge the problem from my past experience nor knowledge (L = P * Q * R). I need to listen to all the questions and reflection, and trust the process to bring in the real problem. If the team head down a different path, asking deeper questions and asking question on top of other’s great questions would bring them back right in track. Finally, the real problem will be revealed, most likely not be the one I thought!
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Andrew Rahaman
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My role as coach to maximize team learning. Because I think I know, doesn’t make it right. So, I would let the group continue until the intervention. Then, I would ask the group to individually write the problem on a note card to determine if there was agreement on the problem.
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Carla Nogueira
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As an Action Learning Coach I don’t have to get involved in the problem.
My role is to set the tone, identify learning opportunities, manage time, ensure reflection, improve group performance, and help develop leadership skills.
If I have this perception I will check in the stage of understanding the problem if there is consensus and intervening by asking questions that help the group in the conduct of the best solution.
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Erna van Ophem
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It’s not my task and I won’t say anything about it, even if the session is ended. I’m focussed on the process and the possible learningmoments.
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Bettyna Gau Beni
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I would trust the team and trust the process, following the script. I believe that the team will come up with the right perception and the right solution for them. They will learn from this situation.
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Tran Le Quynh Nga
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As a coach, it is important that the members realize and well recognize the problem is, I would let the team continue going on the discussion.
If after the second round of asking if the team sees the same view and they still have different idea, I will ask the team:
1. Hi team, in the last 30 minute to discuss the problem, did we all have the same view?
2. What made us to have much different ideas for this?
3. What should we do now?
If the team is still stuck with that, i will ask each member to write 2 key words to discribe the problem and let all discuss these keywords to find mutual ideas.
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Maria Teresa Guanzon
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There are a few questions I could ask the team. But, I wouldn’t necessarily ask all or in succession. In the end, it will depend on context and situation. Questions like – how are we reframing the problem? Or, I would bring everyone back into the discussion by asking – how do you think we’re doing as a team, what are we doing well, what can we do better. It is also possible that my biases or preferences could be coloring my assessment of where the team is heading so I may just let them explore that path for several more minutes until either a eureka moment happens or the light is extinguished and an intervention would be better placed by asking team – how are we doing, what’s just happened / what’s happening, what other paths could be explored, what have we not looked into / what do you think is missing.
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Pet Hen Oei
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In the session, i will not intervene just because I think I know what the problem in. as a coach, I am not part of the team.
I would take note what the team consensus of the problem is (as the problem should be align with problem presenter’s view), and bring it to the project Sponsor to see if he/she agrees (if there is a need for it)
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