Author Archive

Scenario: Ring Ring

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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

Team members are coming and going as they please -either walking out to go to the toilet, or making phone calls. The rest of the members continue with the process. When you check in after each occurrence the team members indicate its ok.

Scenario: Two Owners

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: You have two problem owners for your project. You assume that the problem owners have coordinated the presentation of the problem for the kickoff session. As soon as one starts to present the problem the other interrupts with a very different view of the problem.

Scenario: Obvious Question

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: Listening to the team you realize an obvious question they are missing. If they would just ask “blah blah blah” the true nature of the problem would become clear to everyone.

Scenario (Questions / Answers)

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: During an intervention you ask “How are we doing taping all the knowledge in the room?” A participant says “We are asking questions and (s)he is answering them – isn’t that the rule?”

Scenario: Rambling (Wo)Man

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: A participant asks the problem presenter a question that starts “Do you ….” The response is “no blah blah blah blah blah blah blah ….”

Scenario: Oops

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation:  At the start of the session you ask everyone “if they are ok with the rules” instead of “if they understand the rules” – someone says “no”.

Scenario: Unavailable Member

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: Just prior to the beginning of the meeting, the group is informed that a member has been asked by her boss to handle an emergency, and will not be able to join the group for the first 2 hours of the session.

Scenario: Multiple Variables

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: The team is attempting to analyze the problem situation in a search to identify the one key variable that they can influence or change to create movement in the direction of their established goal or end result. They are debating the relevance of only a few factors and seem to be ignoring the probability that the problem situation was caused or is perpetuated by multiple factors.

Scenario: Multiple Levels

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: Every time the team seems close to getting to consensus a question is asked that takes them someplace else. You realize there are two levels that are being looked at – some participants are focused at a single group level (How do I address this with my group?), others at a corporate level (How do I address this with all groups?).

Scenario: Overly Focused

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: The team is involved in generating a number of alternative perceptions, ideas, opinions, facts, etc. The team focuses on only one (e.g., debating their merits or validity) and omits other items from explicit consideration.

Scenario: Problematic Problem Presenter

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

As an Action Learning Team Coach how would you handle the following situation: The problem presenter schedules a half hour meeting immediately before the Action Learning session. During this meeting they present their solution to the problem about to be discussed in the Action Learning session.