Not so long ago, in a small hotel in the Polish mountains, I was teaching the CALC course and this question came up: Why do we actually say “we” and not “you” while addressing the teams we coach? For example, our script says “What are we doing well?” and not “What are you doing well?” In individual coaching the coach always uses “you” to show and emphasize the responsibility of the client. In WIAL Action Learning we prefer a different style. Having some difficulty in thoroughly explaining this to my group, I decided to ask other SALCs and MALCs. This article is the summary from this discussion. Read More

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Biological organisms inherently have defensive reaction to threats in their environment. Given time they learn how to defend against newly emerging challenges. Through evolution, they learn to adapt. However, if the changes in the environment go unnoticed or happen faster than their ability to learn and act, they go extinct. A very common observation from the natural world. If man-made organizations have the vitality and the resilience like a biological organism, Action Learning would serve as part of their evolutionary defense system. However in reality a mature organisation, as well as an adult individual, may fail to recognise the benefits of Action Learning, hesitate to learn how it works and unintentionally apply some ‘business as usual’ behaviours to poison and eventually kill the effort, only to continue searching for other means to ensure their prosperity. Read More

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I became curious about Action Learning after co-facilitating a three-day leadership training to a group of middle managers in a hierarchical and relationship oriented culture. The material for the leadership training had been developed internally by my client’s European headquarters. During the leadership training the participants were engaged with topics of strategy, individual strengths, diversity, decision-making, and coaching skills. The training consisted of theory combined with experiential learning activities. Throughout the program it became apparent that attendees had good comprehension of the presented content and applying it. Read More

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“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few” – Shunryu SuZuki Last month I conducted a leadership development program for one of the largest manufacturing companies in Thailand. This program was designed for key leaders and supervisors from six plants all over the country. Action learning was one of important components of the learning and development process. All sessions demonstrated the power of action learning but there was one, in particular, that was really interesting. Read More

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When Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi summarized his many years of research into what makes for an optimum experience and brings enjoyment, he focused mainly on individuals. His work Flow; the psychology of optimal experience (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) is full of examples of surgeons, mountain climbers or even assembly workers who focus fully on their core activity and get real enjoyment out of practicing and honing their skills constantly. They are in flow. A flow experience is rooted in the internal conscious focus that is put on the activity, as opposed to reacting to external stimuli or conditions. Read More

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The concentration of team members during an Action Learning session is typically very high. The dynamic of asking questions, answering questions, active listening and the focus on the multiple aspects of the session (the problem, leadership competencies, team dynamics, coach learning interventions) completely fills up the mental capacity of the team members. That is also why the recommended number of members in an Action Learning team is maximum of eight. It is simply too much for our conscious mind to monitor and actively deal with if there are too many interactions. Read More

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In part 1 and 2 of this series of articles, we looked at the eight components that bring enjoyment to work according to the Flow research (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 49), and have clearly demonstrated that WIAL Action Learning fulfills all the requirements and creates the environment for the development of more complex individuals through differentiation and integration. But Action Learning does not guarantee a team will experience flow. Some sessions run very smoothly and are a great and valuable experience for all, including the coach. Some sessions can feel tense and ineffective. Read More

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If I did not know how to swim and I wanted to become a swimmer is there a book you could recommend – that if I read the book I could then call myself a swimmer? Or maybe you could recommend a video that if I just watched I could then call myself a swimmer? Might your answer be “Sorry – there is no such book or video!” What would I have to do if I wanted to become a swimmer? Read More

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No form of communication is as powerful as a question. Great questions have changed our lives, and indeed, have changed the world! In Action Learning, group members are required to use questions because questions have the unique power and ability to accomplish all 4 of the WIAL solution spheres. Questions are necessary for individuals and groups to be creative and to find breakthrough solutions. All the great inventions in the history of the world were the result of a question asked by the inventor. Read More

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More than twenty years ago, three Filipinos, Tina Asuncion Alafriz, Leo Castillo and myself met in a personal transformation seminar and became friends. We realized then the importance of continuous learning and attended more leadership programs, which eventually led us to discover our purpose in Life – to assist in the actualization of the Filipino’s potential through corporate training. This became our Life’s work. Tina joined Management Strategies Inc. (MgtStrat) building it up to become one of the more successful corporate consultancy in the country. Read More

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation: The team does not recall what norms they have set.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation: Your favorite tool for diagraming a problem is a mind map. You know doing this would help the team see this problem much more clearly.

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Very often, people and organizations do not succeed to make an impact that sustains. Even though one starts off something new (e.g. Action Learning) with enthusiasm, it often results in a rapid relapse into old habits. How can I reduce the risk of falling back into old behavior, such as judging instead of asking questions? For this purpose, I personally use the lessons I have learned as a sports coach. What happens when one wants to do something new? Before one starts, there is a phase of being unconsciously incompetent. Thereafter, a generally long and frustrating period of being consciously incompetent follows. Read More

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Action learning is often used by organizations to support change initiatives. In order for organizational change to be successful and sustainable, there needs to be continuous commitment and participation by people in the organization. In order to be more change-ready, organizations need to develop its capacity and capability. Action learning is an effective approach to develop the leadership skills needed to influence and lead teams to drive change. In August 2017, Master Action Learning Coach, Ng Choon Seng, and his team of certified Action Learning coaches had the privilege to conduct a 2-day leadership development program on change management and Action Learning for a client in the Singapore healthcare sector. Read More

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation: Someone from the team gets up and turns the a/c on without checking with the other team members.

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