WHEN A SINGLE QUESTION OPENS UP MINDS
“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 […]
WHY ACTION LEARNING BRINGS TEAMS IN FLOW PART 1
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 […]
WHY ACTION LEARNING BRINGS TEAMS IN FLOW PART 2
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 ACTION LEARNING BRINGS TEAMS IN FLOW PART 3
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 […]
WHY CRU USES ACTION LEARNING
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? […]
WHY QUESTIONS
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 […]
WIAL PHILIPPINES: THE BIRTH OF A NEW AFFILIATE
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 […]
Scenario: Forgotten norms
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation: The team does not recall what norms they have set.
Scenario: Favorite Tool
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.
LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS: HOW DO I MAKE SURE ACTION LEARNING MAKES A SUSTAINABLE IMPACT?
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? […]