When working with a client on a business problem through action learning, I ask the sponsor or problem owner to answer a number of questions, in writing, before the first session starts. I have created a one page form with the following questions:
Describe the problem … describing context, history and some basic data, key people and departments involved.
Why is solving this important ? What has been tried in the past, and was this partly successful or not successful at all ?
What do you expect of the team, in terms of recommendations only, or recommendations and actual implementation ?
What would be your definition of ‘success’ of the team addressing this challenge ?
What is your experience with asking the sponsor to describe his/her problem ahead of the first meeting ? Do you use any other questions ?
During the Single Problem Action Learning session, the coach reminds all team members a few times that they have to think about the actions they will commit to at the end of the session, in preparation for the follow up session. When the coach asks for the actions at the end of the session, several people have listed the same or nearly identical action. How would you react as coach ?
What do you do as a coach when a team member asks a question which is obviously in no way related to the problem presented? I.e. the team is working on an organisational culture problem and the next question is “Does anyone in the group have a preference for where we have lunch?”
The team in a single problem action learning set asks questions to the sponsor (the boss), and in addition to just answering the question, the sponsor talks about the context, history, options, ideas for solutions … and this even when the question asked was a closed one … Even if the team members become aware of this, they struggle – in particular in a high power distance (respect for authority) – to do anything about it. How would you as a coach intervene ?
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presented is – I need to upgrade the operating system on my computers
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presented is outside the control or influence of the problem presenter and the team. For instance: A consultants presents about an organization he does not consult for – Organization A has a culture of fear.
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
The team is shifting in their understanding of the true nature of the problem. For instance the original problem is presented as “How should we restructure the organization for efficiency?” and they are shifting to “The communication between team members has eroded to the point that we work against each other instead of helping each other.”
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
An animal – bird, monkey, or other – enters the room through an open window.
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
Someone asks a question that changes the depth and understanding of the true nature of the problem.
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
The end of the session comes and someone has not demonstrated their leadership skill.
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
One of the participants does something that strongly supports their leadership skill.
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
You ask the team members how we are doing on a scale of 1 – 10. Most of the members say 7 or 8. One says 2.
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter decides to test the team by giving mis-information to the team. By the time this becomes apparent, many of the team members are upset to varying degrees.
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
A member asks a particularly energizing question, several members follow this with additional questions before there is time for a response.
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
One of the participants asks a question of the entire team, after a single answer the team moves on to the next question.