Clowning Around

WIAL Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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

One team member begins to make fun of one point the group is discussing. Initially, this is creative and brings happiness to the group. Then this joking is repeated sequentially among team members … a competition emerges to come up with the most creative joke. The group looses concentration and focus on the problem they are suppose to be working on …. They are primarily focused on clowning with each other!

Outlining the problem in a SPAL

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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 ?

Everybody takes the same action …

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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 ?

Deliberate Distraction

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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?”

Sponsor answers questions … and doesn’t stop talking !

WIAL Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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 ?

Scenario: Out of Control

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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.

Scenario: Problem Shift

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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.”

Scenario: Testing Team

Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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.