Scenario: Coffee Break
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant gets up from the group to fill a cup of coffee. Well filling their cup it is clear they are fully engaged in the discussion.
Tags: Action Learning Coach, WIAL Action Learning
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Dexter Cheng
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As a learning coaching, I will note what happened but I will observe and wait to see if the chairman or the group as a whole will do anything to address what has happened. If not, I will bring that up during our review session and ask the whole group what could they have done instead and why or why not.
However if that action of leaving the meeting table and getting a drink is being copied by other participants, and the chairman or group group are not addressing the issue, I will ask the chairman and then the group what kind of impact will that behaviour have on the meeting and how would they like to address that and why?
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Helena Mihoko Miyahara
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As an Action Learning coach I will consider how long this action takes time. For example, if the coffee was far from the group or at the other room, I will ask to the group:
– Mr/Mrs X is not here with us. What is the group decision about this? Shall we wait for him/her?
– What is the impact when someone goes to have coffee during an Action Learning Session?
– What kind of agreement do we, as group, have about this subject?
When Mr/Mrs X comes back, I will ask to someone in the group to tell him/her about the impact of their leaving and present the agreement, and request also his/hers accordance.
If the coffee is inside the room, near the group and this participant fills his cup of coffee very quickly, I will invite the group to think about the impact when someone goes to fill his cup, including the participant who did this.
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DrBea
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I’ve modified the scenario to make it clearer.
The person stays engage in the discussion while filling their cup.
There’s no rule that says you have to stay in your seat … for this one I would do nothing.
Happy Coaching
Bea
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ramgopalan
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I would do nothing. I have seen sessions where people stand up to stretch or walk around to explain something on white board. No ground rules are broken and as long as they are engaged in the discussion, it should be fine
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leocastilloph
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Same here. I’ve seen this happen. There seems to be no value for an intervention, so no need to do anything.
Leo
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Narendra nath Akhouri
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I agree with Bea and few others., As no ground rules have been broken, as a Coach I would carry on. Narendra
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Eduardo
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As an action learning coach i would say, i noticed that one participant needed a break and we havent agreed about it. How do we gonna handle that?
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Paritosh Pathak
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For me as the coach, some one getting up is not a problem. A person has gotten up to take a coffee or just to stretch the legs is ok as long as the engagement is there and the action of getting up / stretching is not distracting the group.
I will however make sure that the person whose gotten up notices that I have noticed and am observing him / her.
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azri amin b.basir ahmad
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I would intervene and ask the team “Team, we are in the midst of a very fruitful session, should we wait for one of the team member to come or continue? What would be the impact?”
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