Scenario: Long Problem Statement

As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation: You ask the problem presenter to briefly state the problem but the person continues on for an inordinate period of time not only stating the problem but also describing contextual details related to the problem.

Tags: Action Learning, ActionLearning Coach, Team Coach, WIAL, WIAL Action Learning, WIAL Talk

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Comments (38)

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    William Teo

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    I will intervene by saying, “thank you PP”, immediately followed by, “who has the first question?”

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      Joop van Nierop

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      My approach will be. ‘Thank you PP’, we will discuss our methodology later on during our meeting. For now ‘who has the first question’.

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    Monika Kantowicz-Gdanska

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    I would intervene saying: “I observe there are a lot of contextual details being shared about the problem. For this phase of the meeting we need a brief description – so can you summarize the problem in one sentence and we will continue with the questions from the group, to help you better define it?” At first I thought of these kind of intervention: “I can observe there are a lot of contextual details being shared about the problem. Do we need so much information to start asking the questions?”. After a while I think that at this moment of the session the first proposition of intervention would be better. I would be pleased to receive a suggestion which intervention would be better 😉

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    Angeline Yong

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    I would intervene by saying, “Thank you (PP) for the detailed description. Please help us understand better by summarising your problem statement in one sentence.”

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    Anneke Broekroelofs

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    After explaining the AL rules, identifying the leadership skills and stating the time left to work on the problem I would ask the problem presenter to please take a maximum of 2 minutes to tell us the problem of task that he/she would like the group to help him/her with. After 1.5 minutes I would tell the PP there are 30 seconds left. After the 2 minutes I would intervene by thanking him/her and asking the group who has the first question.

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    Naveen Chopra

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    I would intervene : “I observe a lot of details are being covered about the problem.
    For now we need a brief description – so PP, would you be kind enough to please summarize the problem in next minute or so and leave the details for discussions by the group during our session?”

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    ROBERTO ROTENBERG

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    I would still ask: “How could you state your problem in a short and concise sentence?” In case she/he continued with long descriptions, I would thank her/him and ask “Who has the first question?” The group would conduct in its own way to deal with this.

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    Alessandra Denis

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    I interrupt the presenter, reinforcing that all this is very important, now I ask you to formulate the problem in one sentence, which we will then have the opportunity to explore further.

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    Philippe Rion

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    It often happens that way. After 3 minutes, I interrupt the presenter to avoid wasting time and repeating this contextual information during the clarification phase. I thank him and ask him to conclude with a question!

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    Yanbo Hu

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    I’ll ask PP… Let’s pause, and now the requirement is to give the team a minute to describe the problem you want to solve today. What do you want to say?

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    Elisabetta Galli

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    At the opening of the session, when the coach review the basic rules of AL, the roles, etc… one of the key instruction is that the PP will have 2-3 minutes to state the problem. If I observe that the PP is forgetting this instruction and gets stuck to a very long preamble, for instance, I will simply intervene, gently referring to the fact he/she has already consumed 80% of the time for the problem presentation.

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    Kristi Alcouffe

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    I would say…”(Problem Presenter), I I understand that the subject motivates you and that you are eager to share with the group. Nevertheless, could you try to close in 1 or 2 sentences so that the group can start to help you?”

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    Celine Sugay

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    When the P.P. is nearing the 3-minute mark to present the problem, I will remind the P.P. to wrap-up his sharing. I will also ask the P.P. to summarize his problem in 1 statement. Upon doing so, I will thank the P.P. and ask the group “who has the first question?”.

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    Doreen Wei

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    I would ask PP, “Now in 2-3 sentences, what is the challenge you want the team to help you today?”
    After PP, I would say to the team, “Please start asking questions.”

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    Nidhipon Tritiptawin

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    At the beginning of every session, after informing or repeating the ground rules, I normally remind PP how much time he/she has to tell the team about his/her problem. In this case, if the PP starts to keep stating for too long, as a coach, I will have to intervene by saying, “PP, could you please summarize your problem in 1-2 sentences and what do you want the team to help you today?

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    Vo Huu Loc

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    As an action learning coach, I’ll intervene.

    I will say: “Thank you (PP) for the detailed sharing. So can you summarize the problem in one sentence?”
    And after the sentence sharing by PP, I will continue with: “Who has the first question?”

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    Benjamin Solomon

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    I would say, “X, could you kindly be as brief, concise, and neutral as possible when presenting your problem so that all the team members here can begin to help you.”

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    Marina Moreno

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    I would make the following intervention to PP: “Thank you for the detailed sharing. Now, could you, please, summarize the problem in one sentence?”
    Than: “Who has the first question?”

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    Aleksandra Jach

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    I would say for example: “I would like to stop you here. Please, tell us in one sentence what is the situation now and what will be the consequences if it will continue?”

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    Luke Tanner

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    If the oroblem presenter takes a breath I would intervene saying “Thank you NAME. Now who hasthe first question?”

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    QUYNH LETHIBAO

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    I will intervene: “Excuse me for intertupting. Our rule what allows every presenter show the problem from 2 to 3 minutes, can you summarise your problem in one sentence?

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    bihong xie

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    I would intervene and say, “Let’s stop for a moment, thank you for the detailed description of PP, we can further understand in the later discussion stage. Now, can you (PP) sum up your question in one sentence?” Make the team more clear about the discussion issues.

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    Pet Hen Oei

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    I will do a learning intervention at 3 mins by saying “Pardon me to cut you off, but thank you, PP, for your 3 mins problem presentation. Now Who has the first question?”

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    Natalie Sio

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    I will intervene by saying: “Alright, (PP’s name), 2 minutes is up. With all the things you have shared with us, if you can put it into one sentence or one statement only, what is the problem?”. Then once he/she is done in that one sentence, I will immediately inject myself and thank him/her and direct the questions already to the team by asking: “team, who has the first question?”

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    colette cahalane

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    If the problem presenter was going over the 3 minute mark, I would intervene and say ‘I can see there is a lot you want to share about the problem. Could you make 1 or 2 more statements so the group can begin to help you?’ Upon doing so, I will thank the problem presenter and ask the group “who has the first question”

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    Janaina Gameiro Arbucias

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    I would intervene by saying: “In one sentence, what is the problem you would like us to help you with today?

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    Lam Nguyen Thanh

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    As an Action Learning Coach, first of all, I would say: “Thank you for sharing detailed information.” to problem presenter, then I ask: “Could you summarize your problem statement in one sentence?”. After that, I would ask team members: “Have you listened clearly the problem statement? Who has the first question?”.

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    Vien Nguyen

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    As an Action Learning Coach I would say to PP:
    1. Thank you (PP) for the detailed information. Can you summarise your problem statement in short sentences in order to help us understand better?
    2. After PP’ summarising, immediately followed by “Who has the first question?”

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    Ngoc Nguyen Thi Kim

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    I will intervene by saying: Thank you PP for sharing detailed information. However, could you recap the main points in one sentence that you expect the team support you in this session? And I will also remind the team that any statements or questions, please keep it short and simple to assist the group capture our discussion better.

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    TL Wang

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    I would say to PP: “Please explain to the team members the problem that you are currently urgent and would like the team to help you solve, and explain the problem to the group in 1-2 minutes.” Then I would say to the group, “Who will ask the next question first?”

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    Ana Pierrotti

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    As soon as I notice the problem is not presented concisely, I will give 1-minute extra time. If it was not enough, I would intervene saying “We have already allowed 1-minute extra time to present the problem. In order to make it easier, I would like to ask you to write it down in two sentences”.
    Doing that, I would say: Thank you very much for your statement. now we will continue exploring the problem through the questions, who has the first question?”

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    Tanushree Luthra

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    If the monologue continues for more than 3 minutes, I will say, “Thank you Problem Presenter, for sharing those details with us. Will you please outline the problem in one sentence for us?”

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    Grace Wong

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    I will intervene and say: “Let’s stop for a while. Thanks for PP’s description, and we can go further in later discussion stage. Now, can you (PP) sum up your question in one sentence?” to give the team a clearer impression on the discussed question.

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    张 琴琴

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    I will tell the team members: “Thanks for PP’s description, let’s stop for a while, so that we can go further in later discussion stage. Now, can you (PP) sum up your question in one sentence?” This aims to make all members clearer about the question to be discussed.

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    yanjun Wang

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    I will intervene and say, “Let’s wait a second. Thanks PP for her detailed description. We can learn more about it later in the session. Now, can you please (PP) summarize your question with one sentence?” Make the team more clear about the discussion issues.

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    Jing Bao

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    I would politely interrupt the PP, at the appropriate time, by thanking for those detailed information and explaining that we need a concise and clear question statement. I would ask, “Regarding this issue, what do you want the team to focus on and deal with it most?” Through the question, I would help the PP concentrate on the most important information. If necessary, I would help him clarify by asking, “Do you mean ******?” and “Can you summarize the core issue in one sentence?”.
    Once the core issue is clarified and confirmed, I would then invite the PP to spend 2 minutes explaining “how everyone can help resolve this problem.”

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    Niwat Theeraviwatwong

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    First, I will intervene the problem presenter (PP) and then, ask PP to summarize “one problem statement”.
    If PP cannot do and still describing more, I would intervene PP by asking the follow up questions as follow;
    1 – So What? : PP, What is your problem narrative like?
    2 – Impact on? : PP, What will happen? If you continues to explain and does not summarize the issues.
    3 – Now What? : PP, What can you do to improve better?

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    Oliver Pangan

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    First and foremost, as a coach, I should have informed the problem presenter that he/she would only be given 2-3 minutes to present the problem. But in any case, sometimes even if properly informed some problem presenters feel 2-3 minutes is too short to present the problem that they continue on. If this seems to be the case, I intervene by telling the problem presenter that he/she has 30 seconds left and that he/she should start wrapping up. And when the time’s up, I would thank the problem presenter and proceed to ask the team “who has the first question?”

    Reply

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