Scenario: Missing Participants (2025)
Tags: Action Learning, ActionLearning Coach, Team Coach, WIAL, WIAL Action Learning, WIAL Talk
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Tags: Action Learning, ActionLearning Coach, Team Coach, WIAL, WIAL Action Learning, WIAL Talk
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Melissa Davis
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As an Action Learning Coach, I send a welcome email to the group or cohort with a brief introduction, what to expect, and the session dates and times. I note that their participation is crucial, and they should let me know if the selected dates and times do not work for them. Understandably, emergencies happen, and after the first missed session, I would send an email to check in with a reminder of the next session. If they continue to miss sessions, I would speak with the coordinator or contact person for the leadership program and share my concerns. I will also express my concerns if I do not receive a response from my initial check-in emails or if their absence disrupts sessions and the group cannot move forward.
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ET
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In addition to what Melissa Davis has written here, I would also talk to the two people who do not show up routinely to find out what are their commitment and thoughts to the project, what were the reasons for their no shows, and how do they plan to work with the other 6 people on the critical corporate problem. Basically, to understand what are the real problem for them not able to show up.
Then, I would invite everyone in the team (whether it’s a short in person or online meeting) if they have noticed the no shows; how have the no shows impacted the project so far, and how are they, as a team, going to do about it?
At the meantime, I would update the coordinator or contact person for the leadership program what’s going on, see what his/her thoughts are, and how can I support them.
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Valentino Baguios
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As the Action Learning coach, I would first observe the impact of the absenteeism on the team’s dynamics, participation, and problem-solving process. Then, during a session where attendance is again an issue, I would pause the discussion and ask a reflective question to the group, such as:
“What is the impact on the team when some members are not consistently present?”
“How does this affect our ability to learn and make progress on the problem?”
These questions help the group surface the issue without singling out individuals, encouraging them to reflect on shared accountability and commitment—both core to leadership development.
If the issue persists, I would escalate it outside the session by privately informing the program sponsors or coordinators. Since this is a six-month leadership program tied to critical corporate work, there are organizational expectations that may need to be reinforced outside the Action Learning space.
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Wenyue He
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Prior to the Action Learning session, I will discuss this with the sponsor and PP to see if it will affect this session and let the sponsor decide on any personnel or schedule adjustments.
If there’s still an absence on the day, I’ll start by saying, “Some members are absent today. How can we make the best use of this meeting to move the topic and learning forward?” This allows the team to decide on the best way to divide labor for the discussion. After the discussion, during the reflection phase, I’ll ask the team, “How can we keep the absent members in the loop and help them catch up on what the group did in their absence?”
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Kim Ketel
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I believe it would be best to first discuss the matter with the team manager, as he or she might be able to address it. However, it is not within my responsibilities as an Action Learning coach to intervene in such issues. Therefore, I will proceed with the session as planned
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Stina Öhman
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In planning with the sponsor, I would emphasize the importance of consistent participation and clarify expectations upfront. I would also raise this with the team in the initial session, inviting them to agree on norms for attendance.
If someone is absent, I would ask the team: “I notice someone is missing—what’s the impact on us as a group?” If the pattern continues, I would facilitate a deeper team reflection: “What can we do to ensure full participation?” and “How can we handle the ongoing absenteeism and what actions do we as a team feel are appropriate?”
If absenteeism persists despite team-led actions, I would then bring the issue to the sponsor’s attention, as it may indicate a structural or motivational challenge beyond the team’s control.
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Min Ge
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As an Action Learning Coach, before the session get started, I will first find out from the programme sponsor or PP the purpose of the team members joining the team and their willingness to develop. When I find that two of the team members are unable to attend, I will give timely feedback to the programme sponsor or PP.
For the other members of the group, I will ask in the action learning session, “How will this affect our ability to move forward on the topic if two members are unable to attend?” “If these two members continue to be unavailable, do we have any solutions?” “If these two members rejoin halfway through, what can we do to bring them up to our speed?”
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Rickey Collado
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This scenario reflects a real challenge I encountered while leading an Action Learning cohort. From the outset, I took proactive steps to set clear expectations. I sent a welcome email to all participants outlining the importance of attendance, active participation, and mutual accountability—key elements for a successful Action Learning experience.
When attendance issues began to arise, I addressed them promptly. I reached out individually to those with inconsistent participation to better understand their circumstances. I recognize that life events can impact availability, and I approach these conversations with empathy and flexibility.
In one case, after an open and respectful dialogue, a participant and I mutually agreed that it would be best for them to withdraw from the cohort due to their inability to commit the necessary time. This allowed the individual to prioritize their current responsibilities while preserving the integrity of the learning process for the group.
In another instance, a participant expressed a dismissive attitude toward the sessions, stating they had “better things to do with their time.” Given the potential impact on group morale and engagement, I escalated the matter by contacting their supervisor to address the behavior constructively.
Setting clear expectations from the beginning is critical, but equally important is holding participants accountable in a way that supports the learning environment. As coaches, we are responsible for upholding the integrity of the process and ensuring that every session remains productive, respectful, and aligned with the principles of Action Learning.
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Eric Kamst
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First I would talk to the two participants who are routinely absent. And use the same principles we use in Action Learning to let them find out what’s keeping them from participating. Then, still according to the Action Learning principles, they would have to have to make a list of possible solutions and let them arrange a meeting with the sponsor of the leadership program as first action.
Then I would let the participants write down how they defined the problem causing their absence and came up with a solution, took action to solve it and reflected on what they learned about themselves and Action Learning while going through this process. And then ask the participants to send it to the sponsor of the leadership program together with their request for a meeting on their further participation.
Finally, in a joint meeting with the two absent participants and the sponsor I would discuss if there are possibilities to solve the problem and let them rejoin the full team. If this is not possible, a plan should be made for the further development of these two participants to join another team later on, and the preselection of participants should be reviewed. Was an important factor overlooked?
This approach is based on my belief that an Action Learning Coach should approach every problem in an Action Learning way.
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