Scenario: Nothing

As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation: The problem presenter says they were not helped at the end of the session.

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

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Comments (16)

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    Suzan Koike

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    This is a risk that can occur in a first session, so I would welcome the point raised by the problem presenter, mainly as a positive question, asking: What would make you feel helped? After the answer, I would ask a subsequent question that would generate learning and reflection, as the point placed could also generate frustration in the group.

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    Sneha Govind

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    Very often, when the group gets started and warms up to the concept of Action Learning, such scenarios can happen. Assuming this could’ve happened during the very first session – I would approach it with the following set of questions to the presenter/group –

    (To the presenter)

    1) What can this group do to contribute better, so that you feel helped?
    2) What are you expecting to gain out of the second session?

    (To the group)

    1) How did we do as a group?
    2) What could we have done better to have helped the presenter?
    3) How will we contribute for the next session?

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    Samantha Cinnick

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    As coaches, we are taught to keep it positive and future focused with our questions. I might ask the problem presenter, “What would ensure that you are helped in the future? What did you learn from today that will make sure you are helped at the next session?” I would then also add a question to the group. I would amend the question, “What did we do best as a group?” to ask, “What did we do well today that we could apply to a subsequent session to ensure the problem presenter was helped?”

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    Kwong Sang Ernest Ng

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    As an Action Learning Coach, we should keep neutral and positive. No matter what the problem presenter said, we should focus on the learning. I may ask:
    “What is your expectation about “helped?”
    “How could you ensure you are really helped in the future session?”
    “What can we learn from this session in order to have better helped in next session?”

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    Benjamin Qian

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    I thought this was a great learning opportunity, and I asked PP what he really thought at first, “Can you tell me why people didn’t offer help?”, then find the facts: “What happened to you that led you to this judgment?” Then I may ask PP, “What did you or didn’t do led to this result?” Then I would turn to the team and ask, “Did you observe this?” Next I will ask the team, “If we want to help PP have a further breakthrough on this topic, what improvements and adjustments should we make for the research?”

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    Agnieszka Sybicka

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    I would ask:
    “What would you need more / less /differently?”
    “What can you do differently next time to make the session more helpful?” (question to the presenter)
    “What lessons can we learn from this session to make the sessions more helpful in the future?”

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    YUE ZHANG

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    I will ask pp the following questions:
    – Why do you feel it is not helpful?
    – What do you expect to achieve in order to be helpful?
    – What do you think needs to be done to help?

    I will ask the team:
    – How are we doing?
    – What needs to be maintained?
    – What needs to be improved?
    – What new actions do we need to take next?

    I will continue to ask pp:
    – What do you think about this?
    – What actions could help?
    – What others are suggested that partners can assist with together?

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    Angel Song

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    If PP says they were not helpful at the end of the session, I would ask PP what his expectations were before. Ask everyone to discuss what we can do in the action learning afterwards that is more productive and meets PP’s expectations. We can summarize some of the things we did well, and then say some things that need to be adjusted, and ask PP if such an adjustment direction is OK and reach a consensus.

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    Jiong Zheng

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    As an action learning coach, I would take it as a learning opportunity to both the problem presenter (PP) and the team.
    Firstly, I would say to PP:
    – Can you imagine, if you feel very satisfied at the end of the session, what did the team do to make it happen?
    – And what can you do to support the team to make it happen in the next session?
    Subsequently, I would ask the team:
    – What did you learn about how to help the PP more effectively?
    – What shall we try next time?

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    Aik Gerrese

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    Depending on the exact situation. If the problem presenter still agrees on the formulation of the problem, it may be due to the direction of the solutions presented. I would ask the person to explain and elaborate until what point he/she agrees to the result of the process. Depending on the result, we can (if the group agrees) pick up from the point where the problem presenter deviated from the feeling of being helped.
    If not, we can also pick up the problem of the person not feeling like being helped as a new problem in the next session.

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    焮茹 杨

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    Not every action learning can solve or help the problem of the problem presenter at the ideal level, as it depends on many other factors to solve the problem except the action learning itself:
    First, it depends on the difficulty of the problem. If it is too difficult or there are many technical reasons, it really can’t be solved by action learning alone;
    Secondly, it depends on the mind paradigm of the problem presenter, if he/she is not open-minded enough and can’t accept new perspectives and ideas, it is hard to have a breakthrough;
    Thirdly, the cognitive level and mind paradigm of the participants matters, as they decide the quality of the questions. In addition, the timing, the status of everyone, the diversity of people and other factors may affect the solution to the problem.

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    Maria Carolina Sanaiote

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    I would take the opportunity to ask the problem presenter the followed question: “How could you have acted to help the group to help you?”
    Also, I would remember the group that even when the problem presenter doesn’t find the solution there are learnings on the process. After that I would ask the group: “Did anyone else notice that there were learnings in this session?” and then I would ask: “Would you nominate some of the learnings?”

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    Arkom Sakamatapan

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    The questions that I will use to probelm presenter will be
    • What do you expect the team to do differently to help you solving your problem next session?
    • How these questions help you to understand you real problem and help you plan for your own solution?
    • What did the other benefits that you gain from this session?

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    KAI ZHANG

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    1. As a coach, I would start by asking PP.
    What do you want the corps members to do to help you?
    2. Then ask the other corps members.
    What does everyone think of PP’s hope?
    What should we do in the future?

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    Elisabete Martins

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    I believe there is a risk that the presenter will not feel helped. And even so, the coach must seek learning. Assuming it was a first section I would ask the problem presenter: How could the group have helped you better? To the group: What could we have done better to help the presenter?
    Assuming there will be a second section…
    I would also ask the presenter: What are your expectations for the next section?
    For the group: What can we do differently in the next section to help the presenter?

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    shaohua hou

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    I would ask pp questions:
    – Why do you feel it is not helping?
    – To what extent do you expect to be helpful?
    – What would you expect to be helpful? What do you think needs to be done to help you?
    I would ask the team: How did we do it?
    – How are we doing?
    – What do we need to keep doing?
    – What do we need to continue? What do we need to improve?
    – What are the next steps we need to take?
    I’ll keep asking the pp:
    – How do you feel about this?
    – What actions would help you?
    – What actions would help you? What are some suggestions for partners to help?

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