WIAL Talk
Scenario: Trust
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member is sharing during an intervention and says – Wow, I can’t believe I just shared that, I can’t believe how comfortable I’ve become with this team.
Scenario: Take charge
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
During the session someone jumps up to the easels and starts capturing the important things that are said.
Scenario: Expert
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
As the problem progresses you realize you have a poignant piece of information that could be tremendously useful to the team, as the problem they are discussing is in your field of expertise.
Scenario: Unavailable Member
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Just prior to the beginning of the meeting, the group is informed that a member has been asked by her boss to handle an emergency, and will not be able to join the group for the first 2 hours of the session.
Scenario: Multifaceted
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is working hard to come up with a single well defined problem statement. They’ve realized the problem is multifaceted and are struggling coming up with a single problem statement that covers all the aspects of the situation.
Scenario: Guess
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter decides this is a game where the team members have to guess what s/he is thinking the real problem is. Consequently, they keep their answer as short as possible, to the point of being evasive.
Scenario: Speed racer
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has clear actions and a solution before the allotted time for the session has expired. You are uncomfortable that they have missed something.
Scenario: Multiple Responses
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Many statements are made in response to a question that was posed to everyone.
Scenario: Ignored Norms
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Team members are not adhering to the norms they agreed to.
Scenario: Limited Choice
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone asks a great open question, then follows it with a couple choices for the response. For example- What is it that bother you most about this situation? Is it A or is it B?
Scenario: Group Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
One of the participants asks a question of the entire team, after a single answer another question is asked and the team moves on to the next question.
Scenario: Silent Observer
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is working on a problem for a single session. One of the members tells you that they already have it figured out – both the problem and the solution- so they will not disrupt the process and sit quietly until everyone else figures it out.
Scenario: Spinning
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team members address various perspectives of the problem. Clearly seeing multiple views as to the true nature of the problem. They ask questions that cause them to bounce from one perspective to another to another to another and back to the first. They continually repeat the cycle without settling on which aspect of the challenge to address.
Scenario: No no norm
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A norm that the team set is not working for them. For instance, they decide they must check with each team member if they want to respond to a question before moving to the next question. They discover this is slowing the process to a painful pace.
Scenario: Wiped Out
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has been working diligently for hours. They decide together it’s time for a break and choose to take and hour, all agreeing that the action for this stretch of time will be to let their minds rest, but as additional questions come to mind they’ll keep note of it.
Scenario: Relocating
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team decides it is too beautiful inside to stay indoors and opts to move outside to a picnic table.
Scenario: Forgotten norms
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team does not recall what norms they have set.
Scenario: Favorite Tool
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Your favorite tool for diagraming a problem is a mind map. You know doing this would help the team see this problem much more clearly.
Scenario: Too Hot
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone from the team gets up and turns the a/c on without checking with the other team members.
Scenario: Done
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has gone as far as they can defining a solution and there is still time left in the session. What they have identified is not well defined – but is as clear as they can get at the moment.
Scenario: Poignant Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A particularly poignant question is asked. This is followed by a long silence.
Scenario: multiple views
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is working for a single session on the problem of the day. As they each read out their view of the real problem it’s clear they are coming at it from multiple perspectives. Consequently, they are having trouble reaching consensus on the real problem.
Scenario: Takeover
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
In the midst of a corporate problem that deals with developing a business development strategy for an organization with declining business, the company is purchased by a large conglomerate.
Scenario: Time Check
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member uses their phone to check the time.
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.
Scenario: Two owners
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You have two problem owners for your project. You assume that the problem owners have coordinated the presentation of the problem for the kickoff session. As soon as one starts to present the problem the other interrupts with a very different view of the problem.
Scenario: The boss
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team consists of a vice president and four of his reports. One of the reports asks a question and the vice president asks – “Why did you ask that?”, The Vice president than asks a question that a team member than asks – “Why did YOU ask that?” – their tone makes it clear that they are retaliating for the boss having questioned someone’s question.
Scenario: Silo-ed Participants
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Each member of the team is focused on their own line of questioning. This becomes particularly clear when participants start asking questions they have asked multiple times.
Scenario: Wow
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
At the end of the session when you ask the team members what they will take back with them, one of the participants says – we are already seeing a shift in how we work together. It’s amazing – people are making sure they understand the problem before jumping to solutions, they are asking powerful curious questions, and they are taking time to really listen to each other.
Scenario: Multiple variables
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has been working on this problem for several sessions. This will be their last session to develop a complete, implementable solution. The team is attempting to analyze the problem in a search to identify the one key variable that they can influence change to create movement in the direction of their established goal or end result. They are debating the relevance of only a few factors and seem to be ignoring the probability that the problem situation was caused or is perpetuated by multiple factors.
Scenario: Learnings
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
During the learning check-in the team has identified all of the learning opportunities you had noted both in terms of what went well and what could be better.
Scenario: Multiple Levels
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team will only be working on this problem for one session. It’s extremely urgent that they find a solution to the problem, as lives are literally at risk. Every time the team seems close to getting to consensus a question is asked that takes them someplace else. You realize there are two levels that are being looked at – some participants are focused at a single group level (How do I address this with my group?), others at a corporate level (How do I address this with all groups?).
Scenario: New tool
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You recently attended training and learned a new way of doing root cause analysis. You know if you share this with the team they will be able to identify the real problem much quicker.
Scenario: Empty toolbox
As an Action Learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is not utilizing any tools for problem solving other than Action Learning.
Scenario: Laundry List
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team starts brainstorming some great solutions; stopping short of actually developing a fully and clearly implementable plan.
Scenario: Nerve hit
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
An extraordinarily deep question is asked. The responder sits quietly for a minute than begins to weep.
Scenario: Changing Roles
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You have changed roles from participant to coach. One of the team members asks you a problem related question.
Scenario: Locked to the table
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
None of the participants have moved from their seats since the start of the session.
Scenario: Executive Coaching
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member is an executive coach and decides to use this skill to investigate what is really going on for the problem presenter. They ask a series of questions in a row. They have shifted it to a one on one session to the point that they have turned their back to the rest of the team to have this poignant conversation with the problem presenter.
Scenario: Facilitator
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone from the team steps up and starts facilitating the session. For example, standing up, grabbing a marker and saying we should do a force field analysis – what are the things supporting this activity? What are those against it?
Scenario: Eager Team Member
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member of the team you are coaching insists on answering questions that are being directed to the Problem Presenter
Scenario: Multiple Behaviors
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Each participant identifies a leadership skill to work on for the session. These skills are captured on the white board. By the end of the session it’s apparent that all the team members have actually practice their own skill and several of the skills that were captured on the white board.
Scenario: Insufficient Time
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team realizes the problem presented is much bigger than the time allotted.
Scenario: Passing Notes
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone walks in the room where the team is working and passes a note to one of the participants.
Scenario: Missing Action
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member did not complete the tasks that she had agreed to do at the session held last month.
Scenario: Opposite Behavior
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant does something in direct contradiction to their chosen skill.
Scenario: Presenter Questions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
All of the questions are directed at the problem presenter.
Scenario: Repeat Behavior
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team decides they should be asking each other more questions instead of just asking questions of the problem presenter. However they continue directing all of the questions to the problem presenter.
Scenario: Fire
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The fire alarm sounds.
Scenario: One bite at a time
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
After the team members each read out their version of the problem, you realizes there are many aspects to it. When you ask them if they have agreement on the problem they all say close. You disagree.
Scenario: Distrusting Culture
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A year earlier the organization was a acquired by another company. All fun activities were cut from the budget (picnics, team outings, etc.) and were replaced with ridged procedures. This team is tasked with making the workplace fun again. The top HR person on the team is convinced it will never happen and says so with every idea.
Scenario: Missing Sponsor
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Your action learning group has met several times, asking questions to better clarify the nature of the problem as presented by the problem owner’s delegate in the initial session. It became clear after the second session that the delegate could not answer most of the questions the group was posing. The group agreed the problem owner should be invited to the next session. The problem owner agreed to 45 minutes at the next session due to his tight schedule. The sessions was rescheduled three times over the next month. The delegate was running into scheduling roadblocks with the problem owner – despite the problem owner’s initial pledge that he was fully supportive of the effort. The delegate was becoming concerned that she was loosing credibility with team members and that they were losing motivation to participate.
Scenario: Quick Response;
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone from the team mentions it hot in here, someone else gets up to turn the air conditioner on.
Scenario: Conflicting Priorities
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Part way through the session, one of the members mentioned a meeting they have that will require them to leave early. Several other participants mention they need to go to the same meeting, leaving only 2 participants for the session.
Scenario: Missing Participants
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team you are coaching is working on a critical corporate problem in a leadership development program. The leadership program and work on the project is scheduled to be completed over six months. Two of the eight people in the group do not show up routinely.
Scenario: Emotional moment
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
In attempting to respond to a question the participant starts to cry.
Scenario: Prioritized Problems
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The organization has prioritized multiple problems for multiple teams to work on. The teams are arguing that they all need to work on the top priority problem.
Scenario: Broken Trust
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You are doing a leadership development program with 8 peers in a consulting firm. One of the participants reports that her boss brought an issue to her yesterday that she had discussed in the action learning group a week ago. She is very upset. (The problem centered around not being given the responsibility that her boss had promised her when she was hired a year ago.) As it turns out one of the other team members decided she could help by going to talk to the boss. The team had agreed to keep what was said during the Action Learning confidential. Consequently, the trust has been shattered for this team member.
Scenario: Meyers Brigg
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
As you are watching the team you realize there are 5 strong extraverts and one introvert on the team. The introvert does not appear to be participating. When you ask – How is the balance of participation? The introvert says I am participating it just takes me longer to process and I keep missing the opportunity.
Scenario: Pre-existing Condition
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Two team members were arguing in the hall before the session started. As soon as one says something, the other rolls their eyes and mumbles something under their breath.
Scenario: Learning Styles
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
As you are watching the team you realize the team is only talking to each other, they are not taking into account the learning styles of all participants. For instance – visual learners
Scenario: Finish Up
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team wants the last 15 minutes to finish up the problem instead of doing the final reflection.
Scenario: Process Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member asks a process question. (more specifically they steal the job of the coach).
Scenario: Taking notes
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
During the session you realize no one is taking notes.
Scenario: Open says me
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member responds to a closed question with an open answer.
Scenario: New information
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team decides to capture some of the information they are discussing on a white board. The person that moves to the white board flips the leadership skills out of view.
Scenario: Enough is enough
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member of the team bangs their hands on the table and stands angrily.
Scenario: Agreement
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has agreed they are at consensus as to the true nature of the problem. When you ask who has the next question they continue to question the nature of the problem versus moving towards solutions.
Scenario: Overly Focused
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has generated a number of alternative perceptions, ideas, opinions, facts, etc. as to the true nature of the problem. Then the team starts focusing in on one (e.g., debating the merits or validity of the specific component) and omits other items from explicit consideration.
Scenario: Finally
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member finally asks the question that you knew would bring the whole situation to light. The rest of the team responds but is confident that is not where the real problem lies.
Scenario: Eye lock
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter locks eyes with you when presenting the problem and appears to be just talking to you.
Scenario: Closed Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You are working with a team new to Action Learning. The first questions is a closed question.
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.
Scenario: Process
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is having trouble coming to consensus. You’ve asked what would help them come to consensus – they say ask more questions and immediately start asking questions before you have closed out the learning.
Scenario: Windows
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is working on a porch with windows around three sides. As the session starts two participants stand up at the same time. One walks to one side of the room and closes a window, the other walks to the other and opens a window.
Scenario: Shifting to Solution
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has reach consensus on the problem and the goal but is having trouble transitioning to the solution phase.
Scenario: One on One
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A single team member is asking all the questions of the problem presenter, the remainder sitting back observing.
Scenario: Unanswered questions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Participants are asking question upon question and no one is answering.
Scenario: Electronics
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team decides it ‘s okay to use their electronics during a session
Scenario: Left out
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant offers to collect information/agreements on a white board. All members are in agreement with this. After a short while the scribe is no longer being included in the conversation.
Scenario: Problematic Problem Presenter
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter schedules a half hour meeting immediately before the Action Learning session. During this meeting the problem presenter presents their solution to the problem about to be discussed in the Action Learning session.
Scenario: Low Energy
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team took a break less than 15 minutes ago, since returning the energy in the group is very low.
Scenario: Deep Learning
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
When checking in with the team they have a particularly deep learning around something they identified. You still have one more thing on your list of potential learnings.
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 continuing to stay engaged with the problem solving.
Scenario: Curious Questions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The participants are asking extraordinarily curious questions.
Scenario: Body Language
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Several team members are sitting with their arms folded across their chest.
Scenario: Important People
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You are working with a team of really important people. Their phones are ringing continually. Members are moving in and out of the sessions to respond to emergency situations that cannot wait until after the meeting. Your inclination is to try to get them to put the devices away. They refuse and come up with a team norm for how they will handle decision making with whoever is in the room.
Scenario: Brainstorming
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team feels they are at a point that it would be useful to brainstorm.
Scenario: Power of the Pen
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone starts capturing the important notes on the white board. They are doing the filtering of what is important without checking with the rest of the team. In other words they are only capturing what sounds important to them.
Scenario: Missing Action
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant shows up for a session and has not completed the promised action.
Scenario: Self monitoring
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member does a process check.
Scenario: Other problem
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is focusing on a problem in another division that they have no influence over.
Scenario: Unkind Gesture
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member arrives to a three hour session one hour late. You conduct coaching inquiries and he is smoothly integrated into the team. 15 minutes later he is exchanging friendly but sarcastic comments with a team member that end with him using a hand gesture toward that member that would cause most folks to take offense.
Scenario: Consensus
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is having trouble coming to consensus.
Scenario: Non-responsive
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The members were enthusiastic to help the problem presenter. They asked many good questions. However, the problem presenter responded it’s confidential information and would not answer some of the questions. Members felt they were not able to help the problem presenter if their questions were not answered. Consequently, they could not see the value of action learning in this instance. But the problem presenter felt the session was useful to him in addressing his problem.
Scenario: Clear Actions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team starts to identify actions before the end of the session.
Scenario: Powerful Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone asks a question that changes the depth and understanding of the true nature of the problem.
Scenario: Powerful Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone asks a question that changes the depth and understanding of the true nature of the problem.
Scenario:My Time
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Well answering the question “What could be better?” the team slips back into problem solving even though you have not concluded the check in.
Scenario: Guess
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter decides this is a game where the team members have to guess what they are thinking the real problem is. Consequently, they keep their answer as short as possible, not giving any more information than s absolutely required to answer the question.
Scenario: Explaining
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant explains what they believe the problem is rather than just reading what they have written.
Scenario: Last Call
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter consistently waits until lasts to read their version of the problem.
Scenario: Finally
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member finally asks the question that you knew would bring the whole situation to light. The rest of the team responds but is confident that’s not where the real problem lies.
Scenario: Backfire
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member attempts to do a process check for you, but handles it abruptly. For instance – instead of checking without judgement, they turn to another team member and say – “I’ve observed significant tension from you, what’s the impact of that on the team?” The other team member gets angry and says – “I wasn’t tense! Now I am!”
Scenario: Self Monitoring
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member does a process check.
Scenario: Shifting to Solution
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has reach consensus on the problem and the goal but is having trouble transitioning to the solution phase.
Scenario: Door
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
At the start of the session a participant gets up and closes a door.
Scenario: Windows
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is working on a porch with windows around three sides. As the session starts two participants stand up at the same time. One walks to one side of the room and closes a window, the other walks to the other and opens a window.
Scenario: Bathroom Breaks
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The session has been going for a long stretch and participants start stepping out to use the bathroom.
Scenario: Going Through the Motions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The participants have been directed to participate in the Action Learning session but believe it’s a waste of time.
Scenario: Distrusting Culture
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A year earlier there was a merger in the organization. All fun elements had been stopped – picnics, team outings and were replaced with ridged procedures. The team was tasked with determining was to bring back fun in the work place. The top HR person on the team is convinced it can’t happen and derails every idea.
Scenario: Arrogant E,ployee
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The teams has been working on fleshing out a breakthrough solution to a problem that has been haunting the organization for years. A long term employee stops by just long enough to tell them it won’t work.
Scenario: Laundry List
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team starts brainstorming some great solutions; stopping short of actually developing a fully and clearly implementable plan.
Scenario: Agreement
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team seems to be at consensus but continues to question the nature of the real problem.
Scenario: Leading Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant is convinced of the true nature of the problem and repeats the same questions over and over in an effort to persuade the others, even after others have made it clear that they don’t believe that is where the real problem is, that what this particular participant is advocating is just another symptom.
Scenario: Repetitive Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is starting to ask the same questions over and over again.
Scenario: Learnings
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
During the learning checkin the team has identified all of the learning opportunities you had noted both in terms of what went well and what could be better.
Scenario: Action Assistance
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
After the actions are defined the problem presenter asks for help implementing them.
Scenario: Action Refusal
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant is asked to take an action and declines because they know they do not have time to complete it.
Scenario: Missing Actions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant shows up for a session and has not completed the promised action.
Scenario: Multiple Behaviors
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
At the end of the session, several participants have practiced many of the leadership skills that were written up.
Scenario: Missed Behavior
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
At the end of the session, a participant hasn’t practiced their leadership skill.
Scenario: Opposite Behavior
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant does something in direct contradiction to their chosen skill.
Scenario: Leadership Behaviors
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant does something that strongly exemplifies their leadership skills.
Scenario: Clear Actions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team starts to identify actions before the end of the session.
Scenario: Prioritized Problems
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The organization has prioritized multiple problems for multiple teams to work on. The teams are arguing that they all need to work on the top priority problem.
Scenario: Multiple Problems
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presented has a multitude of aspects to it.
Scenario: Insufficient Time
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation
:
The problem presented is much bigger than the time allotted.
Scenario: Puzzle
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The presented problem is how do I update the operating system on my laptop.
Scenario: Other Problem
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is focusing on a problem in another division that they have no influence over.
Scenario: Too Deep
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
In exploring deeper roots as to what the real problem is the team gets to the point that the real problem is “world hunger”.
Scenario: Team work
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is working extremely well. Exploring deeper and deeper avenues as to what the problem is.
Scenario: Curious Questions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The participants are asking extraordinarily curious questions.
Scenario: Building Questions
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The participants have asked some really powerful questions and are clearly building on each other’s questions.
Scenario: Conflicting Priorities
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Part way through the session, one of the members mentioned a meeting they have that will require them to leave early. Several other participants mention they need to go to the same meeting, leaving only 2 participants for the session.
Scenario: The Race is On
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team races to consensus on the problem. They are saying the same words but have not really talked about what the words mean.
Scenario: New Tool
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You recently attending training and learned a new way of doing root cause analysis. You know if you share this with the team they will be able to identify the real problem much quicker.
Scenario: Consensus
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team is having trouble coming to consensus.
Scenario: My View
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Hearing the initial statement of the problem you (as coach) are clear what the real problem is. The team heads down a different path with it.
Scenario: Rabbit Hole
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team has gotten off track with their questions and is now investigating an unrelated issue.
Scenario: One on One
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A single team member is asking all the questions of the problem presenter, the remainder sitting back observing.
Scenario: Process Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Several team members are sitting with their arms folded across their chest.
Scenario: Process Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member asks a process question. For instance – I’ve noticed we have all the managers on one side of the table and everyone else on the other. Did anyone else notice this? What’s the impact of that on how we are working together? What do we want to do about it?
Scenario: Repeat Behavior
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team decides they should be asking each other more questions instead of just asking questions of the problem presenter. However they continue directing all of the problems to the problem presenter.
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.
Scenario: Catching Up
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member isn’t participating. During the checkin they say that were lost and confused by the discussion and they were trying to figure out what was going on.
Scenario: Facilitator
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone decides they should start capturing what the team is saying on a flip chart and moves to the front of the room to do so.
Scenario: Presenting Problem
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Someone asks the problem presenter – How does this present itself as a problem for you?
Scenario: Why
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant asks another participant “why they asked a question”. The first participant is visibly disturbed. Your instinct is that they are reacting to the word “why” in that they feel the value of their question is being questioned.
Scenario: Please Explain
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant asks another participant to explain what the intent behind their question was.
Scenario: Smack
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant ‘playfully’ hits another member on the back of the head.
Scenario: Relocating
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team decides it is too beautiful inside to stay indoors and opts to move outside to a picnic table.
Scenario:Leg Stretch
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member stands during a session.
Scenario:Time Check
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member uses their phone to check the time.
Scenario: New Information
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team decides to capture some of the information they are discussing on a flip chart. The person that moves to the flip chart flips the leadership skills out of view.
Scenario: Inspiration
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant responds to a question with – What inspired that question?
Scenario: Moving On
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant asks a question of everyone and after a single answer another question is asked and the team moves on.
Scenario: Multiple Responses
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Lots of statements are made in response to a question that was posed to everyone.
Scenario: PP Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter asks a question.
Scenario: TMI
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A participant responds to the question they were asked and continues on with additional information that is no longer answering the original question.
Scenario: Closed Question
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Early in the process a participant asks a closed question.
Scenario; Open Says Me
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member responds to a closed question with an open answer.
Scenario: Fire
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The fire alarm sounds.
Scenario: Old School
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member makes a particularly prejudicial remark. For instance – women don’t belong in the work force.
Scenario: Nerve Hit
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
An extraordinarily deep question is asked. The responder sits quietly for a minute than begins to weep.
Scenario: Bad News
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member checks their voice mail during break and receives disturbing news. For instance – they are an emergency room nurse and one of their patients from the night before didn’t make it.
Scenario: Enough is Enough
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member bangs their hands on the table and stands angrily.
Scenario: Nay Sayer
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
All of the team members agree on the problem and a possible solution, but the problem owner insists it won’t work.
Scenario: Changing Roles
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You have changed roles from participant to coach. One of the team members asks you a problem related question.
Scenario: Idiot
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member of the team asks another in an angry voice – How can you be such an idiot?
Scenario: Wrap It Up
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You schedule 90 minutes for an Action Learning session. 60 minutes in the team has a clear solution.
Scenario: Random Ratings
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Most of the members rate the team at a 5 or 6 for how they are doing as a team. One member rates a 2 another a 9 on a scale of 1 – 10.
Scenario: Finish Up
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The team wants the last 15 minutes to finish up the problem instead of doing the final reflection.
Scenario: No Offense
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A team member says something very offensive – followed by “no offense”
Scenario: Favorite Tool
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Your favorite tool for diagraming a problem is a mind map. You know doing this would help the team see this problem much more clearly.
Scenario: Pulling Rank
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A higher ranking participant of the team decides to pull rank and asks another team member – “Do you want to stay employeed?”
Scenario: Sit Still
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
The teams members are locked to the table. They are adhering to the two grounds rules but not making use of any other resources.
Scenario: May I
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You say “may I do a checkin?” amd a team member says “NO”
Scenario: Exhuastion
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
You’ve been working many hours and the team is clearly exhausted.
Scenario: Silent Observer
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member if the team decides they know the problem and the solution, so they will sit quietly until everyone else figures it out.
Scenario: Individual Issue
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
A member if the team doesn’t understand the process and decides “EVERYONE” doesn’t understand.
Scenario: sponsorless
As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:
Your action learning group has met several times, asking questions to better clarify the nature of the problem as presented by the problem owner’s delegate in the initial session. It became clear after the second session however that the delegate could not answer most of the questions the group was posing, so the group agreed the problem owner should be invited to the next session. The problem owner came to the next session for about 45 minutes due to his tight schedule, and cancelled two meetings with the group over the next month. The delegate was running into scheduling roadblocks with the problem owner, despite his initial pledge that he was fully supportive of the effort. The delegate was becoming concerned that she was loosing credibility with team members and that they were losing motivation to participate.
Scenario: Redundant Actions
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
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 ?
Scenario:TMI
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
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: Deliberate Distraction
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
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?”
Scenario: Problem or Puzzle
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:Out of Control
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
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: Uninvited Guest
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
An animal – bird, monkey, or other – enters the room through an open window.
Scenario: Powerful Question
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
Someone asks a question that changes the depth and understanding of the true nature of the problem.
Scenario: Forgotten skill
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter decides to test the team but giving mis-information to the team. By the time this becomes apparent, many of the team members are upset to varying degrees.
Scenario: True Leader
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
One of the participants does something that strongly supports their leadership skill.
Scenario: Different Opinion
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
You ask the team members how we are doing on a scale of 1 – 10. Most of the members say 7 or 8. One says 2.
Scenario: Testing team
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
The problem presenter decides to test the team but giving mis-information to the team. By the time this becomes apparent, many of the team members are upset to varying degrees.
Scenario: Question Question Question
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
A member asks a particularly energizing question, several members follow this with additional questions before there is time for a response.
Scenario: Group Question
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
One of the participants asks a question of the entire team, after a single answer the team moves on to the next question.
Scenario: Passing Notes
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
Someone walks in the room where the team is working and passes a note to one of the participants.
Scenario: Presenter Question
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
All of the questions are directed at the problem presenter. After asking the standard 3 questions no one has mentioned this.
Scenario: Firing Line
As an Action Learning Coach how would you handle the following situation:
All of the questions are directed at the problem presenter. During the check-in the problem presenter says – “I feel like I am on a firing line.”