Step 4: Restate the Problem (5 minutes)
Several members of the group now restate what they believe is the problem or issue.
The issue bringer determines if their problem really should be restated, and if so re-presents it to the group.
Step 5: Consultation (15 minutes)
The group members help the issue bringer look at various ways of dealing with the problem or issue. Still trying to avoid questions beginning with “Have you tried…, and have you thought about…” Group members also refrain from giving direct advice.
Instead they ask questions to help the issue bringer look at the problem from all angles and perspectives.
They would ask questions like:
- What have you tried?
- What progress have you made so far?
- How have you tackled similar issues in the past?
- What do you need to know to start to solve this problem?
- What is most important to you in addressing this issue?
- What are your options?
- Which barriers to a resolution can you see?
- What would you like to explore further right now?
Step 6: Next Steps, Takeaways and Evaluation (5 minutes)
The issue bringer states what they believe will be their next steps. They share their takeaways from the discussion and evaluate the process (i.e., what was especially helpful, etc.).
Developed by incorporating aspects of models from personal-coaching-information.com; Optimizing the Power of Action Learning by Michael J. Marquardt; Action Learning: Creating the Connection between Good Intentions and Great Execution by Diane M. Ruebling.
Marquardt (1999) reminds us that “in action learning, questions are not only seeking answers. Rather they are seeking to go deeper, to understand, to respond to what is being asked, to give it thought. Asking questions is not only a quest for solutions but also an opportunity to explore.”
Action Learning Coach
I absolutely believe that people, unless coached, never reach their maximum potential. ~ Bob Nardelli
The action learning coach ideally is an independent person who has the capacity to guide group members in how to learn, listen, use empathy, identify and challenge assumptions, reflect critically, reframe the issues, receive and give feedback effectively, and think reflectively (Bruner, Beaty, & Frost, 1997).
The action learning coach takes the power of coaching to the group level. The coach not only establishes the rapport with the group members but also builds the rapport among group members. Through the action learning process the group members’ self-awareness is raised by the coach and by virtue of the process. The feedback the coach gives takes the group to a deeper level of learning. Instead of just highlighting ‘what’ has transpired; the coach takes the group to understanding the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of their actions. Finally, by focusing the group on learning rather than just solving a problem, the coach enables the group to reach heightened levels of renewal and growth (Carson, Marquardt, 2004).
Coaching is necessary for the group to focus on the important (i.e., the learnings) as well as the urgent (resolving the problem). The action learning coach helps the team members reflect both on what they are learning and how they are solving problems. Through a series of questions, the coach enables group members to reflect on how they listen, how they may have reframed the problem, how they give each other feedback, how they are planning and working, and what assumptions may be shaping their beliefs and actions. The learning coach also helps the team focus on what they are achieving, what they are finding difficult, what processes they are employing and the implications of these processes (Marquardt, 2004).
The key role of the coach is to optimize the group’s ability to learn and thereby become more capable to quickly and innovatively solve problems. The focus of the coach must always remain on the learning, not the problem (Marquardt, 2011).
The following tables presented by Marquardt describe the characteristics of an effective learning coach as well as delineating between a facilitator and a learning coach.
Characteristics of an Effective Learning Coach
Facilitator vs. Learning Coach
| Facilitator | Learning Coach |
| Focus on group process | Focus on learning |
| Statements | Questions |
| What happened | Why and how |
| Dependence | Independence |
| Single-loop learning | Double and triple-loop |
| Present and past | Future and present |
| Threatening | Comforting and trust |
| Linear thinking | Critical thinking |
| Reaction | Reflection |
| Expertise | Perspective |
| Knowledge | Wisdom |
Benefits and Outcomes of Action Learning in Group Coaching
There are many benefits and outcomes of using action learning in a group coaching setting. The following table reports a summary of client comments based upon an extensive action learning process implemented by Vicki Vaartjes, PhD with a client in Australia, as reported in the International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring.