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Organizations will require help in moving from traditional project and
program management to an adaptive, continuous systems- level learn-
ing approach. The multi- level learning coach helps organizations make
this journey by providing objective, substantively neutral facilitation and
coaching that helps teams learn from experience, adapt to changing condi-
tions, and continuously improve their performance. You may be interested
in stepping into this role yourself, or you may want to nd someone who
can play this role for you or for your client’s organization. Either way, this
chapter begins with an overview of the role of the multi- level learning
coach, then moves to a discussion of the importance of neutrality and
objectivity, the skills required of those serving in this role, the core values
of group facilitation, the basics of e ective group process, and guidance
on how the multi- level learning coach can intervene to help groups re ect,
learn, and improve.
OVERVIEW OF THE MULTI-LEVEL LEARNING COACH ROLE
As an experienced hand, the multi- level learning coach works to build the
organization’s ongoing capability for continuous improvement at three
levels: project, process, and strategy. She works with program managers,
project managers, project management o ce (PMO) personnel, and se-
nior leaders to devise practical ways to integrate action- re ection cycles
into the organization’s ongoing work routines. The multi- level learning
coach often begins her work by introducing the senior management team
3 THE MULTI-LEVEL
LEARNING COACH
46 Roles
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to multi- level learning. She helps them develop a plan for weaving these
practices into the way business gets done. She then works with senior
managers to conduct a strategic prospective, helping them to clarify the
organization’s strategic vision and the roles and responsibilities of senior
management team members in making the vision a reality. At the conclu-
sion of the rst iteration, stage, or phase, which lasts anywhere from one
to three months, the coach facilitates a strategic retrospective, at which
the senior team re ects on the actual results delivered and adjusts and
improves its strategy, priorities, and project portfolio as a result.
At the process level, the multi- level learning coach works with the PMO,
if one exists, to facilitate cross- project improvement. The coach conducts
action- re ection cycles with project managers to improve processes that
are common to multiple projects. PMOs are well positioned to bring in-
novations from one project team to the next once these improvements
are identi ed. However, many PMOs aren’t yet fully equipped to play this
knowledge brokering role. Instead, despite the best of intentions, they
focus on promulgating rules and enforcing standards, often with limited
feedback from project managers and teams. They may neglect to involve
others in action- re ection cycles aimed at improving the processes they
de ne. In the next chapter, we address how PMOs can become more ef-
fective in this role.
At the project level, the multi- level learning coach teams up with the
project manager or the agile scrum master to facilitate regular action-
re ection cycles with project teams. The rst of these cycles begins with
a “prospective” that is conducted at project kicko , where the team clari-
es its long- and short- term objectives, its roles and responsibilities, and
its operating norms, as well as its near- term tasks and deliverables. After
approximately 30 days or upon completion of each iteration or phase, the
coach conducts a retrospective, at which the team reviews what it intended
to accomplish in that time period, what was actually delivered, the reasons
for the results attained, and what can be done to sustain or improve those
results for the next time period.
At Intel, skilled, neutral facilitators are responsible for preparing, con-
ducting, and following up on project and program retrospectives (Lavell &
Martinelli, 2008c). To prepare for these sessions, the facilitator works with
senior managers to de ne the objectives, identify attendees, and gather pre-
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