Reviewed Piece of SF work: Marika Tammeaid

Workshop event focusing on role changes in organizations. (November 2009)

The group comprised of 20 participants from 15 organizations facing a wave of role transfers due to restructuring. Since the participants represented different organizations and had different professional backgrounds, Marika started with learning more about participants’ individual starting points as well as those different environments where the outcomes of the workshop would be implemented. Strengthening each participant’s individual motivation and active mind-set towards the common theme was the key issue in the beginning of the workshop. During the workshop the participants got, found, developed and shared practical models for taking care of role transfers in a respectful and efficient manner. The working model included both co-learning and a possibility to focus on individual interests. In the end of the workshop all the participants produced work plans in order to take the learning of the day to everyday life. After the workshop the participants were able to look at the differences created by role transfers more positively and encouraged to influence to the success of the role transfers in their organizations.

Candidate’s Summary:

Going through the review process was a wonderful learning experience. I got an opportunity to reflect my own work and become better in describing it also to others. The process made me really think in detail how I choose the tools and working methods in different client cases and what kind of signals lead the process. I enjoyed the precise questions my both reviewers made about navigating between teaching and facilitating the discovery of knowledge in participants themselves. I was impressed by Jenny Clarke’s warm and intelligent coaching style that made me easy to work though the process. Her suggestion to add customer reflections four months after the workshop was an excellent one. It gave me useful feedback and reinforced the work done on the workshop day.

Reviewers Summary:

Marika took great care before the workshop to prime participants to prepare their thoughts before the workshop started. She showed good consciousness of the desirability of meeting many different objectives: those advertised, the participants’ and her own as workshop leader. We were impressed by the way Marika navigated her way through the tensions of providing expertise and working in a facilitative way. She planned the work carefully and then showed great flexibility in responding to what happened on the day, giving participants several opportunities to make choices and ensure that their own individual needs were met. Marika used a variety of different processes during the session, catering well to different learning styles, different levels of prior knowledge and experience and different energy levels throughout the day.

Second Reviewer summary:

This was a very intriguing piece of work and it raised some very interesting questions for both Jenny and I and caused all 3 of us to reflect on how we work in a Solutions Focused way in these situations. I felt at times I was walking a tightrope behind Marika where the rope represented the divide between knowing and not knowing. It was fascinating to reflect that in a workshop designed to help people cope with role changes – the role of the facilitator became a focus for our discussion. What emerged was great learning in how we offer our gift of not knowing to the client even when we ourselves may be cast in the role of expert. Marika gently guided the participants along a learning journey, maintaining flexibility and fluidity in her style and allowing them to plot a new course where that seemed useful. Most importantly she encouraged them not to simply look for a list of do’s and don’ts in role changes but to access increased self awareness that will be of lasting value in the changes that they face.

• Lead Reviewer: Jenny Clarke
• Second Reviewer: Phil Aspden

About The Candidate:

Solution Coach and supervisor. Marika works for the State Treasury as Development Manager supporting good governmental personnel policy and working life development. She also teaches Solution Focus at Centre for Continuing Education of the University of Helsinki. Her background is in managerial work in Finnish and international organizations. Her main focus points are leadership development, change management, participatory leadership and team and individual coaching. Marika is an active writer and photographer using creative methods also in her work as consultant.