Raoul Flaminzeanu

The second stage is a team event "Fresh Start Workshop". The session is designed to foster a team or group environment where participants openly acknowledge and understand each other's learning aspirations. By the end of this meeting, every attendee will not only have committed to a specific learning goal but will also have set a timeframe for achievement and chosen a learning partner to journey with.

Depending on if this is an online session or live, the facilitator should prepare:

• The skills chart is printed in large format or on a digital whiteboard.

• Each participant learning goals one-pager printed, or the link to the digital version

• Post-its and markers, or use a digital board like MIRO or Figjam

📝 Author’s Tips

1. Doing the pairing in advance will allow the facilitator to pair people who typically do not work together and help break silos within the team or organization.

2. At Steps 2-4, advise the participants to take an active listening stance when they interview their learning partners.

3. The commitment ceremony is a powerful moment. Speaking the given phrase to the learning partner and signing their printout one-pager creates an intimate bond and a commitment. It is the main event of this session. 

4. Incorporate a Check-in exercise at the start of your session to establish the workshop's tone. Conclude with a Check-out exercise to encourage group reflection and gather immediate feedback as a facilitator. Check-in & Check-out prompts

Step 1 - Learning goals distribution

⏱ 20 Minutes

Have the Skill toolbox printed out in a large format and have it on a wall. Ask each participant to write their learning goal on a post-it and add it to the skills chart printout in silence. As a team step back and take in the distribution of the learning goals.

As a team observe that distribution of learning goals.

Step 2 - Pairing, the what

⏱ 10 Minutes

Pair each participant with another participant. It can be done randomly, or the facilitator can determine the pairing in advance. In pairs, each one will interview each other asking the following question.

• What are your learning goals?

• What makes your learning goals important to you?

The interviewee and interviewer switch positions after 5 minutes.

Step 3 - Pairing, the how

⏱ 10 minutes

In the same format, each participant continues to interview each other, 5 minutes per person. The new questions are:

• How are you planning to improve your chosen skills?

• How will you know you learned?

• How will you measure your progress

Step 4 - Pairing, the commitment

⏱ 5 minutes

Still, in pairs, you will ask each participant, to read to the other the following commitment statement and sign their learning goal printout.

Example of commitment ceremony

Marcel: Irina, as your study buddy I promise to help you with your learning goals and be part of your journey of gaining new knowledge, skills and perspective.”

Marcel signs Irina’s one-pager.

Irina: Marcel, as your study buddy I promise to help you with your learning goals and be part of your journey of gaining new knowledge, skills and perspective.

Irina signs Marcel’s one-pager.

Step 5 - Closing the commitment

⏱ 5 minutes

The facilitator reiterates the time frame for the ALTE and specifies that the next period is focused on the study buddies to help each other. This is the moment where the facilitator steps back and gives the learning ownership back to the participants.