Conducting an Experience Explorer Session

There are four steps to conducting a complete and successful Experience Explorer session.

1.  Set objectives. The intention of the session must be clear and well articulated. Choose one of two paths—the Experience Path or the Lesson Path—that best suits the intent of the exercise.

2.  Sort and select. Provide instructions as each participant sorts the Experience Explorer cards and then selects one to three Experience or Lesson cards, based on instructions that have been fine-tuned to meet session objectives.

3.  Share. Guide participants as they tell others about memories and insights. This enables participants to tap more deeply into significant personal experiences and leadership lessons that have emerged from sorting the deck.

4.  Strategize. Assist participants as they consider how they might use the insights gained during the preceding steps to form a plan for improving their leadership capabilities.

Pre-Session Checklist and Preparation

•  Set aside a minimum of 60 minutes (90 to 180 minutes is preferred).

•  Collect information about the available space and seating arrangements.

•  Confirm the number of people participating in the session and obtain basic information about their backgrounds.

•  Develop a clear statement about why you are using Experience Explorer and how the session will benefit its participants.

•  Give each participant one box of Experience Explorer cards.

•  Provide note-taking materials to participants, if they do not already have them.

•  Ensure you have a way to project, post, or hand out instructions. This is especially important if you are working in groups of more than ten participants. In large groups, the voice of the facilitator might not carry enough, and in the absence of a way to project/post/hand out instructions, participants who are a step behind others might miss later instructions and repeatedly approach the facilitator for them. Projecting/posting/handing out the instructions makes it easier to handle such situations.

•  Ensure you have a sufficient number of flip charts, markers, and similar material for capturing the key points of large- or small-group discussions. The amount of recording material depends on the number of subgroups that will be formed during the session.

•  (Optional) Obtain knowledge about the client’s overarching agenda. If the Experience Explorer session is part of a broader program or organizational initiative, what part does the Experience Explorer activity play and what does it contribute to the overall effort?

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set objectives. The intention of the session must be clear and well articulated. Objectives can include teaching participants to do the following:

•  understand that by paying attention to their own and others’ memorable experiences they can teach themselves important lessons about leadership

•  focus on learning from the specific experiences that are highly relevant to success in their organizational context

•  understand how to tap their experiences for lessons relevant to the three dimensions of leadership: the worlds of work, people, and self

•  form a career-development plan that will prepare them to lead more effectively within the context of their own jobs, roles, and organizational requirements

From an organizational standpoint, participants could use the Lesson or the Experience cards to answer questions such as

•  How can the organization help managers get the experiences they need to develop themselves?

•  How can the organization improve the ability of managers to learn from experience?

•  How can the organization embed experience-based development into its leader-development strategy?

•  How can the organizational culture adapt to support experience-driven development?

To clarify the session’s objectives, facilitators must make one key decision in advance: to adopt either the Experience Path or the Lesson Path. The choice determines which set of cards the participants sort first.

The Experience Path begins with session participants identifying memorable experiences that have shaped who they are today and then guides them to reflect on lessons learned from these experiences.

The Lesson Path begins with session participants identifying current capabilities and then reflecting on experiences that contributed to their developing these capabilities.

Although both paths end with the participant strategizing to obtain necessary experiences and skills, the process of sorting and sharing for each path feels quite different.

Best practices for setting objectives. As the initial users of Experience Explorer, we have learned by making mistakes and then making adjustments on seemingly small but vital details. We share these best practices in the hope that they will bring you up to speed on this tool and ensure the success of your session.

•  Be very clear on whether you choose the Experience Path or the Lesson Path. Do not attempt to do both in a single session. Remember that ultimately both paths will lead to developmental plans.

Sort and select. In this step, instruct participants to divide their cards based on the session objectives. Customize your instructions, depending on whether you have chosen the Experience Path or the Lesson Path (see Table 2).

Table 2. Sorting cards by path

The Experience Path	The Lesson Path
Say, “Please sort your cards into two stacks. Stack A has the experiences you have had, and stack B has the experiences you have not had.”	Say, “Please sort your cards into two stacks. Stack A has the capabilities at which you are especially proficient, and stack B has the capabilities that you would like to develop or have been told to develop.”
After sorting,
Say, “Set aside the cards describing experiences you have not had (stack B).”	Say, “Set aside the cards describing capabilities that you still have to develop (stack B).”
Instruct participants to select cards from the remaining deck (stack A).
Say, “Select one to three cards from the stack that remains. Choose the most memorable experiences that have shaped who you are as a leader.”	Say, “Select one to three cards from the stack that remains. Choose capabilities of which you are especially proud.”
Guide participants to reflect on the cards they have selected.
Say, “Think about the capabilities that you developed as a result of these experiences.”	Say, “Think about the experiences that helped you to develop those capabilities.”

Beyond your choice of the Experience Path or Lesson Path, you can further modify your instructions to meet the session’s objectives. Table 3 contains examples of instructions to meet different objectives.

Table 3. Examples of sort instructions relative to session objectives

Objective	Say …
Create and manage change.	“Choose the most memorable experiences or lessons that taught you how to introduce and implement change.”
Improve relationships with others.	“Choose the most memorable experiences or lessons from which you learned how to work effectively with others.”
Increase self-awareness.	“Choose a powerful experience or lesson that taught you a great deal about your strengths and your limitations.”
Learn from challenges at work.	“Choose one highly frustrating experience or lesson that taught you how to handle stress and become more resilient.”
Improve learning agility.	“Choose a new or difficult experience or lesson from which you learned to handle an unfamiliar situation.”
Identify future developmental experiences.	“Choose two or three job experiences that you would like to have in the next 3 to 18 months.”
Build confidence.	“Choose an experience that made you very proud of what you or your team achieved.”
Identify strengths through peer feedback.	“Choose one lesson that you see as a strength. (Ask the members in your group.)”

Best practices for sorting and selecting.

•  You should circulate or display a copy of the step-by-step instructions/questions for sorting. This will help participants who are behind the group to catch up without having to interrupt you for instructions.

•  Be comfortable with the silence in the room when sorting takes place. Participants are going through an intense reflective journey and appreciate some time alone with their thoughts.

•  Participants invest considerable time reflecting while they sort the cards into stacks. Ensure that the participants have enough space to keep four stacks separate, without tumbling over one another or getting their stacks mixed up with those of the next participant in the group.

For the Experience Path, participants will build four stacks:

1.  Stack A: Experiences they have had (sort-and-select step).

2.  Stack B: Experiences they have not had (sort-and-select step).

3.  Stack C: Experience cards picked from stack B (strategize step).

4.  Stack D: Lessons cards that indicate lessons they intend to learn from going through the experiences picked in stack C (strategize step).

For the Lesson Path, participants will build four stacks:

1.  Stack A: Capabilities at which they are especially proficient (sort-and-select step).

2.  Stack B: Capabilities that they would like to develop or have been told to develop (sort-and-select step).

3.  Stack C: Lesson cards picked from stack B (strategize step).

4.  Stack D: Experience cards that indicate experiences that they think will help them develop lessons identified in stack C (strategize step).

Share. In this step, participants share their memories and insights of past experiences or tell stories about capabilities at which they are proficient or would like to develop. This is done in pairs, small groups, or as a networking activity. Participants are reconvened as a large group to debrief the activity—including the sort-and-select step and the share step.

The instructions for sorting and selecting result in participants identifying cards that represent significant experiences in life or capabilities that are either strengths or weaknesses. Each participant may identify one or more cards for each case.

For sharing in the Experience Path, invite participants to talk in pairs or in small groups about their significant life experiences. Guide the other member or members of the group to probe for capabilities that were developed from the experiences being described.

When past experiences are selected, these are almost always loaded with mixed emotions. By describing their experience and the lessons they have learned from them—with one or more people, in a small group, or while mingling with many other people—participants revisit powerful events from their past. They are given an opportunity to have an open, honest conversation about a significant experience that has changed them in important ways. The conversation itself produces meaningful connections with others and is very empowering.

For sharing in the Lesson Path, invite participants to talk in pairs or in small groups about their demonstrated strengths. Guide the other member or members of the group to probe for experiences that led to the described capability being developed.

The Lesson cards represent leadership capabilities. When lessons are selected, participants come to grips with what they do well and where they need to improve themselves. Most find it satisfying to have clear knowledge about their strengths and limitations as leaders.

Following the exchange of stories, there is an abundance of insights in the room about the breadth of shared experiences and depth of lessons learned. Taking time to gather these insights deepens participants’ understanding about how meaningful and engaging it is to tell others about their experiences and to listen to others tell their stories. Participants often remark on the considerable practical knowledge about effective leadership that the group holds.

Gather as many comments as you can in the time allotted. Record the comments so that the entire group can see them. You could show them on a screen, for example, or write them on a flip chart.

Best practices for sharing.

•  Ensure that you provide adequate time for sharing among the participants. Be time conscious but do not rush through this step. A well-timed sharing session unlocks great value for participants. Typically, it takes a participant about 3 to 5 minutes to tell a story about an experience or lesson and what was learned from it. However, this time frame can vary by a number of factors, including culture, nationality, and organizational context. We have observed some sessions in which some participants took as long as 10 to 20 minutes to tell their stories.

•  It is essential during the sharing step to be culturally sensitive. In some cultures, participants might be more comfortable sharing in larger groups rather than in pairs.

•  Be flexible in order to stimulate conversation. Invite participants to talk one-on-one with the person next to them, to talk in small groups, or to circulate around the room and exchange experiences and lessons with as many people as possible.

•  Make sure you tell participants how far they can spread out during conversations. You do not want people going off to the nearby café, for example, since getting them back into the room can be a challenge.

•  Ensure that all group members share their thoughts; remind participants to take turns and not dominate the conversation.

•  Ask the group questions to help stimulate conversation. For instance, you might ask:

–  Do you have any observations about sorting through the deck?

–  What did you notice about the stories you shared and heard?

–  What were the similarities and differences you heard among the stories?

–  What are your reactions and feelings about this activity?

–  What is positive about sharing experiences and lessons learned?

–  How might the sharing of experiences and learned lessons have negative consequences?

•  Share the data for the entire group. You can collect this data by inviting participants to put colored sticky dots on a listing of key experiences, by conducting a poll, or by calling for a show of hands.

•  Keep in mind that different factors can influence the duration of this step. For example, consider the depth of conversational exchanges you want the tool to stimulate, the space in which you are conducting the session, and the seating arrangements.

Strategize. This step is transformative. It takes participants from a focus on past experiences and leadership lessons to a focus on desired capabilities and future experiences that can teach those capabilities.

We recommend that participants translate the insights they have gained into action plans for developing themselves or others. Ideally, you would start the action-planning process toward the end of the session. Thinking about “So now what?” aids people in reflecting on how they can go about pursuing specific experiences and lessons for developing themselves and others back in the workplace.

For example, participants could plan what experience they would want to take on next, or what skill they would want to develop in the next year, or both. As another example, if the focus of the session has been on lessons, participants could note the distribution of their skills among the three worlds of work, people, and self. Then they could strategize to develop those skills that will balance their professional and personal development by improving their capabilities in all three worlds.

Table 4 provides some suggestions on instructions for this step.

Table 4. Strategies for each path

The Experience Path	The Lesson Path
Say, “Now, pick up stack B (the card stack of ‘Experiences that I have not had’). From this, select one or two cards that indicate the experiences that would most likely give a boost to your career.”	Say, “Now, pick up stack B (the card stack of ‘Capabilities that you would like to develop or have been told to develop’). From this, select three to eight cards that indicate the capabilities that you would most like to develop in order to be even more effective in your role.”
Say, “Now select only one of these cards that represents the experience that you are most interested in—one that you are willing to target as a developmental goal.”	Say, “Now select only one of these cards that represents the capability that you are most interested in developing—one that you are willing to target as a developmental goal.”
Say, “Note down a realistic time frame over which you would like to have this experience. Research tells us that a time frame of at least 6 months to 2 years makes the most sense.”	Say, “Note down a realistic time frame over which you would like to acquire this new capability. Research tells us that a time frame of at least a month to at most a year makes the most sense.”
Say, “From the orange Lesson cards, list the new knowledge, skills, perspectives, or behaviors that you expect to acquire through this experience.”	Say, “List the new knowledge, skills, perspectives, or behaviors that you will need to cultivate in yourself to acquire this capability.”
	Say, “Identify two to five experiences or activities—at work or outside work—that could help you to develop this capability and meet the goal you have set for yourself.”

For both paths, here are some common instructions that can be used:

•  Say, “Write down the names of people you can turn to for guidance—such as bosses, mentors, peers, subordinates, friends, family, and teachers.”

•  Say, “What other resources or practices could be helpful to you?”

•  Say, “What do you see as the best benefits to you of developing this new capability or having this new experience?”

Best practices for strategizing.

•  Ensure you have adequate time for this step, since it represents what the participants take back from the session and can act on immediately.

•  If your session is sponsored by an organization for an existing group, align your activity with existing organizational frameworks and tools.

•  When closing the session, ensure that every set of cards is complete.