After Action Review Basic Class 3

A practical demonstration showing how selective inquiry begins when the helper stops interpreting,
stops improving the person’s language, and starts listening closely enough for the next inquiry move
to emerge naturally.

Session Summary

Practical 3 focused on a foundational S:DISS-X principle: helping becomes more effective when the helper stops improving the person’s words and starts listening to them. Throughout the session, Mike repeatedly emphasized that interpretation is one of the most common ways helpers accidentally take over a conversation. Rather than discovering what the person’s words mean to them, helpers often run those words through their own assumptions and return a modified version of the person’s experience.

The practical began with a review of a previous exchange involving the statement “I feel behind.” Mike used this example to demonstrate how easily helpers can move into interpretation. He explained that words such as “behind” should initially be treated as information rather than conclusions. The helper’s task is not to explain what “behind” means but to help the person reveal what it means within their own experience. Staying close to the person’s language preserves accuracy and reduces projection.

A major theme of the session involved IMULL. Mike pointed out that helpers frequently assign Importance, Motivation, or Urgency too quickly. He stressed that these elements should not be assumed. They should be discovered through inquiry. Interpreting motivation before it is expressed causes the helper to begin listening to themselves rather than to the person. The practical reinforced that IMULL is most useful when it guides inquiry rather than replacing inquiry.

The session also explored how pCc, Ready-Willing-Able-Fit, and helping functions relate to inquiry. Mike explained that helpers must meet people where they are, taking into account potential, CAPACITY, capability, readiness, and fit. The same inquiry move may work well for one person and poorly for another depending on developmental conditions and context. Effective helping requires adaptation rather than formulaic application.

Another important lesson involved the concepts of “AND” and “SO.” Mike used these as examples of expansion and contraction. “AND” invites additional information and expansion, while “SO” invites synthesis, integration, and conclusion. He explained that using these words carefully can reveal how people process information and solve problems. Some people naturally expand by gathering more data, while others contract by organizing information into conclusions. Understanding these tendencies helps the helper respond more effectively.

The practical also reinforced the value of closure. Mike explained that a good close protects learning. Helping does not require exploring every possible layer of a conversation. Sometimes the best move is to stop when the lesson or insight has become clear enough to notice. Over-helping can interfere with learning just as much as under-helping.

The session concluded by reaffirming a core beginner principle: less is more. Selective inquiry works because it helps people discover their own meaning rather than receiving interpretations from someone else. The helper’s role is to listen, inquire selectively, and support movement toward RightACTION without taking ownership of the person’s experience.

Full Demo Exchange

What Happened

The practical focused on helping students recognize the difference between inquiry and interpretation.

Mike reviewed examples where helpers incorrectly assumed Importance, Motivation, and Urgency without sufficient evidence. He emphasized that these assumptions can shift attention away from the person and toward the helper’s own interpretation.

The session then explored how inquiry forms emerge from careful listening. Through examples involving words such as “behind,” students saw how a single word can become the basis for a PROBE rather than a conclusion. Mike also introduced the concepts of expansion and contraction using the words “AND” and “SO” and connected these ideas to problem-solving styles and the Ladder of Inference.

The practical concluded with discussions about closure, developmental fit, pCc, Ready-Willing-Able-Fit, and the importance of stopping before helping becomes excessive.

S:DISS-X Forms Observed

IMULL Score

Overall IMULL Read

4.3 / 5

The practical emphasized proper use of IMULL by demonstrating what should not be assumed and what should
instead be explored through inquiry.

RightACTION Note

The RightACTION in this session was restraint.

Rather than interpreting, diagnosing, or improving the person’s words, the helper practiced staying close
to what was actually said. This created better conditions for understanding and reduced the likelihood of
projecting assumptions into the conversation.

The session reinforced that RightACTION is not always a solution or recommendation. Sometimes RightACTION
is a disciplined inquiry move that preserves accuracy and allows the person’s meaning to emerge naturally.

TPOVs Surfaced

Reinforced TPOVs

New or Candidate TPOVs

Advanced TPOVs Mentioned

Suggestions for Improvement

• Provide more beginner examples showing interpretation versus inquiry.
• Add a visual model explaining the Ladder of Inference.
• Include side-by-side examples of helpful and unhelpful interpretations.
• Create a simple guide showing when to use PING versus PROBE.
• Introduce AND and SO with additional practical demonstrations.
• Clarify how IMULL is discovered rather than inferred.
• Reduce references to advanced frameworks during beginner instruction.
• Include more examples showing effective closure.
• Reinforce the connection between pCc and Ready-Willing-Able-Fit.

APC Source Candidate Notes

Candidate Source Title

Stop Improving Their Words

Source Type

S:DISS-X Practice Vignette / Foundational TPOV

Canonical Definition

Stop Improving Their Words is the helping principle that encourages the helper to remain close to the person’s actual language rather than immediately correcting, interpreting, expanding, or reframing what was said.

Why It Matters

When helpers improve a person’s words too quickly, they risk replacing the person’s experience with their own interpretation. Staying close to the person’s language improves accuracy, preserves context, and creates better conditions for selective inquiry.

The principle supports better listening, stronger developmental fit, more effective use of IMULL, and improved movement toward RightACTION.

Do Not Collapse With

Do not collapse this with passive listening, agreement, or refusing to think critically. The principle does not prohibit interpretation forever. It simply delays interpretation until sufficient understanding has emerged through inquiry.