After Action Review Practical 5

A practical demonstration showing how selective inquiry can reveal hidden assumptions, developmental readiness, and system conditions without collapsing prematurely into advice, interpretation, or over-direction.

Session Summary

This fifth S:DISS-X practical session focused on how helpers can support developmental inquiry by allowing the person’s system to reveal itself gradually rather than forcing immediate interpretation, diagnosis, or action. Mike demonstrated that many helping interactions fail because the helper moves too quickly into explanation, certainty, or transactional problem-solving before understanding the actual conditions shaping the situation.

A central theme throughout the session was the distinction between surface content and underlying system dynamics. Mike repeatedly emphasized that the visible problem is not always the real problem. Instead of treating every statement as something requiring immediate solution-making, the helper selectively works with openings, pacing, leverage, and contextual fit. The conversation explored how inquiry can reveal readiness, capability, assumptions, pressure states, and hidden constraints without prematurely collapsing ambiguity.

Using ChatGPT as the “person being helped,” Mike modeled disciplined restraint. He avoided overinterpreting incomplete information and instead used smaller inquiry moves such as mirrored phrases, PINGs, selective PROBEs, and pacing checks. This preserved developmental space and allowed deeper contextual information to emerge naturally over time.

The practical also revisited the idea that S:DISS-X is not an interrogatory framework. Inquiry forms are used selectively and contextually, not mechanically. Mike explained that excessive questioning can accidentally shift the helping process into performance pressure, compliance behavior, or helper-centered direction. Instead, the helper should support the person’s own awareness, reflection, and problem-finding capacity.

Several advanced concepts surfaced during the session, including pCc (potential, CAPACITY, capability), leverage, environmental fit, developmental readiness, system regulation, and the relationship between actionability and assimilation. Mike explained that actionable help must match the person’s actual developmental state rather than the helper’s assumptions about where the person “should” be.

The practical also explored the difference between “clean seeing” and projection. Mike warned that helpers frequently project their own urgency, capability, preferences, or explanatory frameworks into conversations. This creates “coaching under the influence,” where helping becomes distorted by the helper’s own system rather than grounded in the actual conditions of the person being helped.

Throughout the exchange, the session modeled how small inquiry moves can generate meaningful leverage without overwhelming the interaction. Mike repeatedly demonstrated that RightACTION is often smaller, slower, and more contextual than helpers initially expect.

By the end of the session, students were encouraged to see developmental helping as an ongoing process of contextual awareness, selective inquiry, pacing, and system-sensitive actionability. Rather than rushing toward immediate solutions, the helper learns to notice what the system is already revealing and work from there.

Full Demo Exchange

What Happened

The session began by exploring how helpers frequently rush into problem-solving before understanding the actual conditions shaping the situation. Mike explained that inquiry should not be treated as interrogation or information extraction. Instead, S:DISS-X inquiry forms help reveal leverage, readiness, assumptions, and contextual fit.

As the exchange unfolded, Mike demonstrated how to slow the process down without losing movement. Rather than aggressively directing the conversation, he worked selectively with emerging signals and small leverage points. This protected the helping interaction from becoming overly transactional or helper-centered.

A major focus involved distinguishing surface narratives from underlying system conditions. Mike repeatedly emphasized that visible complaints, tasks, or pressures may not represent the actual developmental constraint. Instead of forcing explanations prematurely, he allowed ambiguity to remain long enough for deeper information to emerge.

The practical also explored how helpers project their own systems into helping relationships. Mike warned against “coaching under the influence,” where urgency, identity, assumptions, or capability projection distort helping effectiveness. This connected to discussions about pCc, readiness, environmental fit, and assimilatable helping.

As the session progressed, the interaction repeatedly returned to small leverage moves, pacing, and actionability. Mike modeled how to “seed the close” naturally without abruptly ending developmental movement. The session concluded by reinforcing that effective helping often depends more on selective awareness and contextual fit than on aggressive intervention.

S:DISS-X Forms Observed

Form of Inquiry	Where It Appeared	Why It Mattered
PING	“Does the system already show us something?”	Opened inquiry without assuming certainty.
PROBE	“Clearer seeing?”	Stayed close to emerging meaning already introduced.
PAUSE	Deliberately slowing interpretation	Protected developmental inquiry and reduced projection.
PACE	Discussion of readiness and assimilatable action	Regulated movement according to fit.
PROMPT	Inviting one small leverage movement	Encouraged actionable learning without overload.
PERMIT	Allowing ambiguity to remain temporarily unresolved	Reduced pressure for premature closure.
PERTURB	Challenging premature problem-solving habits	Interrupted transactional defaults.

IMULL Score

IMULL Element	Score	Evidence
Importance	High	The session focused on developmental helping and system awareness.
Motivation	Medium-High	Continued exploration reflected sustained engagement.
Urgency	Medium-Low	The process intentionally slowed premature action.
Leverage	High	Small inquiry moves repeatedly produced deeper understanding.
Low-hanging Fruit	Medium-High	Small reality-testing movements remained actionable and accessible.

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Mike R. Jay is a developmentalist utilizing consulting, coaching, advising and helping… emergent from dynamic inquiry as a means to cue, scaffold, support, lift, and protect; offering inspiration to aspiring leaders who are interested in humaning where being, doing, having, becoming, contributing, relating, guiding to produce resilience and wellth help people lead generative lives.