“There can be no learning without action and no action without learning.”
Reg Evans
Action Learning Pioneer
Definition:
In the broadest sense Action Learning is any experience that combines learning and doing.
The two most common types are:
- A team tackles a strategic business issue and makes recommendations to more senior decision-makers.
- A talent management process is established for selecting, assessing, and developing top performers to achieve new levels of knowledge, skills, and experience.
Tenets:
- Hi-potential employees develop faster and better when a learning experience is structured around something real and pertinent
- Significant work-related stretch assignments provide the ideal laboratory for leadership development
- Senor executive involvement increases motivation and directional alignment
Action Learning develops leaders by:
Working in a team of peers on a problem that the group is charged to solve. Senior executives create a problem statement that has organizational importance. The AL team comprised of people of equal rank, is given sufficient support and resources to complete the task.
Gathering people from across the organization representing different functions. Project team members are selected or nominated from a pool of hi-potential candidates that come from all aspects of the enterprise.
Balancing in-class team learning with in-between individual on-the-job assignments. The entire group co-locates for facilitated sessions to build problem solving and leadership skills, which they apply to the problem they are addressing. In the interim weeks when the team is not co-located, individual team members carry out assignments in their home territory.
Focusing on both individual and team development. Through the AL process attendees become knowledgeable, confident and capable leaders, and know how to develop a high-performing team.
The Objectives for Action Learning are:
- Develop a cadre of bench-strength top performers
- Integrate team and individual learning into high profile project
- Concentrate resources and cross-organizational problems in a tightly orchestrated experience
We often talk about “out-of-the-box thinking” but most of us have no idea how to actually do this. This is where Marian comes in. She is a master in coaching, training and engaging teams when it comes to creative thinking. In addition to her effective approach on expanding one’s thought process, she can be a mentor or a coach, and if you are really lucky, a friend.
Frank Van Dijk
Sr. Marketing Director, GE Energy
