getAbstract compressed knowledge

Action Learning in Action

Transforming Problems and People

For World-Class Organizational Learning
by Michael J. Marquardt
Davies-Black, 1999
259 pages

Focus Take-Aways
Leadership
• Action learning involves learning and acting simultaneously to solve problems or
Strategy
improve processes.
Sales & Marketing
• An action-learning program has six interactive components: a problem, the group,
Corporate Finance
the questioning and reflection process, the resolution to take action, the commit-
Human Resources
ment to learning and the facilitator.
Technology
Production & Logistics
• An action-learning program is most useful in problem solving, organizational learn-
ing, team building, leadership development and professional career development.
Small Business
Economics & Politics • Action learning — which focuses on systematic factors that cause problems —
Industries & Regions
differs from task forces and quality circles — which focus on a specific problem
Career Development
or task.
Personal Finance • Work with the hands (manufacturing) has shifted to work from the mind (“mento-
Self Improvement factoring”).
Ideas & Trends • An action group ideally has four to eight members.
• Select group members with diverse backgrounds so you have different perspectives.
• Group members should know they can carry out their ideas and recommendations.
• The group should be under the guidance of a facilitator, not a teacher.

Rating (10 is best)

Overall Applicability Innovation Style

5 6 5 4

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Review

Action Learning in Action

Action learning has been around since the 1930s, but it can be used to improve orga-
nizations today. Michael J. Marquardt shows how. Basically, four to eight people work
together to solve a problem, reflect on what they learn as they proceed and then implement
their solution. Marquardt offers a clear step-by-step process and a few case histories.
His focus on the original methodology may be a little heavy, but he aims to distinguish
action-learning groups from multi-problem-oriented teams and work groups. The book is
well organized, but if you already know about team building, leadership development and
learning organizations, you’ll be walking on familiar ground. That’s why getAbstract.com
recommends this book either to those who are so immersed in group learning that they
find new nuance in everything in the field, or to those who are fresh to the subject, who
will benefit particularly from the helpful charts, lists and illustrations.

Abstract

What Is Action Learning?

Action learning involves learning and acting simultaneously to improve processes or
solve problems in your organization. Four to eight people solve “real problems while
at the same time focusing on what they are learning.” They are looking for ways their
learning can benefit each member of the group and the whole organization. This involves
asking new questions about existing knowledge and reflecting on the actions the group
“Task forces and
quality circles are takes during and after its problem-solving sessions. This approach is primarily useful
charged with in problem solving, organizational learning, team building, leadership development and
addressing a professional and career development.
problem or
improving a prod-
uct or procedure; The Six Components of Action Learning
any learning that An action-learning program is made up of six interdependent components:
occurs is
incidental. Action • A problem — The group focuses on an important problem that lies within the team’s
learning groups,
on the other hand, responsibility to resolve and that provides an opportunity to learn. The group seeks
are charged with information about the organizational, systemic factors causing the problem.
learning from the • The group — The four-to eight-member learning group, sometimes called a set or
problems they are
solving, the
team, has enough people to provide diversity, without being so large that it has prob-
assumptions they lems working as a single team. Diversity provides different viewpoints and fresh
are challenging ideas. Often these groups are formed across functions or departments. Though it is
and the actions
they are
best to have a group from within one organization, sometimes individuals from other
confronting.” organizations or professions are included.
• The questioning and reflection process — This is the learning component, in which
group members focus on asking the right questions, rather than seeking the right
answers. They examine what they don’t know as well as what they do. The group
asks questions to clarify the problem and then reflects on the problem to identify a
range of possible solutions before acting.
• The resolution to take action — This step is necessary since real learning doesn’t
occur unless you act, because action reveals if your idea or plan is effective. Thus,
group members should either be able to take personal action to resolve the problem
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or should be assured that others in the organization will put their recommendations
into operation.
“Manufacturing
work (working with
• The commitment to learning — Team members should be as committed to learning
our hands) has as they are to accomplishing the task. These individuals and the organization as a
been replaced by whole should learn from the experience.
knowledge work • The facilitator — This is the group leader, sometimes called the “set advisor,” who
(working with our
minds, i.e., mento- helps group members reflect on what they are both doing and learning. This person
facturing). Mento- should facilitate, not teach.
facturing is needed
to create, under-
stand and manage Action Learning vs. Group Learning
the company’s The term “action learning” has been used to refer to a variety of programs, but true action
knowledge.” learning requires the critical qualities described above. Task forces and quality circles are
not action-learning groups, since they focus on a specific problem or task, rather than look-
“Learning and
ing at the systematic factors causing these problems. Also, task forces and quality circles
acting must usually don’t have the power or the responsibility for taking action. Instead, they pass
become concur- information along to higher groups in the organization, which then act. In other groups,
rent, since too
learning is only incidental, but in action learning, it is integral. Action learning likewise
many demands
and too little time differs from the general feedback that evolves when employees simply get together to
prohibit an exclu- reflect on the job and from simulations that don’t address real world problems.
sive focus on one
or the other.”
The Development of Action Learning
Action learning has become a good way for organizations to respond to today’s rapidly
“When we are changing, complex world. Action learning is very responsive to the five major paradigm
called upon to shifts that have occurred today:
examine a familiar
problem in an 1. From the Newtonian to the Quantum approach in physics.
unfamiliar setting,
we are forced to 2. From the industrial to the information age.
be much more 3. From the national to the global economy.
creative, ask much 4. From the market focus on the worker to the focus on the customer.
fresher questions
and ascend to the
5. From the manufacturing to “mentofacturing” means of production.
most potent form
of learning.” The concern with learning is especially pertinent to the change from manufacturing to
“mentofacturing,” in which working with one’s mind has replaced working with one’s
hands. Today, brains, rather than brawn, are the key to profits, so companies employ
“Simply more and more knowledge workers. With learning at the heart of productive activity,
described, action
learning is both
action learning is critical because it holistically examines systems, rather than looking at
a process and a fragmented problems in isolation. This approach stresses the need for continuous learn-
powerful program ing rather than “unreflective activity and productivity.”
that involves a
small group of While action learning is especially relevant today, its roots go back to the 1930s, when
people solving real
problems while at
Reg Revans, a Cambridge physicist, observed how the scientists at the Cavendish Labo-
the same time ratory worked together effectively. They shared their problems, asked each other ques-
focusing on what tions and got support from the group. Then, in 1945, Revans became the first director
they are learning of education and training at the newly formed National Coal Board. He organized the
and how their
learning can ben- managers into small four and five member groups and they worked together on solving
efit each group each other’s coal field problems. The result was a 30% increase in output. Revans then
member and the spent years working with other groups and spreading the concept to other countries. In
organization as a
whole.”
1995, in London, he led the first action-learning conference, which was attended by 100
delegates from all over the world.

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To set up an action-learning program in your own company, you need to incorporate the
six essential interactive elements: a problem, the group, the questioning and reflective pro-
“Learning is what cess, the commitment to taking action, the commitment to learning and the facilitator.
makes action
learning strategic
rather than Element 1: Problem
tactical.” Select a real, significant organizational problem, task or issue that a small group can
feasibly, competently solve. The participants should care about the project and have the
authority to do something about it. Choose a project that will provide learning opportu-
“Action learning is nities when participants reflect on it. This could be an organizational or departmental
built around a issue or an individual management or development issue. You can select a familiar prob-
problem (project,
challenge, issue, lem and setting, or an unfamiliar problem and setting, although if at least one element is
or task), the reso- unfamiliar participants will need to be more creative and ask fresher questions to resolve
lution of which is the problem. In fact, many practitioners think that having an unfamiliar setting or an
of high importance
to an individual,
unfamiliar problem, or both, leads to the most powerful kind of action learning.
team and/or orga-
nization.” Element 2: Group
Choose a group of four to eight diverse people. Members need to be skilled in sharing,
communicating and planning. Select people who really care about the problem and have
“Selection of the the power to carry out the recommendations, people “who can, who care and who know.”
problem is Do not bring in outside experts, since that creates a dependency on resources from outside
fundamental to
action learning, the organization, though you might make such experts available for a short time period.
because we learn
best when
undertaking some
Element 3: Process
action, which can Build in a questioning and reflection process, because that’s the only way for learning
then be reflected to occur. Learning occurs due to three basic elements — programmed knowledge, ques-
upon.” tioning and reflection. This equation is reflected in the formula: L = P + Q + R. Group
members must focus on asking the right questions rather than on getting the right
answers so they look at what they don’t know. The right questions should help them go
“Action learning deeper, clarify issues and better understand what is going on. They should ask such ques-
involves a diverse
team of people
tions as: “What is the organization seeking to accomplish?” “What’s stopping it?” and
working together “What can the organization do about it?”
on significant
problems over a
relatively long
Element 4: Action
period of time. It Group members must know they can act to carry out their ideas and recommendations.
requires time for In effect, you need to make “implementation” part of the contract between the organiza-
questioning and
tion and the action-learning group.
reflection, as well
as time for sharing
learning.” Element 5: Learning
Foster the group’s commitment to learning. You can ask individual members to take the
responsibility for their learning and development as well as the team’s and the organiza-
“True learning and tion’s. People should have time to talk about what they have learned personally and to
behavioral change discuss ways other parts of the organization can learn from their experiences. As part
require that the
participants see of this learning commitment, group members should know about the seven-step “action
the practical out- learning cycle:” experience, identify problem, reflect, experiment, analyze/generalize,
comes of their plan solutions, test and take action.
own actions and
desires.”
Element 6: Facilitator
Finally, you want to assign a good facilitator to help guide the participants in reflecting

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on what is happening as they go about solving the problem. This facilitator will act as
a coordinator, catalyst, observer, climate setter, communications enabler and learning
coach. The facilitator should not act as a teacher, but as a person who creates a good
“Brains have climate or atmosphere where members can learn from the experience and each other
replaced brawn as
the most
as they develop new ideas. The facilitator needs good listening skills, the ability to
important means provide feedback, an understanding of group processes, empathy and the experience
of increasing pro- to facilitate effectively.
ductivity and
profits.”
How an Action Group Operates
You can use an action group for any number of organizational problems. The two basic
types of programs are single-project programs and open-group programs. In a single-
“In an economy project group, someone in the organization sponsors the project, much like a client,
based on knowl- and then chooses the group members or asks for volunteers. In an open-group pro-
edge, the gram, each group member brings up his own task or problem and requests assistance.
knowledge worker
is the single great- The requesting member becomes a client as the other members use action learning to
est asset, and resolve that problem.
mentofacturing is
the most impor- While an action-learning group can achieve a particular goal in a fairly short time, even
tant activity.” a few hours, to gain the most benefit from setting up such a group, set it up to operate
for about three months to a year. The group should have regular meetings to report on
actions and progress, and to share knowledge each member has learned.
“Action learning In the group’s early phase, focus on understanding the problem. The second phase
examines sys- focuses on developing a variety of possible solutions and actions that the individual or
tems, and it
practices holistic organization could take. Finally, the third phase involves constructing a solution and
thinking rather taking action. The group should establish its own procedures, rules and norms.
than piecemeal,
fragmented Once you know the basic principles, you can apply the techniques of action learning
thinking.” to a variety of circumstances, including problem solving, creating a learning organiza-
tion, building teams, leadership development and personal development. You can use this
approach within a single organization or worldwide in a multinational corporation.

About The Author

Michael J. Marquardt, Ed.D., professor of human resource development at George Wash-
ington University, is president of Global Learning Associates. He has worked as a con-
sultant for nearly 30 years, with clients such as Marriott, the Peace Corps, Arthur
Anderson, Singapore Airlines and the governments of Indonesia and Jamaica. He is the
author of numerous management and organizational development articles and books,
including Building the Learning Organization.

Buzz-Words
Action learning / Action learning cycle / Commitment to learning / L = P + Q + R /
Mentofacturing / Open-group action learning program / Programmed knowledge

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