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Action Learning in Action: Transforming Problems and People for World-Class Organizational Learning

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"It is the challenge of this book", M. Marquardt writes, "to provide a comprehensive overview of the true principles and successful practices of action learning as it has emerged on a worldwide basis...For many organizations around the world, action learning has quietly become one of the most powerful action-oriented, problem-solving tools, as well as their key approach to individual, team, and organization development. Organizations as diverse as Exxon, General Electric, TRW, Motorola, Arthur Andersen, General Motors, the U.S. Army, Marriott, and British Airways now use action learning for solving problems, developing global executives, identifying strategic competitive advantages, reducing operating costs, creating performance management systems, and becoming learning organizations."

In this context M. Marquardt :

* explores the context and history of action learning, illustrating why action learning is so important in today's world of rapid change and chaos.

* examines the six distinct interactive components (1.the problem, 2.the group, 3.questioning and reflective process, 4.the commitment to taking action, 5.the commitment to learning, 6.the facilitator.) that make action learning programs work effectively and thus be so valuable to organizations, teams, and individuals.

* describes the types of action learning programs, the possible roles of participants, and the life cycle of an action learning group.

* explores the five extraordinary, synchronous ways in which action learning can be applied :

1. problem solving

2. creating a learning organization

3. team building

4. leadership development

5. personal and career growth

* examines how action learning may need to be modified in work with multicultural or cross-cultural environments.

* explores the various options and choices that enable an organization to tailor action learning and thus gain optimum benefits from it.

* explores the key questions that an organization needs to ask relative to set advisors.

* identifies ten of the most common pitfalls and makes suggestions for avoiding them.

* examines group assessment of the action learning meetings as well as organizational evaluation of the overall action learning program.

As argued by Reg Revans, father of action learning, "the wisdom inherent in action learning is even more important in dealing with the rapid changes in today's world. And action learning can be used anywhere in the world. It is my hope that this book can bring the wisdom of action learning to all cultures and all kinds of people."

I highly recommend.

A detailed and insightful introduction to action learning, a process and program that involves a small group solving real problems and continuously learning from the experience. The author explores how action learning can be applied to problem solving, organizational learning, team building, leadership development, and professional growth and development. The action learning idea was born out of the thinking of Reg Revan, son of the man commissioned to investigate why the Titanic sank and who found that questions were never surfaced due to assumptions that other experts are involved and such questions would seem dumb. With many references to the experiences of major firms, this book is enormously valuable - a real eye-opener about problem solving and learning. The questions, presented in the closing chapters, for assessing an action learning program, make it especially useful. This is a top-notch book about a subject of paramount importance to individual, team, and organizational success. Highly recommended.

Action Learning in Action Action learning has been around since the 1930s, but it can be used to improve organizations 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 we at getAbstract.com recommend 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.

This book is a spectacular example of the finest kind of educational writing. Mr. Marquardt shows very clearly, how exactly action learning works, how it is in action. It truly shows the transformation of problems and people for world-class organizational learning. I'd recommend reading this book.

Michael Marquardt, defines action learning "is both a process and a powerful program that involves a small group of people solving real problems while at the same time focusing on what they are learning and how their learning can benefit each group member and the organization as a whole." The benefits of action learning include shared learning through all levels and areas of an organization, greater self-awareness and self-confidence for all involved because of their new insights and feedback interaction, improvement of their ability to ask better questions and to be more reflective, and improved communication and collaboration enterprise-wide.

How do task forces and quality circles differ from action learning groups? First, [they] tend to focus on the specific problem of task to be addressed rather than on identifying the organization wide, environmental, systemic elements in which the problem resides, and which also be affected if lasting change is to take place...Second, [task forces and quality circles] generally do not have the power or the expectation of taking action...Third [they] are charged with addressing a problem or improving a product or procedure; any learning that occurs is incidental." Marquardt suggests that action learning programs are built around six interactive components: a problem, the group, the questioning and reflection process, the commitment to taking action, the commitment to learning, and the facilitator. It is important to add, a "commitment to action" includes both identifying a given problem's causes and correcting it, and, then ensuring that the problem does occur again.

I wholly agree with Marquardt that each problem offers a valuable learning opportunity and important lessons can be learned from it. To Marquardt, problem solving and learning are not only related but interdependent. Albert Einstein is credited with the observation that insanity is doing the same thing the same way and then expecting different results.

As Marquardt explains in Chapter Thirteen, however, no all problems can be solved by action learning. For example, problems which are "unimportant, too simple, or too small...not real to the organization...beyond the authority or scope of responsibility of the given group...too large and complex...[and/or]offering little opportunity for learning or applying learning." Marquardt identifies ten of what he calls "pitfalls" in this chapter, any one of which can weaken action learning and make it less effective and less powerful. It is imperative to be fully aware of these perils before embarking on an action learning program.

For which organizations will action learning be of greatest value? Marquardt wrote his book for those which seek to simultaneously accomplish five critically important functions: "solving complex and key problems, developing leaders, creating the foundations for a learning organization, building self-directed and high-performing teams, and enhancing personal development and learning." Ultimately, decision-makers must develop action learning programs which work best for them...and that will not be easy. Marquardt explains how to do that and thereby makes ultimate success somewhat easier to achieve.

This book captures the essence of action learning; lots of success stories; interesting perspectives from participants; very practical with all the how-to's needed to set up action learning programs