Action Learning in Action -
A Powerful New Tool for Solving Problems and
Building Leaders, Teams and Organizations
Michael J. Marquardt
Professor, George Washington University
Director, Global Institute of Action Learning

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Gain an overview of the principles and practices of action learning and examine how action learning differs from other organizational tools
Explore the power of action learning in solving problems and in the building leaders, employees, high performance teams and learning organizations

A process that involves a small group working on real problems, taking action, and learning as individuals and as a team while doing so

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Solves complex problems and challenges in a systems-thinking approach
Builds powerful teams
Enables individuals and teams to learn while working
Creates a corporate culture that can handle change and learns
Develops leadership competencies
Develops systems thinking and creativity

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Sodexho
Novartis
Siemens
Boeing
Caterpillar
Baxter
Singapore Polytechnic
Fairfax Schools
Organization of American
States
General Electric
DuPont
Samsung
American University

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Project, challenge, task, or problem
Group of 4-8 people with diverse perspectives
Reflective questioning and listening
Selecting purpose, creating solutions and taking action
Commitment to learning
Action Learning coach

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Statements only in response to questions; anyone can ask questions
Action learning coach has authority to intervene whenever he/she identifies learning opportunities

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Learning and team development as important as solving the problem
Groups charged with implementing as well as solving real problems
Membership not reserved to experts or involved people
Questions precede answers; dialogue over discussion and debate
Learning coach with power
Actions and strategies requiring systems thinking

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Important to the organization or individual - not a made-up exercise
Unimportant problems diminishes creativity, commitment and learning
The more complex in nature, the more powerful and valuable is the action learning
Problems should be feasible and within the authority and/or responsibility of group

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Recruiting high tech workers
Developing training programs for leaders
Improving information systems
Six Sigma projects
Improving customer service
Resolving conflict between departments
Developing a new performance appraisal system
Establishing work schedule

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Singleproblem, incompany program
Multiple problems of one or more organizations

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4-8 members to maximize creativity
From within and outside the organization
Diverse so as to obtain fresh viewpoints (Pizza man)
May be familiar or unfamiliar with roles and situations
May include external resources when needed

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Committed to solving problem
Carefully listening to one another
Willing to develop and learn
Respectful of others
Constructive and supportive
Group rather than individually focused

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Questions before solutions so as to diverge in a systems perspective rather than converge too quickly
Questions allow us to reflect, to listen, to be creative, and to learn
Seeds of solutions reside in questions
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Questions to clarify, to open up new avenues, to unpack, to offer ideas and insights, to learn
Time and space needed to stand back, reflect, unfreeze, and gain new perspectives

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Working on the right problem
Myth of the blind men and the elephant
Questioning each other is only way to get agreement on the problem
Understanding the context as well as the content of the problem

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Creative problem solving and systems thinking
Build group cohesiveness, listening and respect
Increase reflection, learning and change

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Problem
Reframing
Selecting purpose
Creating
Solutions
Taking action

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Seeks broad context in which to understand a problems and its potential solutions
Aims to find unique, novel ideas that provide solution that can endure
Puts solutions in a systems framework, recognizing interdependencies
Employs many mental models – intuitive, analytical & creative
Future oriented; focuses on creating solutions
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Limits context to the problem itself
Aims to find a single, immediate solution that
“fixes” the problem
Specifies changes only in terms of the parts of the problem
Employs rational, empirical thought processes
Past oriented; focuses on solving each problem

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What is our real and important purpose?
What are we, you, the organization seeking to accomplish?
Focusing on the future creates energy and requires anticipation of the future
Enlarges your creative space
Elevates thinking beyond obvious first answers
Forces systematic thinking about what will be necessary to implement solution

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View situation from various perspectives
Expand the possibilities of solutions
Utilize project management methodologies
Build on the three questions of:
• Who knows what we are trying to do? (facts)
• Who cares about getting it accomplished?
(interest)
• Who can get it implemented? (power)

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Merely recommending diminishes creativity and commitment
Testing ideas in practice determines if effective and practical
No real learning occurs unless action is taken

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5. Focus on Individual, Team and
Organization-Wide Learning
Members take responsibility for own, group’s, and organization’s learning
Time set aside to talk about learnings and how they can be applied systematically elsewhere
Move from intuiting, to interpreting, to integrating, to institutionalizing knowledge

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L = P + Q + R
New knowledge and information
Improve relevant skills and competencies
Reasoning and behaving differently
Alters beliefs, values and basic assumptions
Gain greater awareness and understanding of personal motives

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May be group member or “external” partner
Ensure sufficient time for capturing learnings
Help members to reflect on interactions and implications of actions to be taken
Assure norms and processes are followed
Create an atmosphere of learning and reflective inquiry

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Problem Framing
Questions
Action Strategies
Questions
Group Effectiveness
Questions
Individual Learning
Questions
Organizational
Application Questions

Guidelines for Various Roles in Action Learning
Problem Presenter
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Take just 1-2 minutes to highlight the key elements of the problem/challenge/task for which you would like to receive some help
Trust that the group will ask the important information and details
Be brief. If you take too long to present, the group may (a) have difficulty coming up with questions and (b) be bored or impatient with your details
When you provide too much detail, you may create unnecessary or irrelevant “brush” which slows down or gets in the path which the group is seeking to find
Answer the questions asked of you as concisely as you can
You do not have to answer questions that (a) you do not have the answer for (“I don’t know”) or (b) for which you have not yet formed an opinion (“I need to think about that question;” “I’m not sure”)
Feel free to ask questions of other group members

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Seek to gain a group-agreed understanding of the problem by asking questions
Make statements only in response to questions directed specifically to you or to the group as a whole
Feel free to ask questions of other group members as well
Try to build on each other’s questions rather than just on getting your questions answered
Listen carefully to the questions of the action learning coach and do not resume working on the problem until he/she asks you to continue

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Focus is on helping the group learn/improve, and not on helping to solve the problem
Only ask questions
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Question to begin action learning session
• (To problem presenter) Could you take a minute or so to tell us the problem or task that you would like the group to help you with?
Questions at first intervention (8-10 minutes into session)
• How are we doing as a group thus far? (Ask each member for a 1-2 word assessment; i.e., okay, not okay, great, etc.)
• What are we doing well?
• What could we do better?
• Do we have agreement on the problem – yes or no? Why don’t we all write it down? Is there agreement? Continue.
Questions at conclusion of session (20-25 minutes)
• (To the presenter) What action are you going to take as a result of this session? Were you helped? How?
• (To the entire group) What did we do best as a group? What was the quality of our questions? What did we learn about problem-solving? Team formation and development? Did any of us demonstrate any leadership behaviors? What did we learn that we could apply to our lives/organizations?

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Trust the process and power of questions
Ability to ask good questions, especially follow-up questions
Intense listening skills
Able to hear what is not being said
Focused and concise
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“Helicopter”and outsider perspective
Ability to be nonjudgmental
Tolerance of ambiguity
Patience and empathy
Openness

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Focus on group process
Statements
What happened
Dependence
Single-loop learning
Present and past
Threatening
Linear thinking
Reaction
Expertise
Knowledge
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Focus on learning
Questions
Why and how
Independence
Double and tripleloop
Future and present
Comforting and trust
Critical thinking
Reflection
Perspective
Wisdom

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Develop leaders and teams of leaders
Problem solving
Developing systems thinking and creativity
Building teams
Create learning cultures and learning organizations

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Every leadership competency can be developed when working with a group over whom one has no control on a problem with no know solution
Opportunities for selfreflection as well as supportive feedback from peers who are committed to helping us develop
Action learning diminishes blind spots and expand capabilities
We grow as leaders best when reflecting on what is urgent and important to us, and when our assumptions are challenged

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Gaining fresh perspectives and new ways of seeing issues
Macro and micro views
Generate
“breakthrough” insights, solutions, and effective strategies
Complement and contribute to other organizational operations

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Skill of seeing: “wholes
” rather than parts; underlying structures rather than events; patterns of changes rather than snapshots
Identifying underlying causes and impacts
Knowing when and how to leverage

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Sharing responsibility and accountability on real problems builds strong team unity and success
Questions and shared learning build powerful caring, collaboration and cohesion
Working on agreed-to problems develops clearness of task, strong communications and commitment
Results-driven structure
Team synergy and team thinking emerges

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Creating Organizational Change and
Building Learning Organizations
Organizations are now able to adapt to change more quickly
Action learning groups are models of learning organizations
Members assure that knowledge is captured and transferred
Every event is a learning opportunity
Learning is connected to all business goals

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Introducing action learning to the organization
Types of action learning programs
Group membership
Full-time and part-time programs
Action learning sponsors and champions
Introducing the problem to the group
Preparing the first action learning session
Between sessions activities and responsibilities
Pilot testing of strategies
Follow-up
Interaction with organization and top management