Organizational Learning Strategies: Action Learning

Action Learning is a process for bringing together a group of people with varied levels of skills and experience to analyze an actual work problem and develop an action plan. The group continues to meet as actions are implemented, learning from the implementation and making mid-course corrections. Action Learning is a form of learning by doing.

	To address problems and issues that are complex and not easily resolved.
	To find solutions to underlying root causes of problems.
	To determine a new strategic direction or to maximize new opportunities.

	Clarify the objective of the Action Learning group.
	Convene a cross-section of people with a complementary mix of skills and expertise to participate in the Action Learning group.
	Hold initial meetings to analyze the issues and identify actions for resolving them.
	Return the group to the work place to take action.
	Use subgroups to work on specific aspects of the problem if necessary.
	After a period of time, reconvene the group to discuss progress, lessons learned, and next steps.
	Repeat the cycle of action and learning until the problem is resolved or new directions are determined.
	Document the learning process for future reference. Record lessons learned after each phase of learning.

As described below, learning strategies are often used in combination with one another or may be closely linked to one another.

Cross-Functional Teams: A Cross-Functional Team is composed of people with varied levels of skills and experience brought together to accomplish a task. These teams may use Action Learning as a process to solve problems. As the name implies, Cross-Functional Team members come from different organizational units. In contrast, an Action Learning group may be comprised of members from a single organizational unit. Cross-Functional Teams may be permanent or ad hoc, whereas Action Learning groups are always ad hoc.

Work-Outs: Work-Outs are a series of one-time events where participants develop solutions and managers make decisions about their implementation. In contrast, Action Learning involves a cycle of meeting to generate solutions and returning to the work place to take action.

General Electric (GE)

General Electric (GE) forms action learning teams to work on organizational problems that are real, relevant, and require decisions. Typically, two teams of five to seven people from diverse businesses and functions within GE work together on the problem. Time is built in for the team members to reflect on the total learning experience.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) used action learning as part of its 2-year development plan for middle managers. FAA wanted managers to practice working with real world problems as a basis for learning. Senior managers identified critical concerns meaningful to the organization and acted as sponsors for the action learning teams. Three teams met over a 6-month period using the action learning methodology. At the end of that time, teams met with their sponsors and reported their results. Senior managers were astounded by the creative work accomplished by the teams and followed through on many of their suggestions.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) found that many organizational issues and problems were preventing even the best managers from being able to perform to their fullest potential. FDIC recognized that training alone could not solve these types of problems. Given the nature and impact of the organizational issues identified, FDIC decided to incorporate action learning as a principal component of the core training provided to executives and managers and as an organizational problem-solving method. FDIC has successfully addressed more than 35 issues using a tailored action learning process they call Accelerated Decisionmaking. This process combines the facets of Action Learning and Work-Outs.

Download the attached document [link to PDF file with document] to learn more about the FDIC's Accelerated Decisionmaking Process.

Web Resources

Action Learning & Team Development Courseware

Publications

Gordon, S. E. We Do: Therefore, We Learn. Training & Development. 1993, Vol. 47, No. 10, pp. 47-52.

Pedler, M. Action Learning for Managers. London: Lemos & Crane, 1996.

Revans, R. What is Action Learning? Journal of Management Development. 1982, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 64-75.

Following are links to the other Organizational Learning Strategies:

	Meetings
	Cross-Functional Teams
	Work-Outs
	Strategic Planning
	Parallel Learning Structures
	Corporate Scorecard
	Benchmarking
	Groupware
	Distance Conferencing