"It is not enough to rely on our expert knowledge. Expert knowledge is necessary but not sufficient. We have to learn how to ask ourselves totally different questions. That is what Action Learning is".
Reg Revans
Reg Revans
Useful websites and articles
Optimizing the Power of Action Learning
Stage 1: Understanding and Reframing
The Problem
The first stage is understanding and reframing the
problem. This is perhaps the most important stage --
after all, the right solutions to the wrong problem don’t
really help. Yet, it’s more common for teams to try to
rush into solutions before they’ve fully clarified the
problem.
As groups begin the questioning process, one vital
and surprising development is often the discovery that
the originally identified problem is not actually the real
or most important problem. In other words, the group is
able to dig past the surface or visible problem to uncover
the hidden problem beneath it.
Another benefit of the questioning process is that it
reveals and separates out the assumptions, expectations,
biases, symptoms and limited perspectives that both the
presenter and the other group members bring to the
problem.
As the group better understands the problem, it also
begins reframing the problem in one of two ways --
either members see the content of the problem in a new
way, or they see the context of the problem in a different
way.
In the end, the group members must reach a consensus
on the problem before moving on to the next stage. As
one anonymous wit put it, “It’s better to first put your
finger on the problem before sticking your nose in it.”
Stage 2: Framing and Formulating the Goal
The next action stage is to determine what the group,
organization or individual is striving to achieve. Often,
the formulated goal is different from the originally
intended goal of the initiative. The reason is simply that
the problem, as discussed above, was misidentified.
It is thus as important not to accept the given objective
as it is not to accept the given problem. The group
must select a goal that is the most strategic, has the
most staying power, and will solve the real problem
with easy-to-leverage results.
The ultimate goal may not be clearly and fully
defined at this stage — it will become more refined as
the group works on strategies. However, it’s important
that the group now shifts from a problem frame to an
outcome frame, from an “it is impossible” frame to an
as-if frame, and from a failure frame to a feedback
frame.
Stage 3: Developing and Testing Strategies
Once the group has its goal, the next step is to develop
and test strategies. In stage 2, you identified what
you wanted or what you needed to do. In stage 3, you
become more specific: What will work best and why?
What resources do we need? What will be the impact of
the action?
In forming the action plan, the group must keep two
things in mind: first, whether this action is appropriate
to the problem; second, whether this action is doable.
Determining whether the action is doable also involves
who will be responsible for the action — who has the
insight, the power and the commitment to take the
action identified by the group.
More than one strategy should be developed and, if
possible, tested. Pilot actions are key to ensuring the
success of the strategy once it is fully implemented.
Stage 4: Taking Action and Reflecting on the
Action
Action is obviously an important element of any action
learning group’s work. Some concrete, specific action
should be agreed upon and taken at the end of each session.
It’s up to the action learning coach to ensure that
the team does not run out of time before agreeing on
action items. If a session ends without any actions decided
on, the time between sessions becomes lost time.
http://www.cognitionnet.com/member/resources/summaries/Management/action_learning.pdf
The Problem
The first stage is understanding and reframing the
problem. This is perhaps the most important stage --
after all, the right solutions to the wrong problem don’t
really help. Yet, it’s more common for teams to try to
rush into solutions before they’ve fully clarified the
problem.
As groups begin the questioning process, one vital
and surprising development is often the discovery that
the originally identified problem is not actually the real
or most important problem. In other words, the group is
able to dig past the surface or visible problem to uncover
the hidden problem beneath it.
Another benefit of the questioning process is that it
reveals and separates out the assumptions, expectations,
biases, symptoms and limited perspectives that both the
presenter and the other group members bring to the
problem.
As the group better understands the problem, it also
begins reframing the problem in one of two ways --
either members see the content of the problem in a new
way, or they see the context of the problem in a different
way.
In the end, the group members must reach a consensus
on the problem before moving on to the next stage. As
one anonymous wit put it, “It’s better to first put your
finger on the problem before sticking your nose in it.”
Stage 2: Framing and Formulating the Goal
The next action stage is to determine what the group,
organization or individual is striving to achieve. Often,
the formulated goal is different from the originally
intended goal of the initiative. The reason is simply that
the problem, as discussed above, was misidentified.
It is thus as important not to accept the given objective
as it is not to accept the given problem. The group
must select a goal that is the most strategic, has the
most staying power, and will solve the real problem
with easy-to-leverage results.
The ultimate goal may not be clearly and fully
defined at this stage — it will become more refined as
the group works on strategies. However, it’s important
that the group now shifts from a problem frame to an
outcome frame, from an “it is impossible” frame to an
as-if frame, and from a failure frame to a feedback
frame.
Stage 3: Developing and Testing Strategies
Once the group has its goal, the next step is to develop
and test strategies. In stage 2, you identified what
you wanted or what you needed to do. In stage 3, you
become more specific: What will work best and why?
What resources do we need? What will be the impact of
the action?
In forming the action plan, the group must keep two
things in mind: first, whether this action is appropriate
to the problem; second, whether this action is doable.
Determining whether the action is doable also involves
who will be responsible for the action — who has the
insight, the power and the commitment to take the
action identified by the group.
More than one strategy should be developed and, if
possible, tested. Pilot actions are key to ensuring the
success of the strategy once it is fully implemented.
Stage 4: Taking Action and Reflecting on the
Action
Action is obviously an important element of any action
learning group’s work. Some concrete, specific action
should be agreed upon and taken at the end of each session.
It’s up to the action learning coach to ensure that
the team does not run out of time before agreeing on
action items. If a session ends without any actions decided
on, the time between sessions becomes lost time.
http://www.cognitionnet.com/member/resources/summaries/Management/action_learning.pdf