Optimizing the Power of Action Learning: Real-Time Strategies for Developing Leaders, Building Teams, and Transforming Organizations

251 Pages·2011·1.81 MB·English

by  Michael J. Marquardt

Praise Page for
Optimizing the Power of Action Learning, 2nd Edition
“Action and learning are crucial to sustained organizational success. Mike
Marquardt knows this and his book provides proven, practical, and useful
thinking tools, techniques, and examples.”
— Mike Stonier, Senior Manager, University of Pretoria’s Gordon
Institute of Business Science, Johannesburg, South Africa
“Marquardt’s teachings have allowed Sony Music leaders to realize their
greatest potential for solving problems: not by overwhelming a discussion
with conficted answers, but by asking powerful questions and refecting
on one’s own leadership skills. Tat alone has made Optimizing the Power
of Action Learning one of the most vital instruments of our leadership
transformation success.”
— Kathy Chalmers, Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources
Ofcer, Sony Music Entertainment
“A must read for anyone who wants to improve the efectiveness of people
and organizations.”
— Doug Bryant, Director of Organizational Development, Honeywell
Transportation Systems
“Mike Marquardt is the key thought leader in action learning. In intro-
ducing this unique but simple process to our executive leaders, we have
garnered huge benefts in problem defnition and resolution, as well as in
higher-level thinking and the acceleration of organizational learning.”
—Helen Goldson, VP Talent Management, Goodrich Corporation
“As a certifed action learning coach, I have found Optimizing the Power
of Action Learning to be a valuable resource. Te enhancements in the
revised edition present practical and clear guidelines for implementing the
six components of action learning in any organization. Te illustrations
provided in the case studies make the implementation of action learning
even easier.”
— Dr. Jacqueline Villafañe, Manager, American Red Cross, Disaster
Services Leadership Development
“If you like turning problems into opportunities, this book is your solution.
Marquardt’s action learning techniques are not just process tools, they are
mental repositioning systems and diagnostic organizational barometers.”
—R oland K. Yeo, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior &
International Business, Kuwait Maastricht Business School, and
Adjunct Senior Researcher of Management, University of South
Australia
“To be a competent leader, continuous learning is the key contributing
factor. Tis book shows how action learning can turn leaders from passive
learners to active learners.”
—D r. Florence Ho, Senior Lecturer, School of Professional Education
& Executive Development, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong
Kong
“As a writer and a scholar, Mike Marquardt has an uncanny ability to
impart important and efective leadership strategies in a way that can be
immediately acted upon by the reader. Optimizing the Power of Action
Learning, 2nd Edition, is one more gem in Mike’s repertoire of books,
providing actionable knowledge and guidance to organizations seeking to
solve complex problems.”
—A . Gidget Hopf, EdD, President and CEO, Goodwill of the Finger
Lakes, Rochester, NY
“In this era, the pressure to accelerate business outcomes, gain market share,
and reduce cost is crushing. If your organization is looking to accelerate
business outcomes, action learning is a powerful vehicle to make it happen.
I know, because we’ve done it with the guidance of Dr. Marquardt.”
—D r. Debra Gmelin, Corporate Director, Leadership Institute at
Humana Inc.
S E CO N D E D I T I O N
Optimizing the
Power of
Action Learning
Real-Time Strategies for Developing
Leaders, Building Teams, and
Transforming Organizations
Michael J. Marquardt
Tis edition frst published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing in 2011.
20 Park Plaza, Suite 1115A 3-5 Spafeld Street, Clerkenwell
Boston, MA 02116 USA London, EC1R 4QB, UK
Tel: [phone] Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone] Fax: [phone]
www.nicholasbrealey.com
© 2011 Michael J. Marquardt
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Printed in the United States of America
15 14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN: 978-1-90483-833-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Marquardt, Michael J.
Optimizing the power of action learning : real-time strategies for
developing leaders, building teams, and transforming organizations / Michael
J. Marquardt. -- 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: Optimizing the power of action learning : solving problems
and building leaders in real time. 1st ed. 2005.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-90483-833-3
1. Organizational learning. 2. Problem-based learning. 3. Active
learning. 4. Leadership. I. Title. II. Title: Real-time strategies for
developing leaders, building teams, and transforming organizations.
HD58.82.M375 2011
658.3'124--dc22
2011016209
CO N T E N T S
Preface vii
Acknowledgments xi
About the Author xiii
Chapter 1 Emergence of the Power of Action Learning 1
Part 1 Applying the Six Components
of Action Learning 25
Chapter 2 The Problem 27
Chapter 3 The Group 45
Chapter 4 Questions and Reflection 70
Chapter 5 Action Strategies 91
Chapter 6 Individual, Team, and Organizational Learning 114
Chapter 7 The Action Learning Coach 140
Part 2 Twelve Steps for Sustainable
Action Learning 173
Chapter 8 Introducing, Implementing, and Sustaining
Action Learning in Organizations 175
References 219
Index 229
v
This page intentionally left blank
P R E FA C E
recently conducted an action learning workshop for nearly ffy training
directors from several departments of the U.S. government. Following a
I brief overview and demonstration of action learning, the directors formed
eight randomly chosen groups and spent the next couple of hours working
on problems introduced by members of the group. A volunteer in each
group served as the action learning coach. To conclude the action learn-
ing workshop, I asked each problem presenter whether he or she had been
helped. Every single one responded with an enthusiastic “yes.” Te volunteer
learning coaches were then asked to summarize the activity of their group,
and each seemed to outdo the other with wonderful testimonials on how
well the group had worked on the problem and the valuable learnings that
were shared. Finally, a training director from a table at the front of the room
asked me, “Does action learning always work this perfectly?” My response
to him and to all readers of this book is, “Yes, it can!”
Based on my experience with hundreds of action learning projects over
the past ffeen years, I have become ever more and more confdent that
action learning has the power to always be successful. If the key elements of
action learning described in this book are established and allowed to operate,
action learning is amazing in its consistent capacity (a) to efectively and ef-
ciently solve problems and challenges with truly breakthrough and sustaining
strategies, (b) to develop the leadership skills and qualities needed by twenty-
frst-century managers, (c) to develop teams that continuously improve their
capability to perform and adapt, and (d) to capture, transfer, and apply valuable
knowledge at the individual, group, organization, and community levels.
Although action learning has been around since it was introduced
by Reg Revans in the coal mines of Wales and England in the 1940s, it is
only within the past ten years that it has begun sweeping across the world,
emerging as the key problem-solving and leadership development pro-
gram for many Global 100 giants such as Boeing, Sony, Toyota, Samsung,
and Microsof; for public institutions such as Helsinki City Government,
Malaysian Ministry of Education, George Washington University, and the
vi i
v i i i O P T I M I Z I N G T H E P O W E R O F AC T I O N LE A R N I N G
U.S. Department of Agriculture; and for small frms and medium-sized
frms all over the world.
Troughout this book you will discover how these and other organi-
zations have fourished with action learning and are discovering how to
optimize the power of action learning.
Requirements for Success in Action Learning
Briefy described, action learning is a remarkably simple program that
involves a group of people working on real problems and learning while
they do so. Optimizing the probability of success in action learning, however,
involves some basic components and norms (ground rules), which form
the substance of this book. Tese components include an important and
urgent problem, a diverse group of four to eight people, a refective inquiry
process, implemented action, a commitment to learning, and the presence
of an action learning coach. Norms include “questions before statements”
and “learning before, during, and afer action.”
Action learning works well because it interweaves so thoroughly and
seamlessly the principles and best practices of many theories from the felds
of management science, psychology, education, political science, econom-
ics, sociology, and systems engineering. Action learning has great power
because it synergizes and captures the best thinking of all group members
and enriches their abilities.
Purpose of This Book
Over the past twenty years, I have had the opportunity to work with
thousands of action learning groups around the world, as well as the good
fortune of sharing ideas and best practices with many of the world’s top
action learning practitioners. Te purpose of this book is to share what I
have experienced and learned, the exhilaration as well as the challenges.
Although action learning is a relatively simple process, the essence of which
could ft on a three-by-fve card, there are a number of key principles and
practices that, as I have discovered, move action learning from good to
great, that take it from being a solid organizational tool to a spectacular
resource for transforming people, groups, organizations, and even entire
communities.
Tis book describes each of the components of action learning and why
they are necessary for action learning success. Trough scores of stories
Preface ix
and testimonials, the book clearly illustrates how many organizations have
implemented and thrived with action learning. It also shows how any orga-
nization can simultaneously and efectively achieve the fve primary benefts
of action learning, namely, problem solving, leadership development, team
building, organizational change, and professional learning.
Tis book presents the basic elements and principles of action learn-
ing as well as the more advanced, more recent innovations within the feld
of action learning, including the role and questions of the action learning
coach, the balance between order and chaos for maximum creativity, and
the step-by-step procedures for introducing and sustaining action learning
within your organization.
Overview of Book
Chapter 1 provides an overview of action learning, the six basic compo-
nents, and two key ground rules. It summarizes the fve greatest challenges
encountered by organizations in today’s environment and how action
learning enables organizations to respond efectively to those challenges.
Chapter 1 also highlights the major contributions of action learning to
organizations, groups, and individuals.
Chapters 2 through 7 explore in detail each of the six critical compo-
nents of successful action learning programs. Chapter 2 identifes the crite-
ria for an action learning problem, how it is best introduced and examined,
and the diferences between single-problem and multiple-problem groups.
In Chapter 3 we explore the group, including diversity of membership,
ideal size, continuity, roles, and characteristics. Chapter 4 introduces the
refective inquiry process and discusses the importance of questions as well
as the group rule “statements only in response to questions.” Te problem-
solving, goal-framing, strategy-development action is covered in Chapter 5,
and Chapter 6 examines the individual, team, and organizational learning
achieved through the action learning process. In Chapter 7, the roles and
responsibilities, authority, and questions of the action learning coach are
described. Chapter 8 presents the twelve steps for introducing, implement-
ing, and sustaining action learning in the organization. Specifc strategies
for applying each step are ofered.
Troughout the book are scores of case examples of groups around
the world who have introduced action learning into their organizations.
Te challenges they faced as well as the successes they experienced are
discussed. Finally, there are numerous checklists at the end of each chapter