Action Learning

Taken from a worksheet given to me at Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust and accredited to Jonathan Coates/Alan Mumford

FOR

Action Learning uses real organisational issues as the main medium for learning.
It is based on learning, not on being taught.
It is based on manager’s predominant view of learning – learning from experience.
It provides a model for effective individual and group learning at work.
It makes explicit (talked about and thought through) what is often implicit.
It admits that organisational ignorance (…I’ve never done this before) is an opportunity to move forward and to learn.
It challenges the status quo.
It encourages ‘double loop’, ‘generative learning’.
It allows people to share similar organisational issues even if they are technically different.
It makes managers take action in a controlled way to see what happens.
It encourages managers to plan experiences to learn from and to understand their own preferences for learning.
It allows a variety of approaches including solving problems, undertaking enquiries, personal mentoring and coaching.
It is well adapted to learning about change.
It taps into and uses all the experiences of a wide variety of people.
Because Action Learning addresses real organisational issues, evaluation of the effectiveness of that learning is relatively straightforward.
It offers dual value – value to the learner and value to the host organisation.
Reality is effective.

AGAINST

Action Learning is not the best device when you can follow an appropriate programmed course (e.g. accounting)
People have to be prepared to share experiences including bad ones (mistakes)
Often counter-cultural to people whose experience in learning is mainly from attending courses on their own. They wonder when the course will actually start.
Results don’t happen overnight.
It needs careful help, advice and management which may be expensive.
It may prove to be disruptive.
It may lead to action which is not regarded as ‘OK’.
It may lead to mistakes.
It may pose unwanted questions.
It may be regarded as unglamorous since it takes place in the workplace as opposed to business school.
Action Learning will not work if:
The boss has decided what will happen regardless of anything you do.
Managers from different parts of the organisation are not allowed to share experiences and discuss problems openly.
Reality is dangerous.