action learning briefing

8/6/2019 Action Learning Briefing

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Action Learning Briefing:

Promise & Pitfalls



Action Learning: Promise & Pitfalls

Objectives

Review definitions & genesis

Discuss why Action Learning & the Promise

Review models plus typical content & design

Know the pitfalls/success factors (lessons

learned) & some accelerators

Review typical participant learnings



WORKING ON BUSINESS PROBLEMS

IN TEAMSFOR DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES

Centerpiece: A real business problem or opportunity

© 2002 Executive Development Associates. All rights reserved.

Action Learning Definition



WORKING ON (REAL, IMPORTANT) BUSINESS

PROBLEMS

(OR OPPORTUNITIES)IN (DIVERSE, CROSS-ORGANIZATION) TEAMS

FOR DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES

(TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS & DEVELOP

PARTICIPANTS)


Expanded Action Learning

Definition



What is Action Learning?

A dynamic tool used to:

Drive strategic

change Transform the

organization Accelerate

development Achieve business

breakthroughs Develop leadership

capabilities etc.

Develop participants

Address significantbusiness challenges

Working on

authentic, urgent business

problems/opportunities in diverse,

cross-organization teams to

improve the

business and develop

participants

Results

Learning

Action



Action Learning Genesis

Not GE, American or new

UK roots - 1945

Founding father - Reg Revans Rapid increase in use




Primary Differences Between

Action Learning & A Task Force

Explicit learning & development goals

A significant education component

A diverse team



Why Action Learning

Can be powerful

Puts Executive Development ³At the Table´

Demonstrable impact Provides motivation to learn ± not theoretical

Easy to sell

But«



Without effective program management

& facilitation it can become

ActionLearning

But«



Action Learning


Addresssignificant

business

challenges

Develop leadership,teaming & business

tools, techniques &

skills



AL The Promise

Multiple potential benefits:

Develop individual capabilities Accelerated development

Leadership, teaming & business skills

Develop organizational capabilitiesMore innovative & entrepreneurial

Cross-organization collaboration (without sacrificing

autonomy)

Other Important work gets done

Building a sense of the total enterprise




Action Learning Framework

Evaluation Implementation

Sponsors

Participants

TeamsProjects

RolesProgram



AL Typical Program Content

Work / business planning tools & techniques

Innovation & entrepreneurship

Team building - jump starting teams Project specific / JIT education

Benchmarking

Time management & delegation

Senior executive dialog




AL Typical Design

©2002Executive Development Associates. All rights reserved.

Session One Session Two

Project introduction &

selection

Work planning tools &techniques

Team building

Project specific / JIT

education

Innovation &

entrepreneurship

Set learning / develop-ment goals

Test project work plan

Mid-pointprogress

review

Assimilate & synthesize

work

Create, test & improvepresentations

� What learned?

� Findings &

recommendations

� Implementation plan

Presentations to spon-

sors Debriefing & planning

next steps

3 - 6 Month Timeline

3 - 5 Days 2 - 3 Days

1 ½ Days

Teams do projects



Team Structure Example

Team 1

8

Participants

Action Learning Program ± 24-32 Participants

Team 2

8

Participants

Team 3

8

Participants

Team 4

8

Participants

Sponsor Sponsor Sponsor Sponsor



AL Team & Workshop

Make-Up Options

All experts. No experts.

Stakeholder(s)

Implementers

Max - mix One big team or multiple teams

Team size

Recommend: approx. 3 teams, on 3 different projects

Recommend: Sponsor selects 1-2 ³implementers´ for theteam. Max-Mix criteria set. Participants select projectsbased on interest and learning potential

Team leadership




Participant Selection and Time

Expectations

How should participants be selected?

Based on potential?

What they can learn, or need to learn?

What they can contribute?

Time expectations:

25% or so in typical design How manage their real job?

How manage their manager expectations?

Full time for several weeks instead?




AL Sources of Projects

Participants

Program, e.g., projects to implement agendas

created

Strategic plan & challenges

Sponsors

Assessments/surveys

Top management slate

Key question: Provide choice or assign?

Implications for: Ownership, commitment,

implementation© 2002 Executive Development Associates. All rights reserved.



Strategic Challenge Choices

Start with the Business Context

Consider the Context of the Business Situation

SelectChallenges

Clarify Stretch Goals for the Business

Define ́ From-Toµ Challenges

Identify the Key Initiatives

Assess Leadership

Learning Needed

STRATEGIC CHALLENGE POSSIBILITIES



Project Selection Criteria

Linked to strategy: directly address marketplace challenges,operating priorities, performance

Promotes desired change or new capabilities

Broad enough to be challenging but focused enough toallow solution (avoid world hunger)

Not too political

Not redundant with other initiatives (unless parallel effortsseen as desirable for innovation)

Appropriate for level of participant Requires participants to think/act differently

Exciting and challenging to participants

A passionate sponsor with implementation authority

Within business line or cross business?



Action Learning Project Examples

Initiated decision to make major acquisition

Created a new leadership institute

Designed and launched global supply chain developmentinitiative

Designed a collaborative process for long-term strategic visiondevelopment and deployment

Reorganized multiple country and regional operations tomaximize efficiency, enhance productivity, and speed growth

Introduced initiatives to build knowledge management,globalization of operations

Developed new product management process

Created a process for attracting and retaining technology partners

Recommended improved strategic utilization of an acquisition



Sponsorship

An effective sponsor makes the connection betweenachieving the project goal and the development goals

Drives commitment through public and private support Ongoing coaching and constructive feedback to teams

Emphasizes action and learning

Models and reinforces desired leadership behaviors

Provides ³air cover´ for the team

Supports members with their managers (often is a level

above their manager) Ensures implementation of the approved recommendations

Provides whatever extraordinary resources are needed

Keeps the team on target

Attends all face-to-face events



AL Common Pitfalls & Perils

(Lessons Learned)

No feedback/communications on what action wastaken

Scope too large

Not aligned with strategy Political land mines

³Action´ overwhelms ³learning´

Just another task force

Lukewarm, arms-length sponsor(s) Workload & boss interference

No implementation, or ineffective handoffs

A hammer looking for something to nail




AL Critical Success Factors

(Lessons Learned)

Challenging but doable project

Active top management involvement

Trained, passionate sponsors with implementation

authority Balance ³action´ & ³learning´

Explicit learning goals & frequent debriefings

Facilitation Implementation planned up-front

Communicating progress & results

Realistic expectations ± success defined




Action Learning Accelerators

On-line communications / work system

Sponsors get coached

Team process coaches Access to faculty / consultants

Use graduates in future classes

Peer feedback Sponsors involved in selecting some team

members

Managers get coached© 2002 Executive Development Associates. All rights reserved.



Balancing Action & Learning

Make it explicit program objective, =importance

Set specific learning/development goals(individual & team)

Review progress at all project reviews

Include in all presentations

Build in reflection time

Team coaches/consultants

After Action Review



AL Decision Options

No decisions made, recommendations only

Made in program by senior management

Made outside the program Implement within area of responsibility

Teams find the decision makers and sell

Other people implement

Plan for implementation upfront

Sponsors select some team members with

implementation in mind

Make implementation part of the program design




What AL Participants Typically

Learn

Entrepreneurial mindset & skills

To create, test & sell a business plan

The power of cross-business teaming (to work

collaboratively across boundaries) Accelerated problem solving & decision making

How to overcome the immune system

More about the total business & a sense of engagement

How to jump-start new teams

To appreciate & leverage differences

Giving & getting feedback

To manage their time & delegate

That shared leadership can work



Action Learning ± Keeping it In Perspective

± The Strategic Challenges are for Learning

³I am far less interested in people having theright answer than in their thinking aboutissues the right way. What criteria do they

use? Why do they think the way they do?What alternatives have they considered? Whatpremises do they have?´

Harvey Golub, former CEO American Express



Action Learning ± Another Design

Creating & Testing

Project Business Plans

Leadership

Capabilities

Implementing

Approved Project

Business Plans

y Learning & practicing

leadership capabilitiesy Confidential feed-

back & development

planning on 360

Leadership Inventory

y Preparation for

business project

process

y Reviewing

marketplace realitiesy Setting & reviewing

learning / development

goals

y Building project teams

y Developing, testing &

presenting project

business plansy Approving or rejecting

projects

y Business project

implementationy Debriefing individual

& team learning vis-a-

vis development goals

y Summarizing &

presenting results

y AfterAction Review

y Forming self-directeddevelopment teams

SEGMENT ONE SEGMENT TWO SEGMENT THREE

Three Days Four Weeks Three Months

On-line Work & Communication ThroughoutExecutive Coaches

action learning briefing

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