Action Learning for Managers

Citation

Bowerman, J.K. (2009), "Action Learning for Managers", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 99-100. https://doi.org/10.1108/17511870910928056

I first heard Mike Pedler talking about action learning whilst attending a seminar headed by Reg Revans in 1996. Since then I have purchased all of Mike's books and heard him speaking on the subject a number of times. Mike's greatest strength in my opinion is the clarity with which he explains the concept of action learning and how to use it in the workplace as a tool for personal and organizational change. This wonderful new slim book reflects that clarity and is an exciting new tool for managers who want to expand their practice and build their organizations through their learning.

First, the book is slim – comprising 87 pages in total – making it an immensely practical resource for any manager to have on his or her desk. Next, it is extremely well organized around nine key questions which form the headings for each chapter. The book starts with a clear explanation of just what action learning is, moves on to whether action learning can work in my organization, and then proceeds to the various aspects of action learning problems, sets, skills and evaluations. Each chapter is structured around an explanation to the title heading, a case example to illustrate the explanation and a resource in the form of a questionnaire, check list or handout for use in action learning activities. As Mike points out, the only real way to understand and get a taste of action learning is to do it. However, to do it requires knowledge of what you are doing. This book provides readers with that knowledge and the simple case examples given, while not as good as doing it oneself, provide a real flavour of what it feels like to participate actively in action learning activities.

I can certainly acknowledge from my own experience that not all organizations are ready for or can embrace action learning. Often I have found Human Resource Departments resist action learning programmes because they do not encourage the use of outside experts or trainers who are already presumed to have the answers to the problems managers face. Instead, the action learning process encourages managers to work on their own problems through problem definition, questioning and action as they meet with one another in sets or small groups. In this way they build personal skills, open up channels of communication with others in the organization and initiate actions that develop their own learning. This learning can then be transferred to other situations. Action learning then, at its best, has a multiplier effect in an organization. However, it requires time and it requires support and commitment from others, particularly those at the top. Without such support action learning initiatives will flounder – hence, the importance of assessing first whether it will it work in my organization before proceeding with actually doing it.

At first glance, action learning is so simple that everyone agrees with its premise. Doing it however is another matter. It requires a willingness to sit down with others and really think about the problem in such a way that you can explain it simply to others. It requires considering lots of questions, listening to others, and then assessing your reactions to their feedback with the full acknowledgement that you could be wrong. And finally it requires a willingness to act as new information and new perspectives about the problem come to light.

Will this book help to bring about more action learning programmes in organizations? I would certainly like to think so. But if nothing else, it will assist managers in building their own learning as they seek out others to help them assess their organizational problems and the actions they need to take to resolve them. The fact is – as Revans so clearly stated – the world becomes a very dangerous place when the pace of change outstrips our ability to learn. The recent global monetary crisis – happening as I write this – demonstrates what happens when we become complacent about the rate of change. Running as fast as we can, the only thing that stops us is crisis and possible meltdown. Things do not have to be this way. Action Learning for Managers is a timely and practical tool to help us speed up our learning in these crazy and complex times.