What  is  Ac*on  Learning?  •  A  process  that  involves  a  small  

group  working  on  real  problems,  taking  ac*on,  and  learning  while  doing  so  

•  A  powerful  management  tool  that  creates  dynamic  opportuni*es  for    individuals,  teams,  leaders    and  organiza*ons  to  successfully  learn  and  innovate  

•  Ac*ng  your  way  to  learning  

Components  of  an    Ac*on  Learning  Program  •  Project,  challenge,  task,  or  

problem  •  Group  of  4-­‐8  people  with  diverse  

perspec*ves  •  Reflec*ve  ques*oning  and  

listening  •   Development  of  systemic  

strategies  and  implementa*on  of  agreed-­‐to  ac*ons    

•   Commitment  to  learning  •  Ac*on  Learning  coach  

Benefits  of  Ac*on  Learning  •  Develops  leadership  competencies  

•  Solves  complex  and  important  problems  

•  Builds  high  performing  and  cohesive  teams  

•  Creates  learning  cultures  and  learning  organiza*ons  

Leadership  Development  •  Every  leadership  competency  can  be  

developed  when  working  with  a  group  over  whom  one  has  no  control  on  a  problem  with  no  know  solu*on  

•  Opportuni*es  for  self-­‐reflec*on  as  well  as  suppor*ve  specific  feedback  from  team  members  

•  Ac*on  learning  uniquely  able  to  incorporate  all  four  dimensions  of  leadership  development  –  Important  to  individual  –  Opportunity  to  prac*ce  –  Feedback  –  Reflec*on  

Breakthrough  Problem  Solving  •  Gaining  fresh  perspec*ves  and  

new  ways  of  seeing  issues  •  Systems  Thinking  which  involves  

the  ability  of  seeing  “wholes  ”  rather  than  parts,  rela*onships  rather  than  linear  cause-­‐effect  paTerns,  underlying  structures  rather  than  events  and  paTerns  of  changes  rather  than  snapshots  

•  Macro  and  micro  views  •  Generate  “breakthrough”  

insights,  solu*ons,  and  effec*ve  strategies  

Builds  Great  Teams  •  Ac*on  learning  builds  teams  

with  high  performance,  con*nuous  improvement,  and  respecVul  caring  

•  Sharing  responsibility  and  accountability  on  real  problems  builds  strong  team  unity  and  success  

•  Powerful  norms  assure  high  high  levels  of  performance  

Changes  Organiza*onal  Culture    and  Creates  Learning  Organiza*ons  •  Ac*on  learning  groups  are  

models  of    learning  organiza*ons  

•  Organiza*ons  are  now  able  to  adapt  to  change  more  quickly  

•  Every  event  is  a  learning  opportunity  

•  Learning  is  connected  to  all  business  goals  and  becomes  part  of  the  corporate  culture  

Where  and  How  I  have  Implemented  Ac*on  Learning  around  the  World  •  Sony  Music  •  MicrosoX  •  Na*onal  Bank  of  Dominica  •  United  Na*ons  Environmental  

Program  •  Fraser  &  Neave  •  Constella*on  Energy  •  Morgans  Hotel  Group  •  Humana  Health  Systems  •  Krones  

Sony  Music  •  Quarterly  one-­‐week  leadership  

development  programs  (Fast  Forward)  for  21  leaders  

•  3  corporate  problems  selected  by  top  leadership  and  presented  on  Monday  

•  Challenge:  Replacing  income  lost  by  consumers  moving  from  purchasing  LPs  to  downloading  tunes  

•  Ac*on  Learning  Team:  Sony  High  Poten*al  leaders  

•  Breakthrough:  Premiere  Service  Agreement  

MicrosoX  •  Top  5%  develop  leadership  via  

ac*on  learning  •  Single-­‐problem  ac*on  learning  

–  SeaTle  –  Corporate  problems  such  as  Xbox  and  Bing  

–  Washington,  DC  –  World  Bank  –  Peru  –  Teacher  educa*on  

•  Mul*ple-­‐problem  ac*on  learning  –  4-­‐5  leaders  who  meet  every  2  

month  to  help  each  other  on  their  problems  

Na*onal  Bank  of  Dominica  •  Challenge:  Corporate  culture  of  poor  customer  service  

•  Ac*on  learning  team  of  employees  and  customers  

•  Breakthrough:  50  ideas  that  changed  the  culture  and  business  of  the  Bank  

United  Na*ons    Environmental  Programme  

•  Challenge:  Design,  fund  and  build  a  headquarters  building    for  1200  employees  that  would  achieve  energy  neutrality  and  showcase  innova*ve  design  and  technology  

•  Ac*on  learning  team  of  7  from  within  and  outside  UNEP  

•  Breakthrough:  Building  opened  12  months  later  by  UN  Secretary  General    

Fraser  &  Neave  

•  Challenge:  Building  a  culture  of  innova*on  

•  Ac*on  Learning  team  of  internal  HR  

•  Breakthrough:  iTAL  culture  throughout  organiza*on    

Constella*on  Energy  •  Challenge:  Developing  a  work  

schedule  that  met  social  and  transporta*on  needs  of  miners  and  the  legal  and  economic  needs  of  the  company  

•  Ac*on  learning  team  of  miners,  senior  administrators,  and  pizza  man  

•  Breakthrough:  Within  6  hours,  the  development  of  a  strategy  that  met  all  requirements    

Morgans  Hotel  Group  •  Challenge:  Retaining  high  

occupancy  rate  while  hotel  undergoing  reconstruc*on  

•  Ac*on  learning  team  of  senior  managers  from  several  hotels  

•  Breakthrough:  Several  crea*ve  strategies  resul*ng  in  high  occupancy  during  construc*on  and  even  higher  aXerwards  

Humana  Health  Systems  •  Top  50  leaders  in  Human  

used  ac*on  learning  to  solve  top  problems  of  organiza*on  

•  Six-­‐month  program  •  Leadership  skill  iden*fied  

and  prac*ced  during  and  between  sessions  

•  Internal  ac*on  learning  coaches  developed  

Krones  BoTling  •  Krones  Leadership  Academy  

established  to  provide  leadership  development  via  ac*on  learning  to  business  partners  

•  Focus  on  raising  line  efficiency  at  boTling  plants  

•  Problem  Analysis  •  Project  Improvement  •  Total  Project  Management  •  Leadership  follow-­‐up  at  sites  

of  distributors  and  suppliers  

Ten  Cri*cal  Principles  for    Successful  and  Powerful  Ac*on  Learning  1.  Urgency  and  Complexity  of  the  Problem  2.  Ques*ons  and  Reflec*on  3.  Mindset,  Value,  and  Antude  of  Ac*on  Learning  Members  4.  Skilled  Coaching/Facilita*on  of  the  Ac*on  Learning  Team  5.  Integra*on  of  Learning  into  The  Ac*on  Learning  Projects  6.  Establishment  of  Clear  and  Enforced  Norms  7.  Formula*on  of  Explicit  Timelines  and  Expecta*ons  for  the  Ac*on  Learning  

Team  8.  Power  and  Responsibility  Allocated  to  The  Ac*on  Learning  Teams    9.  Diversity  of  Membership  within  the  Ac*on  Learning  Teams    10.  Commitment  and  Support  of  Top  Leadership  to  Ac*on  Learning  

1.  Urgency  and  Complexity  of  the  Problem  •  Select  real-­‐*me,  urgent  business  

problems    •  Approach  the  problem  with  the  

understanding  that  mul*ple  strategies  are  possible  

•  Review  and  reframe  the  problem  statement  before  searching  to  solu*ons  

•  Provide  a  clear  *me  frame  for  when  the  solu*ons/strategies  will  be  presented  and/or  implemented    

•  Select  problems  that  will  generate  learning  opportuni*es  for  individuals,  groups  and  the  organiza*on  

2.  Ques*ons  and  Reflec*on  •  Focus  on  ques*ons  rather  than  answers  •  Reflect  on  what  is  asked  before  asking  the  next  ques*on  •  Frame  ques*ons  with  a  curious  and  breaking-­‐new-­‐ground  antude    •  Ask  lots  of  “what  if”  ques*ons”  and  play  out  scenarios  with  the  problem  

sponsor    •  Ask  basic  ques*ons  to  determine  the  real,  root  and/or  systemic  problem  

before  jumping  to  conclusions    •  Ask  fresh  ques*ons  to  develop  fresh  perspec*ves  and  challenge  

assump*ons    •  Explore  poten*al  issues  embedded  in  each  ques*on  asked    •  Understand  the  power  of  simple  ques*ons    •  Use  ques*ons  and  reflec*on  to  develop  leadership  and  team  

competencies  

3.  Mindset,  Value,  and  Antude  of  Ac*on  Learning  Members  •  Be  bold  to  share  and  test  ideas    •  Be  prac*cal  minded    •  Do  not  view  other  par*cipants  as  

compe*tors    •  Listen  to  other  par*cipants  with  respect    •  Keep  an  objec*ve,  unbiased,  and  open  

mind  when  discussing  solu*ons    •  Increased  self-­‐management  from  the  

outset    •  Develop  a  commitment  to  project  

outcomes    •  Focus  on  systems  thinking    •  Expect  breakthrough  ideas  and  strategic  

ac*ons    

4.  Skilled  Coaching/Facilita*on  of  the  Ac*on  Learning  Team  •  Provide  skilled  coaching/facilita*on  to  assure  learning  as  well  as  ac*on  •  Create  a  safe  environment  for  par*cipants  to  ask  ques*ons    •  Provide  power  to  the  coach  so  that  the  urgency  of  ac*on  is  balanced  with  

the  importance  of  the  learning  •  Help  par*cipants  “in  the  moment”  to  understand,  learn  and  apply    •  Enable  and  encourage  par*cipants  to  provide  useful,  posi*ve  feedback  to  

each  other  rela*ve  to  leadership  and  team  skills  •  Develop  consensus  on  policies,  guidelines,  principles,  and  standards    •  Resolve  conflict  in  a  *mely  manner  and  see  it  as  an  opportunity  to  

develop  individual  and  team  skills  

5.  Integra*on  of  Learning    into  the  Ac*on  Learning  Projects  •  Ensure  *me  for  learning  as  well  as  

problem-­‐solving  during  all  ac*on  learning  sessions  

•  Adopt  a  systema*c,  holis*c  approach  to  learning    

•  Encourage  adap*ve  and  genera*ve  learning  in  the  face  of  challenges  and  emerging  issues    

•  Build  on  exis*ng  knowledge  and  capabili*es    

•  Reflect  on  and  immediately  apply  the  learnings  during  and  aXer  the  ac*on  learning  sessions      

•  Develop  a  learning  support  network  inside  and  outside  the  business    

6.  Establishment  of    Clear  and  Enforced  Norms  •  Establish  a  few,  but  clear  upfront  norms  and  

expecta*ons  •  Con*nuously  improve  the  norms    •  Help  group  members  be  aware  of  how  the  norms  

improve  performance  and  break  through  thinking    •  When  working  virtually,  be  sure  to  establish  the  

norms  that  will  ensure  the  quality  of  these  sessions  by  capitalizing  on  technology  

•  Develop  norms  to  handle  poten*al  difficul*es  such  as  absences,  tardiness,  mobile  phone  use,  conflict,  and  par*cipa*on  

•  Consider  the  norm  of  “statements  only  in  response  to  ques*ons”  to  enable  stronger  group  cohesiveness,  beTer  listening,  and  more  crea*vity    

7.  Formula*on  of  Explicit  Timelines  and  Expecta*ons  for  the  Ac*on  Learning  Team  •  Establish  specific  dates  for  selec*on  

and  implementa*on  of  strategies  •  Be  clear  whether  the  ac*on  learning  

team  will  be  only  presen*ng  strategies  or  will  also  be  implement  the  recommended  ac*ons  

•  At  the  end  of  each  session,  iden*fy  ac*ons  to  be  taken  by  individuals  and/or  groups  between  ac*on  learning  sessions      

•  Develop  detailed  strategies  with  *meframes  and  expecta*ons  

•  Expect  implementa*on  of  individual  learnings    

8.  Power  and  Responsibility    Allocated  to  the  Ac*on  Learning  Teams  •  Provide  adequate  power  and  responsibility  to  the  group  so  as  to  

achieve  break  through  problem-­‐solving  •  Expect  a  high  level  of  effort  and  energy    •  Boundaries  and  other  limita*ons  should  be  clear  at  the  outset  •  Provide  access  as  necessary  to  the  people  who  have  the  power,  

passion  and  knowledge      •  Experiment  and  pilot-­‐test  different  ac*ons  and  determine  the  best  

ac*on  to  solve  the  problem    •  Assess  opportuni*es  for  short-­‐term  and  long-­‐term  strategies  that  

impact  en*re  organiza*on    •  Adopt  a  business-­‐impact  perspec*ve  in  developing  poten*al  

solu*ons    

9.  Diversity  of  Membership    in  Ac*on  Learning  Teams  •  Carefully  plan  for  the  membership  of  

ac*on  learning  teams  •  Seek  wide  diversity  of  members  rela*ve  to  

backgrounds,  disciplines,  gender,    and  ethnicity  

•  Consider  members  from  outside  the  organiza*on  or  outside  the  community  in  order  to  obtain  freshness  of  perspec*ves  and  ideas  

•  Establish  cross-­‐func*onal  and  cross-­‐hierarchy  teams    

•  Create  norms  that  encourage  par*cipa*on  by  junior  and  outside  members  

•  Recognize  the  advantages  of  diversity  in  achieving  crea*ve,  break  through  ideas  

10.  Commitment  and  Support  of  Top  Leadership  to  Ac*on  Learning  •  Engage  the  top  management  from  the  beginning  and  keep  it  engaged  throughout  •  Keep  leaders  informed  of  the  progress  and  success  of  the  ac*on  learning  teams  •  Carefully  plan  and  deliver  the  strategies  developed  to  top  leadership  •  Provide  suppor*ve  corporate  culture  and  reflec*ve  environment  •  Clarify  doubts    and  determine  boundaries  with  the  problem  sponsor    •  Encourage  par*cipa*ve  and  team-­‐oriented  leadership  in  presen*ng  strategies  •  Focus  on  strategic  partnership  with  key  stakeholders    •  Provide  resources  and  support  for  implementa*on  of  strategies  •  Create  panel  discussions  to  facilitate  rich  exchanges  between  par*cipants  and  

stakeholders    

Ac*on  Learning  –  The  Key  to  Powerful  Successes    for  Your  Organiza*on  •  Ac*on  learning  marvelously  

incorporates  all  the  essen*al  elements  for  solving  complex  problems  of  the  21st  century  

•  Improves  the  capability    of  the  organiza*on,  the  competence  of  the  group,  and  the  ability  of  the  individual