Action Learning: a tool to tackle complex challenges
At Emerging World, we’ve used Action Learning in our work over the past 15 years as a powerful tool to help people make progress on complex and unresolved business and social impact challenges.
So what is Action Learning?
Action Learning is a way of working collaboratively that helps groups tackle complex, unresolved challenges. It involves small groups of people working together on real problems, developing strategies to address them effectively and learning as individuals and as a team through the process. It prioritizes:
Leveraging diverse perspectives
Having a diverse group – with varied roles and perspectives – is valued. It fuels creativity and out-of-the-box thinking as the group works together to tackle the challenge.
Learning while doing
While tackling the challenge, participants are invited to focus on a leadership behaviour they want to enhance. This helps them remain conscious of how they are showing up and gives them the tools to tackle both the challenge at hand and the challenges they’ll face in the future.
The power of questions
Statements can only be made in response to questions. This ensures no one rushes prematurely to solutions, minimizes assumptions and encourages discovery.
Expert coaching
A coach guides the group, keeping them on track while helping them reflect on their learning and their approach to problem solving.
Why do we use Action Learning?
- It’s an effective way to make progress on complex challenges
- It works well for diverse groups of people
- It works in both an in-person and virtual environment
- The enquiry driven nature of the conversations helps to develop the kind of leadership needed to operate effectively in a complex world
- Participants are fully engaged in the process – they feel listened to and respected. This opens minds to new solutions and generates buy-in and commitment to the strategies that they co-develop
How do we use Action Learning?
- In leadership development programmes
- To support organizational transformation
- To tackle complex challenges faced by social impact organizations as part of Skills-Based Volunteering and pro-bono engagement
- For team transformation and development
At Emerging World, we use the World Institute of Action Learning (WIAL) approach to Action Learning in our work.
Action Learning: A Method for enabling successful Organizational Transformation
The Case For Talent Transformation Experiences
Case Studies
- Learning-led Experience
- Learning-led Experience
- Salesforce
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- Multiple Social Impact Organizations
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- Learning-led Experience
- WP Engine
Where to go next
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