What Action Learning looks like

Reg Revans, father of Action Learning

Action Learning is a model for organizational management and operation that focuses on collaborative problem solving.  It was pioneered by physicist Reginald Revans in the UK in the 1930's at the University of Cambridge, as he was looking for a way to combine the skills of many talented scientists. Hmm, wonder what they could have been working on, a big physics project in the 1930's...

Anyway, action learning is not just for physicists, it can be used by a wide range of organizations.  In fact, the US government uses action learning as a problem solving tool because it utilizes existing resources, does not require the purchase or implementation of educational materials, and can be easily implemented into many different organizational structures.

US federal agencies must not only to meet these [organizational efficiency goals as measured by short-term performance metrics], but also satisfy a demanding public in a volatile political environment. After budget sequestration and deficit reduction plans that slash training budgets of many agencies, the opportunities for effective organizational development can look quite grim. Action learning is a proven training and organizational development tool that stands to yield many benefits to organizations that are in dire need of inexpensive, simple solutions to both short-term and long-term problems.  

Action Learning interests me because it is easy to implement, flexible enough to work in virtually any organization, and based on straightforward principles that anyone can understand.  Action Learning makes for an easy pitch to decision makers, and the price is certainly right.  I also appreciate Action Learning because, as a Millennial myself, I enjoy collaborative problem solving (keep an eye out for my blog about training Generation Y).

Learn more about Action Learning with my paper "The Untapped Power of Action Learning" here: bit.ly/actionlearn

There are other benefits to action learning, and I saw many parallels between this model and Apple's onboarding process for new retail employees.

Action Learning is structured around “mutual learning environments” (Malone, 2013, p. 56). In the context of Core training, the audience likely has a mix of Apple knowledge. Some new employees may be lifelong users, while others such as myself have a strong technical knowledge but little to know knowledge specific to Apple’s products. By facilitating conversation among and between groups, the preexisting knowledge in the room can be shared with the entire group. While Revans’s model was focused on problem solving, the effectiveness of a mutual learning environment still applies in this context. 

Read more about Apple' training for new employees here: bit.ly/1KlsHLi