Essay

Once you have reviewed the uploaded materials and gained a solid understanding about the main steps and challenges of action learning, write a 4 page paper addressing the following questions:

1. Review Chapter 1 of Pedler and Abbot (2013) and pages 41-42 of Passmore (2011) where the potential benefits of action learning is discussed. What would you hope to improve upon using an action learning program? Do you think action learning would help you improve in these areas? Explain your reasoning both with respect to the readings and the areas for improvement in your leadership that you have identified so far in this class.

2. Go to the “Organizational Readiness for Action Learning” quiz on pages 43-44 of Pedler and Abbot (2013). Fill it out and report your results. Overall what does the quiz say about your organization’s readiness to engage in an action learning program?  Do you agree with the results?  What kind of challenges do you think you would face in setting up an action learning program at your organization?

3. Finally, take a look at pages 37-38 of Passmore (2011) and Chapter 8 of Marquardt (2004), which give step-by-step guidelines on setting up an action learning program. Based on your answers to Questions 1-2, how would you design an action learning program in your workplace? Include in your answer what kind of problem your set would work on, who you would include in your set, how often you think the group should meet, and other relevant steps outlined in the required readings. Explain the reasoning for your choices and what kind of outcomes you would hope to get out of this experience.

References:

Passmore, J. (2011). Chapter 3: Action learning supervision for coaches. Supervision in Coaching: Supervision, Ethics, and Continuous Professional Development.

Pedler, M., & Abbott, C. (2013). Chapter 1: Action learning: Its origins and principles. Facilitating Action Learning: A Practitioner's Guide. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.

Marquardt, M. J. (2004). Chapter 8: Introducing, implementing, and sustaining action learning. Optimizing the Power of Action Learning: Solving Problems and Building Leaders in Real Time.