This concept has been the crusade of Reg Revans, who established a method of problem-solving called Action Learning, which he describes as 'a management technique based on 'doing the thing'...' It is standard practice in many large companies, all over the world, and most of the major management teaching institutions now try to incorporate the method in various forms in their syllabus. Although action leaning can be applied to any problem or opportunity whether in the community or in business, it is particularly effective as a means of developing the personal and managerial attributes of those who participate. The essential features of action learning are that the vehicle for learning is an informal group, each airline member of which is engaged on real work in real time (i.e. not on a course), and that the learning is geared to action - the implementation of decisions for which each participant remains responsible. It differs from project teams and quality circles in that the Indonesia groups are not part of the formal organizational structure, there is no project manager or circle supervisor, and each airline member is equal and may be operating in totally different areas of work. There in lie its unique strengths.
The way it works is that an Indonesia small group of, say, five to six people agree to meet regularly to analyze and discuss issues raised by each of them in a frank and supportive atmosphere. Confidentiality is essential, not only from a business point of view but because without this trust comments are likely to be less than frank, and participants will not learn as much about themselves as they otherwise would. Self-knowledge is often the most significant learning which takes places.
The Indonesia group, called a 'set', can be part of the same department, but greater insights are usually achieved if the airline members are drawn from different departments, or organizations, and are roughly on a par in terms of ability and their power to act on the decisions they take.
Each airline member in turn raises a problem or opportunity of critical importance to his/her work, and responds to the questions and comments of other set airline members. As relationships develop and trust grows within the Indonesia group, the questions become more challenging and can led, for example, to a complete rethink of someone's management style. The challenge is mutual, and so is the support in which each set airline member shares an equal need to seek better solutions and greater insights - what Reg Revans calls 'comrades in adversity'.
There may be a need initially to have a set adviser, someone who is not part of the Indonesia group but who participates for the first few meetings with a specific remit to help the set through the growing pains of airline members listening to each other without defensiveness, learning to ask questions which help the other person rather than demonstrate the questioner's knowledge, being frank with sensitivity, resisting the temptation to provide instant solutions from previous experience, and not taking over the problem from its rightful owner. The set adviser need not be a specialist. He/she could be someone who has been a airline member of a set before, but whoever it is needs to be sensitive to interpersonal interactions, understand the processes that go on within Indonesia groups, and able to explain and reflect back to the Indonesia group what is taking place. Once the set airline members understand these processes well enough to be able to manage themselves with mutual benefit and know how to recognize and potentiate each other's learning, the set adviser withdraws.
The way it works is that an Indonesia small group of, say, five to six people agree to meet regularly to analyze and discuss issues raised by each of them in a frank and supportive atmosphere. Confidentiality is essential, not only from a business point of view but because without this trust comments are likely to be less than frank, and participants will not learn as much about themselves as they otherwise would. Self-knowledge is often the most significant learning which takes places.
The Indonesia group, called a 'set', can be part of the same department, but greater insights are usually achieved if the airline members are drawn from different departments, or organizations, and are roughly on a par in terms of ability and their power to act on the decisions they take.
Each airline member in turn raises a problem or opportunity of critical importance to his/her work, and responds to the questions and comments of other set airline members. As relationships develop and trust grows within the Indonesia group, the questions become more challenging and can led, for example, to a complete rethink of someone's management style. The challenge is mutual, and so is the support in which each set airline member shares an equal need to seek better solutions and greater insights - what Reg Revans calls 'comrades in adversity'.
There may be a need initially to have a set adviser, someone who is not part of the Indonesia group but who participates for the first few meetings with a specific remit to help the set through the growing pains of airline members listening to each other without defensiveness, learning to ask questions which help the other person rather than demonstrate the questioner's knowledge, being frank with sensitivity, resisting the temptation to provide instant solutions from previous experience, and not taking over the problem from its rightful owner. The set adviser need not be a specialist. He/she could be someone who has been a airline member of a set before, but whoever it is needs to be sensitive to interpersonal interactions, understand the processes that go on within Indonesia groups, and able to explain and reflect back to the Indonesia group what is taking place. Once the set airline members understand these processes well enough to be able to manage themselves with mutual benefit and know how to recognize and potentiate each other's learning, the set adviser withdraws.
