ACTION LEARNING

Action learning is the foundation of urban learning®. It is a mode of thinking about problems and opportunities that is at once strategic, emergent, participatory and democratic. It is strategic because it is focused on outcomes, emergent because it is designed specifically for new and “messy” problems and opportunities that carry political as well as technical dimensions, participatory because it involves everyone who will be affected, and democratic because it values and respects the views and networks of everyone involved. It is an invaluable tool for strategic planning, problem-solving and project management.

Action learning is not new. It goes back to ancient Greece, where it was most famously developed as the praxis of Aristotle, the tutor of Alexander the Great. It was used to answer the question "What is the most acceptable answer to this problem?" where acceptable meant complying with all the complexities of the practical, political and ethical issues - and securing the buy-in of those involved.

In urban learning® we use action learning in three ways: to frame the problem or opportunity (so we do not waste time solving the wrong problem), to reflect on both the problem/opportunity and our response to it (so we do not become part of the problem and so we learn to recognise deeper opportunities), and to guide action (so that reflection is always preceded and followed by action that achieves results). And after all, that is what organisations need: action that produces results and new opportunities.

We ask six foundational questions about each problem/opportunity:

What is the “real” problem or opportunity? If we properly understand the nature of the problem or opportunity we can select appropriate solutions.
What can we do about it? We need participation from those who can get the job done.
What is stopping us? Is our plan feasible?
Who knows? Who knows the opportunities, the resources and the people who can use them?
Who cares? Are there winners and losers from the problem, opportunity or our proposed actions, and how do we deal with each group?
Who has the key? Who has the power to take action or approve expenditure?

In our experience, if these questions are worked through methodically, the boundary between planning and action disappears, since commitment to a course of action is built up through the process of conversation and this in itself creates a sense of momentum.

We also ask deeper questions about problems and opportunities, designed to reveal unintended consequences and additional value exchanges that might influence our choices and decisions. Because managers are busy people, they often settle for an expedient and quick solution without giving full consideration to its unintended side-effects or to the additional opportunities it offers. This is an excellent survival technique, in that it ensures an ongoing supply of problems for managers to solve, but it does not often bring benefits to the owners and customers of the business.

Action learning is inherently something you do for yourself. But we provide coaching to help you get there faster.