Action Learning LO12947 -Was: Intro: John F Robinson

eLIZabeth Reed-Torrence (ereedtorg@seattleu.edu)
Wed, 19 Mar 1997 09:41:31 -0800

Replying to LO12931 --

John
Your message came just at a time when I wanted to dialogue with
someone about this area. I am engaged in a project now to determine what
characteristics an organization has that could be called "tenets of an
action learning organization." I am using Passfield, Limerick and
Cunnington's framework. I know this does not answer your request but
perhaps we could begin a thread on the LO list about this topic.

I would also like your opinion about the second edition of Ian
McGill and Liz Beaty's book, Action Learning. I will tell you that unless
I have been looking in the wrong places, information about action learning
organizations is rare in the US. I have gone to the sources in the UK for
most of my information...

Any other comments would be appreciated...


At 07:45 PM 3/18/97 EST, John Robinson wrote:

>I work as a freelance consultant with small to medium sized firms. A new
>and growing area of work is in facilitating action learning groups with
>the managing directors/CEOs drawn from non-competing businesses. It is
>exhilirating to see the lights come on as isolated top management from
>different companies come together in groups of six and act as mutual
>consultants. They support one another sharing resources during, and even
>outside programme sessions. The sessions each last six hours with each
>member taking air time, to work on high value issues with the others
>supporting. It works! Now that the programme has ended the group continue
>with the disciplines of action learning as a self facilitated set. I
>dropped in on their third such meeting this week - their commitment and
>enthusiasm remains very high with a wide range of assignments and benefits
>being presented.
>
>I am excited by this because I can see that if I have a group of
>active-learner senior executives, I have opportunities to initiate
>learning organisation developments with them. My question is how? What I
>need are practical hands-on approaches that have worked when initiating
>the learning organisation.

Peace,
ET
"We are Learning in turbulent times!"

-- 

eLIZabeth Reed-Torrence <ereedtor@seattleu.edu>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>