Action Learning A problem solving process that involves: Small team and coach

2. Action Learning A problem solving process that involves: • Small team and coach • Working on real problems and taking action • Group and individual learning

3. W-A-I-T • Why • Am • I • Talking?

4. Discourse: Conversation; verbal exchange Dialogue Discussion Monologue

5. Dialectic: Purposeful dialogue with a goal of examining thinking, creating knowledge and fostering deeper understanding

6. Questioning and Reflection Questions help us to: • learn new information and to clarify issues • diverge and examine problems • discover new ideas and insights • listen, to stand back, reflect, and gain new perspectives

7. Attributes of Great Questions • Do not have a preconceived answer in mind • Are fresh questions to evaluate the same data in new ways • Are supportive, insightful, and challenging • Create clarity - open doors in the mind and get people to think more deeply • Challenge and test assumptions - explore why and how • Are open ended

8. Questions precede answers; dialogue over discussion and debate • Learning and team development as important as solving the problem • Membership not reserved to experts or involved people • Coach works learning opportunities • Consensus on problem • Skill Development • Urgent and complex problems requiring unique systems thinking • Groups charged with implementing the solution as well as solving the problems How Action Learning Differs from Other Problem-solving Groups

9. Action Learning Process • Formation of the group • Presentation of the problem or task to the group • Reframing the problem • Consensus on the problem • Capturing the learning points • Implementing the plans & assessing the results • Developing the action strategies & plans • Determining the goals

10. Action Learning Team • Small group (4-8 participants) • Problem Presenter • Team Members • Learning Coach • Focus on Individual Skill Development • Each member uses questions from critical thinking model • Other members note demonstrated skill • Focus on Group Learning • Reflect on actions to improve future sessions • Reflect on learning to identify insights

11. PMT-401: Action Learning • Purpose: Use of action learning as a problem solving method with PMT-401 case studies • Students conduct an 80-minute action learning set in small group: • Triton • Natoma • THAAD • Faculty are Action Learning coaches • Guide the activity • Enforce the rules

12. 2 Ground Rules • Statements onlyin response to questions; anyone can ask questions of anyone else • Action learning coach has authority to intervene at anytime to identify a learning experience

13. Action Types • Strategies or next steps • Gather additional information or resources • Recommendations • Implementation steps • Action Criteria • Specific • Measurable • Achievable • Realistic • Time Bound Action Learning Outcomes

14. Seven Questions Exercise • Goal: Ask and answer seven questions in a row about today’s Quincy case ` Questioner: Asks the first question about the last case study you had today. Follow-up questions build exactly on the last statement made by the responder. Observer: Keeps count of the questions. Interrupts if the question does not build on the statement made or if the responder answers more than the question asked or answers something other than the question asked. If the rules are broken – the question count goes back to one. Responder: Only responds to the question asked.

15. The Power of Questions “Asking questions is not only a quest for solutions, but also an opportunity to explore.” MARQUARDT • Open-ended Questions • Closed Questions • Yes/No Question

16. Purpose: What are we trying to accomplish? What is our central aim? Purpose? • Questions: What question are you raising? What question are you addressing? • Information: What information are you using in coming to that conclusion? What experience have you had to support this claim? What information do we need to settle the question? • Inferences/Conclusions: How did you reach this conclusion? Is there another way to interpret the information? • Concepts: What is themain idea here? Could you explain this idea? • Assumptions: What are we/you taking for granted? What assumption led to that conclusion? • Implications/Consequences: If someone accepted your position, what would be the implications? What are you implying? • Points of View: From what point of view are you looking at this issue? Is there another point of view we should consider? Critical Thinking Elements of Thought

17. Clarity: Could you elaborate further on that point? Could you express that point in another way? Could you give me an illustration? Could you give me an example? • Accuracy: Is that really true? How could we check that? How could we find out if that is true? •  Precision: Could you give me more details? Could you be more specific? • Relevance: How is that connected to the question? How does that bear on the issue? • Depth: How does your answer address the complexities in the question? How are you taking into account the problems in the question? Is that deal­ing with the most significant factors?  • Breadth: Do we need to consider another point of view? Is there another way to look at this question? What would this look like from a conservative standpoint? What would this look like from the point of view of...? • Logic: Does this really make sense? Does that follow from what you said? How does that follow? Critical Thinking Intellectual Standards

18. Text Back-ups

19. Government • Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) • Prince William County, VA • Dept. of Commerce • Dept. of Energy • NASA Industry • Microsoft • Dupont • Boeing • GE • Samsung • Northrop Grumman Action Learning in Action

20. applebyandassociates.com/videos/