What is action learning, and why can it be possible to win without any tricks?

At present, mobile learning has formed a new trend in training in China. More and more companies are beginning to use action learning to create performance. What is action learning? Why does it work? Why is it possible to "win without any tricks but with a few tricks"? The definition seems a bit vague.

From a technical perspective, action learning is essentially process technology. The so-called process technology is to guide relevant people and things to achieve the expected goals step by step through a series of processes (steps). Among management techniques, the most classic process technique is PDCA, which stands for Plan, Execute, Check, Improve.

Why do we need process technology? Because to achieve any slightly complex goal, you need to decompose actions to manage and supervise the process well to ensure the final result. Management work involves complex organizations and complex personnel, and requires process technology.

To understand simply, processes are steps, but mastering the management steps does not necessarily mean that management can be done well. For example, PDCA, almost all managers know these four simple steps, but not many people and institutions can actually implement it. Why? Because I don’t understand the principles behind the steps, it only has its form but not its spirit. Many people think that plans are handed in and shown to superiors, so "the plan is done".

Japanese people are more serious. Before doing anything, they will ask what is the principle behind the design (planning) process? Why have a plan? Because everything an organization does must be foreseeable and coordinated, the plan is to let everyone know what to do so that they can perform their duties, otherwise there will be no efficiency. So the eight-character policy of the plan was put forward: write what I do, do what I write. And further invented the "Kanban Management" and "A3 Management Method" to ensure the thorough implementation of the eight-character policy.

European and American companies have proposed the well-known "SMART principle" based on this principle. Of course, some companies believe that "plans cannot keep up with changes quickly" and "plans are just for fooling superiors", so planning becomes a formality process, with predictable results.

Many management experts believe that the secret of the success of Japan’s manufacturing industry lies in its thorough implementation of a simple PDCA process. The rise of many outstanding Chinese companies also lies in learning from Japanese companies and European and American companies. These are the keys to business success.

The principle behind the action learning process

The action learning process adds another perceptual main line to the original rationality of management technology, with special emphasis on the creation of an environmental atmosphere and the interaction of students participate.

What is the purpose of the perceptual part of the action learning process? Is it for fun? Is it for freshness? Is it for interaction? Is it for innovation? Is it for brainstorming purposes? What should you do if the boss says, "Don't do all these bells and whistles, I just want to solve the problem" and even the employees lose their sense of freshness about these complex processes?

An enterprise is an efficient organization. If ordinary meetings, training, and work arrangements can solve problems, of course there is no need to use action learning workshops. The problems that action learning needs to solve must be difficult problems that require team brainstorming and innovation. Only at this time do we need to use some more complex perceptual and rational processes.

For example, the classic "Appreciative Inquiry" workshop of action learning contains four steps: discovery, dreaming, design, and implementation.

Many facilitators always feel that the effect is not ideal when guiding this process. Each step requires participants to draw pictures and make statements. They feel very fresh at first, but then they get bored. Why? Because I don’t have enlightenment. When we use any process, we must first think about the principles behind it.

"Appreciative Inquiry" workshops are usually used when organizations encounter difficulties or even lose confidence.

1. Discovery

The purpose is to arouse everyone's positive emotions, guide everyone to recall and explore the shining points in the organization, and trigger right-brain thinking through drawing, and group sharing triggers team* **Ming, the effect must be better than a simple leadership mobilization speech. This is the design idea of ​​this step.

2. Dreams

The purpose is to strike while the iron is hot and further guide everyone to think: Do organizations in trouble still have dreams? What is our dream? Create an atmosphere of unity and upliftment, and ultimately describe a common vision for the organization.

Note: The vision can be "the company goes public" or it can be a "team tour to the Maldives" after completing the goal at the end of the year, depending on the considerations of the organizer, participants and the guidance of the leader.

3. Design

Its purpose is to return to reality, and everyone down-to-earth designs a path that can truly guide the organization to realize its vision. This path can be a new business model or a new Organizational structure, new product design, etc.

Any organization will think of redesign when it is in trouble or during change, but redesign means the reallocation of resources and interests within the organization, which will cause a lot of contradictions and often end in vain.

The ingenuity of the "Appreciative Inquiry" workshop process is that it first connects the past and the future through the step of "discovery", and then guides a common vision through the step of "dream". During the three-step "design" process, many contradictions have been naturally resolved.

4. Implementation

The purpose is to turn design into plans and actions. Everyone works together to formulate plans, deploy actions, and finally realize the same vision.

Among these four steps, the first two steps are emotional, divergent and then divergent, and the last two steps are rational, focusing and then focusing, opening and closing, all in one go. This is the beauty of action learning.

The purpose of the action learning process is not to get all participants to follow your steps, but to create an atmosphere for mental improvement in the team. Only in this way can change really happen and happen naturally.