It begins with a simple conversation between Action Learning coach Hou Shaohua and his friend Zhao Shuping about Action Learning. After a serious discussion in April 2021 ,they realized that Action Learning may help Generation Z and young people born after 1995 out of the confusion of life and work. Read More

I took part in a certified Action Learning training of the first Polish group. My expectations about the training were high and met by 150%. Why 150%? Because I got more than I expected. I assumed that the training would show me a new method and I would be professionally prepared to use it and this expectation was met. I did not, however, expect that Action Learning could have such a deep application and impact on several levels at the same time- it really works like this. Individual benefits from my participation include intense reflection and broadening my self-awareness about my strengths and areas for improvement. Read More

Eletrobras, the largest electricity company in Latin America has been using the Action Learning methodology with the support WIAL-Brazil since 2013. Until now, Eletrobras has carried out 12 Action Learning sessions to solve a diverse set of problems. Alberto Wajzenberg, manager of the company’s Department of Organization Development, explains that the methodology is used in the “context of continuous improvement, in order to identify and analyze problems, whilst at the same time promoting behavioral and development changes in people.” Read More

FedEx Freight Action Learning is a 90-day intensive developmental experience that brings leaders together from across FedEx Freight to produce revolutionary solutions to real organizational problems focused on generating revenue or saving/avoiding costs. Read More

It was not a coincidence that all 12 directors of Florente primary schools followed the Action Learning Coach training. For the third time, a number of schools will train their own people under the responsibility of Hans Ploeg as director, in collaboration with Twan Paes and WIAL Netherlands. Last summer, Twan and I made preparations together to provide this training in-house. Training and educating your own people requires extra thorough preparation. Hans Ploeg (director of Florente primary schools) has been active as SALC for several years and sees a lot of learning benefits for education if Action Learning is used effectively. Read More

Today I had six full hours of virtual meetings. Some were on Zoom, some WhatsApp, some Microsoft Teams. Others just used standard telephone conferencing. Whatever the technology, the impact was the same: I spent a lot of time sitting at my desk listening, while I wrote in my notebook and stared at my screen or out my office window. I like to think I’m a good remote worker. After a decade of remote working at Microsoft and nearly five years as an independent consultant, I certainly have many years of practice. Read More

In the six years Dr. Thitiwan Sinthunok taught Human Resource Management at the Panyapiwat Institute of Management’s MBA program, one recurring challenge students faced was to determine what subject to select for their research and final thesis. It is one thing to write a thesis and make it worthwhile of the Masters’ diploma. But Dr. Thitiwan saw that the biggest struggle was to get started: not for lack of determination, but for lack of clarity about what they should focus their thesis on. Some were simply stuck. Others kept changing the topic and wasted time along the way. Read More

WIAL Brazil used Action Learning as a blended solution (Action Learning plus individual coaching meetings) to develop leadership skills for an executive director and his team of six direct reports in the automotive industry, listed in Fortune 500. The team is in charge of the Logistics Department, responsible for strategies in Supply Chain and economic results for the plant. “Listening to different perspectives through questions shed light onto the problem and therefore the solution became clear.” Read More

“Collaboration is the physical act of making new and unprecedented connections. When two or more people work together for a shared goal, the result of the work is different from the sum of the contributions.” – Benjamin Hardy. There are many methods of group work that aim to encourage the exchange of knowledge, collaboration and collective intelligence based on dialogue. Many people ask me what the main differences are, especially regarding two of them: Action Learning and Co-development. I believe that one of the reasons for these questions comes from the fact that Action Learning was a source of inspiration for Adrian Payette and Claude Champagne, creators of Co-development and, therefore with many similarities. Read More

As Action Learning coaches, we intervene when we see learning opportunities or to improve the performance of the group. Deciding when and how to intervene can be tricky. We must pick the right moments, role model powerful questioning, and really consider the impact we want to have through the interventions we make. When I’m coaching, there are certain dynamics I really watch for where I know the group may need extra support. One such situation is when someone asks a question to the rest of the group, particularly when the questioner is the problem presenter. Read More