Action Learning: “The Way Forward” for Cru Leadership

In December 2016, two exceptional non-profit organizations were chosen as recipients of the WIAL Better World Fund. One of these, Cru, provides Christian ministry to college campus students globally. With the Better World Fund grant, 20 nominated leaders from Cru attended a five-day intensive training to become new Action Learning coaches.

Cru originally learned about Action Learning through Michael Marquardt’s book, Optimizing the Power of Action Learning. Using the techniques from this book, emerging leaders were running some six-month action learning projects. After the certification program, Cru have stepped up their use of the technique across the organization. “We can take any team and help them work through obstacles that would normally slow them down. This gives them momentum to move forward faster on the things that matter most,” said DeeDee Rush, one of the organization’s Global EQ Workshop Strategy Coordinators.

More than one year later, Cru has used action learning in a whole variety of ways to better the organization and solve complex challenges. From leadership team meetings, to high potential development programs, action learning has become integral to the organization’s culture.

“I believe Action Learning is THE WAY FORWARD to solve complex problems in Europe,” said Paul Duncan, Western Europe Leadership Development. “Action learning has become an essential learning element in developing the future generation of leadership across Agape’s work across Europe.” “What can I say? It works!! In New York our Leader Development group of six worked on “How do we build a powerful leadership pipeline to increase the number and quality of Hispanic leaders in Cru.” All were fully engaged and at the end of the session, the group helped a very shy Hispanic leader be the Presenter of the findings to the entire group!” – Barry Rush, Global EQ Workshop Strategy Coordinator, Cru

” “I love action learning! One of the great outcomes I’ve experienced from action learning is the way it makes the dynamics of a working group ‘visible’ to everyone so that the group can collectively address them and move forward. People love feeling successful and effective, and you can feel the collective energy rise as issues are surfaced and positively addressed.” – Shelly Gilmore, Western Europe Agape Leadership Development, Cru

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A Breakthrough Solution to Reach 10,000 Children

The First Tee is a US-based organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. The Denver, Colorado chapter, The First Tee of Denver, currently works with 6,500 children, but has an ambitious goal to expand its reach. By 2020, they want to help 10,000 kids. Tiffany Maurycy, CALC, started to work with First Tee of Denver as a strategy and performance improvement consultant. But when she discovered Action Learning and became certified as an Action Learning coach, she threw out the agenda she had prepared for the first meeting with the team, and decided on using Action Learning instead. And this evolved into a 6-month Single Problem Action Learning program.

By using Action Learning to look at this challenge, the team realized that the solution they had in mind – growing by recruiting more and more staff – was not feasible. A new approach of building partnerships emerged as the most powerful way to move forward. Some of these partnerships will take time to implement. But some, in particular one focusing on disabled children, was successfully implemented within a few weeks to the great satisfaction of all involved.

Action Learning not only delivers breakthrough solutions but helps a team to connect and learn in a powerful way. Tiffany incorporated First Tee’s core values as an integral part of the Action Learning sessions. This enhanced the atmosphere of mutual learning and the team’s willingness to practice these values allowed the team members to work together in a powerful way. Tiffany offered her Action Learning sessions and follow up coaching sessions with the team leader free of charge, for a total of 34 pro-bono hours. This is a great example of how Action Learning can make a difference in the world.

The testimonials from the First Tee of Denver team members speak for themselves …

“I wish all meetings ran like this one. Everyone’s voice was heard and the time factor motivated us to drive to consensus and action.” – Susie, Volunteer

“I saw something new that I didn’t see as an opportunity before coming into this meeting. I also experienced the power of coming to consensus on the opportunity. I realize that we (my team & I) jump to solutions without agreement as to the problem, goal, etc.” – Paula, CEO of the First Tee of Denver

“I found writing down my idea of what I saw the opportunity [to be] as powerful. It helped me with the leadership skill I was working on which was really listening and being bold.” – Debbie, Volunteer

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

A participant ‘playfully’ hits another member on the back of the head.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

The team decides it is too beautiful inside to stay indoors and opts to move outside to a picnic table.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

A member stands during a session.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

A member uses their phone to check the time.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

The team decides to capture some of the information they are discussing on a flip chart. The person that moves to the flip chart flips the leadership skills out of view.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

A participant responds to a question with – What inspired that question?

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

A participant asks a question of everyone and after a single answer another question is asked and the team moves on.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

Lots of statements are made in response to a question that was posed to everyone.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

The problem presenter asks a question.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

A participant responds to the question they were asked and continues on with additional information that is no longer answering the original question.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

Early in the process a participant asks a closed question.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation:

A member responds to a closed question with an open answer.

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As an action learning coach, how would you handle the following situation: The fire alarm sounds.  

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