The watchword of the current era is "turbulence" with changes driven by:

• globalisation
• changing technology
• restructuring
• limited resources

The shift from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy has created a new competitive landscape where the key competitive advantage can be described as:

• the ability to increase the learning speed of your organisation to adapt more quickly in an increasingly fasterchanging marketplace; and
• not the learning speed of brightest few, but the execution speed of the group as a whole.

To be successful in this environment, we need leaders who are capable of:

• unleashing the capacity that exists throughout the organisation;
• managing change naturally; and
• mobliising commitment toward learning.

Action learning

• views learning as acquired in the midst of action and dedicated to the task at hand
• sees knowledge creation and utliisation as collective activities.

The global trend in executive development is away from classroom and business schools with the traditional approaches of infrequent programs, lectures and case studies, to the new paradigms of business driven, continuous, lifelong action learning including:

• facilitated learning sets
• coaching
• individual, team and organisational learning
• benchmarking
• reflection
• knowledge creation.

Business Driven Action Learning

• Is focused on results business and behavioural change
• Is holistic and practical in approach
• Is used to assist leaders, individuals, teams and the entire organisation to address their business and strategic learning requirements
• Is highly tailored and adaptive to different and changing organisation cultures

Action Learning and Discontinuity

"Action Learning must be the permanent state of the organisation. If we face discontinuity, and our past does not prepare us for the future, then we have no option but to learn from our own action. Moreover, action learning is the one process able to link periods of continuity with periods of transformation. Organisations need to develop the philosophies and systems that will turn every collaborative subsystem into an action learning community." (Limerick, Cunnington and Crowther, 1998.)

Return On Investment And Benefits

Leading business organisations throughout the world are finding that Business Driven Action Learning is providing a positive return on investment and making a significant difference in their business:

Johnson & Johnson:
"Business driven action learning has significantly enhanced Johnson & Johnson's leadership development and has assisted us in improving our business by exploring new and exciting business opportunities. For over three years now, in all parts of the world, and with the participation of our customers and key stakeholders, the use of business driven action learning in our executive development programs has been instrumental in rekindling a sense of purpose, as well as commitment and passion on our credo values with outstanding business results." (Wliliam C. Weldon, Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals Group, Member of the Executive Committee, Johnson & Johnson.)

DOW Chemical Company
"In today's fast paced highly competitive business world, knowledgeable leaders at every level are our only true competitive advantage. We've found that hands on action learning is the best way to align and motivate an organisation to leverage that knowledge for competitive advantage." (Larry Washington, Vice President EH&S, Human Resources and Public Affairs, Dow Chemical Company.)

Phillips
"Phillips Electronics has been highly committed to using action learning, with application in Corporatelevel issue assignments, Business Unit strategy development projects, and particularly in the major turnaround operation of the early nineties. We have benefited substantially from the great many business improvements and from the broad management development achieved." (Frits Schuitema, Managing Director - Belgium, Royal Phillips Electronics.)

Heineken Consortium
"Real progress in business is only achieved by corporations and individuals trying out creative ideas and making them work, by running into problems and solving them, by pooling talent and scoring with it, and most of allÉby having fun and learning while doing. Business driven action learning is a superb vehicle for achieving this." (Gerard van Schaik, President, European Foundation for Management Development, former Chairman of the Executive Board of Heineken.)

If you are interested in exploring the application of Business Driven Action Learning in your business, why not talk to Bill Andrew, Director of AECorganisational consulting - Bill has been working with organisations using action learning for a number of years and will be keen to share his experience with you.