[Client knows]
Client owns the problem, they are the one that can feel the disturbing fact that a problem exist. Clients know their own underlying culture, their prefer learning styles and both their strong and weak points. Thus Clients can manage time more effectively and reap the most rewards by making full use of these details.
[Both Consultants and Client knows]
Because Action learning is a process in which people learn with and from each other. It takes a simple and systematic approach to the way people naturally learn and in the process provides a forum for people to interact and manage group dynamics. As the group moved on to solving a problem, each member in the set can contribute his or her experiences, but the focus is still on posing question. Reg Revans cited for this to happen, client environment must be supportive of critical thinking.
In fact Action Learning does not reject all formal instruction (P). It merely recognizes that instruction aimed at imparting knowledge cannot stimulate the posing of insightful question (Q). The use to which a wealth of programmed knowledge may be put is limited because what is known cannot be applied until insightful question have been asked.
Fig A Fig B
In Fig A, it shows that learning is about discovering new things and questioning the validity of what both consultant and client already know. It is a recursive concept in learning, knowing, doing & thinking. Action learning encourages generative learning as shown in Fig A, learning adaptively, each time refine the same task by doing, reflecting and craving to do better each time.
As in Fig B, part of the process is surfacing things we know but don’t know we know, so that we can use them. Also discovering what we need to know so that we become conscious of the need to seek out these things. In this scenario, Consultants can value-added by helping client to surface things that they know but don’t know they know, and client can substantially seek out things that they discovered they consciously need to know.
Revans stress that Action Learning is a form of problem-based learning, but it goes further in insisting that the problems being worked on must be real, in that no-one knows the answer. They should be preferably being non-technical or at least non-specialist; Revans meant that too much specialization limits the potential contribution of other members of the ‘set’. Revans highlighted that problems to which answer is already known are referred to as ‘puzzles’, and although they may have their uses, they are not part of action learning
Who cares about the problems?
[Consultant Cares]
Reg Revans cited, it is not enough to recommend solution, they must also be implemented. Therefore, to be effective, the process must be owned by those participating. Consultants could sets out a number of principles to ensure ownership, specifying, for example, the presentation of a real problem, not a simulation; the facilitation of learning from each other, and the learning environment with its promotion of confidentiality and trust amongst the participants of an action learning ‘set’.
[Client Cares]
Regans meant that one learns, or change one’s behaviors, out of one’s own volition and not at the will of others. Moreover, one may be cognitively aware of a need to behave differently and yet remain determined not to do so in practice. This is often the consequence of inadequate self-understanding, when the subject either does not know what they believe in, or, more profoundly, has not grasp the concept of belief.
His personal experience of the Titanic disaster, in which his father, a marine surveyor, served on the Enquiry Panel bring him insight to the important element of “who cares”.
It emerged that those who worked on the Titanic ship assumed that ‘someone else’ was dealing with the observed problems and, in not wishing to expose their lack of expert knowledge, didn’t ask the pertinent questions which could have saved it from the disaster. This Scenario query into “how concern” is those who worked on the Titanic Ship.
Who cares & genuinely wants something done about the problem? This is an important question if a particular task is to succeed. Regardless, of how skillful, expert and experience a person is, if he has no “heart” in that particular task, the process will be not only be “painful” on him but also on others in the team. And showing no concern whether the task succeed or not, will only determine the failure of the particular task.
[Both Consultants and Clients cares]
In an Action learning program, it is important that a client is committed and be prepared seriously to consider accepting the consultant’s recommended solution. Each project needs a client who “owns” the particular problem, issue or task & cares very much about it. He may either spend sleepless nights worrying about it or ponder about the problem in every task he is in.
Consultant can ensure recruitment of people who really cares and concern by the following the 4 important prerequisite:
- Voluntary involvement
- Peer relationships
- Task urgency
- Time commitment
Action Learning can however happen naturally if people care enough to look for a solution. These people could come together, take a quick look at new ideas, decide on the objective and get on with it, without the help of a facilitator or any other outside interference. This is due to the existing 4 prerequisite stated earlier exist beforehand and like an iceberg, all this conditions has been set under the surface
However, it is not always like this and thus the role of a facilitator is crucial. Consultant can hold a starter sessions, this will be helpful for people to get an idea of what they are letting themselves in for. This has the great benefit of giving people time and space to decide whether they want to opt in or not. If they do, then these volunteers have made a personal commitment and they are much more likely to follow through with action on the task and learn from the experience.
Who can solve the problems?
[Consultant can]
Consultant involvement is to enable people to take responsibility for their own learning and development and to assist other through mutual support. Consultant, acting as a facilitator, could decide to rotate chairmanship in the team, thus ensuring everyone’s involvement and interest. This method will enable each person to be their own leader and contributing to improvement at all levels
[Clients can]
Who can or has enough power to get something done about it? Surprisingly, it is the person who owns it. Revans meant that management education was not just for managers. It was also for all who owns a problem, including the unemployed, who he encourage in his work in Wolver Hampton to meet together to assist each other to find work. Reg Revans mentions that learning is all about us & for everyone, not just those fortunate enough to get into colleges and universities. “Open the doors & the windows”, he said, “Bring people together who share problems and care about getting solution.”
[Both Clients and Consultant]
Reg Revans feels that this learning is best achieved in groups or set. Each participant, both clients and consultant explains problem-solving action that are then open to question, comment and analysis from other participants, themselves speaking from experience and seeking to learn from the interaction. By approaching long-standing organization problems, members engaged in the issue will offer prospective that will results in innovative solution.
In learning new behaviors, consultants could attack real problems, preferably ill defined or fertile opportunities, in such manners as to remain continuously aware of their progress and of the influences determining that progress. Revans mention that for any system that is to learn, whether an individual manager or employees, they must regularly receive and interpret inputs about its own outputs.
Our insights
Action learning can be illustrated in a “Father& Son” Scenario.
“Who Knows?” the Son may not know enough or able to select the best path in life. Certainly in this scenario, the Father knows mores having both life experience and knowledge per se. But Son knows himself the best & prefers method he wants to learn.
“Who Cares?” all Father cares for their Son; Father certainly knows the difficulty & traps that lies ahead and the need of guidance especially when child is still in his youth. But ultimately, the Son must still cares enough to endure the hardship in learning.
“Who Can?” Surely Father cannot manipulate the Son; good habits have to be cultivated in a timely manner to mould a character. Both Father and Son can achieve this success in each other involvement.
In this “Father& Son” Scenario, albeit the Father cannot outlive a Son’s life, he is still an important element influencing the Son towards a better route. A Firm in Infancy has the similar risk as the “Son”, and consultant could only inspire, persuade his client to select a better course in its life.
Conclusion
In real life situation, consultant may not be able to find individual with all perquisite (who knows, who cares, who can) in the client organization. But the consultants could group each individual that have the different capabilities as shown table below to achieve success outcome in the group.
There are huge benefits in this learning process. It will aids management development because it helps individuals to prepare for the future by helping themselves. Since both consultants and clients have the ownership to the solution, it is much easier the organization can change the way it behaves.
Bibliography:
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Clark, Timothy (1999), Managing Consultants: Consultancy as the Management of Impressions. Open University Press. Buckingham, United Kingdom
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Kubr, Milan (2000), Management Consulting --- A Guide to the Profession 3rd (Revised) Edition. International Labour Office, Geneva.
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Schein, Edgar H. (1999), Process Consultation Revisited --- Building the Helping Relationship. Addison Wesley OD Series. Reading. Massachusetts
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Smith, Roger C. (2000), Mind for Hire --- A Practitioner’s Guide to Management Consulting. UWA Press, Perth
