T&D Magazine, June 2004
The book uses the experiences of thousands of managers in hundreds of organizations as a foundation.

getAbstract, June 2004
People with an interest in knowing details of action learning will find the answer to their prayers in this book.

Training Magazine, July 2004
Especially noteworthy is his model of whole-leader development using real-time, real-world problems, firmly grounded in crucial components of emotional intelligence.

Soundview Executive Book Summaries, August 2004
Marquardt, expert on action learning process, details exactly how methodology works and how it can be used for important problems.

Book Description
The author brings together 20 best-practice examples and the fundamentals first introduced in his best seller Action Learning in Action to deliver next generation tools and advanced skill techniques to make action learning successful every time in any organization.

From the Inside Flap
Sweeping across the corporate landscape, action learning is one of today's most powerful and cost-effective tools for solving problems, developing leaders, building teams, and transforming organizations. And Michael Marquardt is leading the way. For more than a decade, he has helped organizations and governments around the world revolutionize the way they face the challenges of change. Now he calls on his pioneering experiences and the fundamentals introduced in his best-seller ACTION LEARNING IN ACTION to deliver the next-generation tools and techniques to make action learning successful each and every time, in any organization. Moving action learning from good to great, OPTIMIZING THE POWER OF ACTION LEARNING zeros in on the skills needed to apply its six critical components: the problem; group diversity; a reflective inquiry process; action strategies; individual, team, and organizational learning; the all-important participation of a well-trained action learning coach; and step-by-step procedures for introducing, implementing, and sustaining action learning. Using twenty best-practices examples--including Dow Chemical, Whirlpool, and Deutsche Bank--this comprehensive guidebook builds on the real experiences of thousands of managers in hundreds of companies, explores recent innovations in the field, and demonstrates how the power of action learning can help any organization thrive in today's fast-changing global marketplace.

About the Author
Michael J. Marquardt, Ed.D., an internationally noted educator and consultant, is professor of HRD and Program Director of Overseas Programs at The George Washington University, president of Global Learning Associates, and director of The Global Institute for Action Learning. He has trained more than 75,000 managers in nearly 100 countries--in Global 100 companies such as Marriott, Boeing, Nokia, and Samsung; the United Nations; and the governments of Japan, Finland, and Malaysia--on how to use the power of action learning. Marquardt is an award-winning author of fifteen books, including his most recent best-sellers, BUILDING THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION, ACTION LEARNING IN ACTION, and GLOBAL TEAMS (all from Davies-Black Publishing). A recipient of the International Practitioner of the Year Award from the American Society for Training and Development, he was awarded an honorary Ph.D. degree by The International Management Centre at Oxford, England, for his work and writings in the field of action learning.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Moving action learning from good to great, Optimizing the Power of Action Learning zeroes in on the skills needed to apply its six critical components: the problem; group diversity; a reflective inquiry process; action strategies; individual, team, and organizational learning; the all-important participation of a well-trained action learning coach; and step-by-step procedures for introducing, implementing, and sustaining action learning. Using twenty best practices examples - including Dow Chemical, Whirlpool, and Deutsche Bank - this comprehensive guidebook builds on the real experiences of thousands of managers in hundreds of companies, explores recent innovations in the field, and demonstrates how the power of action learning can help any organization thrive in today's fast changing global marketplace.

SYNOPSIS

Marquardt, a consultant and professor with The George Washington University, uses 20 best-practice examples to build on the experiences of real managers, evaluate recent innovations, and demonstrate the contribution of action learning to organizational success. He specifically focuses on the six components of action learning, and the twelve steps to making it work. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

Novartis, a Swiss-based pharmaceutical conglomerate with more than 72,000 employees in 140 countries, recently formed a consortium of six noncompetitive companies from different sectors. At the heart of the consortium are six to eight action learning groups formed of members from each of the six companies. The action learning groups work as teams on specific business projects of importance to their respective companies. The overall goal of the action groups is threefold: to solve the business problems of the companies, to develop leaders, and to build organizational capacity.

Around the world, writes George Washington University professor Michael J. Marquardt, companies and organizations of all sizes are using the action learning methodology to solve major problems and build productive and effective teams.

In Optimizing the Power of Action Learning, Marquardt, an expert on the action learning process, details exactly how the methodology works and how it can be used for important problems impacting businesses large and small.

Six Components of Action Learning
Action learning is a problem-solving tool that at the same time builds successful leaders, teams and organizations. The six components of action learning are: A problem. Action learning centers on a problem or, more specifically, a project, challenge, opportunity, issue or task. The resolution of this problem has to be of great importance to the organization - action learning is not for minor issues. The problem must be significant and urgent. A group. The second component of action learning is an action learning group or team. The ideal group has four to eight diverse members, who bring various perspectives and fresh viewpoints to the task of resolving a significant organizational problem. Questions. A process of insightful questioning and reflective listening is key to the success of the action learning initiative. Action learning succeeds because the process focuses on the right questions, not the right answers. Questions build group cohesiveness, generate innovative and systems thinking, and enhance learning results. Action. Action learning requires that the action learning group be able to take action on the problem to which it has been assigned. The group must either have the power to take action, or be assured that its recommendations will be implemented. If neither of these conditions is in place, raising the specter of recommendations sitting in the bottom of a drawer, the team will lose its focus and energy. Learning. An equal commitment to learning is also essential for the success of action learning. While the short-term action steps needed to address the problem will be valuable to the company, it is the long-term learning gained through the exercise that most benefits the organization and its members. A coach. To keep the group focused on the important as well as the urgent, an action learning coach is required. Through helping group members reflect on how they listen or how they may have reframed the problem, for example, the coach keeps the group focused on what they are achieving, what they are finding difficult, what processes they are employing, and the implications of those processes.

Action learning is at its peak if all six of these components are in operation, interweaving and reinforcing each other.

Solving Problems at National Semiconductor
Here's an example of what action learning can offer a company:

Executives at National Semiconductor's Portland, Maine, plant recognized that they were having difficulties providing quality service at AT&T (National Semiconductor is one of AT&T's major suppliers).

Their response was to create an action learning team called the Customer Request Improvement Team. Members of the Customer Request Improvement Team were pulled from the sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing and planning functions of National Semiconductor. The team also included members from AT&T.

Over a period of three months, the team considered more than 40 ideas for improvement, which resulted in four specific action initiatives: Analyzing in new ways the delivery misses. Increasing frequencies of lead-time updates. Creating critical device lists. Developing pre-alert reports.