Optimizing the Power of Action Learning: Solving Problems and Building Leaders in Real Time

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Summary: very freshing ideas
Review: Having read most of his books, I find this particular one extremely focus on the impact of action learning on organisational and individual learning.
The book is well written , easy to read and serves as a good reference materials for both those in the teaching and professional professions. It reinforces my understanding of what action learning is all about and how to maximise its potential to the fullest.
I strongly encourage others to read it and I am confident that you would derive maximum satisfaction and learning.

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Summary: Very Practical Problem Solving Guidebook
Review: Marquardt's book is a very contemporary explanation of the effective use of action learning. This is an excellent guide-book that is actually easy to follow and utilize. This approach is a quantum leap forward in group problem solving.

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Summary: Uncover Leaders Who Develop Solutions
Review: Michael J. Marquardt has developed a problem-solving tool. His process, which can be adapted by organizations of any size not only provides solutions but also builds leaders and teams.

Marquardt, a professor of HRD and Program Direction of Overseas Programs at The George Washington University, is an expert in action learning. His process has six components.

1. A problem - It must be significant and urgent.
2. A group - The ideal group has between 4 and 8 diverse members.
3. Questions - Initially, team members are restricted to questions. This reflective inquiry period develops a thorough understanding of the problem.
4. Action - The group is authorized to implement their solution.
5. Learning - A commitment to the process is as important as the solution.
6. A coach - Someone is needed to keep the group focused.

A key step is "action." Learning is meaningful only if some type of action is taken. Action generally involves four steps:

1. Understand and Redefine the Problem. This is often the most important step.
2. Articulate a Goal.
3. Develop and Test Strategies.
4. Take Action and Reflect on the Results.

Marquardt includes a 12 step plan to introduce action learning to your organization. Properly implemented, it will accomplish three goals for your organization:

1. It will provide solutions to problems.
2. Develop leaders.
3. Build a problem-solving culture.

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Summary: Marvelous work!
Review: Michael Marquardt captures the essesence and detail of the action learning process. We have utilized Marquardt's six step process to teach our students about action learning. Our ROI on action learning projects is over 600%. This works!

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Summary: Fantastic How-to Book
Review: Mike Marquadt has done it again! This book is an especially useful in that it lays out the process of Action Learning in easy to follow how-to steps. It makes an outstanding handbook for anyone looking to harness the power of Action Learning.

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Summary: Impressing the power of "action learning"
Review: Optimizing The Power Of Action Learning: Solving Problems And Building Leaders In Real Time by educator and consultant Michael J. Marquardt (Professor of HRD and Program Director of Overseas Programs, The George Washington University), is a "user friendly" guidebook to an effective learning technique for facing increasingly intimidating and complex organizational challenges, especially with regard to global business concerns. Impressing the power of "action learning" to respond to the need to create new products, improve service quality, and transform organizational cultures, Optimizing The Power Of Action Learning is a confidently recommended success guide complete with a well-thought-out process for introducing and sustaining action learning among groups to the reader's particular and maximum advantage.

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Summary: The best guide for action learning practitioners
Review: Overall, this book is invaluable in that it provides readers with great insight into the ¡°what,¡± ¡°why,¡± and ¡°how¡± of action learning. It explains key components and principles of action learning in great detail. In addition, the author explains how to apply the components and principles covered in this book by giving specific examples and procedures. The usefulness of this book is illustrated by the questions and checklists, which are very practical. I believe this book will surely serve as an action learning manual for HRD practitioners for years to come.

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Summary: Insightful!
Review: People with an intense interest in knowing all the details of action learning will find the answer to their prayers in this book. Author Michael J. Marquardt writes with the zeal of a revival tent preacher, filled with the sincere belief that action learning can help solve any problem, meet any challenge or achieve any aspiration. As he clearly explains, action learning is intended to build both knowledge and leadership. He sets out the steps your organization should pursue to implement action learning, and to use it well. He includes questions, checklists and extensive examples. All he omits are any caveats or cautions about this approach. He's a booster and an expert, just so you know where he's coming from. We recommend his manual to human resource professionals.

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Summary: Action Learning for Executive Development
Review: With this book, Marquardt has created the most exciting and practical model for executive development I have ever seen. Warren Bennis recently asked, poignantly, "Is there a future for leadership?" Marquardt is leading all management educators into the future of leadership. As director of an executive Master's program at American University, I am astonished at how powerful Marquardt's model is for developing "leaderly learners," in the magical phrase coined by Peter Vaill. Action learning is perfect for leaders who want to learn and learners who want to lead. Marquardt's chapter on the role of "action learning coach" is, by itself, worth a shelf of books of leadership. My executive participants are raving about how action learning has transformed their individual mindsets, allowing them to surface take-for-granted assumptions, as well as helped them begin to transform the culture or collective mindsets of their organizations.

Rating:
Summary: Action Learning for Executive Development
Review: With this book, Marquardt has created the most exciting and practical model for executive development I have ever seen. Warren Bennis recently asked, poignantly, "Is there a future for leadership?" Marquardt is leading all management educators into the future of leadership. As director of an executive Master's program at American University, I am astonished at how powerful Marquardt's model is for developing "leaderly learners," in the magical phrase coined by Peter Vaill. Action learning is perfect for leaders who want to learn and learners who want to lead. Marquardt's chapter on the role of "action learning coach" is, by itself, worth a shelf of books of leadership. My executive participants are raving about how action learning has transformed their individual mindsets, allowing them to surface take-for-granted assumptions, as well as helped them begin to transform the culture or collective mindsets of their organizations.