Training » Overview

Training Overview

Personal Development

Leadership Development

Professional
Development

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Training Overview ::

Through Action Learning

Action learning is a process that involves a group of people solving real problems while at the same time focusing on what they are learning and how their learning can benefit each group member and the organization as a whole.

Each of our competency development programs incorporates action learning principles, in one of these formats:

100% Action Learning

Programs are usually conducted on-site for cross-functional teams working on real problems, following an action learning cycle and other practices described by Michael Marquardt in "Action Learning in Action", Davies-Black, 1999. Examples of Workitect's experience with this approach are described in:

Solutions Workshop [119kb PDF]

Consulting Workshop [85kb PDF]

Customer-focused teams [99kb PDF]

Modified Action Learning

The effectiveness and ROI of more traditional training is increased by requiring participants to work on real life problems and by applying adult learning principles that fully engage each learner.

The content of many of these programs also develop the competencies needed for effective action learning. For example, the FOCUS Coaching program teaches the essential skills of questioning, listening and reflection.

In these programs, our goal is to provide meaningful and relevant development experiences, and to inspire people to improve their personal lives and work lives.

Our goal is to provide meaningful and relevant development experiences, and to inspire people to improve their personal lives and work lives.

Our job is to expose learners to interesting material and experiences. The participants' job is to take this material and see what they can do with it, individually and in groups, and see how it can be made insightful and useful for them, in their own context.

Our "instructors" are not traditional instructors. They are facilitators and coaches, who are skilled at facilitating groups and coaching small groups and individuals. Most programs have two co-facilitators.

Common Themes

Helping people:
	Solve Problems.
	Do meaningful work.
	Add value.
	Inspire trust.

More About Action Learning:

Delivery Options

All programs are delivered onsite and can be tailored to the needs of the organization. Public sessions of the Building Competency Models workshop are also offered. Instructor certification for internal delivery is now available for the FOCUS Coaching program, and can be provided for many of the other programs as well.

Facilitators provide:

Frameworks and models
Processes, including competency sharing sessions where the focus is not on how a particular competency should be used, but on how it actually is used-how a group of talented and experienced people get things done.
Options
Coaching
An environment that is "safe" and encourages risk-taking, experimentation and innovation.
Stimulation
Interesting and purposeful, clear, helpful materials, exercises, experiences and assessments
Information - a constant flow of information and feedback
Something for all learning styles.

Rules for our Facilitators:

1. Don't overwhelm participants with material. We emphasize quality and relevance vs. quantity. Going through 500 beautiful PowerPoint slides is not our idea of good training.

2. Profess less: the participants usually have more to learn from each other than from us. (This is about what they learn, not about what we teach.)

3. Listen. Listen. Listen. And be responsive. Do not strive for the perfect training session, but to engage in a common learning experience with the participants.

4. Help participants identify and build on strengths, but give them some insight to help them prevent "derailment".

5. Concentrate as much of the learning as possible on the needs of the individual participants and their organizations. Use work rather than make work. Recognize the day-to-day pressures on the participants in their jobs. Tailor each module to their concerns.