Discussion: Action Learning Gurus

Discussion: Action Learning Gurus Week 1: Discussion: Action Learning Gurus My overall impressions of Drs. Marquardt and Revans are that they both have a good command of the concept of action learning and its application in problem-solving, and that they are very passionate about this concept. However, although Revans originally developed the action learning theory, Marquardt seems to be more authoritative and is better at explaining the concepts. He describes the action learning theory more clearly and illustrates his points with numerous examples. In his lecture at VCUSOE (2013), Marquardt keeps the audience engaged by asking them questions, telling stories, using humorous anecdotes, and sharing personal experiences. Conversely, Revans delivers his content in a serious tone and explains the concepts in a manner that is not easily understandable to the audience.

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I found several useful ideas in the videos that helped me understand the concepts covered in the background materials better. I understand the concept of “comrades in adversity” more clearly from one of Revans’ videos. I learned that when people come together to learn from each other’s challenges, they can solve their problems more effectively than when they consult experts (IFALOfficial, 2012). Another interesting point I learned from Revans’ video is that building more universities and having more professor’s in institutions may not speed up learning but could end up slowing it down (GULLltd, 2010). I found this point interesting because usually, it is believed that having many instructors improves learning because it leads to a lower studentteacher ratio. However, Revans argues that it could adversely affect learning as the instructors teach past ideas. Instead, he recommends action learning for fast learning. One of the useful ideas I learned from Marquardt’s videos is the importance of having a diverse group of people solving a problem. He gave an example of including engineers in a group solving a marketing problem (Sarder, 2015). I found this interesting because initially, I thought that individuals from the same field would be more effective as they understand the problem better. However, Marquardt asserts that including people from another field is essential because they think differently. I would recommend these videos to my classmates because watching them will enhance their understanding of the concept of action learning.

References VCUSOE. (2013, February 2). Michael Marquardt action learning lecture [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtVG8kF8qf4 Sarder, R. (2015, April 13). Six elements for successful action learning group – Part I by Michael Marquardt [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=WFEhwmBnuVI

GULLltd. (2010, October 12). Role of action learning - Reg Revans 1994 - Briefings [Video].

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_kakRok0Ts IFALOfficial. (2012, November 22). Action learning – Introduction by Reg Revans [Video].

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bJ9RXkYPSU

Reply: Leshaun Martin I concur with you that Marquardt explained the action learning concepts better than Revans. I found the action learning demo video by Marquardt that you recommended to be very informative. I agree with you that watching people demonstrating the action learning process enhanced the understanding of the concepts. Overall, you provided a detailed analysis of the two action learning gurus and met all the assignment requirements.

Week 2 Discussion Dr. Marquardt’s written and speaking styles have some similarities and differences. One of the similarities is that in both, he asks questions. For example, in the book, he asks, “Why does action learning work so well?” (Marquardt, 2004, p. 10). Similarly, he asks several questions in his videos. One of the examples is “Action learning is just the opposite. What is the opposite?” (VCUSOE, 2013, 15:35).

However, there are several differences between his speaking and writing styles. One of the differences is that in the book, he mostly uses third-person pronouns such as ‘they,’ ‘one,’ ‘he,’ or ‘she.’ An example of such a sentence is “What leaders learn and how they learn cannot be dissociated from one another, for how one learns necessarily influences what one learns” (Marquardt, 2004, p. 17). Conversely, in the video, he uses more personal pronouns, such as ‘we’ and ‘you,’ to address the audience. The sentence structure also differs in his speaking and written styles. In the book, he uses sentences that adhere to grammatical rules, while this is not the case in the videos. The sentences in the video do not always adhere to grammatical rules. For example, in the video, he says, “So, instead of saying, here is what I think will work or here is a strategy, no, I spend all my energy saying, what do you think we should do?” (VCUSOE, 2013, 16:10). Moreover, the style in the videos is not formal as some thoughts begin with conjunctions such as ‘but’ and ‘and.’ In the book, he uses the formal style of writing. Another difference is that in the book, the author writes in a precise style, and there is no repetition of phrases and words. Conversely, there is a repetition of phrases in his speech to emphasize ideas. For example, in the video, he says, “You spend your energy, instead of trying to convince other people to buy your ideas, you spend your energy getting them to share their ideas” (VCUSOE, 2013, 15:59).

Although there are differences between Dr. Marquardt’s written and speaking styles, the material in both the videos and the book are consistent. For example, in both, he asserts that the diversity of group members is critical in action learning. Furthermore, in both the book and the video, he discusses the same elements of the action learning process, including the problem, group, questions, action, learning, and a coach. Overall, I think that his speaking style is more effective in delivering the content as he engages with the audience by asking questions and receiving answers and uses an informal tone that is more expressive and conversational than in the book.

References Marquardt, M. J. (2004). Optimizing the power of action learning: Solving problems and building leaders in real time. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

VCUSOE. (2013, February 2). Michael Marquardt action learning lecture [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtVG8kF8qf4

Week 2 Reply: Jose Gonzalez Sep. 17, 2021 I agree with you that Dr. Marquardt’s writing and speaking styles have some similarities and that he articulated his points clearly in both. However, I believe that the two styles also differ a lot in the use of pronouns, sentence structure, formality, and repetition. I also concur with you that the videos made more impact on the audience than the book. I am also in agreement with you that his passion for the concept of action learning is evident in the readings and videos.

Overall, you have provided a comprehensive analysis of Dr. Marquardt’s videos and readings and have met all the requirements of the discussion.