As part of our executive development program, we utilized “Action Learning” to help our leaders work through specific problems and learn from each other during the problem solving process. We found Action Learning effective, as it helped the leaders discover solutions through a group coaching format, simultaneously leveraging off each of their experiences as they come from different functions and regions.

David Giang

“Our National Society was struggling to complete some core activities for 10 years. After engaging in the WIAL Action Learning process, we were able to literally celebrate for having resolved some of those problems in just about 2 months.”

Samantha Dickson

“Adapting to the growing demands to face unprecedented humanitarian challenges, many of   our 192 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies have been facing emerging complex     organizational issues related to governance,sustainability, positioning and relationship with their national and local authorities.”

Giorgio Ferrario

David Record, Managing Director of Lyreco, talks about the power of Action Learning in transforming teams and organizations.

Kathryn Jeacock, Chief People Officer of Catapult Satellite Applications, talks about how Action Learning embeds key leadership skills as it works on urgent and complex problems.

“In the first session I realized how this process enables colleagues to constructively provide essential input and different viewpoints. The ground rules are disruptive to probably most standard dynamics in a team – in a very positive way! The process allows to surface elements that otherwise remain hidden or not voiced and this ultimately upscales the understanding of everyone. Only speaking when asked also prevents any sidetracks and increases the focus in the discussion. I found it a great methodology to improve effectiveness of the team.”

Peter Streibl

Ashwini Timblo Gupta

HR Friday used Action Learning to move from a social network to a social enterprise. The organization’s key volunteers developed the long term plan and established task force teams to implement the plan in a single year. At the same time, participants developed their leadership and questioning skills tremendously.

Charles Lu

We used Action Learning to build a shared vision between owner and management team and developed the goal of creating a so-called self-developing team. We have seen a visible growth of integration inside the company, strengthening the culture of mutual trust and respect. The team and the level of integration inside the team became a value for the team itself.

Vladimir Plasvsky

Leading the learning function within a large and fast growing company as Google, WIAL Action Learning is attractive both in its structure and its results. Through the virtual session we experienced, we were able to bring Action Learning to our teams and integrate the methodology into our problem solving and decision making groups.

Dr. Veronica Haight

For ThoughtWorks, talent is the source of the enterprise’s growth and competitive advantage. ThoughtWorks’ AURORA-Leader Development Program used Action Learning as a core method to build a talented team with excellent capabilities, broader vision and connection with the culture and mission. During the 6 month program, trainees follow a cycle around real scenarios, learning, practice and retrospect. Each of them receives the support from a mentor, an external WIAL Action Learning coach, and the BU head. Action learning allows trainees to think about and explore the macro issues facing senior leaders at the company’s strategic and organizational level, and at the same time work on their individual leadership development. Action learning helps us to solve real organizational problems and evaluate the corresponding results. After 2 successful years, the third AURORA starts this year !

Song Zhang

Lyreco is one of the world’s leading B2B distributors of Office and Workplace products with a strong and growing ecommerce presence complementing its traditional channels. Operating in Europe for over ninety years, Asia has been one of the growth markets for the past two decades. Due to rapid growth over in Thailand, the local leadership team were searching for a way to confront many of the internal challenges resulting from rapid expansion.

Action Learning was identified as a key tool and over a six-month period, two groups of directors and managers attended foundation courses in Action Learning in either Thai or English. Seven potential coaches were selected from the earlier cohorts who were trained to become Certified Action Learning Coaches (CALC). Within the first year, the CALC at Lyreco were holding regular cross-functional Action Learning sessions with a wide selection of attendees from Lyreco in Thailand.

There have been many benefits, even in the first year; Action Learning has clearly promoted work related interaction between the departments at the different geographical locations in Thailand and all the participants are learning from each other about what is happening and planned for the future in their departments and Lyreco as whole.

The Action Learning group members are learning to ask powerful questions and it has created a format where people “have’ to ask work related questions, where previously it may have been seen as culturally inappropriate or insensitive to ask questions.

The company has clearly begun to develop a learning culture and whilst the Action Learning is helping to solve problems, we see this as a by-product, as the improved inter-departmental cooperation and openness to ask questions amongst our employees producing learning and better understanding is already a real benefit.

David RECORD

The Thermo Fisher Scientific team brought together 130 team members from various functions in two locations- Taiwan and Singapore to discover the power of Action Learning. Participants experienced the importance and benefits of Psychological Safety when working together. It was a rare occasion where our participants could share freely about their challenges at work. With the guidance of the Action Learning coaches, participants started learning the skills of active listening and understanding the power of questioning.

David Loke

China Foreign Economy and Trade Trust Co., Ltd. built its second youth-talent development program around Action Learning with a hybrid training model to improve abilities in problem-solving, innovation and leadership. In the intensive learning, participants integrate their learning results with actual work through deliberate practices and tools of “leadership in action”. Their projects help solve important issues supporting the company’s strategy while strengthening participants’ leadership and teamwork.The program has become a benchmark of talent development in the company and the WIAL Action Learning skills are deployed to the talent development at all levels of the company.

Mr. Teng Li

The Healthcare Leadership College under MOH Holdings Pte Ltd used Action Learning as a foundation for the Activist for Change Programme, one of the key leadership development initiatives. The WIAL Action Learning coaches lead by Mr. Choon Seng Ng participated in the curriculum design, supported the various teams to work on their projects and coached the competency development of individuals and teams.

Trevor Chua

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) created a 9 month customized leadership development program to prepare its top managers to recreate the organization for greater effectiveness over the coming decades in a complex multiple-stakeholder environment. Action Learning was the key part of the program, and the part that participants appreciated the most !

Danny Caine

Auchan Retail in Ukraine is undergoing important changes and management transformations. Looking for a methodology to support the change at the different levels of the organization, Action Learning was confirmed as an excellent integral method and the first feedback is very positive. We have certified 12 Action Learning ambassadors who have in turn trained over 350 collaborators to implement Action Learning-based change initiatives in their different work areas.

Frédéric Henin

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) used Action Learning in 2016 to support six major projects, leading to breakthrough improvement in the procurement processes and uniformity at the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). WIAL trained LEAP alumni to become coaches for the following cohorts and this approach brought the program to the next level. Since 2017, an Action Learning Community of Practice (ALCOP) brings together 50 members from over two dozen federal agencies to share best practices and share approaches to action learning sets.

Bill Thimmesh

RLC’s Malls business unit embarked on a large scale leadership development program based on Action Learning. 17 Action Learning groups of 6-7 members from different divisions worked on some of the most complex business challenges. During 3 months, they identified root causes, developed action steps and implemented their projects while at the same time practicing their leadership values and personal improvement actions.

Fatima Olaguer

For us in AirAsia, Action Learning has helped introduce the concept of learning and leadership competencies in a manner that is practical and real, with teams working together to solve urgent, complex problems. For the past two years Action Learning has been positioned at the grassroots level, with priority focus on problem-solving and team-building skills.

Faz Kamaruddin