Action Learning for Managers

Mike Pedler is Professor of Action Learning at Henley Management College and a partner in the consultancy, Action Learning for Service Improvement (ALSI). He works with commercial, voluntary and public sector client organisations and is known for his work on action learning, the learning organisation and leadership development. Mike has written and co-authored a number of books and articles, and is Editor of Action Learning: Research & Practice - the first international journal for action learning from Informa.

• Contents: Introduction; What is action learning?; Will it work in my organisation?; What does an action learning programme look like?; How does an action learning set work?; What is an action learning problem?; What skills are developed in action learning?; How do you evaluate action learning?; Surely action learning can't do everything?; Where can I get more information?; Index.

'...For any manager who wants to defuse difficulties and facilitate an honest learning culture across a department or organization this book is a practical guide.' Gordon Harris FCMI, Professional Manager '[Action learning for Managers] is a really good guide...it’s not a lot of work to go through and it comes at a reasonable price for these days. Pedler offers clear, simple text, with plenty of stories, pictures, bullet lists and examples”and resources (such as questionnaires and checklists) which readers will not need much incentive to try out. Too many books on action learning seem to be heavy, in all senses, and that appears to be because they are linked to specific contexts (such as big business, manufacturing, and even, yes, education). Pedler’s book is indeed context-free and that seems to have made it much more accessible and fun and therefore much more likely to succeed.' British Journal of Educational Technology This book is straightforward and practical as regards the why and how of action learning. It is eminently easy to read and digest and maintains reader interest, partly because of the subject matter and partly because of the way the content is presented...it provides both the first time reader and experienced professional with quality content and an up to date overview of action learning. Beyond that the authors offers the following salutary advice ’’There is really only one way to get going with action learning and that is to try it’’ This text provides an ideal springboard from which to do so. Alan Cattell, Industrial and Commercial Training