Developing Leadership and Measuring It: The Action Learning Question Program Could Be A Way Forward

Recognition as to the effectiveness of Action Learning as applied to the development of leadership skills, has been highlighted by two well known and internationally accredited academics and leadership practitioners, Michael Marquardt (Professor of Human Resources and International Affairs at the US based Elliott School of International Affairs and Program Director of Overseas Programs at George Washington University) and H.Skipton Leonard (Faculty member at the Carey School of Business at John Hopkins University). In a 2010 publication entitled "The Evidence for the Effectiveness of Action Learning", as published in the Action Leaning: Research and Practice Journal, they identified four reasons to support their conclusion regarding the impact of Action Learning in this field, being:

1.    Action Learning encourages people to take responsibility and action to achieve a desirable result or goal;

2.    Action Learning provides a disciplined process for reflecting and learning;

3.    Action Learning allows people to work on the specific skills necessary to get things done through people, and

4.    Action Learning provides people with the direct and indirect feedback necessary to learn complex leadership skills along the way.

Having considered the strengths associated with Action Learning as it applies to the development of leaders within organisations through either formal in-house leadership development programs or through less formal development, the question of measuring the success or otherwise of leadership development programs becomes the next issue to be addressed. In a recent edition of the MITSloan Management Review, Gandossy and Guarneri (Principal and Research Consultant respectively, from the US based Hewitt Associates, human resource consultants) reported that research from the top tier of US based companies identified the development of a range of holistic measures that addresses key organisational stakeholders namely, people managers, business leaders, HR professionals, and key organisational talent. These measures included, but were not limited to the following:

• identifying when key talents would be ready to move onto new roles within the organisation
• understanding the extent to which leaders take responsibility for their own development and that of their people
• identifying how leaders contribute to the development of talent as a corporate resource
• understanding the extent to which leaders 'walk the walk' on effective leadership behaviours
•  identifying the business trends that most influence leadership strategies within the organisation, and
• understanding the link between our leadership development programs and the internal supply of qualified candidates.

The real linkage that appears to be highlighted throughout the discussion presented by Gandossy and Guarneri relates to the extent to which an organisation can ensure that the leadership development programs are aligned to actual business needs as distinct to being abstract and somewhat detached from the organisational imperatives that need to be addressed.

The design of the Action Learning Question Program ("ALQ") addresses such needs by operating at the dual level of developing your staff but doing so in the context of resolving very real organisational challenges that, left unresolved, will hinder organisational efforts towards future and long term sustainability.

The 2015 public ALQ Program, referred to as Cross-Organisational Cohorts, (which recently concluded in November 2015) proved highly successful and delivered real solutions to the organisations that were represented, and real value to the individuals involved in the cohort.

Similar programs with bespoke ALQ Program structures are commencing in March 2016 as in-house ALQ Programs. These are developed for medium and large organisations that are, from a resource perspective, able to accommodate unique Learning Sets necessary for an effective program. Whilst structural elements are uniquely developed in these instances, both the in-house and the cross-organisational cohorts all operate under a common ALQ framework.

The support provided by the Australian Institute of Management ("AIM") has added further value to both the Cross-Organisational Cohorts, as well as the In-House Cohorts. AIM have identified the rigour and value of the Program, and have agreed to recognise completion of the Program (through undertaking a multi-tiered written assessment process) as one Credit Unit towards their highly acclaimed 8-Unit Graduate Diploma of Management and their 12-Unit MBA programs. Whilst this accreditation path is not compulsory, it provides a very sound base to support ongoing education and staff development - a very valuable process for organisations. 

OPTIMUM NFP in conjunction with Action Learning International Ltd. is currently preparing a further Cross-Organisational Cohort to commence in February 2016. Given the success of the recent Program, and the detailed expressions of interest received from five prospective cohort members to-date, it is recommended that you lodge your interest as early as possible, as these Programs are designed for a maximum number of participants of eight per Program. You can register on-line at www.optimumnfp.com.au (ALQ Workshop tab), or contact David Rosenbaum at drosenbaum@optimumnfp.com.au or on 0411-744-911 to register or to discuss the nature of the Program and how it may benefit your organisation, as well as yourself.

As the Principal of OPTIMUM NFP and Senior Consultant and Head of Relationship Management and Program Delivery for Australia at Action Learning International Ltd., I am well placed to structure a program that responds to your organisation's requirements. With the advent of both the Cross-Organisational Cohorts as well as In-House Cohorts, all organisations, irrespective of size, can now consider the practical benefits resulting from participation in an Action Learning Question program to solve sticky organisational challenges whilst simultaneously developing the leadership skills that your organisation will need in the coming years.

Contact David Rosenbaum at drosenbaum@optimumnfp.com.au or 0411-744-911 to discuss how an Action Learning Question program can assist your organisation achieve its objectives.

Fairness in Our Taxation System

We are currently hearing allot about our taxation system at the moment. Seems like the so-called national conversation is happening. Something that was very much absent in the previous incarnation of our federal government. But if this is what a national conversation looks like, then I am slightly underwhelmed by its process, let alone by its potential outcomes.

What I am really hearing is a government process of softening and filtering, where the discourse from government, frontbenchers and backbenchers alike, is really targeted at preparing the broader electorate for what perhaps could be a forgone conclusion. Perhaps I am getting very cynical about politicians, but then again, the last few years have probably prepared me well for higher than ordinary levels of cynicism.

One of the key descriptors in this 'debate' that is racing down the highway, is 'fairness' and 'equity' in our tax system. I feel that these words are being overdone with a sense that the more the word is used, the more it appears to be self-evident and the true driver of the 'tax debate".

Not so. Espousing these words and yet truly applying all considerations with regards tax to blowtorch of fairness and equity, would actually mean that our superannuation tax system would change drastically, as would our somewhat outdated and 'unfair' capital gains tax provisions. As would also, the strange array of corporate incentives that tend to allocate taxpayer largesse to the most inappropriate corporate beneficiaries.

It appears that fairness and equity must apply primarily to the GST, which by-the-way, it never can given the nature of what the GST targets and how it is calculated. Fairness and equity, however you define this, must apply to a complete rewrite of our tax system, not just elements thereof. From a sceptics perspective, it very much appears, despite whatever our politicians tell us, that the GST is the headline act, but there is much more that needs to be considered before placing at further risk, the most vulnerable in our community.

I suspect that the current debate, especially from the government's perspective, reflects deep underlying beliefs in a system or process that has been clearly debunked by an influential list of well regarded economists, the theory of 'trickle-down economics'.  Just to rehash, this theory espouses the notion that extra wealth being generated at the top of the wealth tree eventually makes its way down to the roots of the tree where we all benefit and live happier ever-after in an environment of growing economic prosperity. The only problem, and it is indeed a small problem that our government has an obvious ideological problem with in terms of recognising it to be a problem, is that it does not work.

This has been proven by the International Monetary Fund, where in its 2015 report entitled "Causes and Consequences of Income Inequality: A Global Perspective" wherein they state, in part, 
"...we show why policymakers need to focus on the poor and the middle class. Earlier IMF work has shown that income inequality matters for growth and its sustainability. Our analysis suggests that the income distribution itself matters for growth as well. Specifically, if the income share of the top 20 percent (the rich) increases, then GDP growth actually declines over the medium term, suggesting that the benefits do not trickle down. In contrast, an increase in the income share of the bottom 20 percent (the poor) is associated with higher GDP growth. The poor and the middle class matter the most for growth via a number of interrelated economic, social, and political channels." 

If we are going to continue down this facade of fairness and equality, perhaps the message is clear - focus our attention on the poorer and the middle class - that is where we are going to get the biggest 'bang for our buck'!

Shall we now continue with the so-called national conversation? If you can't find it, its in the press where all things fair and equitable are discussed.

  

Public Action Learning Question Program - Launch of 2016 Cohort follows Successful 2015 Program

Action Learning International in conjunction with OPTIMUM NFP is pleased to announce the launch of its second public Action Learning Question Program in Sydney in February 2016. The highly successful first Program commenced in mid 2015 and feedback from participants reflected the value that they saw in the Program. 

“The ALQ has been a wonderful opportunity to holistically address an organisational issue for me. The supportive environment and being able to access the knowledge and experience of a diverse group of people has been very positive and rewarding. Both the organisation and I have benefitted from the ALQ process.”         Anna Buddo, General Manager, Hunters Hill Ryde Community Services who participated in the Program

"David and Richard facilitated an excellent program.  As a professional facilitator myself, I had high expectations and they were met on every occasion the group met.  They were empathetic and stretched each participant on the program in the right way, so we grew and worked on our 'wicked problem' at our own pace."    A Management Consultant who participated in the Program

“The ALQ program is an organisational problem solving process where contributory factors and possible solutions to a problem are defined through a questioning and reflective process with other group members. The guided group discussion offers a rich source of thoughts for consideration, sparking new ideas for dealing with organisational and personal change.  The program has influenced my thinking to undertake a deeper process of building organisational strategy that I believe will assist NADO through its transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.”            Denise Heath, CEO, NADO Inc

“The ALQ was excellent in providing a framework to help me think through some business development challenges with my consulting business. I found the mixed cohort of commercial and not-for-profit sectors to be quite effective.  Input came from a variety of perspectives, which helped to frame some old challenges in a new way. The program was very effective at helping prompt me into new thinking.”        An HR Consultant who participated in the Program

This program embraces Professor Reg Revans’ widely accepted proposition that learning is best considered as a combination of programmed knowledge combined with insightful questions generated in groups known as action learning sets. In this manner, action learning is grounded from a proven theoretical practice, is organizational and business driven, aimed at addressing the needs of the organisation by tackling what has been termed ‘wicked’ problems, whilst being action and learning focused. 

Within this framework, the ALQ (“Action Learning Question”) program represents a process by which action learning is structured and undertaken within a defined time-­period, utilising a range of specifically created tools and resources, with the specific twin objectives of solving organisational challenges whilst developing organisational skills and expertise. This is referred to in the prevailing literature as the Return on Investment Model of action learning, and is to be applied to individual work-based challenges of the participant’s organisation. 

The program includes 6 structured sessions, of varying time periods and a mixture of face-to-face and virtual formats, conducted over a 3-month period. Ongoing contact is maintained with all participants by the program facilitators as well as amongst the participants using a Yammer communication platform. Participants are expected to apply various activities throughout the Program within their own work environments, working towards resolving the key issue that they bring to the Program. 

The program has been accredited by the Australian Institute of Management towards their Graduate Diploma in Management and their MBA programs.

The Program is scheduled to commence in mid-February 2016 and places fare limited to a maximum of 8 participants. 

For further information and to register on-line, visit www.optimumnfp.com.au and click on the 'ALQ Workshops' tab. (In-house ALQ Programs are also currently being run. Contact David Rosenbaum on 0411-744-911 to discuss the applicability of the ALQ Program to your organisation)