Lean Action Learning
This program uses collaborative action learning to address the underlying cultural and behavioural aspects of Lean implementation. The business outcomes achieved provide a measurable return on investment but it is the fresh eyes of participants from other companies, and the inherent organisational development, that promote innovation and bring about real change.
Presented by the Action Learning Institute (Provider no. 40676), the first education institution in the world to deliver nationally recognised qualifications entirely through action learning – experience technology-enabled learning in the workplace with free access to the Action Learning Exchange online platform and myLearningMap™.
Program Objectives
- For the individual participant:
- Improved action learning skills through practice on important projects
- Acquired competencies which will enhance their career prospects, enhance the contribution that they can make to their company’s performance, and achieve formal recognition of their learning through a relevant qualification
- For participating companies:
- Improved business performance through addressing an issue of high priority to the company
- Increased collaboration with other companies and the opportunity to learn from their experiences and benefit from their fresh views
- Enhanced competency of key employees with formal recognition for that competency
- A developed pattern of action learning which can be extended within the company
Key measurables
Each project provides a vehicle to apply Lean skills in a practical setting. Particular care is taken to identify specific, measurable outcomes for the implementation. Typically these will include targets for reduced lead time, improved on-time delivery, improved quality, safety and job satisfaction and ultimately improved profitability, as measured against a balanced scorecard.
Results are peer reviewed and performance is evaluated at the conclusion of each program. All projects to date have met or exceeded the targets set.
Who should be involved?
- Participants from any level of the organisation from senior management to front line staff
- All industry sectors including manufacturing, transport and logistics, health care and government services; any sector that aims to deliver value to end customers
- Organisations seeking to enhance an existing framework, or establish a new one, for workforce development and business improvement
The action learning process
The Lean Action Learning program involves a minimum of three companies, each developing or implementing competitive systems and practices as an action learning project.
Each company nominates three people to participate in the program. Two of the nominated people participate in their ‘home’ company project and a project at one of the other companies. The third person only participates in their ‘home’ project.
Each project is undertaken at the host company. The Project Team and their facilitator(s) work intensively together, one day per week over five weeks. At the conclusion of the Five Day Workshop Series, the team present their project recommendations, together with a detailed implementation plan, to the senior management of all participating companies.
The ‘home’ members of the team then lead the implementation of the team’s recommendations with support from their facilitators and Project Champion.
At the conclusion of the implementation stage, all stakeholders (senior management of participating companies, project teams, funding bodies and other interested parties) gather at a review forum to share the results of the project implementation and disseminate the learnings. The ‘home’ team of each company presents the project outcomes and results are evaluated against the measurable targets established during project planning.
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