Speed action learning

10/1/2015

This is an energetic variation of conventional action learning that only takes 15 minutes. It’s a great way of creating focus in conversations and a great way to practice posing powerful questions. Such questions will create a shift in a person’s insight and action. All you need is a group of 3-4 people, a stopwatch, a desktop bell or other similar item, lots of post-it notes or pieces of paper and a pen for each participant. Choose a room or space where participants can hear each other and will be free from interruptions.

Ask participants in advance to think of a current issue they are grappling with - something they are willing to share in the group and would like help to solve. An additional person (or one of the participants in larger groups) will act as facilitator for the activity.

Here are the rules: The group must stick strictly to time. Time slots will be punctuated by the facilitator using the bell. When one person is presenting (see below), other participants must think of the best questions they can to help the presenter move forward. Here is the sequence: The group agrees who will present an issue. The facilitator explains the rules and steps (below). Each participant is given a pad of post-it notes and a pen. The presenter is allowed a few moments to decide what he or she will present.

*The presenter speaks then stops as soon as the bell pings. (90 seconds)
*The other people write down a question on a post-it note, no more than 12 words, and give it to the presenter. (60 seconds)
*The presenter reads the questions and decides if he or she wants to respond to any of them. (30 seconds)
*The presenter speaks again and stops as soon as the bell pings. (90 seconds)
*The other people write down another question on a post-it note, no more than 12 words, and give it to the presenter. (60 seconds)
*The presenter reads the questions and decides if he or she wants to respond to any of them. (30 seconds)
*The presenter speaks again and stops as soon as the bell pings. (90 seconds)
*The other people write down a piece of advice on a post-it note, no more than 12 words, and give it to the presenter. (60 seconds)
*The presenter reads the post it notes, thanks the group and stops (30 seconds)

That’s the end of the sequence. If time allows, participants swap roles so that a different person presents their issue and the other participants pose questions and advice as above. At the end, participants debrief by feeding back which questions had the greatest positive impact. If you have tried similar speed activities and techniques with a group that have helped create solutions or problem-solve, I'd be interested to hear more!

16 Comments

Mariam Nazarudin

10/1/2015 02:12:41 pm

Indeed great way to create focus.

I wonder though in a group of non-native English speakers, whether time need to be adjusted, say if this exercise is ran in Russia, Kazakhstan or China?

Nick Wright

10/1/2015 02:18:29 pm

Hi Mariam. Thank you for your helpful response. I haven't tried using speed action learning with a cross-cultural group. However, I have run conventional action learning sets that included people from Central Asia and South East Asia alongside native English speakers. As you say, we had to adjust the facilitation style and pace to accommodate the needs of people who speak different languages. With best wishes. Nick

Cj Stape

10/1/2015 02:21:16 pm

Hi Nick: Interesting twist on the Socratic method. First I don't get the "speed" thing. Although I do see the activity is time constrained. And, what do you do for those that don't understand, and/or are intimidated to say so? Do you just barrel along? How do you prevent participants from "hiding"?

10/1/2015 02:32:20 pm

Hi Cj. Thanks for the note. The speed aspect and deliberate limiting of words is intended to sharpen and crystallise focus. It also means that, given such limited information available in such a short space of time, participants need to listen and act on their intuition, rather than having to have it all worked out before offering a response.

I've used this technique with lots of teams who have been, on the whole, positively surprised by the degree of insight and helpful-ness of insights and ideas that have emerged. Of course, like conventional action learning or any other method, it is not the right approach for all people and groups at all times.

Participants opt in, having had the technique explained, and have opportunity to review how it worked (or not!) for them afterwards. I have found it particularly useful with leadership, management and project teams who can benefit from working on real-time issues with peers when time is short whilst practising impactful questions in the process of doing so.

With best wishes. Nick

Eugene Fernandez

11/1/2015 05:16:15 am

I like the focus on asking questions within a short time frame. The debrief and reflection phase I assume does not have to follow the same time constraints? You could also use it to debrief the process of what was happening to individuals and the group under the pressure of time. What were the similarities to their work environment? How was it beneficial and what were the limitations? This could also be an entree into understanding their response to the system at various levels. Thank you for posting this Nick

11/1/2015 05:22:14 am

Hi Eugene and thanks for your note. Yes, the debrief is not subject to the same time constraints. I really like the angles you suggest in the debrief. People often comment afterwards that they were surprised by how much insight and how many ideas emerged in such a short space of time. Reflectors tend to find the activity most challenging owing to the time pressures. As you say, it opens interesting conversation about parallels in the workplace and ways to handle them. With best wishes. Nick

Judi Pears link

11/1/2015 08:27:03 pm

Thanks for sharing your strategy Nick. I have participated in a group session using a very similar technique but the time for each segment was several minutes which felt way too long. A suggestion might be that people are given advance notice so they come prepared with their topic to present.
Regards
Judi P

14/1/2015 04:19:08 am

Hi Judi and thanks for the note. Yes, participants often comment that the short/tight time frame plus constraint on words influences focus, energy and what emerges. I agree - it's helpful to encourage people to think of a topic in advance when inviting them to take part in this kind of activity. I also sometimes run a pre-exercise which involves helping people formulate and pose challenging questions. With best wishes. Nick

Pip Bruce Ferguson

13/1/2015 01:36:58 am

Sounds an interesting, if very rushed, activity. The only similar thing I've encountered (and used myself subsequently) is the sharing circle. If you've got a group that contains 'experienced' and 'new' people, the experienced form a circle in the middle and turn to face out. The new form a circle around the outside, facing in. Depending on numbers, the experienced might be explaining their best hints and tips on a subject to one or more newbies - you need to decide numbers before the start. Then you work on the same bell system. X minutes for the experienced to share with one person or group, with questions if time, then the bell rings and everyone on the outside moves clockwise to the next experienced person and so on until time runs out or the exercise has gone full circle. It's quite fun, but can be tricky for the hard of hearing.

14/1/2015 04:23:29 am

Hi Pip and thanks for sharing such an interesting and thought-provoking technique. I really like the sound of it and will certainly give it a try, perhaps as part of an induction event. You raise an important point about implications for people who are hard of hearing. Similar issues arise if one or more of the participants in speed action learning are deaf or use a different language and are using an interpreter. It involves slowing the pace to allow for communication support to be effective. With best wishes. Nick

Liz Dunphy

14/1/2015 04:02:48 am

Wow! Speed Action learning certainly is speedy!

If I am working with NLP in a coaching session I enjoy the Swish Pattern technique and find it effective for quick, in the moment, changes - though I haven't done a follow up to see how long the changes last for.

14/1/2015 04:04:51 am

Hi Liz. Yes, it is definitely speedy! I haven't heard of the Swish Pattern technique before. Could you say a bit more about what it entails? I'm intrigued! With best wishes. Nick

John Bakuts

14/1/2015 04:06:52 am

Hi Nick! What about using this method in larger group? Is it possible?

14/1/2015 04:10:10 am

Hi John. Good question! I haven't tried this technique in larger groups. However, it would be interesting to give it a go and see what happens. It would probably mean allowing the speaker/presenter more time to read/process questions posed before responding. There's probably also a limit to how many questions are useful to pose before the speaker/presenter feels swamped. If you try it, let me know how you get on! With best wishes. Nick

Fi Haywood

14/1/2015 04:11:38 am

Thanks for sharing Nick, it is very interesting.

We have developed hundreds at Cafe Style and yes speed works if the design is right, the essence is to by pass the conscious mind and head straight for the subconscious, so it accelerates the development. It is not quite the same as action learning, as there is actually a learning activity built in, then discussion, but a similar principle.

Because these types of learning are activity based, you split them into groups and facilitate rather than inform, so yes any size groups are fine John

14/1/2015 04:14:49 am

Hi Fi and thanks for the note. Yes, this approach encourages participants to act on instinct/intuition rather than to try to work everything out rationally. I've seen participants absolutely amazed by how much insight and how many ideas have emerged in such an incredibly short space of time. All the best. Nick