EIC Action Learning

EIC (Engage-Involve-Challenge) process is a comprehensive program that gives companies the tools and methodologies to quickly and easily implement an effective action-learning program. The process is completely team-based and uses proven instructional techniques to solve real-world problems within your organization.

Structure

The structure and instructional flow of the EIC Program follows seven incremental steps:

INSTRUCT

The program begins with a two day instructor-led management seminar focused upon the skill development necessary to complete the program, including:

• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Decision Making
• Team Development Skills
• Conflict Resolution

Prior to the class, participants receive supporting pre-course instructional content to help prepare them for the instructor-led seminar.

ASSIGN

At the completion of the management seminar the class is broken into learning teams and presented with their action learning assignment. The internal sponsor of the project determines the goals, objectives, desired outcome and the form the final deliverable must take. The sponsor will also identify the available internal resources to support employee efforts such as meeting facilities, administrative and financial assistance.

At this time, learning teams begin by evaluating and analyzing the project to determine the most effective manner in which to proceed. They may reframe the assignment, create timelines and meeting schedules, or identify assignments for individual team members. At the end of this phase the learning teams will create an action learning project plan.

WORK AND REFLECT

At this stage of the program individual team members will return to their workplaces and begin fulfilling their assignments. Adequate time must be allowed for them to reflect upon their work, solve problems, make multiple decisions and be held accountable for them. Errors will be made and participants must learn to work through and recover from them. They learn by applying and practice their new skills until they get them right.

Participants should not be excused from their daily activities or the program assignments and must learn to balance their efforts and increase their personal effectiveness.

PLAN

As the team progresses through their work, they will develop an action plan according to the goals and specifications of the internal sponsor.

IMPLEMENT

The action learning team will be responsible for the implementation of the plan they created. They will need to test the plan in a real-world setting, evaluate the results, and adapt and modify the plan based upon the feedback.

EVALUATE

Once the action learning plan is implemented the team will assemble to discuss and evaluate the results of the plan. They will identify the lessons that were learned from errors and mistakes as well as how to transfer this knowledge to the workplace to improve their performance. This leads to greater absorption of the information and skills that they acquired. At this point the participants will create a formal presentation of the results.

PRESENT

The action learning team will then meet with the internal sponsor and make a formal presentation of the results. The internal sponsor will determine the success of the project and whether or not the final results will be accepted. Additional work by the team may be required if the results are not acceptable.