ABSTRACT
Action learning is about both the development of people and the addressing of problems in work organisations. It has been suggested that there are two major inputs required for the problem-solving process to be successful: hard inputs and soft inputs. Words like problem, project, issue, topic, theme and question are all used to characterise the focus of the work of the set member. Some people dislike the use of the term 'problem' and prefer to use 'opportunity'. Addressing the problem will not only move the current situation forward, but will also contribute to personal and group learning about how work is done on other problems. The distinction made in action learning between puzzles and problems reflects the similar distinction made between 'tame' and 'wicked' issues. So the focus of action learning is on problems, not puzzles. Problems can be considered as a combination of familiar and unfamiliar tasks and familiar and unfamiliar settings.
