Unexpected Learning Experiences from Creating Learning Communities in Executive Education

I always imagined myself, the professor, up at the front of the room, with MBA students and senior executives alike hanging on my every word. What I didn’t expect, but what actually happened, was that I would embark on my own learning journey as I helped others with theirs.  

I started out in my new role as the faculty director for the four-week senior Executive Program trying to emulate my mentors and hoping desperately not to screw up the program and the reputation that had been built up over more than fifty years. I was cautious: taking baby steps.

But I love to learn, and I like to experiment, so over time, with a few small successes behind me, I became more courageous and more daring. By setting up learning communities in the program we achieved successes that we never dreamed of. Each success gave us the confidence to keep changing, growing, and experimenting – not only with the program, but with ourselves. And that’s when it got really, really interesting.  Our process of learning evolved into a more formal research process laying the foundation for our on-going learning through the lens of action inquiry. 

I hope you are intrigued enough to read about our decade-long learning journey and we look forward to continuing this conversation with you here on the blog. Please feel free to leave comment or question. 

Shon Beechler

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