L=P+Q+R: The Action Learning Knowledge Formula

Definition

Marquardt proposes an elegant formula for how learning and knowledge are created in action learning: L = P + Q + R, where L is learning, P is programmed knowledge (expertise and information individuals bring into the group), Q is the quality and flow of questions, and R is continuous reflection. This formula shows that neither knowledge alone nor questioning alone produces learning—all three must interact. Learning emerges from the synergy of what we know, the questions we ask about it, and the reflection that follows.

In the Book

Introduced in Chapter 6, Marquardt explains: "Knowledge brought into the group (also referred to as programmed knowledge, or P, in action learning) is combined with questions (Q), which generates new knowledge. The continuous reflection (R) results in further and deeper learning and wisdom; thus the formula to show how learning and knowledge is created in action learning, L = P + Q + R."

The formula addresses the failure of traditional training: programmed knowledge alone (P) without questions and reflection produces inert facts. Questions alone (Q) without grounding in knowledge become empty speculation. Reflection alone (R) without fresh input to reflect on becomes rumination. The group must interweave all three. Marquardt notes that action learning "elicits relevant information from group members and the context, rather than merely disseminating what a trainer or teacher thinks is important. Knowledge is likewise tapped at the points where it is needed."

The book illustrates the formula's power: "Experience combined with group reflection, however, enables the group to throw a net around experiences and capture slippery but critical knowledge and learning."

Why It Matters

The formula is a precise antidote to common learning failures. It explains why lectures fail (no Q or R), why brainstorms without expertise fail (weak P), and why retrospectives fail when not grounded in real experience (weak L from weak experience). It also reveals where organizations lose knowledge: when P (expertise) remains tacit and never gets converted through Q and R into explicit, transferable knowledge. The formula is domain-agnostic—any team building capability must hold all three dimensions.