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This study aims to analyse the line managers and employees’ use of lean task boards over time in Norwegian municipalities using action learning theory. The research question was the following: what kind of action learning processes do the line managers and employees’ use of the lean task board promote in municipalities’ healthcare units?

This qualitative case study data from a Norwegian municipality involved analyses of 750 internal self-recorded logs from task board sessions from 6 different units and 25 semi-structured interviews of managers and employees.

The task board works for line managers to make employees responsible for forwarding ideas, solutions and implementation of new actions. The use of the task boards contributes to systemising work through establishing new routines and improving orderliness at work. The line managers used the task boards as a project management system to track progress in the purchasing of diverse equipment and initiatives to improve professionalism and their units’ facilities. The study explains the learning challenges for managers using the lean task board, as the method promotes finding experience-based solutions that do not involve critical reflection and use of theory.

The lean task board is well-suited for managers to promote learning processes that counteract chaos in local healthcare organisations. However, the task board has limitations as a method for improving services amongst healthcare units and for solving difficult problems.

The study contributes to understanding how action learning theory can be applied to the analysis of the results of lean task board sessions

This paper analyses and discusses the “learning activities” that comprise obligatory learning at work by employees each month. The management strategy is to use these learning activities to spread knowledge, exchange experience and implement new skills within the organisation. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question: to what extent do these learning activities at the Bank promote adaptive or developmental learning? In addition, the paper asks whether the learning activities amplify or reduce the employees' cognitive uncertainty in resolving work‐related issues.

This case study is part of a four‐year project about workplace learning, in a bank with more than 700 employees located in more than 50 departments of various sizes in Norway.

The research shows that time regularly set aside for necessary information updates and workplace learning is important in a hectic work situation with a strong focus on sales. Within the organization studied, learning is strongly focused on factual knowledge, routines and rehearsal.

Although this qualitative study is based on multiple and triangulated observations the methodology is limited in that it raises the question of how far one can accept the validity of generalizations arising from one case only.

This research adds to the literature on adaptive learning and reduced cognitive uncertainty and will be of interest to those wishing to simplify work‐related issues.