1. Effective Action Learning

2. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the session participants should:
Understand the principles of action learning
Understand the process of action learning including the support/challenge model, listening and questioning techniques.
have established ground rules for the set
Understand the role of the facilitator in developing an effective action learning set
understand how to reflect upon and evaluate the process of action learning, e.g. added value, ROI.

3. What is action learning?
Learning to take effective action – taking effective action!
Working on real live problems and issues
Learning from one another and with one another – action learning is a social process.
Working and learning in a set of ‘comrades in adversity’
Helping yourself and others to learn
Recognising what has been learned.

4. Action Learning
A way of learning from our actions, and what happens to us, and around us, by taking time to question, understand and reflect, to gain insight, and consider how to act in the future
Weinstein 1999

5. Action learning
Involves a group of people (action learning set) who work together on learning, using reflection and exploration of issues and problems (group or individual) associated with work
Provides time and space to question, support and encourage as reflection occurs

6. Principles and components of Action Learning:
Support and challenge
Active Listening
Reflection
Open Questioning; who, what, why, when, where, how
Feedback (giving and receiving)

7. Process Participant presents an issue (tells the story)
Enablers listen in order to understand and empathise
Clarifying questions
Presenter sets the agenda (identifies what they want help with)
When everyone is clear on what the presenter wants, questioning begins

8. To help the presenter to explore the issue and agree an action plan
USE
open questioning
empathetic listening
AVOID
giving advice
leading questions
‘that happened to me’
imposing personal values
being judgmental
criticism
trivialising issue

9. Some useful questions How do you feel about that
What were you trying to achieve
What does that mean
What I hear you saying is…
In other words….
Let me understand what was going on for you
Do you mean?
Listening to what you have said, I wonder if…..

10. Suggested Ground Rules
Confidentiality
attendance
air space
don’t interrupt
respect everyone as an individual
Mobile phones off/silent?
Any others?

11. Action Learning allows individuals to:
Explore and reflect on own issue or experience
Share that experience with others, broadening the way you look at issues and consider alternative solutions
Learn from others’ experience
Have other colleagues support and challenge
Take that challenge and implement it …be more proactive than reactive in problem solving and decision making
Be more reflective than emotional
Review with those colleagues the action taken and the lessons learnt.

12. A Note of Caution!
Action learning is NOT a panacea for all ills! – It is not always appropriate, for example:
When answers are already known
When learning is programmable
Systematic analysis can give the solution
When its not fully supported by management

13. Light dawns Action learning roller coaster Enthusiasm
Committed to process
Achievement and results
Constructive review
Verbal acceptance
Light dawns
Expectations
Confusion & doubt
Anger and incredulity
Rejection contemplated

14. Emotional! For participants For facilitator
Change is an emotional activity

15. Summary : The Main elements
The individual - who voluntarily joins the group
The set - a group of 5/6 people who meet regularly
The issue or problem - each person brings that they want to work on
The processes - the challenge, support
The facilitator - who helps the group as it works and learns
The outcome - action and learning
Revans 1991

16. What happens during an action learning set?

17. The Role of the Set Adviser
Facilitates the action learning process
Encourages challenge and support
Reflects and gives appropriate feedback to the set
Takes on other roles as appropriate

18. Tasks of the Set Adviser
To facilitate giving
To facilitate receiving
To clarify various processes of A/L
To help others take over the above tasks

19. Skills of the Set Adviser
Advanced level communication skills e.g. emotionally Intelligent, clarifying meaning, questioning skills, feedback skills, etc.
Tolerance of ambiguity
Openness and frankness
Patience
Facilitation – working with groups

20. Group Work - Preparation
Before set meeting – lead up
On the day
During the set meeting
After the set meeting

21. Action Learning
Any questions?