Action Learning Sets
What is Action Learning?
What are Action Learning Sets?
The values and approaches which support effective Action Learning
Action Learning Sets and the Organisation
What issues can Action Learning Sets deal with?
Setting up an Action Learning Set
Ground Rules
Processes which support effective Action Learning
Further Help QRG 13
1.What is Action Learning? It is too simple to consider “Action Learning” as another term for “learning on the job”. It is much more. It is a process of learning followed by reflection and action and the crucial aspect dealt with in this guide is carrying it out with other people in an “Action Learning Set”. The underlying essential is that the process seeks to learn by addressing real live issues, taking action on them, reflecting on this so as to achieve learning which can be transferred to other scenarios.
2.What are Action Learning Sets? The “Set” is a group of people, perhaps but not necessarily from the same organisation meeting together in a structured way to provide mutual Action Learning support. They work collaboratively with each member having the opportunity to present issues and problems and receive help and advice from colleagues.
3.The values and approaches which support effective Action Learning Experience shows that Action Learning Sets are most successful when: • involvement is voluntary • confidentiality based on mutual trust is fully maintained allowing open communication within the Set • participants approach the whole process on a collaborative basis • participants both support and challenge each other • participants seek to learn from each other rather than from external input • participants are able and willing to fully commit the necessary time over the life of the Set •
4.Action Learning Sets and the Organisation Sets may be: • created or sponsored by a particular organisation • sponsored jointly by more than one organisation • be self-created by the participants whether or not from one organisation • facilitated by an external facilitator or be self-managed by the participants Given the importance of participants being able to commit the time and effort necessary to make an Action Learning Set effective there are positive advantages in receiving clear support from organisations provided this does not amount to compulsion which is unlikely to form a good basis for an effective Set. Experience also suggests that the involvement of an external facilitator at the outset is more likely to result in the establishment of clear ground rules for operation and to ensure every participant gains fully from the experience. It may well be, however, that a facilitated model can move effectively towards self-management as participants become familiar with the process and develop their own facilitation skills.
5.What issues can Action Learning Sets deal with? The underlying principle is that Action Learning is about real work issues that belong to one of the members of the set. Each will take turns in presenting an issue and what they bring to the Set needs to be: • important to them • serious • capable of being acted upon by them (this does not preclude an issue about how to get into a position to be able to act)
6. Setting up an Action Learning Set • For successful operation a number of points need to be agreed and committed to by participants and by their organisations at the outset: • Size: a Set needs a minimum of 4 participants to provide the necessary pool of expertise and to produce vibrant interaction based on mutual support and challenge. 8 is about the ideal but the number also will be influenced by the amount of time which can be made available for meetings • Length of the Set’s life: experience suggests that at the outset it is desirable for participants to take an initial view on how long the Set should remain in being. A minimum of 6 months seems necessary to give the opportunity for all participants to gain learn, take action and then be able to review the effectiveness of that action. Beyond this experience suggests that the vitality of the Set would be difficult to sustain beyond two years. • Frequency of meetings: It is important to diary meetings in advance and for participants to commit to making attendance their priority. Meetings need to be sufficiently frequent to sustain momentum but also allow enough time for participants to act and reflect upon their learning before coming back together – somewhere between 4 and 8 weeks is likely to be the optimum frequency • Duration of meetings: Effective Set meetings require a lot of energy from participants and it is desirable to have time to build in space for relaxation and re-charging and for review of processes and action. A full day is desirable. It is desirable that everyone gets the chance to present an issue and gain support and really a minimum of 30 minutes per participant is needed together with time for breaks, catch up, review and evaluation. This is likely to need a day for a Set of 8. If less time is available then it may be necessary to limit the number of presentations and have a rota for this.
7.Ground Rules The first task at the first meeting should be to establish some ground rules which everyone can and does fully commit to. Typically they will cover: • Confidentiality: The basic vital rule is that participants do not disclose the problems or statements of other participants outside the confines of the Set • No judgements: Contributions in discussions of problems presented need to be about challenge and support – not about approval or disapproval • Responsibility and openness: Participants should own and take responsibility for the issues they bring forward and be completely open in presenting them • Commitment: Participants make attending a priority and commit to follow the ground rules and other decisions mad by the Set on the processes to be followed including the time allowed for each participant to present issues
8.Processes which support effective Action Learning • General structure: Essentially meetings are structured around a series of presentations by participants of individual issues or problems which they are confronting at work. These need to be presented in such a way as to be fully comprehensible to other participants who will then discuss the issue, make suggestions for action and other ways of looking at the issue. The aim is for the presenter to come to their own conclusions and to end the session with a firm decision as to what action they will take next – this may be a final decision or a decision to look further at new possibilities raised as a result of the contributions by other participants. It is good practice to review the way each participant’s session went and the learning achieved. Likewise it is highly desirable to set aside time at the end of the meeting to review the way the Set’s processes have worked and whether any additional or amended ground rules are required • Establishing collaboration and energy: Because the success of Action Learning depends on the development of trust and collaboration it is important that Sets allow themselves time in meetings to reinforce this. This should include time at the beginning of meetings to “greet and catch up”. Likewise if trust and collaboration are to be sustained every participant needs to feel that they have had a fair share of the meetings. Sticking to agreed timetables is obviously important to this. But equally so is ensuring the set maintains its levels of energy and enthusiasm throughout the meeting – we all know that days have a rhythm and unless specific measures are taken individual participants can find themselves looking for support and challenge in a “down period” .Regular time out periods built into the agreed timetable and scrupulously adhered to will help to deal with this and provide reinforcement of trust and collaboration. • Securing a good environment: It is important for participants to be as relaxed as possible and secure against outside interference. The ideal is a location away from the work place of any participant but if not possible it is important to make it as private as possible and establish clear understandings both among participants and their colleagues outside the set that there are to be no interruptions (basic Set rules should normally include the turning off of mobiles). Realistically it has to be accepted that there can be emergencies requiring a participant’s attention – the best compromise is to specify that these can only be actioned during agreed breaks. • Effective Behaviours: • Visibly active listening • Constructive feedback • Challenge and support • Allow presenter to speak without interruption • Being prepared to admit need • Taking time to reflect • Honest reporting back of action and impact
9.Further Help Reading List: The Action Learning Handbook - Ian McGill, Anne Brockbank Action Learning: A Practitioner’s Guide – Ian McGill, Liz Beaty ABC of Action Learning – Reg Revans Optimizing the Power of Action Learning – Michael j. Marquardt