Effective Action
Learning
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.
What is action learning?
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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.
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
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
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Principles and components of
Action Learning:
Support and challenge
 Active Listening
 Reflection
 Open Questioning; who, what, why, when,
where, how
 Feedback (giving and receiving)
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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
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To help the presenter to explore the issue
and agree an action plan
USE
AVOID
open questioning
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giving advice
empathetic listening
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leading questions
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‘that happened to me’
imposing personal
values
being judgmental
criticism
trivialising issue
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Some useful questions
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How do you feel about that
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What were you trying to achieve
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What does that mean
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What I hear you saying is…
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In other words….
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Let me understand what was going on for you
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Do you mean?
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Listening to what you have said, I wonder if…..
Suggested Ground Rules
Confidentiality
 attendance
 air space
 don’t interrupt
 respect everyone as an individual
 Mobile phones off/silent?
 Any others?
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Action Learning allows individuals to:
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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.
A Note of Caution!
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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
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Enthusiasm
Committed to process
Achievement and results
Constructive review
Verbal acceptance
Light dawns
Expectations
Confusion & doubt
Anger and incredulity
Rejection contemplated
Emotional!
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For participants
For facilitator
Change is an
emotional activity
Summary : The Main elements
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The individual - who voluntarily joins the group
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The set - a group of 5/6 people who meet regularly
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The issue or problem - each person brings that they want to work on
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The processes - the challenge, support
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The facilitator - who helps the group as it works and learns
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The outcome - action and learning
Revans 1991
What happens during an action
learning set?
Time
Beginning
Middle
End
The
Presenter’s
Role
Describing
The
Supporter’s
Role
Observing
Listening
Exploring
Questioning
Listening
Thinking
Exploring future
actions
Questioning
Challenging
Reflecting back
Offering ideas
Asking what if ?
Challenging
presenter to find
action points
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
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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
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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
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Group Work - Preparation
Before set meeting – lead up
 On the day
 During the set meeting
 After the set meeting
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Action Learning
 Any
questions?