What is action learning

Action Learning is a method for individual and organisational development. Working in small groups, people tackle important organisational issues or problems and learn from their attempts to change things. Action Learning Sets bring people together to exchange, support and challenge each other in seeking to act and learn.

The small group gives each individual an opportunity to talk through in depth a work based issue or problem they are currently facing. Often talking through a particular situation with others and responding to well thought out questions, gives an individual new insights and approaches about how an issue or problem can be tackled. The role of each person in the Set is to help colleagues think through and find their own way forward, rather than provide ‘advice’.

The role of the facilitator is to help get the Set started, encourage people to share ideas and issues with each other, assist each member of the Set in their learning, and ensure that they are learning from each other. Some of the activities the facilitator will get involved in will include:

• helping Set members develop their questioning skills to confront issues constructively;
• ensuring a balance is maintained between challenge and support throughout the meeting’
• asking Set members what they have learnt, either from working through problems within the Set and highlighting learning points that emerge during the Set meeting;
• ensuring the Set is working effectively; and
• holding to the structure of the Set meeting, where each individual is given enough time to focus on their own needs rather than it deteriorating into a general discussion.

At the first meeting, the facilitator will ask Set members to introduce themselves, consider what issues they might want to explore within the Set and discuss some ground rules for working together. Suggested ground rules might include some or all of the following:

• confidentiality, - i.e. what needs to stay within the room and what can be shared outside the Set;
• be honest and open;
• listen to one another and don’t interrupt;
• respect one another’s viewpoint even though you may not agree;
• commit to attending and participating in each meeting to help maintain continuity and build trust within the Set; and
• punctuality.

Although all groups develop differently after the first meeting, the format of a typical Action Learning Set follows the pattern outlined below:

• catching up – each person shares what has happened since the last meeting
• agenda setting – members decide on the issues to be discussed and allocate the available time
• new issues and problems – members introduce new issues and others respond
• progress reports – each person takes it in turn to report progress since the last meeting and the problem as it is now
• review – a period at the end for feedback and discussion of the group process