Action Learning: What can action learning do for you?

Action Learning is a process underpinned by a belief in individual potential, learning from our actions. To take time to question and reflect to gain insights.

What’s special about it?

  • Learning is about doing something different
  • It focuses on the doing
  • With others
  • Who is it for? Everyone at a similar level

 When?

  • As a way of improving your practice (be it managing or coaching)
  • When organisations merge
  • As part of a course of study
  • When a group completes a course of study
  • When people have a shared need
  • As a development process follow up on courses
  • To manage and cope with change
  • To provide opportunities to network.

Be Benefits of an Action Learning set

  • Provides tangible improvements for your business and yourself
  • Provides an independent and honest evaluation of you
  • Deals with your real-life issues
  • Encourages enlightened decision making
  • Honest advice and feedback provided by fellow participants
  • Provides a peer-group network
  • Safety and mutual advantage
  • Broadens horizons.

Learning (L) occurs through programmed knowledge (P) and insightful questioning (Q).

What is Action Learning?

Action Learning is a method of problem solving which offers scope for personal development and learning. Each individual prepares for taking action on the job and at the same time learns about her/his self.

Action learning group members also learn from helping each other, gaining greater skills in listening, questioning, diagnosing, coaching role playing and creative problem solving.

Initially the action learning sets are facilitated by an external process guide who enables the set to create its own agenda, agree its own ground rules and introduce the way in which the set will work.

Most sets meet for a series of meetings where each person has an allocated time to present their issue to the others and receive suggestions for ways of solving the problem or other alternative approaches.

Using experience and focused reflection enables the participants to solve real problems.

Active and Action Learning

 “People who manage their own learning and development tend to make better leaders and managers in a constantly changing business environment”

Revan’s Action Learning Cycle

Revan’s Action Learning Cycle

Revan’s Action Learning Cycle

Thinking things through:

What went right/wrong?
What knowledge did you apply to the situation?
What aspects of the situation would you have dealt with differently with hindsight?
Was this situation routine?
Was this situation a crisis?
Where did the event take place; would it have made any difference if it had happened at a different time?
When did the situation take place; would it have made any difference if it had happened at a different time?
Who created this situation; who else was involved?

Inner Experimental Cycle

Inner Experimental Cycle

Six stages of how an action learning set works:

  1. Connecting – Hello
  2. Nurturing – How are you?
  3. Energising – Sharing a key event
  4. Working – Discussing & Presenting
  5. Rewarding – Listening
  6. Taking leave – Goodbye & Action Setting & Reflecting