Staff Development

Action Learning

Action learning was pioneered in the 1940s by Reg Revans. His background as a scientist enabled him to devise a new process for developing staff, called Action Learning, which recreated the benefits of the research laboratory where colleagues share and compare problems, ideas and solutions.

Contents of this section:

What is Action Learning?
How do Action Learning Sets work?
Why use Action Learning?
How are Action Learning Sets constructed?
What will happen in the Action Learning Set?
What types of questions should I ask the presenter?
Recommended Reading

What is Action Learning?

Action Learning is a group based activity focused on organisational and personal challenges. The process therefore starts by considering you, your organisation and your role in that organisation. It is about helping you in the achievement of work related goals and challenges and in the learning which can arise from such experiences. Indeed a key feature of the Action Learning approach is the high level of attention placed on the learning gained from the process of reflecting on the task, rather than simply focusing on task achievement.

By acting as a resource, the group can provide insights into an individual’s issue and through the process all members of the group gain further understanding about how to deal with personal and professional challenges. The process is normally based around a regular meeting between 6 – 8 people.
Revans argued that learning can be shown by the following equation, where L is learning; P is programmed knowledge (eg learned behaviours) and Q is questioning insight.

L = P + Q

Revans, along with many others who have used, researched and taught about this approach, argue that Action Learning is ideal for finding solutions to problems that do not have a 'right' answer because the necessary questioning insight can be facilitated by people learning with and from each other in action learning 'sets'.

How do Action Learning Sets work?

Groups meet with learning as a focus – but learning with a clear and immediate purpose such as problem solving or exploiting an opportunity
Focus is placed on each individual, one person at a time (so this is the exact opposite of a team meeting). This individual is sometimes called the ‘presenter’. The rest of the group add value by their very disinterest in the practical outcome. They are concerned to support the individual’s learning, mainly through questioning and are concerned only that the presenter has made a decision about what action they will take next and not what that decision is, as only the individual can know what is the best next step for them to take from the range of options considered.
The presenter describes their issue and their experience of that issue
The group supports the individual’s reflection – challenging assumptions, confirming the individual’s clarity of the desired outcome etc. This is normally a two stage process a) achieving clarity about the issue b) exploring options for action. It is not about giving advice!
It is a process that is best deployed in situations that have no single, clear answer, no puzzle that can be resolved or no solution that can be discovered. Often the issue is ultimately concerned with how we behave in a given environment.

Key words are empathy, questioning, silence and trust

Why use Action Learning?

Action Learning seeks to integrate professional and personal development, whilst at the same time ensuring that the needs of the participant’s organisation or unit are also met. This can be a difficult balance to achieve. Workshops and events can be useful in terms of providing information about particular techniques or approaches, and for discussion and clarification of those approaches. Action Learning is designed to complement this by enabling participants to reflect on real life organisational problems, gain feedback on alternative options and learn from reviewing approaches with colleagues in a ‘safe’ environment.

Action Learning also encourages the development of collaborative and supportive relationships and can help establish networks that often endure beyond the period of a particular programme.

How are Action Learning Sets constructed?

Each Set will consist of participants and a facilitator.

The role of the facilitator in the group is (among others) to:

ensure the process of group interaction is both supportive and challenging
help the group to crystallise learning points
support the group’s activities
address any potential imbalances between action and reviewing and between personal and organisational development
ensure fair ‘air’ time for all participants

A key role for facilitators is ensuring that the group gains maximum benefit from the process of Action Learning. It can also be useful to have someone available to deal with issues arising from the ‘ground rules’ set by the group.

The next list summarises some of the roles that can be fulfilled by Action Learning Set members. The group will support each other to:

think through/assess problems and issues as they relate to specific projects, roles or more personal concerns
challenge their underlying assumptions and to explore a wide range of options concerning particular issues that they have brought to the Set
use group members as a resource for learning about yourself, your style of managing and your strengths and weaknesses
learn about the processes and practices associated with working collaboratively

What will happen in the Action Learning Set?

You will be asked to explain the issue you have brought, the context etc
You may be asked questions by other set members seeking clarification. This process alone can be useful as processing the answer often stimulates us to think about our issue in a different way. This is an information giving and seeking phase.
Other set members will be invited to contribute. One key rule here is that the word ‘should’ cannot be used. A key principle is that it is generally more helpful to ask a question than it is to make a statement. Set members may be asked to draw from their experience of similar situations and offer advice. You will be asked to explore the options available to you.
You will be asked to reflect on what you have heard and the insights that you have had and what, as a result, you will take away from the Set and, where relevant, implement.
There is an expectation that you will report back at the next set meeting on the success or otherwise of the implementation and, more importantly, what you learned.

What types of questions should I ask the presenter?

Remember that, generally speaking, closed questions are unhelpful because they often result in yes/no answers and don’t promote thoughtfulness or insight. They can also be leading and stem from solutions thought of by the member asking the question. Therefore avoid questions that begin with: ‘Do you…?’, ‘Could you…?’, ‘Wouldn’t it…?’ (also could be construed as a leading question) etc.

Instead aim to use open questions that will encourage the presenter to think through an issue and the blocks that may be preventing them from moving forward on their issue. The following types of questions may be helpful:

‘What have you tried already…?’
‘How might that work…?’
‘What is stopping you?’
‘What opportunities could you be developing…?’
‘What could work if you put your mind to it?’
‘What issue, if faced, would make a substantial difference to the situation?’
‘What action could give you some quick wins?’
‘How helpful is this discussion?’
‘How can we best help you now?’
‘How ready are you to take the next step?’
‘What incentives do you have for pursuing this goal?’
‘What could you do to increase your commitment to the goal/action/issue?’
‘Which problem or opportunity has the biggest pay-off value?’
‘Which step should you take first?’