Action learning

4/7/2019

An opportunity to receive questions.

‘Swap your difficulties, not your cleverness.’ (Reg Revans)

You may have heard of Action Learning – a powerful tool used in organisations and between peers to learn in the context of action, and act in the context of learning. It typically involves one person presenting an issue, and then receiving critical questions from peers that enable them to think it through for themselves and reach their own solutions. In this sense, we could think of a conventional Action Learning process as a group-team of individuals providing coaching-consultancy to an individual.

I saw this idea turned on its head on a trip to Africa. An organisation was grappling with key strategic issues and invited leaders and professionals to form Action Learning sets to address them. Instead of one person presenting, however, the groups first spent time clarifying and crystallising their own issues. They then asked of themselves and each other: What are the critical questions that, if we could answer them, would provide us with strategic options? They finished by reaching agreement on solutions.

It’s the first time I had seen Action Learning used as a collective venture in this way. It was a a shared, relational process of inquiry, ownership and problem-solving wherein the group itself functioned simultaneously as both client and coach-consultant. I have seen similar patterns of approach used in Asia since. What strikes me is that this isn’t just a different, novel methodology or technique. It’s the product of a deep cultural mindset, belief and stance that sees, values and places the group first.

In my experience, there are corresponding benefits and risks to working in these different ways. An individual-orientation can develop personal insight, awareness and autonomy yet may lack ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ strength and cohesion in addressing change. A group-orientation, on the other hand, can bring the latter advantages to bear, yet faces its own risks including social loafing, conflict-avoidance or group-think. I’m curious, therefore: what have been your experiences of Action Learning?

52 Comments

Patrick Trottier

4/7/2019 01:11:43 pm

Hi Nick - Action Learning
This process and approach is critical to 'emergent learning' so as to do exactly what it says such does 'to think it through for themselves and reach their own solutions'... this is what was used in my graduate school in the 70s. I use such with clients in individual and group facilitated sessions to manifest 'emergent learning' .

Such is really the Socratic Method; The Socratic method, also known as method of Elenchus, elenctic method, or Socratic debate, is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions'.

Such as been around since 470 – 399 BC...nothing new - just re-named and marketed. Great way to learn diverse perspectives and, through the process of emergence, form novel thought patterns.

The problem nowdays is 'the dumb phones' where kids are dumbed-down, beguiled, and tranced by technology that stimulates a drug addiction in the brain through a neuro release - dopamine - which has been compared to the addiction stimulation of heroine, and kids are then not stimulated by their own thinking...
Anyway -who needs to think in the age of 'Twitters'... lol

Nick Wright

4/7/2019 01:18:17 pm

Hi Patrick. Yes, Action Learning can be a great way to enable emergent learning, double/triple-loop learning, critical thinking/reflexivity/reflective practice etc in the midst and context of problem-solving. I like your phrase, 'cooperative argumentative dialogue'. I find it useful that Action Learning has its own clear and rigorous process that holds the focus on the individual and avoids drifting into group debate. I found it interesting, therefore, to observe processes in Africa and Asia in which the 'individual' is the group.

5/7/2019 10:50:07 am

Hi again Nick. You stated: "I found it interesting, therefore, to observe processes in Africa and Asia in which the 'individual' is the group."
Please state more about this. In working with different cultures, many treat 'the self' as a continuation of their ' for-bearers', and the stories passed on through the ages. Is this part of your experience?

5/7/2019 11:11:08 am

Hi Patrick. Good question. In my experiences of Action Learning in Western cultural contexts, the focus of the group is on the individual who is presenting. While that individual is presenting, receiving questions etc, we could consider her or him as the 'client' of the group. In the African and Asian contexts I referred to, the focus of the group was on the group, as if the group itself was the 'client'.

I found your comment about, 'the self' as a continuation of their 'for-bearers', and the stories passed on through the ages' intriguing. It isn't a dimension I had considered...but it does open up fascinating possibilities in terms of who the group considers to be involved in the Action Learning process and how; including how they might draw on the questions and wisdom held by their forebearers.

(I'm aware here that I risk making huge generalisations about different cultures. I don't think cultures are as simple, uniform, distinctive or clearly-defined as it could sound here. However, I have noticed some differences based on personal experiences and that's what I am alluding to for the purpose of opening the conversation..!)

Dave Smith

4/7/2019 01:20:10 pm

I provide "action learning" of a slightly different ilk: I don't just present information to the students but try to draw ideas out from them.

Having them participate keeps them engaged and alert, but similarly there's always someone with useful information they can share with the group - I'm not the expert here, others can contribute.

Similarly I try to introduce new concepts by storyboarding a common problem or scenario then present the concept as a solution - or one, at least - and question what they'd do in that situation: is this the only approach? What are the benefits of that approach? What would the consequences be? When would be an appropriate time to utilise that approach compared to others? (etc).

The more "active" the session is, the greater the learning experience. Presenting and demonstrating to a silent audience is NOT training!

4/7/2019 01:27:35 pm

Hi Dave. It sounds like you use a stimulating, evocative/provocative approach to training that calls for active participation rather than passive reception. Posing problems and solutions and engaging participants in questioning, challenging and resolving them can be a great way to stimulate reflective thinking, ownership and innovation.

4/7/2019 02:36:47 pm

It also cements the theory that there's no "one-size-fits-all", that there's recommended approaches for the majority situation but there's also exceptions in which the recommended approach may not be suitable - but people need to realise and recognise these edge cases.

But you're right in that I want the training to raise questions, not provide solutions - I want students to leave courses enlightened and informed, but also confident in coping with new situations that they'll face.

4/7/2019 02:39:35 pm

Thanks Dave. Enlightened, informed, confident...and we could add e.g. resourceful, empowered, skilful...

Paul Duncan

4/7/2019 02:32:23 pm

Hi Nick my experience has been excellent. Well worth getting certified as an Action Learning coach.

4/7/2019 02:35:18 pm

Thanks Paul. That's great. Are you a certified Action Learning coach? If so, who did you do your certification with? I can recommend Action Learning Associates in the UK (https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/) who offer Action Learning facilitator training and accreditation via ILM.

4/7/2019 02:45:30 pm

Yes I am a certified Action learning coach. As an organisation we had 20 people go through the training, which was delivered by Micheal Marquardt and Bea Carson.

4/7/2019 02:48:23 pm

Hi Paul. That sounds interesting. Would you be willing to share a bit more about what the action learning process you use looks like in practice and, perhaps, what you have discovered/learned by using it?

4/7/2019 08:55:01 pm

I think one of the major surprises is the different responses to the “what is the question we are answering?” And the group realised that everyone sees the problem completely differently to one another.
I’ve found MPAL’s a fun way to teach the AL process.

4/7/2019 08:58:31 pm

Thanks Paul. 'What is the question we are answering?' is such a great question, not just in Action Learning but in all kinds of other meetings too!

Darlene Schindel

4/7/2019 08:59:46 pm

I am big supporter and user of using a brain based approach. As developed and taught by Dr Ellen Weber, using interactive round tables for innovative insights with the brain in mind is a game changer!

Roundtable goals include:
* ensuring all participants speak up and feel heard
* Welcoming people of diverse backgrounds
* valuing all responses
* identifying concrete takeaways to engage after
* building a culture of curiosity at Roundtable
* lead with a brain tip and then pose the question
* articulate a concrete takeaway at the end

Checkout https://brainleadersandlearners.com

4/7/2019 09:08:43 pm

Hi Darlene. Thanks for sharing the link and goals. I particularly like the statement, 'Build a culture of curiosity'. That strikes me as a core psychological and relational condition for effective group inquiry, particularly in the context of diversity.

Jennifer Nisbet

4/7/2019 09:10:29 pm

I really love using action learning and find it particularly effective within organisational groups. Some of the books I have read on its use suggest that it can be self-facilitated, but I have found that it requires facilitation for the purposes of timekeeping, sticking to topic, and in particular for deciding upon actions.

4/7/2019 09:17:03 pm

Hi Jennifer. I think that's a good point. Although I have seen examples of self-facilitated Action Learning sets that have succeeded, I have seem more examples where the set has lost its focus (e.g. turning into a discussion group instead) or lost its momentum and dissipated. I think this points to the importance of effective contracting with and between set members (and, at time, other key stakeholders such as set sponsors) from the outset, particularly in relation to the set's purpose and relative priority.

Sarah Wolfenden

4/7/2019 09:18:17 pm

I like Action Learning Sets. They can be chaotic if you're not careful with boundaries; however, they can also be very powerful.

4/7/2019 09:19:01 pm

Hi Sarah. Intriguing! Can you say a bit more about 'chaotic' and 'boundaries'?

5/7/2019 11:13:19 am

If people aren't familiar with coaching questions they can be desperate to give advice which then prevents them from listening properly. Time boundaries and the chance near the end for the person at the centre of the learning set to ask questions can really help. This article, written by @jowalley might be useful. I have a small case study in it regarding my experience of them at AdvanceHE's Aurora programme.
https://cilip.pagelizard.co.uk/webviewer/#cilipupdatemay2017/using_action_learning_sets_to_support_professional_development

5/7/2019 11:20:01 am

Thanks Sarah. Yes, that resonates with my experience too where (a) advice is offered instead of high quality questions and/or (b) the 'coaches' bombard the presenter with too many questions from all sorts of different angles - like popcorn! I think this is where high quality set facilitation is so important and useful. I like the introductory article you shared - thank you for the link.

5/7/2019 11:57:30 am

Yes! Everyone tries to get 'their' question in!

5/7/2019 12:01:07 pm

Hi Sarah. Yes, I have to hold my hand up - Been there, done that! I remember the first time I took part in an action learning set as a student on a masters' programme. We were being assessed on our ability to pose good coaching questions and so that drove me/us to focus more on our own questions than on what the 'client' found beneficial. It took a while to learn the discipline of focusing on the client rather than on ourselves and to pose questions in a more intuitive, coordinated and, therefore, helpful fashion.

E.G.Sebastian - CPC, CSL

4/7/2019 09:20:43 pm

Hmm.... my friend, Nick, I'm embarrassed (WHERE IS MY DARN EMBARRASSED EMOJI!!!???? - darn PCs don't allow emojis in discussions; but allow it in chat - strange).

I've been presenting Critical Thinking workshops (usually 2 full-day workshops) for about a decade, and I've never heard of this....

THANKS for bringing it to my/our attention. I'll definitely look into it (as well as do some research on critical thinking, see what else I'm behind with :) )

4/7/2019 09:26:56 pm

Hi E.G. Good to hear from you! :) If of interest, you can see a good intro to Action Learning at:

https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/action-learning/reg-revans/

I'd love to hear more about your Critical Thinking workshops. Any tips you would be willing to share here?

5/7/2019 11:29:35 am

Thanks, Nick! So these are actually some seasoned, proven, and tested concepts... not some new concepts that I missed noticing. I watched the video - I'll read the content too in a few...

5/7/2019 11:53:12 am

😀

Christine Milicich

5/7/2019 11:08:13 am

I say work with the here and now.

5/7/2019 11:08:34 am

Hi Christine. Can you say more..?

Steve Merrill, Ed.D

5/7/2019 11:21:20 am

I have never heard of this type learning, but it seems to be a wonderful approach. Action learning has similarities to the counseling approach called Motivational Interviewing (MI), with which I am familiar. I use this approach in business settings.

The spirit of MI has four components: partnership (everyone is equal) acceptance (no judging) compassion (I have your back and want to help) and evoking(rich, thoughtful questions). When practiced, these four components improve & solidify working relationships.

The evoking component distills out the motivation, ideas, experience, etc. a person has and helps them reflect on the issue.

Thank you for your article. Excellent information.

5/7/2019 11:26:51 am

Thanks Steve. This short introductory article, shared by Sarah (above), could be worth glancing at: https://cilip.pagelizard.co.uk/webviewer/#cilipupdatemay2017/using_action_learning_sets_to_support_professional_development

That's an interesting pointer towards MI. I can see how insights and ideas from MI could be useful in an Action Learning set, especially if the client can see what they need to do to effect change, yet lacks the energy, motivation and drive to do it.

Gilmore Crosby

5/7/2019 02:46:17 pm

What you saw in Africa was Action Research, invented by Kurt Lewin. Action Learning sounds like a derivative of Action Research.

5/7/2019 02:47:54 pm

Hi Gilmore. Now there are a couple of very debatable points! I found this short piece interesting on this topic: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308494322_Action_learning_and_action_research_revisiting_similarities_differences_complementarities_and_whether_it_matters

Emma Louise Dalton

6/7/2019 10:17:55 am

We use action learning to assist staff in how to react and respond to situations they may be paced in when working in veterinary practice. It is well received and delegates say it’s very useful to gain everyone’s thoughts and ideas.

6/7/2019 10:19:38 am

Hi Emma. That sounds like an interesting variation of Action Learning. Can you say a bit more about how it works in practice - who does what etc?

6/7/2019 08:50:59 pm

We do face to face training sessions and ask people to tell us a challenging/ difficult situation that they have faced that they didn’t know how to deal with or dealt with it badly. They give us a brief overview of what it was and then all the delegates discuss how they would have handled it offering different ideas and then the delegate who’s scenario gets the chance to try out new ideas on the trainer.

6/7/2019 08:56:30 pm

Hi Emma. That sounds like a fascinating training idea! I have used something similar in triads. In the first round, one person presents an issue, a second coaches that person and a third observes. In the second round, the second and third people discuss what they have heard while the first person (presenter) listens. In the third round, the third person coaches the first person (presenter) while the second observes. It finishes with the second and third people offering any final suggestions and the first person (presenter) feeding back their key learnings and what actions they have decided to take.

Neill Hahn

6/7/2019 08:44:20 pm

I have never seen Action Learning in practice, which is a pity. I would love to see group action that leads toward sensibly considered outcomes, instead of just finding the most popular idea (which isn't always the most sensible, as parliaments prove daily) so I hope it catches on.

6/7/2019 08:47:49 pm

Hi Neill. Yes, I have seen Action Learning achieve radical shifts in perspective, motivation and action. It calls for high degrees of trust, curiosity, challenge and support.

Ash Smith

8/7/2019 08:54:46 pm

Although I had read the phrase "action learning", I wasn't aware of its specific implementation until reading your piece (well explained by the way). From reading it, I would suggest that like all coaching methodologies/systems a blend of the approaches would probably be optimal, nuanced according to the specific situation. When I was coaching elite athletes I would frequently flex between experiential and directive coaching styles and much like in the action learning example, ultimately the key is recognising when one benefits more than the other.

8/7/2019 08:59:51 pm

Thanks Ash. It sounds like you have an interesting background in coaching elite athletes..! I'm often pragmatic in my practice, contracting with a client in relation to: 'What would be most beneficial for this client in this situation at this time?' If we have different approaches at our disposal, it can create a greater range of choices and experiences for the client. I would be interested to hear more about what you describe as 'experiential' and 'directive' coaching styles. Can you say a bit more, perhaps with examples to illustrate each?

John Heywood

9/7/2019 11:43:19 am

Hi Nick, Many thanks for your article. My main area of work is Action Learning and I've worked with groups from about 35 countries and I am convinced that the AL process transcends national, cultural and functional boundaries. You could try posting your question on the International Foundation for Action Learning LinkedIn group (if you haven't already). We have many members who will have experience of using AL to work on organisational challenges. Revans specified success criteria for AL programs at organisational level, which I can share with you if you haven't seen them. You can contact me through admin@ifal.org.uk. You probably know this already but generally the key elements for AL programs include: a problem owner, a real and complex problem, challenge, or opportunity; a small and diverse group of committed people, usually 5-8; the skills of insightful questioning and active listening; commitment and accountability for taking action; commitment to learning; and, though Revans thought this wasn't necessary, a facilitator or learning coach. Good luck on your Action Learning journey!

9/7/2019 11:58:08 am

Thanks John. That's an impressive range of international Action Learning experience! I too have worked with quite a number of international groups and, like with coaching, I have found that Action Learning can be used effectively with participants from different cultures and backgrounds.

Having said that, I have found that Action Learning (again, like coaching) is at its best when it takes into account cultural nuances (e.g. vis a vis age, gender, individual autonomy, functional hierarchy etc), which is one reason why I found variations in Africa and Asia so intriguing.

Thanks for the mention of the LinkedIn group - I will look it up!

In case of interest, here are 3 short pieces I wrote on cross-cultural coaching that can be useful for Action Learning sets and facilitators too. They received some fascinating responses! I'd be interested to hear if they resonate with any of your experiences too?

*Cross-cultural coaching: http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/cross-cultural-coaching

*Crossing cultures: http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/crossing-cultures

*Spotlight: http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/spotlight

9/7/2019 11:59:12 am

Nick, Forgot to mention... there is a journal called Action Learning Research and Practice, which is an excellent resource for all things Action Learning. Members of IFAL benefit from a significant reduction on the cost of the journal. Best wishes. John.

9/7/2019 12:04:02 pm

Thanks John. Yes, I had an article published in Action Learning Research & Practice journal some 15 years ago! Some of my ideas have moved on since then. In case of interest, here's the link:

*Action Learning in Action: http://www.nick-wright.com/action-learning-in-action.html

9/7/2019 01:46:36 pm

Thanks for the links Nick. I particularly like the questions you pose when western-centric norms don't work.

9/7/2019 01:47:03 pm

Thanks John. It's an on-going learning journey for me!

Andry Anastasiou

10/7/2019 02:37:49 pm

I really enjoy facilitating action learning. I worked on a London Cross borough group with early years practitioners. One of the unintended outcomes was to create a stronger network between practitioners. I like the approach you’ve described Nick. Thanks for sharing.

10/7/2019 02:39:36 pm

Thanks Andry. Yes, creating awareness, understanding and relationships between practitioners can be a great side-benefit of Action Learning sets.

Peter Robson

10/7/2019 02:40:59 pm

Really fascinating approach Nick, I have seen and heard of this. I am a proponent of AL having joined a group of independent leaders from a broad background. We have now been going as a set for 5 years, meeting 5 - 6 times a year. The change in people over the time has been extraordinary and the approach to tacking some really challenging situations has for all us changed due to the stretch the group brings out in us all. Thanks for sharing.

10/7/2019 02:44:47 pm

Thanks Peter. Great to hear from you. I would be fascinated to hear more about what effects you noticed as a result of changes in the participant group, as well as what your changes in approach were. Would you be willing to say a bit more..?

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