What is Action Learning?

We’ve been asked about this a lot lately, so here is a brief intro.

Action Learning involves a group of individuals getting together in a structured and reflective way (hosted by a facilitator) to explore their own solutions to their ideas, questions or issues.

It’s a bit like coaching, but in a group or set, and is called action learning as participants invariably have actions to be tried out or taken having met.

Action learning gives people the chance to step outside the pressures of their professional role and to view things from a different perspective. Working with a small group of others, you get the opportunity to raise, discuss and learn about any issue that is significant for you.

Through listening (really listening), questioning and sharing feedback, the group will challenge, support and assist the individual to identify their own solutions to take away and try out.

To help enable this, the group is guided by a skilled facilitator who has been trained in the action learning process.

So if you’ve got ideas, problems, issues or an interest in learning and reflection but no time to make it a priority, then action learning could be for you.

Action Learning Sets have been described as “user-led think tanks”, “a space for peer support and individual reflection”, and “…a kind of rehab for creatives”.

If you want to know more, there’s a short video here (made by the excellent School of Social Entrepreneurs, so when it says “business” but just think “freelance or professional life”) and some further info on action learning here.

In summary action learning allows a group of individuals to discuss and think proactively about the problems they face currently and find creative solutions to solve these problems. It also gives people the chance to step outside the pressures of their professional role and to view it from a different perspective.

If you want to explore more how action learning could benefit you, do get in touch.