What is Action Learning and why do I need it?
Lisa Barry, Visiting Lecturer at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness shares how our new Action Learning Set programme can help your professional development.
Why Action Learning?
Action Learning is a dynamic approach to problem solving and social learning. Action Learning ‘Sets’ are formed through a group coming together to focus on real opportunities and challenges, working together through a process of insightful questioning, reflecting, and collaborative learning. I’m a big fan of this approach for many reasons – but particularly because of the philosophy that sits behind it. Reg Revans, who pioneered Action Learning, put it simply:
Those unable to change themselves cannot change what goes on around them.
Revans, R. (2011). ABC of action learning. Farnham: Gower
This is the crux of real and lasting learning and change. The process of seeing this happen through working with a group of peers is a real privilege.
Action learning can help individuals and their organisations
Action Learning promotes curiosity, reflection and collaborative learning. Participants can utilise group coaching approaches to develop:
- A coaching culture within leaders
- Individuals that generate solutions to their own challenges
- A network of peers in other organisations that often continue well beyond the end of a facilitated programme.
For organisations, their leaders and managers who participate in Action Learning are more likely to seize potential for creative solutions, with honed problem solving and questioning skills.
- Participants become more comfortable with constructive challenge
- Are more willing to engage with other’s ideas and perspectives
- Look for opportunities in developing a growth mindset for themselves and their teams.
Another helpful aspect of the Action Learning approach is the way it can produce unexpected sources of support and ideas, with the potential to bring together people from different disciplines, and that can bring real creativity and new perspectives by collaborative problem solving: enabling, for example, leaders from Finance and HR, or Marketing and Operations, or Governance and Communications to work on challenges together.
Being in an Action Learning Set is like having access to the brains and hearts of a team of peer experts who you know have your back and are in your corner.
Charity Sector Leader
My favourite thing about Action Learning?
Action Learning can bring immediate solutions to people in the moment – but it also promotes action and accountability, as Set members will come back to the group to review and share successes, failures and anything in between – all of which is great learning. It helps participants to develop coaching skills and realise the benefits of being curious and allowing others to experience ‘failure’ as well as success, and to see the opportunities this provides.
I’m so excited that CCE are offering the opportunity for charity heads to participate in Action Learning, and delighted to be involved in supporting it!
20 years of the Centre for Charity Effectiveness (CCE)
2024 marks 20 years since the formation of the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass). Since our founding we have been committed to empowering and supporting charitable organisations and current and future leaders. One of the ways we do that is through programmes like the Action Learning for Charity Heads programme.
Find out more information about the Action Learning for Charity Heads course starting May 16.