Action learning is a well-established process by which individuals can learn with and from each other in a group setting. Originally devised by Reg Revans over 30 years ago, it has flourished as a way in which individuals can receive the support of others in dealing with challenging situations and opportunities to which there are no clear-cut solutions.

We have taken the original ideas of Revans and added a Solution Focussed approach, developed by Harry Norman, called “Reflective Teams”. We find this to be particularly effective

Action Learning can be used in the following ways:

• Progress and solve and problems
• Project review
• Team meetings, where teams work in separate areas
• Case reviews
• Supervision
• As part of management and leadership development programmes
• As support to managers during change and transition

Group Size

An optimum group is between five and eight in size.

Frequency of meeting

This varies from every 4 weeks, which is quite intense, to 6, 8 or 12 weeks. The commitment of the group to a minimum number of sessions will be explored within your set, It is usual for a set to commit to at least 4 sessions, initially.

Facilitation

A trained facilitator will lead the group. As the group develops it may want to move the facilitation around the group in order to develop the skill and allow the external facilitator to leave and for the group to continue without them. This is our objective in working with you – to create self-sustaining learning sets.

Ground Rules

As with the other types of workshop, an agreed set of groundrules is essential for the healthy running of the group. These will need to include such things as timings, protocols on late arrival and early departure, notice of cancellation or postponement, behavioural guidelines, confidentiality, the nature of issues that can be brought to the group. We will be discussing these at the meeting of the first set.

Process

The session usually begins with a brief check-in by group members to register them present. We will agree the ground rules for the session. Each member of the group is then invited to bid for the space within the session, and agreement reached over which member and in which order will take space and for how long. Members then adopt one of three roles: issue holder, set member and set facilitator. The 'issue holder' is invited to present their issue and the group works with it, employing questions to help the problem owner explore the issue. A typical set might run as follows:

• Individual check-in (2-3 minutes from each set member, summarising what's happened for them since the last set meeting) (20 min)
• Check-in with individuals who "worked" at the last set to debrief progress on issues since last time and the learning to be gained from that. (20 min)
• Bid for space, determining who wishes to work on this occasion (10 min)
• Process time - 3 sessions of 45 min with break of 10 min (145 min)
• Review of set process, and ending of set (up to 15 minutes)

With 6 - 8 set members, this model will allow individuals to work every other session as a minimum.

Process Time

The traditional Revans model of action learning is as follows:

• The issue holder introduces their issue (5 min)
• The facilitator contracts with the individual as to what exactly they need from this and re-contracts for the time.
• The group are then invited to offer supportive questions to the problem owner to help them explore the issue. (The offer of solutions, advice or 'anecdoting' is not allowed in this phase.) (30 min)
• The problem owner is then invited to reflect upon their expanded understanding of the issue and commit to any appropriate action to move forward. (5 min)
• The group then process its reaction to the issues, with individuals reflecting how they have resonated with the issue and what was noticed about the process within the group.

The set concludes with a review of the whole experience - say 5-10 minutes and contracts for the next date.