Action Learning Set 3

8/10/2019 Action Learning Set 3

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Action Learning Set Handout

What is an Action Learning Set?

"continuous process of learning and reflection supported by colleagues, withan intention of getting things done."

McGill (1993)

In an action learning programme

Everyone works on a work-based project, or series of tasks.

!e "ro#p of people w!o join a pro"ra$$e learn to work in a constr#ctive and

effective way.

!e e$p!asis t!ro#"!o#t t!e pro"ra$$e is as $#c! on ac!ievin" visible

res#lts as on learnin" fro$ everyt!in" t!at takes place, wit!in ando#tside t!e set.

!here are si main elements of an action#learning programme

1. !he set #t!e s$all "ro#p of five or si% people w!o $eet re"#larly, ideallyonce a $ont! for a day, to work to"et!er in a s#pportive yet c!allen"in" way

&. !he $learning %ehicle$ #t!e work-foc#sed, real-ti$e projects or tasks t!ateac! person foc#ses on d#rin" t!e pro"ra$$e.

't $ay be !elpf#l to stress t!at t!ese s!o#ld be problems as opposed topuzzles(evans 19&). *e are dealin" wit!puzzlesw!en t!ere is a known+answer+ to o#r #estionin" and probin", only we don+t yet know it. robablyanot!er co#rse or so$e $ore readin" will "ive #s t!e sol#tion. y contrast,problemsare t!ose iss#es, c!allen"es, opport#nities w!ere t!ere is no oneanswer/ no one-way of doin" t!in"s, no one sol#tion. 't+s a #estion ofj#""lin" wit! insi"!ts, ideas, e%perience, and decidin" w!at is t!e +best+sol#tion in t!ese partic#lar circ#$stances.

3. !he processes the set adopts when wor&ing #eac! person !as t!eir own

+airspace+, in w!ic! to work on t!eir project/ t!e set $eanw!ile adopts a!elpf#l #estionin" approac! (no advice, and no "eneral disc#ssions).

0. A set ad%iser- w!o !elps t!e "ro#p as it works and learns.

. !he duration of a programme #nor$ally t!ree to si% $ont!s.

2. !he emphasis on learning # w!ic! e$er"es bot! fro$ workin" on t!eprojects and fro$ workin" in t!e set.


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WHA! HA''()S I) A S(! *((!I)+? WHA! A( !H( S(! '-(SS(S?

!ere are a n#$ber of f#nda$ental processes t!at occ#r and need to be observed(and so$e avoided) if t!e set is to "ain t!e real benefits of workin" wit! actionlearnin"

airspace - allowin" ti$e and space for everyone to work on t!eir project individ#al

recallin" and reportin" back, and workin" on t!e ne%t +p!ase+ or iss#e

askin" !elpf#l and c!allen"in" #estions - b#t not seekin" answers

listenin" +actively+

"ivin" feedback and s!arin" insi"!ts

foc#sin" on learnin" as $#c! as on action

reflectin" - and $aybe respondin"

allowin" ti$e and space for silences

not j#d"in" or "ivin" advice/ not tellin" anecdotes (#nless t!ey are !elpf#l)/ not

offerin" sol#tions

findin" a for$#la for s!arin" ideas.

AIS'A(

4irspace is t!e ti$e d#rin" w!ic! one participant, t!e proble$-presenter/ tells t!eot!er $e$bers w!ere !e or s!e !as "ot to since t!e last $eetin". !ey tell acontin#ation of a +story+ w!ic! ot!er $e$bers "et to know well, and beco$e involvedin.!e val#e of action learnin" is t!at t!is airspace "ives yo# an opport#nity to foc#s on

yo#r story/ and not j#st a !istory of a series of events

yo#r e%periences, and not j#st facts and fi"#res

yo#r anecdotes, and not j#st a pro"ression of events

w!at yo# felt like, and not j#st w!at was !appenin"

yo#r $etap!ors (to !elp yo# #nderstand), and not j#st t!e facts.

'n ot!er words, t!e proble$-presenter is in c!ar"e of !is or !er own airspace. 5o$e#sef#l state$ents for a proble$-presenter incl#de

+'+d like to e%plore ...+'+$ wonderin" w!et!er...+'+$ not s#re if ...++'+$ #ncertain abo#t...++' can+t decide w!et!er ...++'+$ p#66led by...+

+'+$ conf#sed by ...+


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/(I)+ A) (00(!I1( S(! *(*/(

'n a #sef#l article, 4ction learnin" eflections on beco$in" a set $e$ber+, eaty,o#rner and 7rost (1993) describe !ow to be an effective set $e$ber.

8elpf#l be!avio#r by set $e$bers incl#des

listenin" and attendin" learnin" not to interr#pt

conveyin" interest and e$pat!y

bein" s#pportive

c!allen"in"

askin" !elpf#l #estions

bein" clear t!at w!at t!ey are abo#t to sayaskin" and considerin" w!et!er it is

!elpf#l to t!e presenter

providin" infor$ation w!ere re#ired

offerin" insi"!ts and ideas (at t!e ri"!t ti$e and in t!e ri"!t way).

8elpf#l be!avio#r by proble$-presenters incl#des

preparin" for $eetin"s

bein" clear in t!eir own $ind abo#t w!at t!ey want to ac!ieve fro$ t!eir

airspace, and w!at t!ey will do to ens#re t!is, as well as w!at t!ey will ask of t!eset

str#ct#rin" t!eir ti$e

tellin" t!e set w!at t!ey want, and pointin" o#t to t!e set w!at isn+t !elpf#l.

2S( -0 LA)+2A+(

:o# $ay find it $ore #sef#l wit!in t!e set to consider aspects of lan"#a"e t!at !elpclarify and e$power for e%a$ple t!e #se of ;';

#sin" +'+ wit! t!e active for$ of a verb, rat!er t!an t!e passive of t!e verb - +' sent

$y report late+, acknowled"in" responsibility, in contrast wit! t!e passivity of +Myreport arrived late.+

s#bstit#te +'+ for +yo#+ or t!e #bi#ito#s +one+ - sayin" +' often feel ...+ as opposed to

+


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AS3I)+ H(L'02L A)4 HALL()+I)+ 52(S!I-)S

8elpf#l and c!allen"in" #estions are t!e key to workin" in a set. y askin"#estions, we !and responsibility back to t!e +proble$-owner+. #t t!eir ai$ is notnecessarily nor always, to elicit answers. 5o$eti$es t!eir ai$ is rat!er to !elp t!epresenter to t!ink, reflect, and $aybe respond. 4nd #estions need to be asked int!e ri"!t spirit - not a""ressively.

Most participants find t!at it is !elpf#l if t!e #estioners preface t!eir #estions wit!an indication of w!at t!ey are after

to clarify- +4re yo# sayin" t!at...>+

to try to understand- +?o#ld yo# e%plain so-and-so a bit $ore...>+

to follow through a train of thought # +:o# said a $o$ent a"o t!at .. 'f t!at+s t!e

case, w!at wo#ld !appen if...>+

to mirror- +5o w!at yo#+re sayin" is...>+

to open up new a%enues- +8ave yo# e%plored t!o#"!t of...>+ or +*o#ld ... be of

any !elp>+

to challenge - +*!at do yo# feel $ost #nco$fortable abo#t>+ or +*!at do yo# feel

$ost c!allen"ed by>+

to elicit honesty- +@o yo# feel yo#+re $akin" any i$pact - and if not, w!at can

yo# do abo#t it>+

to unpeel layers, to dig deeper- +4nd t!en w!at !appened...>+

to chec& out- +4re we askin" !elpf#l #estions>+ or +*!at !aven+t we !elped yo#

wit! yet>+

; and ;8ow did s!e respond>;, or w!en ' told of an e%c!an"e we+d !ad, ;8owwo#ld yo# feel if s!e !ad said t!at to yo#>;, and so on. A#estions like t!ese e%poseyo# to a different level of t!inkin", a different slant alto"et!er.+

W-3I)+ WI!H 52(S!I-)S

4skin" #estions, as $any discovered, is not t!at easy +'+d never reali6ed !owdiffic#lt it is to for$#late really !elpf#l #estions.+ +!e secret is to "et people talkin",so sayin" ;' don+t #nderstand;, ;ell $e $ore; or ;:o# see$ to be "lossin" over...enco#ra"es t!e$ to say $ore.+


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+- +*!at wo#ld !appen if yo#...>+

reflective #estions ($irror back w!at presenter see$s to be sayin")

- +5o yo#+re sayin"...>+- +:o# see$...>+- *!at+s at t!e back of yo#r $ind>+

+idea+ #estions (wit!o#t spellin" o#t t!e detailsD)

- +*o#ld ... be of any #se>+- +8ave yo# t!o#"!t of...>+

project-foc#sed #estions

- +*!at proble$s does t!at ca#se>+- +'n w!at way is t!at a proble$>+- *!at isn+t !appenin" now>+- +*!at do yo# want to be different>+- +8ow wo#ld yo# like = to respond>+- +8ow do t!ink t!at : needs to be c!an"edaltered>+

- +*!at wo#ld yo# like to do - ideally>+- +8ow do yo# feel abo#t t!at>+- +*!o !ave yo# cons#ltedtalked to>+- +*!o else $i"!t yo# talk to>+- +8ow does t!e ot!er persondepart$ent see t!e iss#e>+- +8ow will yo# "o abo#t it>+- +'n w!at way will t!at !elp>+- +*!o else can yo# involve"et to back yo#>+

feelin"s-foc#sed #estions

- +8ow are yo# feelin" abo#t t!is>+

- +@o yo# feel confident>+- +*!at worries yo# $ost>+- +*!at e%cites yo# $ost>+- +4re yo# bein" !onest wit! yo#rself>+

#estions abo#t t!e set+s processes

- +*!at else wo#ld yo# find !elpf#l>+- +8ow can we !elp yo#>+- +4re we "ettin" away fro$ yo#r #estion>+- +4re we bein" !elpf#l>+- +*!at are we doin" !ere, now>+- +*!at are we doin" at t!e $o$ent>+

- +*!y !aven+t we tackled ..>+- +*!at !ave we learnt>+

't can also !e #sef#l to #s state$ents e%pressin" feelin"s, s#c! as +' feel#nco$fortableconf#sedan"ry!elplessness.+(adapted fro$ 4ction earnin", F. *einstein, 199)

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Action Learning Set 3