Fundamental to successful action learning are the values of honesty with one’s self and with others, respect for others and their viewpoints, trying to understand, rather than judge them, and accepting responsibility for what one does. Without them, there is little real achievement (although there may be results), and certainly no learning.
Action learning involves a group of people who work together on their ‘doing’ and their ‘learning’; and it requires regular and rigorous meetings of the group, to allow space and time for the questioning, understanding and reflecting.
So, when applied at work, action learning means working and learning simultaneously. Participants focus on work-based issues, problems and questions, which could be their own managerial and personal development, team-working or managing their staff, consulting, managing change, or any other issue, challenge, dilemma or situation where there is no one solution but a range of possibilities.
This evening's session will introduce the principles and structure of Action Learning, and there will be time to run one practice “set” in groups of 5 or 6, in which one person in each group will get a chance to explore a current problem or issue with the help of the others.
Helen Nicolson is an experienced freelance trainer, facilitator and mediator. Her goal is to facilitate excellent, heartfelt communication through supporting the development of skills in good listening, clear writing, negotiation, and managing conflict. In her training workshops she aims to create a relaxed and unstressed environment for participants to share experiences from their own lives, as a basis for learning and practising new skills. She also offers coaching, particularly for writers. She is on the bank of action learning facilitators for the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action.
