Developing skills of action learning facilitators

ABSTRACT

This Account of Practice concerns a short training programme for action learning facilitators, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The programme is run on action learning principles and it involves participants working as an action learning set, taking turns to act as facilitators, set members, and issue holders, and reflecting on the processes they experience and the learning they are gaining. They are supported by two experienced action learning facilitators. The paper explains how these learning processes are structured and enabled, and also shares examples of the models that are used to help participants understand how best to learn through engaging in new experiences and to support the development of the fundamental facilitation skills of listening and asking questions.

KEYWORDS:

• Action learning facilitation
• training facilitators
• facilitation skills
• action learning skills

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fiona Scrase

Fiona Scrase was introduced to action learning in 2000 when working in a local authority as a Learning and Development specialist. Since then has designed and facilitated action learning programmes for a variety of clients ranging from drug and alcohol support workers, business owners to air scientists and senior leaders in various sectors. She is a Principal Consultant at the Action Learning Centre (ALC) Limited which she co-founded in 2013 where she delivers facilitator training and continues to work with action learning. Her interest outside of work lies in organic vegetable gardening.

George Boak

George Boak has worked on aspects of individual and organizational development for over 30 years, with managers and professionals from a wide range of private sector companies and public sector organizations. He is particularly interested in how change can be brought about in complex organisations. He is an associate professor in leadership and innovation at York St John University, where he is a core member of the team delivering York Business School’s suite of executive MBA programmes. [email protected]