This course is designed for people who have heard of, or experienced Action Learning, and want to learn how to set up and facilitate an Action Learning group. This course will help participants to develop confidence in their own team coaching skills, so that they can help teams to solve complex and urgent problems. In addition they will develop leadership skills by creating high performing teams who are adept at solving problems and completing tasks.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Identify how Action Learning is different from other problem solving group forums
• Describe the origins of Action Learning
• Outline the benefits of Action Learning
• Understand how Action Learning will help in the workplace
• Practice the skills of Action Learning
• Ask good questions
• Know how to set up and run an Action Learning Set
• Attract participants
• Identify the resources needed in terms of time, space and money
• Identify and practice the essential characteristics of a good facilitator – patience, rapport, focus and acute listening skills
• Focus on the important and urgent
• Help the team reflect
• Focus on what the set is achieving, what they are finding difficult
• Clarify the process and manage the time
• Hold boundaries and maintain ground rules
• Provide feedback and intervention where needed
• Review effectiveness
• Model ‘how to give support and challenge’ 
• Enable members to ‘receive support and challenge’
• Have a go at facilitating a set

Practice the following Conventions of Action Learning  

• A problem, project, challenge, opportunity, issue or task
• An Action Learning Set or team - 5 to 8 individuals, different range of experience
• Questions - Insightful questioning and reflective listening 
• Action - The individual takes action. There is no real meaningful learning unless action occurs
• Learning - The set will become a template for other problems and issues that occur outside the set.
• An Action Learning Facilitator Identify the fine balance between empathy and challenge and how a facilitator maintains that balance 
• Find out what may get in the way of being an effective Action Learning facilitator
• Identify the potential pitfalls for a facilitator 
• Test out the procedures that create safety for individuals to explore sensitive issues
• One step beyond – taking the set beyond superficial analysis
• How to focus the set on the presenter
• Practice some of the Action Learning techniques such as ‘the Goldfish Bowl’ and ‘the thinking environment’
• Find out what Action Learning can teach you about management and leadership
• The role of an Action Learning mentor – setting up a mentor scheme

What previous course participants have said ...

‘ Lots of experiential learning. Good mix of styles of delivery. Obvious knowledge and wisdom of presenter. She created rapport instantly and a great learning environment’
 "A wonderful, natural open friendly delivery which clearly introduced me to action learning. The course booklet is very useful and professional, much appreciated. Thank you’
 ‘Good pace of teaching and learning by participation – practical exercises using action learning sets is the best way to learn’
 ‘Active learning – lots of good examples from ‘live sets’, flowed well and good time-keeping'
' I really liked the practical elements of the course and the trainer was very motivational and engaging'
 'Very practical, excellent rapport, group trust and and plenty of time for self evaluation and reflection'
 'Great opportunity to practice each role in action learning in a safe and reflective environment'
' We were trained in a constructive way – praised and guided where improvements were needed'
 'Clear, positive teaching – no waffle'
 'Well-organised, very focused, all participants understood the mechanisms to learn the action learning facilitation skills'

Fees:

Day 1    Introduction to Action Learning                  
Day 2    The Role of an Action Learning Facilitator
Day 3    Action Learning Facilitation in Practice
Day 4    Assessment and Accreditation (Optional)         

3 Days training        £600
Accreditation day     £200 *

Duration:

9.30 – 4.00pm

Dates:

20, 21, 22 July 2010   (Accreditation  10 Sept 2010)
18, 19, 20 Oct 2010   (Accreditation  30 Nov 2010)
24, 25, 26 Nov 2010   (Accreditation  10 Dec 2010) NB. Specifically for Public Sector
9, 10, 11 Mar 2011   (Accreditation  6 May 2011)

Pre-requisites:

* To acheive accreditation participants must complete the full 3 days training prior to attending the assessment and accreditation day.

Accreditation:

Accreditation is available with the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) on completion of the training.

Funding:

GO Wales Graduate Training and Development Fund can offer small to medium-sized businesses in Wales up to £1,500 towards the cost of training graduate staff members. Restrictions apply, please see www.gowales.co.uk/training or call 0845 225 60 50 or email info@gowales.co.uk for more information.

Location:

Holiday Inn, Castle St, Cardiff, CF10 1XD