NORTH WEST HE CROSS INSTITUTIONAL ACTION LEARNING Welcome

NORTH WEST HE CROSS INSTITUTIONAL ACTION LEARNING

Welcome

A few words from Professor Sue Wray, Director of Athena Swan University of Liverpool

How sets work “The essence of the set is to create the conditions and use processes that stimulate learning from action. The actions take place outside the set meeting and often away from the other set members. ” Mc. Gill & Beaty - Action Learning: A Practitioner's Guide 2001

How sets work • Ground Rules • Confidentiality • Set members “bid” for time • Facilitator Schedules slots • Presenter tells their story • Set members formulate questions

How sets work • When the presenter has “finished” the facilitator invites set members to offer their questions to the presenter • Each question is read out and handed to the presenter • Questions are offered on a round robin basis to allow all to contribute

How sets work • Presenters may choose to answer clarification questions immediately • The presenter may group, categorise or discard questions as they see fit. • The presenter will answer the questions in the order they choose • Set members may probe and follow up as interesting data emerges

Set Member • Is “present” throughout • Recognises the presenter is the “expert” • Takes responsibility for self • Empathises • Asks helpful questions

Set Member • Trusts • Listens • “Learns” to give support and challenge • “Learns” to work through the layers of the problem

Closing • The presenters time always closes with “action” • Allow time to reflect on the session – “How was it for you? ” • Celebrate what went well • Monitoring and recording • Bring your action points to the next session

Skill Development - Interpersonal Skills • Listening and attending • Reflecting back • Empathising • Giving and receiving feedback • Avoid ‘Shoulds’ and ‘oughts’ and generalisations • Specifying actions

Skill Development - Attentive Listening • Capturing the message • Non verbal cues • Internal checks • Suspending own judgement

Skill Development - Support & Challenge • Empathise appropriately • Ask challenging questions

Skill Development - Suspension of judgement • Trust the presenter to find their own way • Work to ensure focus stays with presenter • Check if questions are judgemental • Use own experiences appropriately • Attend to non-verbal cues

Facilitator Role • Allocates and manages time • Facilitates the questioning process • Intervenes when necessary • Helping the presenter to identify the learning emerging from dealing with the issue • Helping the set members to reflect on their learning about their own behaviour

Ground Rules • To create an appropriate level of security and support within an action learning group it is important to establish at the beginning of the process a set of ‘ground rules’ i. e. a set of behavioural norms which will guide the working of the group. • It is important to discuss the issue within the group to both adapt and add to this list.

• 1. Confidentiality • All members (including the facilitators) will consider the content of discussions, which take place within the action learning group as confidential. This will also extend to discussions involving any third parties mentioned during the meetings. • No disclosure of the identify of individuals or Institutions mentioned during the Action Learning Groups will be made to other Groups or other parties (unless express permission has been given)

• 2. Structure of Meeting • In structuring the action learning session each member will normally be allocated the same time for their work unless otherwise negotiated. Typically members tend to use one-third of the time to outline the issue and the remainder for discussion.

• 3. Approach • Members will seek to be sensitive to others’ approaches to problem solving and should seek to assist the individual to resolve the dilemma/deal with the problem, rather than advise on a solution (unless invited to do so by the person outlining the issue under discussion). • When presenting, members will respect the right of the person outlining the issue to limit their level of disclosure. • Participants will actively contribute to the meetings and will allow each person in the group to contribute. • The overall tone of each meeting/discussions should aim to be open and supportive.

• 4. Logistics • Each group will decide how they will communicate absences from the group. • Each group will decide how they will continue meeting after the scheduled set of meetings, or otherwise.

Getting to know each other (Ice breaker)

Set Meeting