News, events and opportunities

Learn to be an action learning facilitator in Scotland

Responding to a growing interest in action learning in Scotland we will be running our successful Action Learning Facilitator Training course in Edinburgh from 27- 29 March. Director, Ruth Cook will deliver the three day programme. We believe full immersion in an Action Learning set is the best way to understand it. Our course takes three days so that you can fully understand the system and principles, experience being in and outside an action learning set and practice facilitating for real. Participants leave with a useful toolkit to enable them to set up and facilitate their own action learning sets and the opportunity to further develop their practice by gaining accreditation with ILM.

More information

To book contact info@actionlearningassociates.co.uk or call 0207 407 1971.

Download the full course details

Download the booking form.

New ground breaking virtual set for global leaders

Battling the impact of global recession it’s all too easy for leaders to get bogged down in organisational issues and ignore their own development needs. ALA is introducing a ground breaking cross–sector virtual action learning set. This exciting new process offers leaders the chance to work with peers from across the globe to develop new ways of thinking, generate innovative business solutions and ultimately move their business forward.

Joining our cross sector virtual action learning set for leaders provides all the benefits of face to face action learning whilst reducing your organisation’s carbon footprint and demands on budgets and time. We will bring together handpicked “sets” of six leaders, from a diverse range of complimentary organisations and businesses from the UK and internationally.

For further information about joining our new virtual cross sector set; to arrange a conversation with Ruth Cook contact us on 0207 407 1971 or email us

Global roll out for Heineken continuous learning groups

Heineken managers from across the globe came together in September to train as action learning facilitators in the roll out of a ground-breaking development programme for 6,000 first line managers.

Following the success of last year's pilot Heineken International is rolling out a programme of action learning sets – known as Continuous Learning Groups or CLGs – in its operating countries across the globe. ALA is delighted that Heineken International has given the go ahead for the programme expansion as part of its development programme for 6,000 first line managers. ALA trainers recently delivered a second raft of action learning facilitator training courses and are now supporting newly trained facilitators with virtual sessions. As the programme rolls out we expect to train more than 50 coaches in 2012 who will go through an internal certification process which includes ILM accreditation.

It makes the first line manager more effective on the job by being able to get the best from his team (Nigeria)

The enthusiastic response to the implementation of CLGs in pilot operating countries spanning the Middle East, Africa, USA and Europe was one of the deciding factors in the roll out. With accredited training delivered in Holland and virtual support and supervision from ALA 18 participants have already established successful CLGs within their companies. Reported benefits include improved performance of front line managers, stronger communications and team spirit, shared learning and peer support in tackling workplace challenges.

• It has most importantly offered the managers a unique opportunity to share work place challenges not adequately covered by class room training
• The organisation is able to gain from better performing teams
• Fellow team members and customers are already sensing the positive impact of CLG (whether directly or indirectly), through the effectiveness of the first line manager in their job
• Great getting to meet colleagues from around the world, knowing we are working towards a common goal, and going back to our respective operating companies to institute the very same process...we have the opportunity to really learn from our counterparts in different areas of the world

More information

The pilot study
What the participants said

Action learning brings social change to women in Middle East

Oxfam has published a full evaluation of their pioneering project to bring peer learning to young women leaders in the Middle East. Designed to bring about social change by empowering young, often marginalised, women leaders to reach their full potential Oxfam ran a two year pilot in the Lebanon.

In 2010, ALA Director, Ruth Cook, delivered an action learning facilitator training course for seven local women and two Oxfam staff. The trained facilitators then went on to set up a network of local action learning sets. The evaluation looks at both the successful outcomes as well as the barriers to success for such a programme and suggests methods to address common pitfalls.

During evaluation interviews, all stakeholders agreed that action learning was a good methodology for use in the Middle East context, but that it presents challenges based on changing attitudes and behaviours. All facilitators and 89% of set participants report positive changes in their lives as a result of the programme. Most are looking for ways to use the action learning process in future.

Participants from different environments, with different ideas have learned how to accept each other

I am able to listen to people and really hear what they are saying

Most of us don't trust anyone these days - sometimes we become nervous of others because we are keeping everything inside - this process can change that.

More information

For further details about the evaluation download the Oxfam summary

About the project

Australia discovers action learning

Indigenous cultural leaders get to grips with action learning during an intensive Cultural Leaders weekend in Brisbane as part of British Council Australia's ACCELERATE 2011

As the leading specialist in action learning within the UK cultural sector ALA is now exploring opportunities to introduce action learning in the southern hemisphere. Working with British Council Australia, Ruth Cook recently returned from a whirlwind tour of Australia introducing the concept of action learning to organisations and educational establishments within the creative and cultural sector.

Ruth also took part in ACCELERATE 2011 a leadership development programme for indigenous cultural leaders – working alongside Mark Wright of People Create and under the brokerage of Nicola Turner of NT Creative Arts. Under the British Council Australia umbrella ACCELERATE 2011 is sponsored by Australia Council for the Arts in association with the NSW Government through Arts NSW, the Queensland Government's Backing Indigenous Arts initiative and Victorian Government through Arts Victoria.

Relaxing at the end of a long training day Aboriginal style

The programme kicked off with an intensive weekend during which successful candidates, all of aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ethnicity, were introduced to action learning. Ruth is working with six finalists who have just arrived in the UK (courtesy of Virgin Atlantic Airways) for a month of further training and placements within the cultural sector. ACCELERATE 2011 aims to give future leaders the time and support to develop their own career plans, explore their leadership strengths and weaknesses and build local and international networks.

More information

Accelerate2011
British Council Australia
People Create

Action learning empowers women to tackle gender violence in South Africa

In South Africa four out of ten women will be raped at some point in their life – there's an estimated 500,000 rapes each year but only one out of nine is ever reported and nine out ten men actually charged with rape will walk free. ALA Senior Associate, Di Bligh recently volunteered her skills to launch a new network in the Mqatsheni area of South Africa to help women stand up for their rights and their self respect, and to live well whilst HIV positive.

Training a core group of women in action learning and general facilitation skills Di helped launch the Siyaphambili network meaning "go further" in isiZulu. Intended to empower local women by building capacity for them to respond to gender based violence, rape and inequality the network was set up by the Khuphuka Project – an initiative of Dharmagiri Outreach which supports and empowers those living with HIV and AIDS.

More information

Khuphuka Project
Dharmagiri Outreach

Virtual action learning – the next step for facilitators

If you have already trained with ALA as an action learning facilitator why not learn a new skill facilitating virtual action learning sets? Our successful VAL training programme – exclusively for facilitators who have trained with ALA - has been running for a year and we are planning to start another course before the end of 2011. This new approach to action learning is now firmly established as a highly successful method and is becoming increasingly in demand especially for global organisations. Ruth Cook, who delivers the ALA training programme, has considerable experience of facilitating VAL sets internationally including for the British Council and for Heineken operating countries worldwide.

To register for the new course of or for further information please contact us

Shutting down one of your senses conveys benefits. It has made my hearing work harder and be better
member of a VAL facilitator training group .

More information

VAL facilitator training programme
Sign up for the programme

Last chance for SMEs and social enterprises to scoop £1000 grant

If you run an SME or a social enterprise and can demonstrate potential for growth you may be eligible for up to £1000 government funding towards the costs of your action learning or training. But hurry – the funding runs out in February 2012.

The Leadership & Management Advisory Service will work with a senior leader in your organisation to provide a free diagnostic. If your personal training and development needs can be addressed through action learning then you could be eligible for funding up to £1000 (which must be match funded).

You could put the funding towards: •
Joining a cross-sector action learning set of CEO and Directors from the public, private and voluntary sectors •

setting up an in-house action learning set for your senior management team

attending an ALA action learning facilitator training course to extend your existing action learning and facilitative leadership skills

running an on-site facilitator training programme for senior management (HR / L&D) to bring action learning in-house

To find out if you are eligible for funding contact your regional Leadership & Management Advisory Service or the Skills Funding Agency.