S21 Action Learning Facilitation
Action learning brings a small group together regularly to work on real problems. Each member presents an issue they own, and the others help them think it through by asking questions rather than giving advice. It builds the questioning, listening and reflective skills that strengthen advisory and mentoring conversations, and peer networks that last beyond any programme. This Standard is about setting up and facilitating action learning sets, in person and online, developing members so that sets can facilitate themselves, developing other facilitators, and using action learning skills in one-to-one work.
Who it's for
Business support professionals who set up and facilitate action learning sets for business owners, advisers or mentors, and those who use action learning skills in their one-to-one work.
What you need to show
- S21.1
Explain what action learning is, how it works and what it asks of members, and agree whether it suits the people and the purpose involved
- S21.2
Set up a set, agreeing its purpose, membership, size, how often and how long it will meet, and whether it will meet in person or online
- S21.3
Agree ground rules with the set, including confidentiality, commitment, how time is shared and how members will question rather than advise
- S21.4
Help each presenter set out a real issue that they own and want to act on
- S21.5
Model and encourage open, insightful questions that help the presenter think differently, and steer members away from offering advice or solutions too early
- S21.6
Manage time, energy and participation so that every member presents and contributes
- S21.7
Help each presenter commit to actions, and at the next meeting help them review what they did and what they learned
- S21.8
Facilitate reflection on the process as well as the issues, so that members learn how they learn
- S21.9
Recognise and handle difficulties in a set, such as dominant or silent members, rescuing, advice giving and lapses in commitment
- S21.10
Adapt your facilitation for online and hybrid sets, maintaining participation and trust
- S21.11
Develop members' questioning, listening and facilitation skills so that the set can facilitate itself over time
- S21.12
Use action learning skills, such as questioning, listening and holding back from advice, in your one-to-one advisory and mentoring conversations
- S21.13
Support others to become action learning facilitators, including through co-facilitation, observation and feedback
- S21.14
Evaluate the value of a set to its members and their businesses, and act on what you learn
What you need to know and understand
- S21.K1
The principles of action learning, and how it differs from training, mentoring, coaching and other peer groups
- S21.K2
The structure of an action learning set, and the roles of presenter, members and facilitator
- S21.K3
Questioning approaches suited to action learning, and how a genuine question differs from advice phrased as a question
- S21.K4
Listening and reflective practice, and how they support learning from experience
- S21.K5
Group dynamics, and how to build trust and psychological safety in a group
- S21.K6
The common difficulties in sets and how to handle them
- S21.K7
Online and hybrid facilitation techniques and tools
- S21.K8
How to move a set from facilitated to self-facilitated, and when this is appropriate
- S21.K9
How to adapt action learning for business owners with limited time, and for members from different backgrounds and cultures
- S21.K10
How to evaluate action learning, including its effect on members' practice and on their businesses
- S21.K11
Confidentiality and ethics in group work, including what to do if confidentiality is broken
Evolved from
New Standard. Builds on Business Support 19 (Deliver enterprise training to small business clients), Business Support 6 (Evaluate the quality of your own practice in business support) and Business and Enterprise Support (2013) unit 21. S6 covers enterprise training and facilitation in general; S21 covers action learning in depth.