What is an Action Learning Set (ALS)?: An Action Learning Set (ALS) allows people to analyse their situation, think through alternative possible actions and why they may not be doing what they often already know to be ‘sensible’ actions. ALS help people to transfer learning into action. They are a sanctuary where experiences are unraveled, new ideas and techniques are gained – often as a bi-product – and learning happens in order to be put immediately into action back at work.
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Background: In the summer of 2000, the NHS was propelling itself into widespread change; PCTs, Strategic Health Authorities and Shared Services were high in everyone’s minds. This widespread change would mean that every Finance Director would undergo a change in role. In order to provide support to these people, Jonathon Wise commissioned two Action Learning Sets (ALS) facilitated by Q.Learning.

ALS 1 ran for one year, meeting every 4-6 weeks. After a year, there were widespread job changes among the members and the uncertainty resulted in its demise. ALS 2 ran for two years, meeting every six weeks, with a new member after one year.

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What Happened?: The ALS members met every four to six weeks for half a day. Unfortunately, emergencies and pressure of work did sometimes stop members attending or even pulled them out of meetings. A hard core of members kept the ALS going.

All the members faced huge work-loads, great uncertainty and new aspects to their jobs. The context of new boards for the PCTs, partnership working with SAFF negotiations, staff turnover and budget deficits placed immense pressure on every member. Additionally, some were looking to create a shift in their careers eg as (acting) CEO or exiting Finance.

Each meeting had a theme, with learning focused on that theme. Sometimes that was determined in advance but more often, at the beginning of each session.

To underpin any discussions, the Q. Learning facilitator always suggested a model that would be drawn from a wide variety of management or communication theories. Examples included;

· The role of an FD and of a CEO
· Handling difficult people eg board members, staff, partnerships
· Managing your own state under pressure
· Dealing with conflict – both external and internal
· Deciding which job to take
· Managing change – as an organization closes down and as requirements change
· Recognising how to behave in different cultures
· Partnership working
· Giving and receiving feedback
· Creating direction and strategy
· Managing expectations
· Staff motivation

Session by session, the focus would shift from member to member depending on the crises being experienced or the challenges being faced. Over time, members began to see patterns in other members’ behaviours and were able to be supportive in giving feedback, advice or just sympathy. This lead to deeper learning in many cases than a list of management techniques would have done, with regulars referring to the ALS both as enlightening and a life-line in stressful times.

The learning was therefore tailored to the needs of the group on that day. This flexibility was novel to all those who attended. To help those with a great need for structure, Q. Learning sought agreement on the process for each meeting and the boundaries of how people needed to respect each other’s needs. This created a feeling of safety and trust that was highly prized.

'The safe learning environment created [by Q Learning] helped me to become more self-aware and it was enlightening to feel there were other genuine options available to help me through my particular issues.'

Paul Wratten, Director of Finance, Hillingdon Hospital Trust

After the three initial sessions, both groups decided to ask for more facilitated help. No-one present had the skills to manage a peer group learning set, nor the background of thinking/communication/management models, nor the time to do any preparation. They needed a sanctuary where learning happened, experiences were unraveled and new ideas and techniques were gained as a bi-product!

'Having the [directed] space to view my world [and that of others differently] in the middle of so much change was a tremendously positive experience.'

Paul Wratten, Director of Finance, Hillingdon Hospital Trust
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