The aim of these groups is to develop learning for the benefit of the organisation. To put it another way by working with individuals we are targeting the learning of the organisation rather than the learning of the individual - if that does not sound too paradoxical. We envisage that key members of a management team will be members of the various groups. The ideal is to have the CEO as a member of the CEO group, and then the Account as a member of the Accounts group, the Quality Manager a member of the Quality group etc etc. If the key players within an enterprise are addressing these alternative concepts at one and the same time then the anticipation is that they will be able to lead the whole company into a learning mode based on new thinking.

And within the learning process we are aiming to balance two apparent opposites. The first to quote Deming - "A system can not understand itself - The transformation requires a view from outside." In other words the manager needs information and assistance with radical new thinking

The opposite view is taken by people like Revans, Kolb and Pedlar who feel that the managers themselves are best placed to develop optimum solutions. Off the shelf answers do not fit. What we should be doing is facilitating a thinking process which allows the mangers to describe and evaluate their own activity.

The principle underlying the "Action Learning" method is that we learn from being given space to express and question our own innermost thoughts. In this way we tune into our own situation, mindsets and thinking patterns. It is a much more effective learning method than the traditional teaching/telling structure.

We work in groups where each person is allowed to present their thinking - say for 20 mins- and the rest of the group listen without interruption. This is followed by say 30 mins in which the listeners develop the thinking of the presenter by asking questions. They are discouraged from giving advice and making suggestions. The facilitator - and the group- will, however, point out fundamental theoretical misconceptions

The official "Action Learning" method does have a defined structure to each session. (See below) However as the Network aims to give each member space to express their thoughts at each meeting we do tend to by-pass some of the introductory elements.

The Full Action Learning Structure

The following is a typical structure for a full blown action learning set - with times for a two and a half hour session

1. Connecting Up (20 mins)
2. Putting Forward Bids (10 mins)
3. Negotiating which issue(s) will be the focus for the set's learning (15 mins)
4. Break (15 mins)
5. Presentation of issues (20 mins)
6. Identifying Feelings (5 mins)
7. Clarification of facts (5mins)
8. Option seeking (40 mins)
9. Action Planning
10. Review of group progress (10 mins)