What is action learning?

Action learning is an organisational development tool that empowers people to resolve complex problems. Action learning is often included as a valuable component of leadership programmes,(some of you may have previously experienced it as part of the Aurora programme). It can also be a programme in its own right, as it is here. It is about promoting courageous choice – helping people take action that is meaningful for them, and supporting them to identify their own solutions.

The concept of action learning was pioneered by Professor Reg Revans, a thought leader on management and leadership. You can find out more about its origins, and how it works, in the Guide to Action Learning in Higher Education which can be downloaded here.

What is the SEAL proJECT?

The SEAL project includes six action learning events, taking place at approximately monthly intervals during the period January to June, allowing for holiday periods. We are currently running SEAL mostly as live virtual events, hosted via MS Teams. We are planning to run the launch event in January and the final event in June as in-person opportunities to support networking and connections. These will be held at a central London location.

We think carefully about the construction of each action learning cohort, striving for a balance of academic and professional services staff. Each cohort has a designated facilitator to guide the discussion and ensure confidentiality. The same facilitator will support you throughout the six month period.

We are intending to host up to ten cohorts, and they will run in parallel on the same date. There will be six meetings in total, including the launch event which will introduce you to the network, explain how SEAL works and provide a taster of the action learning process. The final meeting will include an opportunity to evaluate your experience. Details of all the events, and how to get the most out of them, can be found in Meetings.

You can of course continue meeting with your cohort after June, independent of SEAL. By then you will have the skills to become a self-facilitated group and can agree amongst your cohort how you want to take things forward. You will have time to discuss this at the final event. We plan to include alumni events so that you can continue to build a strong peer network of leaders and a collaborative learning community.

What are the costs?

The participating HE institutions are already covering the costs centrally of administering SEAL, hosting the events and providing the facilitators. Budget support from your Faculty/Department for the 2024 programme is anticipated to be minimal as the majority of the programme is being hosted online. If you need reimbursement of travel costs for the last events this would be discussed direct with your participating institution; there are no central funds allocated for expenses. Please note that you need the agreement of your line manager to attend SEAL as they will need to confirm you can attend on the designated meeting dates. For the learning sets to be successful it needs everyone to protect these dates and to be prepared to say ‘no’ if you are being pressured to divert to other priorities. Your line manager‘s full support will enable you to commit the time needed to get the most out of this fantastic development opportunity.