December 2006

1
Action Learning for Leaders

• December 2006
• What is It?

2
Background

• Skills for Business Network added value project.
• Started in 2004.
• To develop a tried and tested model for
  leadership development of SME owner managers.
• Based on a clearly defined need.
• Three phases research, piloting and national
  roll-out.
• Originally led by CITB now by SkillsActive

3
Research 2004/5

• Conducted by Henley Management College
• Key findings
• SME owner managers hard to reach
• Time poor
• Not interested in traditional courses and
  qualifications
• Any solutions must be linked to their current
  business needs
• Personal learning goals and business inextricably
  combined

4
Recommendation

• Use an Action Learning approach
• Locally based networks of SME owner managers
• Fully facilitated by expert facilitators
• Carefully selected participants

5
Design

• Group size 6-9
• Owner managers with decision making capability
• Within a 1 hour travel time of any meeting venue
• Must have a strategic business issue to bring to
  the table to resolve
• A 1 day start up workshop
• Half day meetings every month
• 6 month duration
• Coaching service available
• 1 day close out workshop
• Facilitated by an action learning facilitator

6
Pilot phase 2005/2006

• Locations England, Wales and Scotland
• Unable to resource for Wales
• Recruitment of nominations through SSCs
• Difficulties experienced
• Appointment of Facilitators tendering process
• Absolute need to verify credentials
• Project management
• Full time required for pilots
• Evaluation strategy
• Needed to be as wide as possible

7
Pilots

• Once we had recruited 23, very little fall out
• Realised very quickly that this was a winner
• 2 very smoothly run programmes and one not. We
  learned as much from the latter as the former.
• Evaluation results very positive
• Able to derive some best practice principles from
  the project and recommendations for the rollout.

8
Evaluation

• Delivered tangible business benefits and
  leadership learning development for participants
• 15 mini case studies in the evaluation report
• Cost savings of 2,000 per month for one business
• A business and action plan based on a 25
  increase in turnover for another
• Two companies that had been saved from
  potential failure one due to the leaders lack
  of motivation and the other due to the leaders
  imminent retirement.
• Individual participants described personal
  improvements in many areas, including a better
  work-life balance, improved time management,
  greater confidence to change the company,
  improved delegation, increased personal
  motivation
•                    

9
20 Good practice guidelines

• 1. Qualified participant real influence
• 2. Bringing a business issue strategic
  leadership
• 3. Leadership skills diagnostic some knowledge
  of own strengths
• 4. Experienced AL Facilitators specialised role
• 5. Pre-launch meeting with facilitator -
  preparation
• 6. 6-9 months - minimum
• 7. Need to evaluate - widely
• 8. Venue learning centre
• 9. 6-9 up to 12 participants 12 maximum
• 10. Set location - local
•      

10
20 Good practice guidelines

• 11. Set composition cross sector
• 12. Set meeting regularity - monthly
• 13. Team building early necessity
• 14. Launch workshop a must
• 15. Knowledge transfer and questioning balance -
  both
• 16. Facilitated group questioning the real core
• 17. Knowledge transfer must be focussed on the
  issue brought
• 18. Coaching - optional
• 19. Close out workshop - essential
• 20. Post programme process ongoing support

11
National Roll out 2006/7

• Promote through SSCs
• Partner with third parties for delivery
• Facilitate funding from various sources
• Create a dbase of facilitators
• For 2007 have already got at least 14 programmes
  made available for SSC nomination in England
• Have irons in the fire in Scotland, Wales and
  N.Ireland
•