I admit to being something of an Action Learning anorak. I regularly extol the value of a group coming together to share challenges and opportunities through questioning, reflection, learning and action, without judgement and without rushing to offer advice.
Yet, in the very spirit of Action Learning, I find myself questioning the approach itself: the why, the how, and the way I facilitate and talk about it.
There are many names for this kind of collective learning process: Co-Development, Mastermind Groups, Peer Consultancy, Learning Circles and, of course, Action Learning Sets. Even within the same “school” of practice, there are variations in process and emphasis.
I’m curious about how we describe these different approaches and, more importantly, what we might learn from each of them. But I also noticed myself looking for evidence that supported my existing view of the world, one where, naturally, Action Learning comes out on top.
That led me to a different set of questions.
- What is actually needed in today’s world of work, leadership and simply being human?
- What challenges and opportunities do we need to be prepared for?
- And what are the most valuable elements of these different approaches that fit the purpose and desired outcomes?
My own version of Action Learning has always felt closely aligned with coaching, adopting a coaching mindset and presence. Last week, I attended several sessions at the Coaching.com Summit as part of my coach CPD. One statement in particular caught my attention.
“The future of coaching won’t be built by isolated experts. It will be built by connected professionals—coaches who learn together, share insights and show up boldly despite the noise.”
That resonated with me.
Many of the ideas shared during the summit reinforced why participation in an Action Learning Set remains relevant in today’s world.
I still want to explore the similarities and differences between the various peer-learning approaches, but I began to wonder whether there are some underlying principles that matter regardless of what we choose to call the process.
The themes that stand out for me were:
- The power of beliefs and attention – what we focus on shapes what we see and how we respond.
- The pace of change is outstripping our ability to make sense of it – creating space for reflection is becoming increasingly important.
- Questions matter more than answers – knowledge is widely available; insight is not.
- Future skills will centre on asking better questions – helping ourselves and others navigate uncertainty and possibility.
- Partnership and collaboration are essential – empathy, active listening and a coaching culture are becoming critical capabilities.
- Seeing with new eyes – challenging assumptions and broadening perspectives.
- Recognising the whole person – our non-work experiences often reveal strengths, values and insights that matter deeply.
- Burnout is often driven by thought load, not just workload – the mental burden of complexity, uncertainty and constant decision-making matters.
In thinking about these themes, I noticed a degree of symmetry with what could become my personal seven Ps:
- People – connecting, collaborating and learning together.
- Purpose – having clarity about the reasons for meeting
- Permission – creating psychological safety and encouraging openness.
- Pause – creating space to think and reflect.
- Perspective – seeing situations differently.
- Probing – asking powerful questions.
- Personal – bringing our whole selves into the conversation.
I have never been particularly drawn to frameworks for their own sake, but perhaps these principles capture something important.
Maybe the future is less about defending or promoting one methodology over another and more about understanding the conditions that enable people to learn, think and act together effectively.
Whatever we choose to call it — Action Learning, Co-Development, Peer Consultancy or something else — the need for thoughtful collective sense-making, connection, agency and sovereignty feels more relevant than ever.
Janie Wilson, Action Learning Centre Co-founder