Action Learning Associates

22/05/2026

When is in-person training more suitable?

At ALA, we've been running virtual programmes since way before Covid. However, we still offer in-person and the good news it that there's one coming up with possibly the most experienced action learning facilitator training practitioners around!

London | 11–13 August

Led by Ruth Cook, our founder, with almost 30 years’ experience. Ideal for participants wanting more intensive, sharper peer challenge, more experience managing complex group dynamics, suited to some neurodivergent needs with clearer relational cues, reduced screen fatigue.

Find out more and book your place here. https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/action-learning-facilitator-training/

22/05/2026

STOP PRESS! Our June online facilitator training programme now has a space available due to someone moving. 9-10 and 16-17 June.

Four days with a highly experienced facilitator with in-depth experiential learning as part of a small group (5-6 people)

– A course with a massive track record for success, covering all the core elements you need to set up and facilitate new action learning sets, with additional time dedicated to the adapt to the individual needs of the participants and organisations in the group.

Find out more and book here. https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/action-learning-facilitator-training/action-learning-facilitator-training-for-individuals/

21/05/2026

We currently have only two programmes available:

London | 11–13 August

Led by Ruth Cook, our Founder with 30 years’ experience. Ideal for participants wanting more intensive, sharper peer challenge, more experience managing complex group dynamics, suited to some neurodivergent needs with clearer relational cues, reduced screen fatigue.

Virtual | 15–16 & 22–23 September

Led by Charlotte Snowdon, our MD with extensive commercial and industry experience. A flexible, lower-cost option with the convenience of virtual delivery while maintaining the same high-quality practical application and positive outcomes – most of our excellent feedback comes from virtual programmes.

Don't miss out - book your place now! https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/action-learning-facilitator-training/

19/05/2026

Poor facilitation quietly erodes trust

It doesn’t fail loudly.
There’s no dramatic moment.
Just subtle signals:
People stop speaking up.
Questions get safer.
Energy drops.
And trust? It slips away.
This is what happens when Action Learning is run without skilled facilitation.
Because Action Learning isn’t just a format you can pick up and run.
It’s a disciplined process that depends on how conversations are held, challenged, and guided.
Without trained facilitators:
• Dominant voices take over
• Reflection becomes surface-level
• Psychological safety weakens
• Outcomes stall
And the cost? Disengaged people and missed insight.
Done well, Action Learning builds capability, trust, and better leadership.
Done poorly, it does the opposite.
If you’re investing in Action Learning, invest in doing it properly.
👉 Work with expert facilitators or train your own — but don’t leave it to chance.

https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/action-learning-facilitator-training/

18/05/2026

No time to get Action Learning up and running?
Then don’t.
Bring in experts who already know how to make it work.
Our Masters in Action Learning Facilitation step in to:
✔️ Create immediate psychological safety
✔️ Keep conversations focused and high-value
✔️ Challenge thinking without derailing trust
✔️ Turn discussion into real action
No learning curve. No false starts. No risk of getting it wrong.
Just powerful, expertly facilitated Action Learning — from day one.
👉 If you want the impact without the setup, let’s talk.

14/05/2026

Facilitation credibility isn’t accidental
You can’t fake it.
People know when a facilitator is just “running a session”…
and when they’re truly creating insight, trust, and momentum.
Credibility comes from experience.
From knowing when to challenge, when to hold silence, and when to shift the conversation.
That’s not luck. It’s craft.
For almost 30 years, Action Learning Associates has been at the forefront of developing facilitators who don’t just guide discussions — they transform how people think, learn, and lead.
🔹 Build presence and authority in the room
🔹 Ask questions that unlock real thinking
🔹 Navigate complexity with confidence
🔹 Create psychologically safe, high-impact conversations
Whether you’re starting out or sharpening your edge, our expert-led facilitation training gives you the capability — and credibility — that lasts.
Because great facilitation isn’t a style.
It’s a discipline.
👉 Ready to step into it? Let’s talk. https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/action-learning-facilitator-training/

Action Learning Associates has trained over 1,600 facilitators and counting. If you are looking to become an action learning facilitator or wish to train some facilitators within your organisation, please contact us.

13/05/2026

Why we keep cohorts small

Because depth beats scale. Every time.
Action Learning isn’t about sitting back and absorbing content.
It’s about thinking out loud, being challenged, and seeing your assumptions clearly.
That only works when there’s space to speak.
To reflect.
To be heard.
In smaller cohorts:
• Every voice matters
• Trust builds faster
• Conversations go deeper
• Learning sticks
And most importantly — capability actually shifts.
With expert facilitation, small groups become powerful environments for real change, not just discussion.
That’s why we don’t scale up numbers.
We scale up impact.
If you’re looking for meaningful development — not just another programme —
👉 Let’s talk.

https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/action-learning-facilitation-for-your-organisation/

12/05/2026

Action Learning as a capability-building mechanism, not training
Most training fills notebooks.
Action Learning changes behaviour.
It’s not about content delivery.
It’s about real challenges, real reflection, and better decisions — in real time.
Teams don’t just learn…
They build the capability to think critically, ask better questions, and lead with clarity.
That’s where expert facilitation makes the difference.
Without it? Conversations drift.
With it? Insight turns into action.
At Action Learning Associates, we partner with organisations to embed Action Learning as a powerful, sustainable capability — not a one-off event.
If you're ready to move beyond training and start building real leadership capability:
👉 Let’s talk.

https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/action-learning-facilitation-for-your-organisation/

11/05/2026

Psychological safety is easy to lose and hard to rebuild.

One careless comment.
One ignored voice.
One moment of silence where someone should have spoken up.
That’s all it takes.

But rebuilding trust? That takes intention, skill, and practice.

At Action Learning Associates, we don’t just talk about psychological safety — we train facilitators to create it, protect it, and restore it.
🔹 Facilitator Training Programme – build the core skills to guide powerful, reflective conversations https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/action-learning-facilitator-training/
🔹 Master Facilitation Programme – deepen your impact and lead with confidence in complex environments https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/master-action-learning-facilitation-programme/
Because better conversations don’t happen by accident.

08/05/2026

Why phased investment outperforms big bang programmes.

Big bang programmes promise transformation, but without reflection and reinforcement, the impact fades fast. Phased investment builds capability steadily, reduces risk and strengthens leadership judgement over time. Join our taster session to explore how reflective practice can anchor leadership growth in real organisational change. https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/consultancy-and-other-courses/strategic-leadership-reflective-sessions/

07/05/2026

Where organisations typically start when culture isn’t shifting.

When culture stalls, it’s rarely about comms or capability—it’s about leadership clarity. Our Strategic Leadership Reflective Taster Sessions help senior leaders step back, examine assumptions and reconnect behaviour with intent. If you’re driving cultural change, this is where meaningful movement begins. https://www.actionlearningassociates.co.uk/what-we-do/consultancy-and-other-courses/strategic-leadership-reflective-sessions/

Book a call with Charlotte Snowdon to see how this applies to you.
https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/bookwithme/user/1f364d869d7947678f1a672c2381b191%40actionlearningassociates.co.uk?anonymous&ismsaljsauthenabled=true