SMK Action Learning Sets

Unlocking change making leadership

Campaigning and change making can be a challenging and lonely role with limited support available.  We sometimes need to ask tough questions like ‘what can I stop doing?’ and ‘how do I turn this into real impact?’ and ‘what should I do if things go wrong?’ That’s where Action Learning Sets (ALS) come in.  ALS have emerged as a powerful tool for collaborative learning and problem-solving. At SMK, they are a safe space for campaigners and change makers to tease over thorny issues with their peers. In particular, short open questions – guided by an expert facilitator – can play a pivotal role in driving insightful conversations, fostering critical thinking, and unlocking new insights.

We are partnering again with charity co-founder and expert facilitator Josephine Knowles to run a new series of short sets for senior leaders and for emerging leaders in campaigning and change making organisations.

Who is this for?

We hope the first set will appeal to senior leaders who are new to campaigning and change making and want to understand what it means to lead a campaigning organisation, or people with some background who want to explore how to encourage their organisation into more of a campaigning  or change making mode. Our second set is for new line managers in campaigning and change making organisations and people who are managing a campaigning workstream or team.

people sitting around table drinking coffee talking smk

A place for leaders in the campaigning sphere

Read SMK’s blog for ACEVO, the association of Chief Executives of voluntary organisations.

Read here.

 

Hear what participants say

Laura O'Connor

“I really recommend SMK’s Action Learning Set. It was great to have a safe, common space we could come together – it gave a real sense of solidarity’’.

Watch interview here > 

Stacey Witters

“Those three hours – that’s probably the best three hours of the week, a time for you to create some space to really think about what you’re doing, the impact you want to have, how you might approach things.”

Watch interview here > 

 

Augustina Olivieri

“For me- this has been an amazing empowering space to be able to think about these things, to be able to bring challenges and thoughts and worries that I might not have been comfortable to bring into my organisation.”

Watch interview here > 

What is an action learning set?

An action learning set (ALS) is structured around a group of up to 8 peers who meet regularly over a fixed period (in this case SMK propose 4 bi-monthly sessions over a 6-month period) to discover practical ways of addressing ‘real life’ challenges you face and support your own learning and development.  

Please email info@smk.org.uk if you are interested. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the programme. 

 

Dates for new action learning sets  

Senior leaders

This set will appeal to recently appointed senior leaders who are either new to campaigning and want to understand more about what it means to lead a campaigning organisation, or who want to explore how to encourage their organisation into more of a campaigning mode.

15 Jan 2025, 12:30-3:00pm (In person)

13 Feb 2025, 12:30-3:00pm (Online)

24 Apr 2025, 12.30-3:00 (Online) 

19 June 2025, 12.30-3:00pm* (Online)

Emerging leaders

This set will appeal to new line managers in campaigning organisations and people who are managing a campaigning workstream or campaigning team.

Thursday 13 March, 12.30-3.00pm

Thursday 17 April, 12.30-3.00pm

Thursday 22 May, 12.30-3.00pm

Thursday 26 June, 12.30-3.00pm

About Josephine Knowles 

Josephine Knowles is a freelance charity coach, trainer, and action learning set facilitator. She is also a proud SMK Associate.  

Josephine is passionate about spaces that help us gain new insights and contribute to the world with our ‘deepest work’. She loves facilitating learning and is known for her lively and insightful action learning sets.  

Josephine is an accredited ALS facilitator (ILM), and coach (ACC with the ICF). She has worked in the charity sector with women who sell sex for the last 25 years and has a Masters in ‘Violence Against Women’ from the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) at London Metropolitan University. She is the Co-Founder (and previous Co-Director) of Beyond the Streets, a UK charity working to end sexual exploitation.  

Josephine Knowles

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