Critical action learning – rituals and reflective spaces

ABSTRACT

This paper is written to outline our ideas on rituals and reflective places and how this thinking has emerged through our writing, facilitation and reflections around critical action learning and critical leadership. We attempt to show the conceptual framework that underpins our vision of Critical Leadership and how out of this work we have begun to develop new action learning techniques which we believe help to make the action learning we teach and practise, more critical. In describing these concepts of criticality we consider the tripartite elements of each of the three concepts we call Critical Leadership. That is ‘knowing, being, doing’; ‘space, place and pace’ and ‘thinking, feeling, willing’. We then go on to demonstrate how these three concepts helped us to shape our new action learning technique entitled ‘The Coliseum’. We believe that this new action learning technique enhances the likelihood of critical action learning taking place by underscoring key elements such as encouraging feedback, initiating deep listening, promoting challenge and, perhaps, in the end, precipitating enlightenment.

KEYWORDS:

• Leadership
• Action Learning
• Critical
• Ritual
• Space
• Observers

Notes on contributors

Pamela Heneberry has worked in the field of education and training for the last 25 years. For 10 years she worked for the Institute of Leadership and Management as the Strategic Business Manager for Wales In 2010 she started a new company, The Professional Development Centre which works in partnership with the University of South Wales to offer tailored interventions in Cultural Change, Leadership and Coaching.

Dr Arthur F. Turner, Visiting Fellow of the University of South Wales has completed a Doctorate in 2013 looking at middle manager leadership development and is interested in space, the role of artefacts and the use of the outdoors. He has undertaken post-graduate teaching at three Universities. He is the co-director of the Professional Development Centre Limited and enjoys experimental forms of action learning.