By Kath Christie is, head of programmes at SMK.
Leaders in the campaigning sphere know that social change is complex, messy and can take a long time to see progress. This is harder in today’s turbulent times. Rising costs, the triple squeeze charities face and tensions fed by the polarisation of UK politics sees charities default towards siloed working and organisational self-interest, with less talking to and learning from others. Action learning sets can help equip leaders with peer support and a clear thinking response.
Coping with burnout but a moment of opportunity
SMK’s most recent Annual Campaigners Survey highlighted the importance of sustaining vital work of campaigners through preventing burnout. A massive 81% of respondents said the pressure on them had grown over the previous twelve months. Three quarters of respondents, in the previous year, questioned whether they had energy levels to keep campaigning. Respondents were asked for three words to describe campaigning – tellingly two of most used were ‘challenging’ and ‘tiring’. Against this backdrop, the new government brings with it a moment of opportunity, with high levels of public engagement.
Crucially, when asked what support they need, campaigners called for chances to meet other campaigners to share experiences and ideas, and to help them cope with pressure and burnout. In effect they were asking for communities of practise. One survey respondent summed this up as ‘being matched to others who have walked similar or the same paths.’
Supporting middle managers
Action learning sets are an important self-development opportunity for senior leaders, both those responsible for overseeing campaigning functions and social change strategies. Whilst the top level of management is arguably well catered for, development for other leadership tiers is a bit neglected. A group of CEOs who participated in SMK’s inaugural action learning set asked the question ‘what about middle managers?’ It led us to focus on developing dedicated sets for senior leaders in organisations where a more conscious campaigning mindset is being developed or organisations which were traditionally rooted in service delivery and want to introduce a campaigning function.
Typically staff who participate include leaders who become responsible for campaigners; those who want to develop a deeper understanding of the discipline; those who lack strategic peers in the same discipline – effectively isolated actors within their own organisation.
Building a culture of robust strategies
Action learning sets are a powerful tool for collaborative learning and problem solving. Working out strategies for campaigns isn’t necessarily straightforward. Set members take it in turn to bring a burning question they would like space and support to think through. They respond to open questions from set members and form actions in order to move forward by the end of the session. The purpose of open questions is to see the issue from a new perspective. They help build a culture of clear thinking and more innovative actions which in turn feed into more robust strategies. One participant said, ‘it’s good to learn the discipline of exploring open-ended questions, not just leaping straight into action.’ The regular space of the set – usually meeting for three hours bi-monthly – is particularly valuable for busy leaders who feel they lack thinking time, or that the urgent to-do list constantly overshadows deeper or more important issues.
Developing critical thinking skills
Diverse themes and challenges covered in SMK action learning sets range from cultivating internal influence to coping with hostile or unknown environments and building high performing campaigning functions. Some fascinating conversations have ensued. A discussion around strategy and narrative started with considering the question ‘how do you fight those locked into a small, mean story?’ It moved onto consider ambition through asking ‘what is the most radical and compelling vision of rights based on the narrative you want to promote?’. A useful prompt on approach was ‘do you need to choose reform or vision, or both?’ and homing in to focus on deliverables included thinking about ‘one change by government that would be most effective’.
Direct questions introduced as part of a set can include the important challenges, ‘what do you need to stop doing?’ and ‘what would happen if you did nothing?’ So often we can spend time on things that we have no real power to change so a version of the question ‘what power do you have in this situation?’ can help get to the heart of the matter. Deeper learning questions might include ‘what assumptions might you be making?’. And to stimulate action, participants might be asked, ‘if all decisions rested on you, what would you do?’
We know from feedback that participation has allowed leaders to develop critical thinking skills. At the end of each set meeting, we build in a one-word check-out on how everyone is feeling. Words identified have included ‘unburdened’, ‘connected’ and ‘clearer’. Many sets continue to self-organise after the programme is completed, in effect building their own long-term peer communities supporting leaders to become bolder.
