A wonderfully vivid picture of the life of a distinguished and much respected Royal Engineer. Ian McGill's plain speaking insights, told with a human touch, provide an absorbing account of his childhood and subsequent military career, enriched with tales of family life. From the antics of maize-stealing baboons, the horrors of the conflict in Northern Ireland to the complexities of more recent military deployments, the book's title says it all.

Action learning is a method of learning that takes place in a group - of colleagues or students. It is widely used in a wide number of educational fields, particularly where learning in groups is appropriate. Action learning is established in both higher education and in professional learning and training situations. First published in 1995, this is a guide to using action learning techniques successfully.;Written by two leading figures in the field, this revised edition retains the same practical guidebook approach to how action learning works. Key points include being a facilitator of action learning, and running workshops for a variety of situations, including higher education, organizational change and professional development.

Action learning is a continued process of learning and reflection with the support of a group of colleagues, working on real issues. The action learning method is increasingly used to bring innovation to many different fields of work. The principles of action learning can achieve improvement and transformation in a wide range of applications and disciplines, including professional training and educational contexts. This book is a comprehensive guide to action learning which maintains an accessible, practical focus throughout. It is packed with useful resources, including case studies and ideas for workshop sessions. Key topics covered include: * action learning in professional and educational settings * setting up, facilitating and evaluating an action learning programme * the roles and skills required to practice successfully * use of action learning in relation to the individual, the group and the organization * the role of reflection; and action learning theory. Newcomers to the area of action learning will find this an essential introduction which can be put to use straight away, while more experienced practitioners seeking a deeper understanding will value the thorough analysis of action learning theory.

This book gathers together details of seventeen case studies of learning in practice, after having set the issue of reflective learning in a theoretical context. The cases are drawn from a wide range of situations and discuss both apparent successes and failures. The cases are used as a basis to develop general findings. These general findings are expressed as themes and questions so that, as readers come across new circumstances, they are not limited by prescriptive recipes. Instead they are empowered by having both an open and focused approach: open because the starting point is questions rather than answers, and focused because the questions direct attention to factors that have been found to be influential for effective, reflective learning. The crucial factor is the ability of managers and others to extract quality learning from experience. Reflective Learning in Practice develops an approach that will help this to happen.

Action learning is a continued process of learning and reflection with the support of a group of colleagues, working on real issues. The action learning method is increasingly used to bring innovation to many different fields of work. The principles of action learning can achieve improvement and transformation in a wide range of applications and disciplines, including professional training and educational contexts. This book is a comprehensive guide to action learning which maintains an accessible, practical focus throughout. It is packed with useful resources, including case studies and ideas for workshop sessions. Key topics covered include: * action learning in professional and educational settings * setting up, facilitating and evaluating an action learning programme * the roles and skills required to practice successfully * use of action learning in relation to the individual, the group and the organization * the role of reflection; and action learning theory. Newcomers to the area of action learning will find this an essential introduction which can be put to use straight away, while more experienced practitioners seeking a deeper understanding will value the thorough analysis of action learning theory.

This ground-breaking book will give you the skills you need to become an advanced coach.For many years, executive coaching assumed that feelings had no place at work, or in the coaching relationship. Fearful of getting into therapy, coaches ignored emotions at the expense of focusing on solutions too soon. Neuroscience is now showing us that emotion is the dominant part of the human brain and as coaches we can only ignore this at our peril. Everything in coaching is about trust between coach and client, and the only way to create trust is through skilled and sustained empathy. Coaching with Empathy explains what empathy is, why it matters so much in coaching and what can go wrong when it's missing. Coaches who can use the skill of empathy, in the moment, have in their hands a powerful tool to nurture change in their clients. Anne Brockbank and Ian McGill provide an easily followed guide about how to create empathy and sustain it with clients, before asking them to think rationally about a solution. This timely book also gives practical and sensible guidance on how to avoid getting out of your depth, working within the boundaries of your skill and knowledge.

Praise for the previous edition:

""This is a passionate and practical book"
Teaching in Higher Education

"This book offers valuable insights into a process for becoming a reflective learner and for developing students into reflective learners as well."
Studies in Higher Education"

This significantly revised edition includes the most current thinking on reflective learning as well as stories from academics and students that bring to life the practical impact of reflection in action. Based on sound theoretical concepts, the authors offer a range of solutions for different teaching situations, taking into account factors such as group size, physical space, and technology. They also offer facilitation rather than traditional teaching methods as a productive and useful skill that helps teachers and encourages students to interact and develop reflexive skills that can be used beyond their student years.

Based on rigorous theories, "Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education" offers new insights for university and college teachers seeking to enhance or diversify their practices and allows them to effectively facilitate their students' reflective learning.

Facilitating Reflective Learning: Coaching, Mentoring and Supervision is written by two leading experts in the field. The text explains how coaching and mentoring works in different situations. The authors guide the reader through key learning theories; describe the different models available for coaching and mentoring; and demonstrate how they can be applied in practice. In this completely revised new edition, robust theory is backed up by practical advice and numerous case studies. The coaching and mentoring skills used in different situations are clearly described. Ready to use resources include templates for contracting, reviewing and evaluating, as well as guidance on group dynamics for team coaching and group supervision. Advice is also included on sensitive areas such as the boundary between mentoring or coaching and therapy, and the desirability of supervision.