Action Learning to address staff turnover in the USA

 Luxury Health and Fitness Company which also operates several well-known separate fitness brands with over 135 locations within every major city predominantly across the United States. The  Centre for Action Learning  were commissioned to provide action learning facilitation training to 18 senior managers from across the United States so that they could use the action learning methodologies to supplement the learning and development opportunities they use with their gym-based teams.

All 18 senior managers completed our 3-day ILM Development Award in Action Learning Facilitation and for a further 6 months participated in online virtual action learning sets facilitated by Centre for Action Learning in order to support them to practice and embed their learning and explore possible solutions to reduce personal trainer turnover rates in their clubs.

Programme outcomes:

  • Reported wider use of questioning techniques used in action learning sets to develop more of a coaching culture to develop personal trainers
  • Better team working and cohesion between senior managers involved in the programmes.
  • Senior managers reporting that they used virtual action learning and questioning techniques to better support and develop their widely dispersed teams.
  • Action learning reported as contributing to the improved change in culture in two clubs that were previously identified struggling.
  • Although a further roll-out of action learning was not initiated after the pilot, it was recognised that as a result of this programmer facilitated a better insight into the current organisational management culture and practices. This included a clearer understanding of other leadership and management skills gaps that needed to be prioritised through a shift in strategic focus.