What can we learn together?
The Facilitators’ Muse uses action research to explore questions emerging from professional facilitation practice. Through practitioner experience, reflection, inquiry, and shared learning, individual observations can become collective insight—and contribute to the profession’s ongoing development.
Why Action Research?
Professional practice generates questions.
Sometimes they arise from a difficult conversation. Sometimes from a recurring pattern, a tension in the profession, a changing client expectation, or something we notice in our own practice that deserves closer attention.
Reflection helps us examine those experiences individually. Action research allows us to investigate them together.
At The Facilitators’ Muse, action research is a practical form of inquiry grounded in the experience of practicing facilitators. It brings practitioner perspectives into conversation with research, professional knowledge and emerging developments in the field.
The purpose is not simply to collect opinions. The purpose is not simply to collect opinions. It is to look for patterns…”
From Reflection to Inquiry
Reflective Edge™ often begins with curiosity.
A question, dilemma, quotation, or experience may invite individual reflection. When a question appears to reach beyond one practitioner—or reveals a larger tension within professional practice—it may become an Action Research inquiry.
In this way, reflection can lead to inquiry, inquiry can generate new knowledge, and new knowledge can inform future reflection, publications, learning experiences and professional conversations.
Reflective Edge™ asks: What am I noticing in my practice?
Action Research asks: What might we learn by exploring this together?
How the Inquiry Works
An Action Research inquiry may begin with a question arising from Reflective Edge™, professional conversations, practitioner experience, emerging research or changes affecting the field.
Depending on the question, an inquiry may include:
- a short practitioner survey;
- individual reflections or stories;
- facilitated conversations;
- interviews;
- literature and research scans;
- perspectives from professional associations and practitioners;
- analysis of recurring themes, tensions and differences.
The approach may vary from one inquiry to another. What remains consistent is the intention: to examine questions of professional practice thoughtfully, transparently and with respect for practitioner experience.
We will share what we learn through The Facilitators’ Muse so participation contributes to a wider professional conversation.
Current Inquiry
Professional Evolution
What “elephant in the room” must the facilitation profession confront to unlock its next stage of growth?
Professional group process facilitation is changing. Facilitative capability is increasingly widespread. Artificial intelligence can help generate agendas and processes. Virtual practice has become normal. Clients’ expectations continue to evolve, while pathways into professional facilitation, certification and professional identity remain varied.
These changes raise important questions about what distinguishes professional facilitation practice, how the field continues to develop, and what practicing facilitators believe needs greater attention.
This inquiry invites practitioners to identify the issue, tension or conversation they believe the profession can no longer afford to avoid.
Status: Open for contributions
Participation: Approximately 10-15 minutes
Results: Findings and emerging themes will be shared through The Facilitators’ Muse.
Ways to Engage
Contribute
Add your experience or perspective to a current inquiry.
Convene
Take a question into your professional network, association, team or community and use it to begin a conversation.
Respond
Offer a thought, observation or question that might help deepen the inquiry.
You are also welcome to simply reflect. Not every question requires an immediate answer.
Action Research Inquiries
This page will become a record of questions explored through The Facilitators’ Muse. Each inquiry will move through its own rhythm of exploration, participation, interpretation and sharing.
Professional Evolution
Status: Open
What “elephant in the room” must the facilitation profession confront to unlock its next stage of growth?
Results and emerging themes will be added as the inquiry develops.
What Happens to What We Learn?
Action Research is intended to create knowledge that can travel.
Emerging insights may inform:
- Reflective Edge™ questions;
- TFM articles and publications;
- learning experiences;
- facilitated professional conversations;
- future research questions;
- frameworks and resources for practice.
Not every inquiry will lead to a definitive answer. Some may reveal important differences, unresolved tensions or questions that deserve to remain open.
That, too, is useful knowledge.
A Continuing Invitation
The knowledge of a profession does not reside only in books, research studies, frameworks or professional standards.
It also resides in practice—in what practitioners notice, question, try, learn and reconsider.
The Facilitators’ Muse creates a place where some of those observations can be brought into conversation with one another.
What are you noticing that the profession should be paying attention to?