ABSTRACT
Revans was sceptical about even the necessity for action learning sets to have permanent facilitators. Insofar as one was ever necessary, it was to act as a kind of “mirror” to illustrate the conditions in the set, such that the set members could learn by themselves and from each other. Despite this, most action learning sets do begin life with a named facilitator (sometimes variously called a set adviser, coach, team coach, host or learning lead), who is there to aid the overall learning process by helping to create and sustain the conditions which make it possible for set members to learn from their own experience and from their fellow set members. The facilitator is therefore not a set leader, convenor or chair but is the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage on the stage” (1). So, the role is not to teach, act as an expert consultant, manage the set or report what occurs in the set to others, but to enable the learning and action which are the focus of the set's existence. While the facilitator typically does have initial responsibility for the “governance” aspects of a set's functioning (the establishment and adherence to ground rules and agreed processes) the key emphasis is not one of control, but rather of curiosity, respect and support.
