THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO FACILITATION: Enabling Groups to Succeed

Why has facilitation become so important? Because the cost of ineffective groups and teamwork is becoming too high! The Complete Guide to Facilitation is a comprehensive resource that will help your team leaders and group facilitators prepare more effectively for meetings, improve their group's processes, and follow up to ensure more productive outcomes from sessions.

This book includes a wealth of practical information for inexperienced group leaders as well as new tools for seasoned facilitators- more than 100 reproducible forms, checklists, planning aids, and guides. Selected contents are reproduced in CD-ROM format so that you can customize tools to meet your specific needs.

Selected Contents

• User's Guide to the Fieldbook
• Suggestions for the less experienced facilitator
• Suggestions for the more experienced facilitator
• Introduction
  • Facilitation basics
  • Understanding adult learning
  • Group dynamics and decision making
  • Understanding process consultation
• Organizing the Group
• Stakeholder analysis and group member selection
• Developing a group charter
• Chartering the new team
• Selecting a group leader
• Setting Group Norms
• Group operating principles
• Establishing ground rules
• Planning Meetings
• Building the meeting agenda
• The facilitator process agenda
• The participant agenda
• Meeting room designs
• Getting Started Right
• Tips on designing inclusion activities
• Facilitation fundamentals
• The agenda review
• Encouraging participation
• Monitoring group task & maintenance behaviors
• Group member task behavior evaluation
• Handling Conflicts and Common Problems with Groups
• Facilitating conflict resolution
• Invoking the "seek first to understand" rule
• Negotiating interpersonal conflicts
• Role negotiation agreement
• Role negotiation progress check
• Handling common problems

Decision Modes

• Absolute consensus decision making
• Consultative decision making
• Modified consensus decision making
• Voting

Evaluation and Group Closure

• The task group process review
• Encouragement now, correction next time
• Evaluating the regular meeting
• Handling closing with the group

Meeting Records

• Producing meeting records
• Meeting record: agenda item & results/decisions
• Meeting record: minutes
• Meeting record: reduced flip chart

Planning Meetings and Tools

• Developing mission statements
• Values and vision workshop
• Vision statements
• Values statements
• Facilitating strategic planning
• Critical success factor analysis
• Gantt chart planning

Getting Started: the Electronic Meeting

• Facilitating effective teleconferences
• Audioconference participant tips
• Facilitating videoconferences

Technological Tools and Applications

• Tips on facilitating groupware
• Groupware resources
• Audience response system resources
• Computer projectors and facilitation
• Technology bibliography
• Knowing the lingo - a glossary