Wilkinson Michael. The Secrets of Facilitation: The SMART Guide to Getting Results with Groups

Second Edition. — Jossey-Bass, 2012 — 496 p. — ISBN10: 1118206134, ISBN13: 978-1118206133.Jossey-Bass has encouraged the book to be expanded to include so much more. So what's new in the 2nd Edition? A lot! While I have kept the features many have said they liked in the first edition, in the new book you will find:Four new chapters covering:
Virtual meetings
Facilitating large groups and conferences
Facilitating cross-cultural groups
Building an in-house network of facilitatorsTen engagement strategies that we teach to advanced facilitators
Brief encounters
Dump and clump
Elevator speech
Forced analogy
Future letter
Last person standing
More of / Less of
Start / Stop / Continue
Talking Stick
The WhipEleven new secrets covering the following topics:
Defining the session product: the three Hs
Managing a sponsor's presence
Exciting people in the opening
Gaining consensus on wording
Preparing for a virtual meeting
Engaging people virtually
Facilitating large groups
Facilitating conferences
Managing time with speakers
Facilitating cross-cultural groups
Establishing an internal facilitator cadreSixteen additional case studies, including:
The facilitator's role in civic leadership groups
The starting question to engage the VP's number two
Preparing for vision councils
The power of the pen, ELMO and parking boards
The low-key facilitator
The virtual strategy monitoring session
Facilitating a conference on spirituality
Facilitating the strategic plan for a Caribbean government
The facilitator development program at Saudi Aramco
The pull strategy at Hydro OneExpanded information on handling dysfunctions, including how to prevent the dysfunction, what to do in the moment when you are facing the dysfunction, and what to do after the momentAn expanded list of dysfunctions which adds the following five:
o Cell Phone Junkie
o Topic Jumper
o Interrupter
o Low Energy Group
o Time Pressured GroupNew material on numerous topics including:
Applying the secrets to running a simple meeting
Applying the secrets to the first meeting of a task force
Should the sponsor be in the room?
When should you arrive for a meeting?
The informed majority decision making process
Energy and authenticity
Crossing the river: my favorite team building activity
Defining what can be communicated following the session
Interrupting the effects of institutional power through facilitation
Facilitator neutrality: fact or fiction?
Facilitator certificationA new feature in every chapter answering, "Why do this?" to highlight why a particular approach or strategy is so critically important.Recommended exercises at the end of each chapter to suggest ways to practice one or more key concepts covered in the chapter
My hope is that you find this new edition a worthy addition to your facilitation resource library!
Read lessMichael Wilkinson is founder and managing director for Leadership Strategies–The Facilitation Company, which specializes in facilitation training and in providing facilitators to lead executive retreats and task forces. He was named Facilitator of the Year by the Southeast Association of Facilitators in 2003 and is author of four books.