Anyone who manages more than one direct report becomes, de facto, a team leader, mediator, and communicator extraordinaire. From meetings to training exercises to brainstorming sessions, managers are called upon to lead groups—defining goals and tasks and bridging differences among members to collaborate and innovate. Drawing from their extensive research, teaching, and practical application in the field of counseling and group dynamics, the authors show readers how to master the role of facilitator—one who engages others in dialogue, resolves conflicts, and steers groups toward collective solutions. From leading project teams to getting buy-in for new policy recommendations, managers will develop skills that can be applied in many contexts, wherever people are working in groups, ultimately contributing to greater awareness and understanding of different points of view. Featuring diagnostic exercises, worksheets, examples, and an extensive listing of resources, The Manager as Facilitator will provide individuals and teams with the tools to promote effective communication, capitalize on diversity, and improve productivity. Anyone who manages more than one direct report becomes, de facto, a team leader, mediator, and communicator extraordinaire. From meetings to training exercises to brainstorming sessions, managers are called upon to lead groups—defining goals and tasks, creating a climate of mutual support, and bridging differences among members to collaborate and innovate. Drawing from their extensive research, teaching, and practical application in the field of counseling and group dynamics, the authors show readers how to master the role of facilitator—one who engages others in dialogue, resolves conflicts, and steers groups toward collective solutions. From leading project teams to getting buy-in for new policy recommendations, managers will develop the skills that can be applied in many contexts, wherever people are working in groups, ultimately contributing to greater awareness and understanding of different points of view. Featuring diagnostic exercises, worksheets, examples, and an extensive listing of resources, The Manager as Facilitator will provide individuals and teams with the tools to promote effective communication, capitalize on diversity, and improve productivity.

Offers a practical, effective program to help transform leaders and managers in all types of organizations into skilled facilitators Teaches managers the facilitation skills they need to help their organizations improve productivity Includes real-life examples from manufacturing, telecommunications, health care, education, retail and other service businesses, and government and other non-profit organizations Today's managers are confronted with increasing pressure to produce more with fewer resources. In this pressure-packed environment, managers are finding that the old "direct-and-control" model simply does not work. People need more freedom to make decisions, respond quickly to their customers, and work together more effectively. Successful managers have learned how to use the role of facilitator to help people exercise this freedom to produce the results needed by their organizations. Managers As Facilitators presents a new, easy-to-understand model of facilitation that focuses on getting work done. It provides practical guidance for managers and leaders who need to be successful in this new role. Weaver and Farrell show managers how to use themselves in new ways, capitalize on group dynamics, and build effective work processes. They explain that to become a successful facilitator, one must recognize and use the four key elements of the facilitation model: 1. Task: Facilitators are clear about the work that groups must complete; task drives the actions of effective facilitators. 2. Self: Facilitators learn how to use themselves to help groups complete their tasks; facilitators do this by both using their own personal thoughts and feelings as a "barometer" for groups and modeling the types of behavior expected from others. 3. Group: Facilitators help groups understand the difference between normal interactions and those that are a problem; facilitators also help groups capitalize on conflict, rather than be disabled by it. 4. Process: Facilitators use three fundamental processes to help groups: planning, solving problems, and completing work; facilitators are skilled with a number of facilitation tools, using them to help groups run effective meetings, finish projects, etc. Managers As Facilitators offers readers practical ways to manage change and organizational boundaries to achieve the results they want. The authors explain how individuals, groups, and organizations experience change and work with boundaries-and what facilitators do to help. The book's final chapter synthesizes all the material by presenting "Quick Fixes" to common problems.

A facilitator has been traditionally defined as someone who helps a group of people understand their objectives, and assists them in planning to achieve them, without taking a position in the discussion. Recently, the International Standards Organization’s (ISO’s) implementation and other long-term, multi-year team involvement has challenged neutrality in all cases and has created a new type of facilitator, the results facilitator. The Results Facilitator: Expert, Manager, Mentor identifies the skills, training, and education that today’s facilitators must possess. Outlining the new role of the facilitator, it presents powerful tools and techniques that can help facilitators achieve success. Continuous learning is a must and should follow the model-Learn-Practice-Evaluate-Act. The book demonstrates the use of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for measuring progress toward achieving the objectives of a long-term program. It also supplies authoritative guidance on how to effectively plan, conduct, and complete meeting responsibilities. What can go wrong for a facilitator is outlined and methods to eliminate or mitigate these undesired situations are shown. The text details the core competencies that have been established by the International Institute for Facilitators (INIFAC) as well as the International Association of Facilitators (IAF). It shows where improvements can be made in each and recommends a joint IAF and INIFAC effort to consolidate into one facilitator’s competency list. The book explains the need for an additional phase to the Tuckman’s Group Dynamic Model. It shows several coaching processes including how to use the Toyota Production System’s Kata for team improvement. The chapters have a facilitator exercise at the ends to help the reader apply their new knowledge to build their confidence and knowledge.

Have you ever been involved in a project that didn’t require a meeting? Neither have we. Well-run project meetings allow teams to get through the maze of distractions and obstacles to achieve results. Unfortunately, many project meetings aren’t well-run—they are viewed, by team members, as unproductive, tedious, wastes of precious time. But you can change that. The Project Meeting Facilitator contains practical techniques and practices that will help you facilitate our meetings more effectively, transforming them into well-planned, well-managed journeys that engage the team while achieving the intended goals.

Step by step, Facilitating the Project Lifecycle guides theproject manager/facilitator in making smart choices about when andhow to pull key talent together to spell success for the projectand ultimately the organization. The authors will help youunderstand the benefits of using facilitated group work sessions toget real work done during a project and get it done better and moreefficiently than more traditional individual work approaches. Inaddition, the book includes: Recommendations for capitalizing on group knowledge toaccelerate the building of key project deliverables and ensuretheir quality as they are built A work session structure for planning, delivering, andfollowing up facilitated work sessions Guides for building key project deliverables Sample agendas Proven techniques for managing the group dynamics

When it was published in 1994, Roger Schwarz's The SkilledFacilitator earned widespread critical acclaim and became alandmark in the field. The book is a classic work for consultants,facilitators, managers, leaders, trainers, and coaches--anyonewhose role is to facilitate and guide groups toward realizing theircreative and problem-solving potential. This thoroughly revisededition provides the essential materials for anyone that workswithin the field of facilitation and includes simple but effectiveground rules for group interaction. Filled with illustrativeexamples, the book contains proven techniques for starting meetingson the right foot and ending them positively and decisively. Thisimportant resource also offers practical methods for handlingemotions when they arise in a group and offers a diagnosticapproach for identifying and solving problems that can underminethe group process.