Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

TOM JUSTICE is an organizational development practitioner and the president of Justice Associates, a consulting firm specializing in organizational capacity.

DAVID W. JAMIESON, PH.D., is department chair, Organization Learning Development, University of St. Thomas and coauthor of Managing Workforce 2000.

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It may seem effortless, but anyone leading a high-stakes meeting knows what a pressure cooker it can be. Amidst a charged atmosphere and conflicting personalities, facilitators must deftly weave groups into effective workplace teams that achieve results. It takes skill, commitment, and an arsenal of facilitation tools—all here in the complete, authoritative guide to facilitation mastery.

Now completely updated with 150 pages of new material, this third edition of The Facilitator’s Fieldbook gives facilitators, organization development professionals, and consultants both a conceptual framework for understanding the facilitation process and the step-by-step procedures, checklists, worksheets, and sample documents to get it right.

The book delivers practical information on establishing ground rules, planning meetings and agendas, resolving conflict, making decisions, helping groups optimize their time—and every key mediation skill you need to know. You will discover in this third edition:

Character traits of successful facilitators

• Signs of dysfunction in any group dynamic and what to do about each

• Critical distinctions between regular meetings and task forces that facilitators must know

• Preparation guidelines that improve your odds for success

• A training agenda for teaching facilitation

• Meeting room layouts, and when to use each

• Activities for ensuring inclusion and participation

• Nonverbal communication cues that help you spot lies and truths

• Brainstorming and brain writing tips

• Pros and cons of absolute, consultative, expert, and modified consensus

• Guidelines for preparing and presenting recommendations

• Tips for working with virtual teams and using technology to improve facilitation

• Insights into the best contracting practices for facilitators

• Shortcuts for implementing team-building exercises

• Advice and activities for building trust

• Updates on the latest developments, such as appreciative inquiry and large-group methods

• A primer for managers on using facilitative thinking to lead their teams—and much more.

If humans are complex, then groups are significantly more so. This insightful, all-encompassing guide to helping diverse, sometimes fractious, workplace groups reach positive goals is invaluable for newcomers and seasoned professionals alike.

Thomas Justice is President of Justice & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in process facilitation, building high-performance teams, and the management of organizational change. He has served as a process facilitator for more than 30 organizations in 16 states. He lives in Santa Monica, California.

David W. Jamieson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Organization, Learning & Development department at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is also President of Jamieson Consulting Group, which specializes in organizational strategy, design, change, and human resources issues. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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The Facilitator's Fieldbook

AMACOM

Contents

Preface...................................................................................viiIntroduction..............................................................................1Overview..................................................................................45Overview..................................................................................115Overview..................................................................................327Overview..................................................................................359Overview..................................................................................387Overview..................................................................................425Index.....................................................................................465

Chapter One

PHASE I Preparation

Overview Facilitator Resources

Overview

Affairs are easier of entrance than of exit, and it is but common prudence to see our way out before we venture in.—AESOP, 6TH CENTURY B.C.

You can't hatch chickens from fried eggs.—PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH PROVERB

The process of successful facilitation starts well before you actually begin facilitating a group. The thinking and action necessary for preparing a group session are just as important as the actual group facilitation. Poor preparation leads to poor meetings. In fact, most of the problems and difficulties that arise during the group sessions can be traced to some fault in the design or preparation of the session. Essentially, it is during preparation that contracts, agendas, group processes, and logistics are determined and/or clarified. Weaknesses in any of these elements will eventually lead to problems during the session, when correcting them will be difficult and a hindrance to the group's success.

Good, effective preparation should produce the following outcomes:

1. The group is organized.

2. Membership is determined.

3. Purposes and outcomes are clear.

4. Roles are clarified.

5. Logistics are planned.

6. The facilitation work contract is clear.

7. Group, work, participants, and context are understood.

8. The agenda is determined and communicated.

THE EIGHT PRIMARY TASKS

In preparing to work with the group, you need to focus on eight primary tasks:

1. Establishing the contract for facilitation

2. Collecting information on context, work, and participants

3. Clarifying the group charter

4. Analyzing stakeholders

5. Selecting group members and the group leader

6. Building agendas for meetings

7. Publishing the agenda and disseminating information

8. Attending to meeting logistics

Task 1: Establishing the Contract for Facilitation

You must begin by establishing a contract with (a) the person or persons in the organization who are responsible for the group you are intending to facilitate, and (b) the person or persons who authorize or approve the group's work.

The general purpose of the contract is to set the facilitation process up for success—to initiate solid planning for the process. More specifically, the purpose of the contract is to ensure the following: