Includes bibliographical references (p. 294-302) and index

Part 1: How facilitation helps groups achieve their goals -- Group facilitation and the role of the facilitator -- What makes work groups effective? Part 2: Establishing the foundation for facilitation -- Contracting: Deciding whether and how to work together -- Diagnosis: Identifying behaviors that enhance or hinder group effectiveness -- Part 3: Intervening effectively in groups -- Things to consider before stepping in -- How to intervene -- Beginning and ending meetings -- Helping the group solve problems -- Helping the group follow its ground rules -- Dealing with emotions -- Working with another facilitator -- Part 4: Using facilitation skills in your own organization -- Serving as facilitator in your own organization -- The facilitator leader -- Resource A: Guidelines for developing an effective contract -- Resource B: Sample agreement for basic facilitation -- Resource C: Sample agreement for developmental facilitation -- Resource D: Guidelines for using experiential exercises and self-knowledge instruments -- Resource E: Questions for cofacilitators -- Resource F: For Internal facilitators: guidelines for contracting with your supervisor -- Resource G: Further reading

"Today more than ever, groups play a critical role in the lives of effective organizations - empowering employees, generating needed change, and producing innovative solutions to complex problems. Skilled group facilitation is a resource such organizations cannot do without. In this book, Roger Schwarz draws on his own extensive facilitation experience and insight to bring together theory and practice, creating a comprehensive reference for consultants, peer facilitators, managers, leaders - anyone whose role is to guide groups toward realizing their creative and problem-solving potential. The book provides essential materials for facilitators, including simple but effective ground rules for governing group interaction; word-for-word examples, drawn from the author's own cases, of what to say to a group - and when to say it - to keep it on track and moving toward its goal; proven techniques for starting meetings on the right foot - and ending them positively and decisively; practical methods for handling emotions - particularly negative emotions - when they arise in a group context; and a diagnostic approach for helping both facilitators and group members identify and solve problems that can undermine the group process." "The Skilled Facilitator provides a clearly defined set of basic principles to help facilitators develop sound, value-based responses to a wide range of unpredictable situations. It also includes advice on how to work with outside consultants and facilitate within one's own organization, along with a groundbreaking section on facilitative leadership."--Jacket

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