Book Description
Written for the small group communication course, Effective Group Discussion combines the most recent research findings relevant to understanding small groups with the practical tools students need to become productive group members. This text's implementation of research and theory in the systems approach framework provide students with a unique understanding of the scholarship in this field. This leading text is about secondary groups of all kinds: work groups, committees, task forces, self-directed work teams, and other small groups whose objectives include finding solutions to problems, producing goods, and creating policies. Gloria Galanes has become the lead author and brings a vast knowledge of computer-mediated group communication and culture that is reflected in this edition.
Customer Reviews:
good communication book.......2006-04-01
I bought this at Amazon.com from an Awesome Deal I found on DailyTool.com. This is a great book on communication theories. Also with the book you will have access to online learning center where you may find the chapter outlines and quizes over there.
Book Description
This book is an invaluable desk reference for facilitators, leaders, coaches and anyone who wants to engage in more effective learning and decision-making conversations. It offers over 1700 rich questions that you can borrow or adapt to improve your inquiry skills, and provides clear frameworks that point to when, where, and why particular questions are most useful.
Book Description
Retreats That Work is a practical, easy-to-use guide, full of step-by-step instructions for leading a wide variety of tested exercises. You'll learn how to design and facilitate retreats that will keep participants energized and on-task. Campbell and Liteman know what can go wrong at a retreat and what to do about it. They know how to turn difficult situations around and how to deal effectively with conflict, difficult participants, and resistance to change. With Retreats That Work, you will too.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, easy to use, practical, good activities.......2005-07-29
Retreats that Work (Jossey Bass, 2003) is highly readable and valuable resource is a comprehensive guide to retreat planning. Authors Sheila Campbell and Merianne Liteman address medium- to larger-sized organizations in the for-profit, nonprofit and government fields. Campbell and Liteman offer both a "how to" for planning and conducting a retreat and a fine sampling of facilitated group activities for different kinds of retreats.
The overall message is that the top decisionmaker should hold a retreat only for important purposes, he or she must be truly ready to hear divergent views and to be open to real change, including change not anticipated by the decisionmaker. CEOs, boards, division directors and other "head honchos" that are not ready to share control need not apply. For instance, Campbell and Liteman recommend confidential pre-retreat interviews conducted by the facilitator. One of their retreat design principles is that at least some of the participants should contribute to formulating the goals of the retreat. To do so, they believe it is essential for employees to feel safe to share their views in planning the retreat as well as at retreat. Thus, Campbell and Liteman call for anonymity and non-attribution of pre-retreat views and assurance of no negative actions for expressing views candidly during the retreat.
A key strength of the book is the attention to pre-retreat and post-retreat concerns. Pre-retreat matters extend well beyond choosing the meeting facility and menu [although their retreat logistics chapter is first rate] to the more important question: "Why have a retreat?" Campbell and Liteman specify nine reasons to hold a retreat and ten reasons not to hold a retreat. Both lists are enlightening and are foundational to further pre-retreat work.
A retreat is not a conference and not a regular meeting. Campbell and Liteman believe a retreat is best served "off-site," that is, at a location away from the workplace. They do cover the challenges of time and money in choosing an appropriate facility, and the discussion reinforces two more of their principles of retreat planning - designing a retreat to result in action for change and ensuring whatever happens at the retreat relates to the day-to-day work of the organization.
Other pre-retreat elements are: setting the goals, deciding on the format, and inviting people; defining the roles of convener, facilitator, administrator, participants (and non-participants); and a review of fixed-format retreat designs (such as Future Search, Ropes courses, and Appreciative Inquiry). Campbell and Liteman do a fine job discussing the tension between having a small enough group for good interaction and the group being large enough to be inclusive of the key players. In particular, they offer eight common criteria for how to choose participants. I think the criteria are especially helpful as an organization thinks of board-staff concerns, clients or customer involvement in a retreat, and inter-organizational issues.
A logical, but often overlooked, planning proviso is to design the retreat backwards-What is the outcome you seek? Instead of holding a retreat because its done annually, or because someone likes a particular format, or to "boost morale," Campbell and Liteman forcefully highlight the need to have retreats only for special purposes, and to work from the question "How will the day-to-day workplace be different following the retreat?"
The structure of the book opens with coverage of the why, goal-setting, logistics planning and role of leaders at the broadest view of a retreat. From there, most of the guide is devoted to facilitator assistance. Campbell and Liteman cover design issues ranging from pre-retreat work for participants to having "unprogrammed time" as an essential part of a successful retreat. They offer tips on ground rules, giving feedback to the group, and decisionmaking. For in-retreat concerns, general facilitator principles are leavened with brief guidance on how to respond to over a dozen glitches (such as repetitive discussions, disruption by a participant, a participant walking out, or a senior manager violating the ground rules).
A large section of the book identifies activities appropriate for four kinds of retreats: a) strategic planning, b) culture change, c) relationship-building and teamwork, and d) creativity and innovation. Each activity offers a clear description, steps and facilitator notes. Equally valuable are accompanying sidebar notes on the experiential elements, set-up, special supplies and degree of facilitator experience to conduct the activity effectively (easy, moderately easy, or only for experienced/specialized training). While retreat facilitators will probably eat up this part of the book, I hope they don't overlook the earlier "menu-setting" essentials of effective retreats.
Campbell and Liteman know that typically the worst part of a retreat is....after the retreat. Does the great thinking from the retreat get lost in the daily grind or new crises? Do non-participants not support the outcome? While a retreat's impact depends on organizational norms outside of any retreat's reach, Campbell and Liteman nicely select a few post-retreat points. In brief: announce the outcomes to everyone affected, not just the participants; move briskly into the actions steps identified at the retreat; and avoid a letdown by offering a memento, having periodic updates, or celebrating milestones. They highlight "critical leadership actions" for retreat follow-up.
Campbell and Liteman know that retreats have a purpose within the larger context of an organization. They provide a fine guide the knits together the earliest hints of whether to hold a retreat to effective planning to post-retreat steps to offer the best possible assurance that the change initiated by the retreat is converted into a better organization. The book is a must-have for both the senior management and for internal and external facilitators. (...)
So good it showed me a retreat is not for us.......2003-03-17
This book is EXCELLENT. It is so good in fact that it showed me why a retreat is not for us. Instead, I am using the activities it describes to create a series of training sessions for our senior and middle managers, or what you might call a series of mini-retreats, a couple of hours each once a week over several weeks. The activities contained in this book are intelligent and fun, unlike several others I've read. I highly recommend this book for the activities section alone -- and if you do want to do a full retreat, it will prove even more valuable. Also, the sections on pre-interviewing participants and retreat design components were very helpful, and I am putting them to good use.
I also like "101 Games for Trainers" by Bob Pike, and "Games That Teach Teams" by Steve Sugar. I think these three books together are the best place to start -- there are a lot of other titles out there that are, in a word, garbage, and should be avoided.
Priceless advice!.......2003-02-04
This is a terrific handbook for anyone who wants to (or has been assigned to) organize or lead a retreat for their company or non-profit organization. The authors describe the guiding principles for designing a retreat, they outline the logistics in detail, and they provide all kinds of good advice about how planners and facilitators should work together to get the most out of an offsite meeting. The checklists alone are worth the price of the book, and the activities sections are priceless!
Beyond feel good: useful insights and exercises.......2002-12-17
This book gives examples of various kinds of retreats and includes sample exercises for each that are simple, creative, and effective with no hint of the flaky factor that makes some retreats go offtrack. In fact, I'd say that the section on "Reasons NOT to hold a retreat" was alone worth the price of this book for its value in clarifying what a retreat can and cannot do.
As a communications trainer with my own non-profit board to deal with, I was most impressed by the fact that the chapter on non-profits identifies as a "most common concern" exactly the thing that causes my board trouble -- complaints of micromanaging on details while sidestepping needs for fundraising. The insight that this is a structural problem rather than a personality issue has been extremely helpful to me -- even without a retreat -- and convinced me these authors must know what they're talking about.
Everything you ever wanted to know.......2002-12-06
"Retreats That Work" could be subtitled "Everything you ever wanted to know about retreats." Just a look at the table of contents told me that there was going to be an answer to any question I might have -- from the basic who, what, when, where and why, to the types of specialized retreats.
I am in a related, but quite different, field. As a qualitative research moderator, I am often asked to facilitate meetings or retreats by clients who are unaware of the differences -- hence, my interest in this book. But, whether you are working for a small or large company and want to hold a retreat, or you are someone needing to actually facilitate such an event, this book is a wealth of information. And for anyone thinking of facilitating a retreat or just understanding what a facilitator must be able to do, they would be advised to read the "definition" or role of the facilitator on page 116!
I found this book very well-written, easy to read and follow. It's filled with lots of practical information and tips, valuable time estimates for the various activities, and additional resources given.
The creative thinking section was particularly interesting to me. As a "left brain" person, I am usually skeptical of these kinds of activities. But the authors' examples and explanations of each exercise gave me a new appreciation for the value of this type of retreat.
I also visited the authors' or book web site, which is a nice accompaniment to the book, including additional resources.
Average customer rating:
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Effective Small Group and Team Communication (with InfoTrac ) (Wadsworth Series in Communication Studies)
Judith Hoover
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
ASIN: 0534633447 |
Book Description
Enhance your communication skills with EFFECTIVE SMALL GROUP AND TEAM COMMUNICATION with InfoTrac®! This communication text emphasizes an interactive approach to teaching small group communication and contains activities that tie into each chapter. Career applications, collaborative learning activities, case studies, and a book specific website that contains tutorial quizzing and essay questions, are just a few of the tools that help you apply what you learn.
Customer Reviews:
Small Group Com.......2006-03-23
The book was delievered in a fairly timely fashion, however there was alot of water damage to the book that was not mentioned in the sales pitch.
Book Description
Creating Effective Groups, Second Edition provides a straightforward introduction to the study of small group communication, group decision-making, group problem solving, group dynamics, leadership, and team building. This practical book gives students the knowledge and skills necessary to communicate more effectively in the small group setting. The second edition of Creating Effective Groups contains new sections on reducing speaking anxiety, intercultural awareness, new end of chapter exercises, and more. With the help of this book, any group member can learn the skills necessary to participate in and lead a task group in an effective, productive, and healthy manner.
Customer Reviews:
Must read for Business Workers.......2003-12-21
First of all, check out one of THE BEST speaker's the world has: www.kevinoc.com. He was the professor who introduced this book to me. The insights and examples Fujishin provides are worthwhile and actually produce results. This is not a direct 'how-to' book; rather, it allows you to foresee problems and act in order to prevent them. It opens your mind and makes you think 'why' then 'how,' which is much more effective.
Average customer rating:
- Very insightful and useful
- Great for me (techy person)
- The Skilled Facilitator
- What Facilitates Facilitator?
- More Than Practical Wisdom
|
The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups (Jossey Bass Public Administration Series)
Roger M. Schwarz
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook: Tips, Tools, and Tested Methods for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches (JOSSEY-BASS BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT SERIES)
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The Secrets of Facilitation: The S.M.A.R.T. Guide to Getting Results With Groups
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The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation: Best Practices from the Leading Organization in Facilitation (J-B International Association of Facilitators)
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The Facilitator's Fieldbook: Step-by-Step Procedures * Checklists and Guidelines * Samples and Templates
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Facilitating with Ease!, with CD: Core Skills for Facilitators, Team Leaders and Members, Managers, Consultants, and Trainers
ASIN: 1555426387 |
Book Description
When it was published in 1994, Roger Schwarz's The Skilled Facilitator earned widespread critical acclaim and became a landmark in the field. The book is a classic work for consultants, facilitators, managers, leaders, trainers, and coaches--anyone whose role is to facilitate and guide groups toward realizing their creative and problem-solving potential. This thoroughly revised edition provides the essential materials for anyone that works within the field of facilitation and includes simple but effective ground rules for group interaction. Filled with illustrative examples, the book contains proven techniques for starting meetings on the right foot and ending them positively and decisively. This important resource also offers practical methods for handling emotions when they arise in a group and offers a diagnostic approach for identifying and solving problems that can undermine the group process.
Customer Reviews:
Very insightful and useful.......2007-03-26
The skilled facilitator introduces a facilitation approach that is based on 4 core values: Valid information, Free and informed choice, internal commitment and compassion. Most of the work on the values are based on the work of Chris Argyris and his work on Organizational Learning.
One of the key-points in the book is that most people work with a unilateral control theory-in-use. This will automatically make their facilitation in-efficient eventhough they do not realize it. The skilled facilitator approach is to try to move away from this theory-in-use and move to a "mutual learning" theory-in-use in which the facilitator tries to maximize the learning for him and his participants. The four core values provide a basis for that. Next to the core values there are 9 ground rules which are concrete enough to really act upon.
Most of the book explains the ideas behind the core values and the ground rules and shows how the ground rules influence your facilitation. This is done with scenarios in which the author shows a normal approach and a skilled facilitator alternative approach.
The book ends with a wonderful chapter on "the facilitative leader", which shows how you can combine the skilled facilitator values and ground rules and your role as a leader within the organization. This chapter alone would have been worth the book already.
I finished the book fairly quick. It's easy to read and kept me interested at all times. It also kept me thinking about the content when I was not reading it. Changing a theory-in-use is a difficult thing, but thanks to this book, I've become more aware of my own approach to facilitation and have the ability to improve it.
Great for me (techy person).......2007-03-09
When I first read this book years ago, I was a very technical IT person who preferred to work alone. I credit this book with helping to develop my people skills and making me a more effective team member.
The Skilled Facilitator.......2007-01-16
A good book but unfortunately both copies arrived damaged by water, one was still wet. They also smelled like rat's urine. I was able to retrieve one after a week of drying in 30 degree temperatures & turning pages every so often. The other is a total wreck. Probably should have been packaged in plastic prior to putting in the box. Disappointed.
What Facilitates Facilitator?.......2004-08-14
Many who want to be skillful facilitators are in a way "misled" by consultants, trainers or books on facilitation in the sense that techniques and recipes are cited and taught.
With many techniques and methodologies delivered, honest "facilitators" sense that they are not getting there - people do not get engaged, people among themselves are not connected.
Roger Schwarz, in his book "The Skilled Facilitator" shows that there is more to techniques, theories and methodologies. The very thinking, motives or mental models of the "facilitator" is an important part of the chemistry of the whole group.
By QuaSyLaTic, Andrew
http://www.360q.com
More Than Practical Wisdom.......2003-02-26
The subtitle of this accessible guide to facilitation, "Practical Wisdom For Developing Effective Groups", accurately describes the book's scope and utility. In four parts and thirteen chapters, Schwarz provides an overview, with countless meaningful examples, of how facilitators can most effectively help groups develop their capacity for improvement. He distinguishes between two types of facilitation: (1) Basic facilitation, which aims to help a group "solve a substantive problem"; and (2) Developmental facilitation, which accomplishes basic facilitation while helping a group learn "to improve its process". He argues that three core values underlie effective group and facilitator behavior. The first is "valid information", which means that relevant information is shared by group members and that all groups members can validate and understand the information. The second is "free and informed choice", which means that group members define their own goals and methods of achieving those goals using valid information. The third is, "internal commitment to the choice", which means that group members take responsibility for their decisions by making informed choices based on valid information. Using a basic or developmental approach, facilitators most effectively intervene by making explicit and modeling these core values. These values are maintained by a group agreeing and sticking to essential ground rules, which Schwarz lists on p. 75 and treats extensively throughout the book.
In the heart of Schwarz's book are seven chapters on intervening effectively in groups. In those chapters, he advises the reader on, among other things, how to intervene, meeting management, group problem-solving, following ground rules, and dealing with emotions. He closes with wisdom on serving as a facilitator in your own organization and on the facilitative leader. His opening sections on how facilitation helps groups achieve their goals and establishing the foundation for facilitation lay the groundwork for his later chapters.
In the opening chapters, he includes two models worth mentioning. In his "group effectiveness model" (p.23), Schwarz shows how group processes (the primary concern of the facilitator) interact with group structure and organizational context to contribute to a group effectiveness. Group effectiveness is assessed through three criteria: (1) The group's services or products meet or exceed the expectations of the clients; (2) The processes and structures used to deliver services or create products enhance the group's capacity to work together; and (3) The group's experience is satisfying, not frustrating, for the group's members. In the second noteworthy model, Schwarz presents the "diagnosis-intervention cycle" (p. 68). In this cycle, there are three diagnostic steps and three intervention steps. In the diagnostic phase, the facilitator observes behavior, infers meaning and decides whether to intervene. In the intervention phase, s/he describes observations, test her/his inferences, and helps the group decide whether and how to alter behaviors. Understanding and using these models are critical for effective facilitation.
For the would-be facilitator or group leader, this book provides exactly what the subtitle promises.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Confidence Builder.......2000-09-25
This audio book was one of the best I have ever listened to. It was very informative and keeps you on your seat to learn more.
Average customer rating:
- A book that works
- The Way to Go
- Cogent, clear, concise
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Essential Interviewing: A Programmed Approach to Effective Communication
David R. Evans ,
Margaret T. Hearn ,
Max R. Uhlemann , and
Allen E. Ivey
Manufacturer: Thomson Brooks/Cole
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Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (with Web Site, Chapter Quiz Booklet, and InfoTrac )
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ASIN: 0534160204 |
Book Description
This dynamic book defines the core communication skills essential to any interview and vivdly demonstrates how to use them effectively in a variety of situations. This updated and revised Fifth Edition reflects continued feedback from users of the book's previous editions, including the incorporation of multicultural considerations. Based on Ivey's systematic method of interviewer, counselor, and therapist training, the book's approach makes the interview clear and specific for beginners, helping them master the complexities of the process more quickly and fully. The authors help take the mystery out of the interviewing process through their empahsis on client Story (listening and helping clients tell their tales), Restory (helping clients think about their lives and the world in new ways), and Action (what needs to be done to make the story come to life).
Customer Reviews:
A book that works.......2007-06-19
I've been using this book for years in the MA program in counseling at NYU in our intro counseling skills course. I use this book to supplement the IPR video tapes by Kagan. My students have really enjoyed using the book. It allows real practice of counseling skills. Each counseling skill is broken into chapters: A client makes a statement and then there are three possible ways that the counselor can respond. It clearly explains why the one answer is correct and the other two are not. (I have my students cover the answers so they have to guess which one is correct.)
If you are looking for a book to practice counseling skills, I highly recommend this book.
The Way to Go.......2007-02-15
This book has some intense information on how to maximize an interviewing process. I will definately use it's techniques in my Naturopathic Consultation Practice.
Cogent, clear, concise.......2004-07-04
Cogent, lucid, concise, this book promises to be a fine choice for both psychology and business majors. The comprehensive evaluation of answers to interview questions in each chapter invites students to develop effective listening skills as well as help them perfect successful questioning techniques.
The chapters on attending behavior and questioning are especially well done, providing a wealth of applicable techniques. Also, the emphasis on ethics is an especially cogent addition, given our current cultural climate.
I highly recommend this book for any course in counseling techniques.
Kathleen Barlow, Ph. D.
Associate Professor of English and Communications
Chair of Academics
College of Professional Studies
Indiana Tech
Book Description
If group meetings seem inefficient, unproductive, and time consuming, then it's time to invest in a text that can assist in making the most of group decision-making meetings. Effective Meetings establishes the rules for effective group decision making, outlines the positions and roles for effective group decision making, and examines the different types of decision groups. Since the first edition, the context in which organizations exist and work has greatly changed, and this volume accounts for these changes by addressing issues such as the competitive environment, more resilient organizational structures, and emphasis on quality and evaluation. The second edition has been updated to include references to some of the critical issues facing agencies today such as family and community violence, health care, and homelessness. For illustrative purposes, this volume uses a variety of meetings including advisory groups, staff meetings, board meetings, intergroups, and intercultural meetings. Unlike the first edition that targeted a more general management, this edition is specifically written for human services. Effective Meetings, Second Edition is essential reading for students in social work, human services, management, and public administration. Practitioners in managerial and development positions will also find this edition extremely useful.
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