Facilitation Made Easy

Practical Tips to Improve Meetings and Workshops

Kogan Page, 2005

15 min read

10 take-aways

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What's inside?

Facilitate workshops with energy and confidence, and leave those boring, pointless meetings behind forever.

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How do you stay in control of a group without being manipulative? How do you initiate thought-provoking dialogue without injecting your own opinions? Esther Cameron addresses these issues and more in this useful guidebook to facilitating meetings and workshops. She provides numerous activities you can use to initiate creative suggestions and encourage lively debate. She also offers practical instructions regarding room setup, implementation and follow-up, all supported by examples, case studies, checklists and "Stop and Think!" reviews. getAbstract recommends this book to professional trainers, coaches, managers and, of course, facilitators. If you have to run an upcoming meeting, quickly peruse this book for some reliable, actionable advice.

Summary

Why Facilitate?

A well-run workshop allows you to think imaginatively, communicate openly, brainstorm ideas and develop creative solutions. This type of session can be exciting and stimulating for everyone involved. But put the same people in the same room at a mismanaged event and you'll experience resistance and resentment. Knowing how to run a meeting productively is a tremendously useful skill and, thankfully, one you can learn.

"What Is a Facilitated Workshop?"

"A facilitated workshop is a method of allowing a group of people to work together to achieve a specific outcome." It is a forum for sharing ideas, making simple decisions and collaborating to devise solutions. These gatherings work best when you address specific problems, discuss strategy, define a vision or tackle key issues. They don't offer a good environment for attempting to change people's views, making complex decisions or disseminating information. A facilitated meeting is an inappropriate format for explaining the specifics of a new healthcare provider, for example, but it does present a good environment for identifying the provider's strengths and weaknesses.

Tips on Facilitating...

About the Author

Esther Cameron, a coach and consultant, is a lecturer at the University of Bristol and the co-author of Making Sense of Change Management.

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B. W. 3 years ago

Very helpful for the bedside nurse, now educator, who is frequently asked to facilitate meetings.
M. G. 8 years ago

Very basic, but it serves well as a great refresher/reinforcement that some simple disciplines can make a big impact

Esther Cameron