Effective Group Facilitation in Education : How to Energize Meetings and Manage Difficult Groups

At their worst, meetings can waste time, lack focus, foster a combative spirit, or be just plain boring. At their best, meetings can be a positive, dynamic experience that nurtures individual strengths while inspiring teamwork to successfully accomplish an established task. The fate of a meeting lies in the skill of the facilitator, and this easy-to-use guide has all the tips and tools necessary to make you shine in this challenging role.

Anyone charged with navigating a group of people toward a desired objective will benefit from this book′s indispensable features, which include:

• Templates for easy implementation at every stage of the facilitation process
• Straightforward tactics for managing difficult participants and emotionally charged situations
• Realistic examples to help you avoid pitfalls
• Surefire methods for delegating in a meaningful and respectful manner

From pre-meeting preparation, to the meeting′s critical first few minutes, to its conclusion and beyond, this manual provides step-by-step guidance for the entire facilitation process. It is packed with proven do′s and don′ts based on psychological principles, research, real-life experience, and field-tested best practices. The user-friendly strategies focus on such key areas as team building, brainstorming, motivating, overcoming problematic situations, reaching goals, and assessing results.