The Workshop Book: From Individual Creativity to Group Action

This book is useful for anyone who wants simple and reliable methods for engaging groups in joint problem solving and decision making. I highly recommend all of the ICA books.

I grabbed this book immediately when I saw it. I have been using the facilitation models from its companion piece, "The Art of Focused Conversation," for nearly four years with outstanding results. I knew this book would provide me with similar benefits. Focused on moving from discussion to action, this book describes the "Consensus Workshop." This method for captures the perceptions of employees, allows them to process their multiple perceptions, moves them to decisions, and awakens the passion in employees necessary to achieve goals. It is broken into four partes: The Method, The Finer Points, Leading Workshops, and Workshop Applications. The method itself (Part 1) is straightforward, and enough to get the reader off and running in the first 49 pages. However, the richness of the explanations found in Part 2 helps the reader understand why the method can be so powerful. Part 3 is invaluable because its suggestions (say, dealing with difficult behaviors in a group, or developing your style) apply to so many contexts outside this specific technique. Part 3 alone is worth the price of the book for anyone who facilitates groups. Part 4 lists applications, both for working meetings through a series and adapting the method for groups from 1 to 100+. I like this book a great deal. As a stand-alone book, it provides the reader with enough tools and techniques to successfully facilitate groups to consensus and action. As a companion piece to "The Art of Focused Conversation" its power increases exponentially. It will benefit anyone who has to lead a group or team through discussions to action.