Active Facilitation: How to Help Groups Break Through Mutual Stalemates

Active Facilitation: How to Help Groups Break Through Mutual Stalemates

Become and effective and active facilitator

In this revealing case study, Celia Kirwan and Wes Siegal document their experience in facilitating a two-day project in which four teams were brought together to focus on a market segment and develop plans to increase the sales pipeline. The results of the two-day project demonstrate the transformations that working groups can make with the appropriate and timely involvement and direction of facilitators.

In this article, you will learn how to become and effective and active facilitator, including:

  • How working groups are difficult
  • Why groups working together become difficult
  • The three contextual factors that regularly contribute to group stalemate
  • Structural factors that contribute to mutual stalemate
  • How to "actively facilitate" to break through stalemates and achieve success

Chapter 14 of The Handbook for Working with Difficult Groups, Sandy Schuman (ed.), Jossey-Bass, 2010

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