The Secrets of Facilitation: The SMART Guide to Getting Results with Groups

By Michael Wilkinson

The revised edition of this facilitation classic offers a wealth of targeted techniques for facilitators who seek effective, consistent, and repeatable results. Based on Michael Wilkinson's proven SMART (Structured Meeting And Relating Techniques) approach, The Secrets of Facilitation can help to achieve stellar results when managing, presenting, teaching, planning, and selling, as well as other professional and personal situations.

This expanded edition includes new chapters on facilitating virtual meetings, cross-cultural teams, and large groups and conferences. It also provides a series of strategies for engaging teams, additional information about making meetings more productive, and further guidance on preventing dysfunctional behavior. In addition, the book contains a wealth of fresh case studies and an ancillary website with must-have tools and techniques for both the beginner and the seasoned facilitator.

Praise for the First Edition of The Secrets of Facilitation

"One of the single most powerful processes is the ability to successfully lead a group to an impactful, actionable outcome. In The Secrets of Facilitation, beginning and experienced facilitators alike will find tools to take their results to the next level."

—Jim Canfield, chief learning officer, TEC International

"This book shares 'The Secrets' that have been the basis of my facilitation practice for over a decade."

—Kerri McBride, past chair, International Association of Facilitators

"In my career, I've seen many, many facilitators. Michael Wilkinson is the best. 'The Secrets' explain why."

—Len Roberts, CEO, RadioShack

"We have trained over 100 leaders and business analysts in 'The Secrets.' Great facilitation works."

—Peter Scott, executive general manager, MLC–National Australia Bank

"At last there is a practical, hands-on guide for anyone who works with groups or teams. This book delivers!"

—Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO, Herrmann International, Herrmann Brain Dominance Indicator

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley
• Release date: Aug 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781118228579

Michael Wilkinson

MICHAEL WILKINSON Certified Master Facilitator, Named “Facilitator of the Year” 2003 by SEAF "In my career, I've seen many, many facilitators. He is the best.” “He is hands down the most talented facilitator with whom I have ever worked.” Comments like these are worth noting, especially when they come from Len Roberts, the former CEO of RadioShack, and Brian Gallagher, the CEO of the United Way Worldwide. Mr. Wilkinson is the Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc. – the leadership training and strategy consulting firm specializing in group facilitation. He is considered a national leader in the facilitation industry. • Author of The Secrets of Facilitation, The Secrets to Masterful Meetings, and The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy. • Board member of the International Institute for Facilitation. • Founder of the National Facilitator Database. • One of the first five Certified Master Facilitators in North America. • Named Facilitator of the Year in 2003 by the Southeast Association of Facilitators. Active in both the private and public sectors, he has provided leadership training and strategy development assistance to such diverse organizations as The Coca-Cola Company, Unisys, Sears, EPA, CDC, the Georgia Society of Association Executives, and the United Way. Mr. Wilkinson is a much sought after facilitator, trainer and speaker, both in the U.S. and around the globe. He has completed international assignments in Bangkok, Brisbane, Glasgow, Hamburg, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Melbourne, Milan, the Netherlands, Oxford, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sydney and Wellington. Past participants have commented that his dynamic presentation style, combined with his unique insights, make for an intense, power-packed session. Prior to Leadership Strategies, Mr. Wilkinson spent six years with ADP and eight years in the information technology practice of Ernst & Young's Manage¬ment Consulting Group. He is a High Honors graduate from Dartmouth and resides with his wife and two children in Atlanta, Georgia.