By Michael Wilkinson on February 16, 2012
The Secret of the Starting Question The starting question is the term we use for the question the facilitator asks to begin a discussion. Typically, a starting question is used at the beginning of every agenda item in a facilitated process. For example, for creating a plan to fix the hiring problem described in previous [...]
[ Read More → ]
By Michael Wilkinson on January 16, 2012
In the case study that started this chapter, we indicated that there are a number of different roles for a facilitator: Meeting Adviser – The facilitator helps the leader plan the meeting, but during the session, he primarily sits on the sidelines, stepping in only when asked or if a situation occurs which the participants [...]
[ Read More → ]
By Michael Wilkinson on November 2, 2011
A major difference between leading and facilitating is that a leader often tells; a facilitator always asks. In my book, The Secrets of Facilitation, I described how I learned what I call the fundamental secret of facilitation. I began understanding the secret during my career with the management consulting division of what was then one [...]
[ Read More → ]
By Michael Wilkinson on October 18, 2011
For many, meetings are viewed as a dreaded evil to be avoided at all costs: far too little gets accomplished, much of the discussion is unfocused and unproductive, and a lot of time is wasted. If you lead important group meetings, you know how difficult it can be to get a group engaged right from [...]
[ Read More → ]
By Michael Wilkinson on October 16, 2011
I’m Michael Wilkinson and I’m the host of this blog. You can read more about me next to my picture in the sidebar. This blog will be about various aspects of facilitation, and will focus especially on practical tips and tools in posts, including posts from guest writers. You can learn more about this [...]
[ Read More → ]
Michael Wilkinson is the CEO of Leadership Strategies, Inc.; is author of several Amazon best-sellers; and has been awarded both the Certified Professional Facilitator and the Certified Master Facilitator.
[Read more ...]