The Handbook for Working with Difficult Groups: How They Are Difficult, Why They Are Difficult and What You Can Do About It (J-B International Association of Facilitators)

Schuman, Sandy

ISBN 10: 0470190388 / ISBN 13: 9780470190388

Published by Jossey-Bass, 2010

About this Item

Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!

Seller Inventory # S_476957573

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Handbook for Working with Difficult Groups: How They Are Difficult, Why They Are Difficult and What You Can Do About It (J-B International Association of Facilitators)
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0470190388
• ISBN 13: 9780470190388
• Binding: hardcover
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED the challenges associated with working with groups, but The Handbook for Working with Difficult Groups turns the idea of "difficult groups" on its head. Rather than view groups as inherently difficult, it looks at the factors that make working with groups difficult. Individual chapters focus on challenges such as involving dissenters, building external perspectives, reducing complaining, adapting to cultural differences, incorporating diversity, facilitating inclusion, working virtually, resolving identity-based conflict, transforming unproductive behavior patterns, preventing workplace harassment, and strengthening accountability.

The book first provides a framework for thinking systemically about the many and varied ways in which working with a group can be difficult. Building on that framework, the contributors each address three basic issues:

• How the group is difficult—a description of a real group and the observable phenomena that reflect the group's difficulty.
• Why the group is difficult—an exploration of the underlying causes of the difficulty.
• What you can do about it—what you can do as a group facilitator, leader, or member to help the group.

About the Author

Sandy Schuman has been helping organizations work more effectively to solve complex problems and make critical decisions for more than thirty years. He is a group facilitator, collaborative process advocate, and storyteller. He helps groups create shared meaning, make critical choices, and build collaborative relationships. He facilitates problem-solving and decision-making processes for a wide variety of public management and policy issues and provides training in group facilitation, decision making, systems thinking, conflict management systems, and organizational communication. He is the editor of the International Association of Facilitators handbook series: The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation, Creating a Culture of Collaboration, and Working with Difficult Groups.