Facilitation & General Group Process Resources

FAVORITE WEBSITES

BOOKS

See  BOOK LIST page.

METHODS LIST

Appreciative Inquiry: "A process, philosophy, and life practice grounded in research demonstrating that focusing on what's working and aspirations for the future achieves more and does it faster and more sustainably than solving problems."

Art of Hosting: Although Art of Hosting is more a syncretic collection of methods than a method in itself (relying heavily on several other methods listed here), it also brings its own sensibility to how those methods are used, including an emphasis on the human relationships involved and a strong bias toward co-facilitation and team hosting.

Dynamic Facilitation:  Jim Rough and Associates. Excellent 4-day trainings in a high-energy approach to releasing group creativity for problem-solving. 1040 Taylor St., Port Townsend, WA 98368; 360-385-7118; jim@ToBe.net; www.ToBe.net.

Future Search: A sequence for taking representatives of a community through a collective design process in one weekend, capable of moving past old polarizations to focus on what this collection of people can accomplish together now.

Graphic Recording: Capturing a group's expression in pictures drawn in the moment, instead of or in addition to words.

Open Space: A simple method capable of supporting large numbers of people to self-organize their own sessions around their own passions within a short time.  Core principle:  take responsibility for what you love.

Playback Theater: Participants tell their stories, and actors act them out, with cathartic and surpring results.

Process Work: Also known as process-oriented psychology, this approach integrates conflict resolution, archetypes, dreamwork and bodywork into a powerful mode of individual and group change, also called worldwork. 2049 NW Hoyt St., Portland, OR 97209; 503-223-8188; www.processwork.org.

Public Conversations Project: Highly respected for convening effective dialogue on inflamed issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and African soldiers' return home from war.  Their trainings are excellent.  46 Kondazian St., Watertown, MA 02472;  617-923-1216; www.publicconversations.org.

Technology of Participation: Institute for Cultural Affairs (ICA). Offers trainings in US cities and internationally, with three different modules.  (Note that their "consensus" method refers to a process of card-storming, clustering, and labeling, not consensus in the traditional meaning of that word as a decision rule and method.)  ICA/Chicago, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60640; 312-769-6393; www.icaworld.org.

Theater of the Oppressed: Mode developed by Augusto Boal and others that dissolves the divide between actors and audience; scenes can be played, replayed, interrupted to experiment with new outcomes, etc., all driven by the participants.

World Café: Start with the idea of rotating small groups, add food, drawings, a cozy café atmosphere, and well thought out questions.

Work that Reconnects: Joanna Macy has pioneered an impressive array of well-designed exercises for helping people move through their difficult emotions about the state of the world.

ORGANIZATIONS

CLASSES

Articles911.com(NCDD)
Articles911 is a free directory of the work-related articles available on the Internet. Categories related to group process include Meeting Management, Decision-Making, Conflict, and Facilitation.
http://www.articles911.com/

Tree Bressen, facilitator and teacher, has been assisting intentional communities, nonprofits, and other organizations with group process since 1994. Pages from her website are available for copying and distribution free of charge as long as you continue to include these credit lines and contact information.