Increasingly, people working in teams face complex issues that need resolving in an efficient, participatory manner that honors the group's diverse perspectives and individual creativity. The Workshop Book outlines the best practices of the workshop method and its use in consensus formation, planning, problem solving, and research.

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction

Part 1. The Consensus Workshop Method
1. Why Use the Consensus Workshop Method?
     Those awful meetings
     Innocent of process
     Common uses of "workshop"
     When the method works best

2. Some Background
     Development of the Method
     The uniqueness of the method
     The Impact of the method

3. The Consensus Workshop As Life Method
     ICA/ ToP™ methods
     Four phases
     An example of the method in action
     Five steps

4. Two Approaches to the Consensus Workshop
     The cards approach
     The flip chart approach

Part 2. The Finer Points of the Consensus Workshop
5. The Context: Orienting the Group
     The Workshop Assumptions
     The Workshop Book

6. Brainstorming: Harvesting the Group's Ideas
     Brainstorming using a flip-chart
     Possible pitfalls
     The facilitator's disciplined clarification of data

7. Clustering Ideas: Order out of Chaos
     The intent of clustering
     Traps in clustering
     The clustering principle

8. Naming: One Concept from Many Ideas
     The procedures

9. Step 5: Symbolizing the Resolve
     Optional follow-up steps after a consensus workshop

Part 3. Workshop Leadership
10. Design and Preparation of a Consensus Workshop
     Assessing the group's techniques and situation
     Creating a focus question
     Orchestrating the process
     Personal prep
     Rehearsing the facilitator's stance

11. The Style of the Workshop Facilitator
     The workshop facilitator's job
     Launching a consensus workshop
     Facilitator competencies
     The fundamental requirement
     The paradox of facilitators
     Facilitation by the boss or the expert
     Be the one you are

12. Challenges That Stretch the Facilitator
     Difficult people or difficult behaviors
     Using the method to deal with the issues

13. Time, Space, Mood and Group
     Managing time effectively
     Managing space
     Managing the mood: creating eventfulness
     Managing the group: using short courses

Part 4. Consensus Workshop Applications
14. Using the Consensus Workshop Method with Various Group Sizes
     A. Workshop for an individual
     B. Workshop for a small group of two to four
     C. Workshop for a group of five to 40
     D. Workshop for a group of 40 to 100
     E. Workshop for a group over 100

15. Using the Consensus Workshop Method in a Series
     Model-building consensus workshop series
     ToP™ Planning Series

Appendix 1. Building Consensus
Appendix 2. Examples of Focus Questions
Appendix 3. ICA: Its Mission and Locations

Bibliography
Index

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts!
Tried and tested practical wisdom for organizing successful workshops

Many people increasingly work in teams or groups where complex issues can arise. Often, group meetings can also be frustratingly inefficient, or dominated by one or two individuals. How can groups work with these complexities in an efficient, highly participatory manner that honors the group's diverse perspectives and individual creativity, and then form a consensus to action?

The Workshop Book: From Individual Creativity to Group Action outlines the best practices of the workshop method, based on the Institute of Cultural Affairs' Technology of Participation (TOP™), and its use in consensus formation, planning, problem solving and research. This method of workshopping is based upon the work of highly experienced facilitators throughout the world, and has been extensively used by the Institute of Cultural Affairs for over 40 years.

The Workshop Book describes the basic workshop method, its various steps and uses, and its further development. It also discusses workshop preparation and design, leadership styles, dealing with difficult behaviors, and special applications such as its use in large groups and for planning purposes.

For those new to the method, The Workshop Book provides the steps, the reasons behind the steps, and valuable hints to make the workshop flow smoothly. For those familiar with the workshop method, this book will provide new and deeper insights. It will appeal to a wide range of facilitators, consultants, and conflict resolution professionals in the corporate and nonprofit worlds, as well as those in Human Resources departments, and the education and health sectors.

Educator and researcher R. Brian Stanfield was the Director of Publications for ICA Canada. He was the editor of Edges: New Planetary Patterns, a newsstand magazine, and also wrote The Art of Focused Conversation, The Courage to Lead and The Courage to Lead Journal. Australian born, he worked with the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) in many communities, especially in Australia, India, USA and Canada. A non-profit with a presence in 24 countries, ICA has 50 years of experience in organizational development, adult and child education, community development and methods of social change.