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 Method1. 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 Workshop5. 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 Leadership10. 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 ConsensusAppendix 2. Examples of Focus QuestionsAppendix 3. ICA: Its Mission and Locations BibliographyIndex

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.