• Dale Hunter with Stephen Thorpe, Hamish Brown & Anne Bailey
• Random House New Zealand
• $36.99
Thirteen years after she published her first edition of this groundbreaking work, Dale Hunter is back with fully revamped second hit.
Its scope is the transformation of dysfunctional group dynamics such as sabotage, blaming and scapegoating into cooperative behaviours based on equal worth, full participation, consensus and celebration of difference.
The Art of Facilitation: The essentials for leading great meetings and creating group synergy has all the detail required for professional facilitators but chances are most business leaders could brush up their act and benefit from browse.
Interpersonal dynamics can unravel the best of managerial intentions. Worse still, little knowledge in untrained hands can lead to managers manufacturing consent and manipulating people to agree to management goals.
Hunter’s book is sobering reminder of how many managers, directors and business leaders are stumbling about in the dark with very few skills when it comes to unlocking individual and group potential.
Chapters cover ethics, getting to consensus, addressing conflict, and the use of dialogue and storytelling. There are practical tips covering questions to ask, processes to use and how to encourage people to speak their truth in no-blame environment.
Hunter, who grew up in Waimauku and now lives in Mt Eden and at Earthsong Eco Neighbourhood in Ranui, in 1993 was one of the founders of Zenergy which specialises in facilitation, mediation, coaching and facilitator training.
The Art of Facilitation will sit comfortably on the bookshelf of anyone wanting to learn more about harnessing group energy to attain common goal.
