“Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.”
- Hannah Arendt

Effective groups

Group functioning

Effective groups need appropriate groundrules, structure, planning, and facilitation. These resources also include tips on effective communication and understanding the personality composition of groups.

Communication principles top^

7 Tips for Giving Positive Feedback

Seven excellent tips to make sure that saying thanks, well done, or great job are not throwaway insincerities that can actually do more damage than good.
Lyndsay Swinton, “Management for the rest of us,” linked 08/16
http://www.mftrou.com/positive-feedback.html

Active Listening Principles

Six principles of active listening.
Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants Inc., Copyright 2008, linked 08/16
http://servicegrowth.net/documents/Active Listening Principles.net.pdf

Assertiveness Principles

A summary of the characteristics of initiating and responding assertively.
Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants Inc., Copyright 2008, linked 08/16
http://servicegrowth.net/documents/Assertiveness Principles.net.pdf

Body Language: A Basic Interpersonal Communication Skill

Much of communication is nonverbal, and understanding body language can be very useful.
Lyndsay Swinton, “Management for the rest of us,” linked 08/16
http://www.mftrou.com/interpersonal-communication-skill.html

Constructive Feedback: Compliments and Criticisms

Nine characteristics of constructive feedback.
Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants Inc., Copyright 2008, linked 08/16
http://servicegrowth.net/documents/Constructive Feedback.net.pdf

Direct Communication Principles

Eight characteristics of direct communication.
Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants Inc., Copyright 2008, linked 08/16
http://servicegrowth.net/documents/Direct Communication Principles.net.pdf

How to Give Negative Feedback Well

Seven clear steps for handling the challenge of giving negative feedback.
Lyndsay Swinton, “Management for the rest of us,” linked 08/16
http://www.mftrou.com/employee-negative-feedback.html

Roles in Groups

An easy to read article on the roles we each play in groups. Bressen sums it up: the key is usually for all involved to understand each other more, to fully hear each other, to walk a mile in each other's shoes. This leads to either a shift in roles, or more appreciation, honor and comfort with existing roles.
Tree Bressen website, linked 08/16
http://www.treegroup.info/topics/A10-roles.html

Group facilitation top^

Community-Building Exercises

A wide range of group exercises to build trust and rapport in a group.
Tree Bressen, linked 08/16
http://www.treegroup.info/topics/handout-exercises.pdf

Conversational Leadership: Thinking Together For a Change

A guide for putting conversations to work, based on The World Café format.
Oxford Leadership, T. Hurley and J. Brown, linked 08/16
http://www.oxfordleadership.com/journal/vol1_issue2/brown_hurley.pdf

Group Facilitation Primer

An excellent, concise resource on the role of the facilitator and how to facilitate effectively.
Tree Bressen, linked 08/16
http://www.treegroup.info/topics/facilitation_primer.pdf

Guidelines for Joint Group Facilitation

Suggestions for planning, facilitating, and debriefing groups jointly.
Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants Inc., Copyright 2008, linked 08/16
http://servicegrowth.net/documents/Guidelines for Joint Group Facilitation.net.pdf

World Café in Action

Principles for hosting conversations about questions that matter, based on the World Café format.
The World Café website, linked 08/16
http://www.theworldcafecommunity.org/

Group groundrules top^

Feedback & Email

An excellent outline of how to give and receive feedback, and the appropriate and inappropriate uses of e-mail.
Tree Bressen, linked 08/16
http://www.treegroup.info/topics/handout-feedback&email.pdf

Ground Rules

A good synopsis of why groups need ground rules, plus examples.
Tree Bressen, linked 08/16
http://www.treegroup.info/topics/handout-groundrules.pdf

Sample Contract for Workshop Groundrules

An example of a set of 11 groundrules for a workshop on team effectiveness.
Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants Inc., Copyright 2008, linked 08/16
http://servicegrowth.net/documents/Sample Contract for Workshop Groundrules.net.pdf

Tips on Business Meetings: Example Groundrules

Excellent list of key groundrules for effective meetings.
Lyndsay Swinton, “Management for the rest of us,” linked 08/16
http://www.mftrou.com/tips-on-business-meeting-groundrule.html

Meeting facilitation top^

4 Top Tips on How to Take Meeting Minutes

Tips on taking minutes of meetings.
Lyndsay Swinton, “Management for the rest of us,” linked 08/16
http://www.mftrou.com/meeting-minutes.html

7 Business Meeting Etiquette Tips

Tips to help make meetings more productive.
Lyndsay Swinton, "Management for the rest of us," linked 08/16
http://www.mftrou.com/business-meeting-etiquette.html

Agenda Planning

A brief summary of how to approach agenda planning and what questions to ask.
Tree Bressen, linked 08/16
http://www.treegroup.info/topics/handout-agenda.pdf

How to Lead Effective Meetings

A wealth of resources for planning and facilitating an effective meeting.
University of Wisconsin, linked 08/16
http://quality.wisc.edu/effective-meetings.htm

Meeting Formats

An excellent list, with short descriptions, of more than two dozen formats suitable for use in meetings, including many alternatives to whole group discussion.
Tree Bressen, linked 08/16
http://www.treegroup.info/topics/handout-formats.pdf

Meeting Preparation

A good list of preparatory tasks.
Tree Bressen, linked 08/16
http://www.treegroup.info/topics/handout-prep.pdf

Running Effective Meetings

A short article with lots of practical tips.
NICA website, by Rob Sandelin, © Consensus Works!, linked 08/16
http://nica.ic.org/Process/Effmeet.php

Personality types top^

Enneagram

A highly sophisticated system of nine personality types: the Perfectionist, the Giver, the Performer, the Tragic Romantic, the Observer, the Loyal Skeptic, the Epicure, the Protector, the Mediator.
Website, linked 08/16
http://www.enneagram.com/enneagram.html

High-Level Description of the Sixteen Personality Types

A description of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types based on four dimensions: extroverted-introverted, intuitive-sensing, thinking-feeling, and perceiving-judging.
Personality Pathways website, linked 08/16
http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory2.html

Service Growth

Support for Spiritual Development