“Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky actually begins at the earth.”
- Diane Ackerman
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
Information About Personality Types
Good overview of personality type differences, which can be helpful in understanding group functioning.
Personality Pathways website, linked 08/16
http://www.personalitypathways.com/MBTI_intro.html
Jung Typology Test
Online test based on the Jung-Myers-Briggs personality approach that provides your type formula and type description.
Humanmetrics, linked 08/16
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
Keirsey Temperment Sorter-II
Free online personality test with a summary at the end that focuses on four temperment types: Artisans, Guardians, Idealists, Rationals.
David Keirsey, linked 08/16
http://www.keirsey.com/
What Is Your Myers Briggs Personality Type?
A short explanation and quiz to determine which of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types you are.
PersonalityPathways, linked 08/16
http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html