Facilitating Breakthrough

A new approach to helping teams solve complex and stubborn problems from the acclaimed author of Collaborating with the Enemy. Its becoming less straightforward for people to move forward together. They face increasing complexity and decreasing control. They need to work with more people from across more divides. In such situations, the most common ways of advancingsome people telling others what to do, or everyone just doing what they think they need toarent adequate. One better way is through facilitating. But the most common approaches to facilitatingbossy vertical directing from above or collegial horizontal accompanying from alongsidealso arent adequate. They often leave the participants frustrated and yearning for breakthrough. This book describes a new approach: transformative facilitation. Instead of choosing the bossy vertical or collegial horizontal approach: It cycles back and forth between them. Rather than forcing or cajoling, the facilitator removes the obstacles that stand in the way of people contributing and connecting equitably, enabling them to bring their whole selves to the process. This book is for anyone who helps people work together to transform their situation, be it a professional facilitator, manager, consultant, coach, chairperson, organizer, mediator, stakeholder, or friend. It offers a broad and bold vision of the contribution that facilitation can make to helping people collaborate to make progress. Praise for Adam Kahanes booksThought-provoking discourse on handling difficult situations. Publishers WeeklyProfound . . a wise way to negotiate our toughest group, community, and societal challenges. William Ury, New York Timesbestselling coauthor of Getting to Yes