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Creating a Culture of Collaboration: The International Association of Facilitators HandbookSandor Schuman, Editor |
Meaning is what we want. Understanding is what we need. Choices are what we make. Relationships are what we have.
How can we create greater shared meaning and sense of purpose, make more effective choices, and enhance our interpersonal and interorganizational relationships? How can we work together more effectively, involve the full diversity of players and still get things done?
Collaboration is often viewed as one-time or project-oriented activity. An increasing challenge is to help organization incorporate collaborative values and practices in their everyday ways of working. In Creating a Culture of Collaboration, an international group of practitioners and researchers–from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, and United States–provide proven approaches to creating a culture of collaboration within and among groups, organizations, communities, and societies.
A practical resource, Creating a Culture of Collaboration integrates the underlying bases of collaboration with field-tested approaches and provides numerous examples of collaboration in action that illustrate the application of theory in practice. In addition, the book is filled with useful figures, exhibits, and tables that clearly illustrate that expand on the ideas presented.
Creating a Culture of Collaboration is written for group facilitators, organization development practitioners, public participation specialists, and any advocate of collaborative processes, people who are concerned with conflict, consensus, and change.
“Corporate executives, governmental policy makers, union leaders—anyone who finds collaboration essential for dealing with the complexity and high interdependence of the global economy—will benefit from Creating a Culture of Collaboration. So will researchers and consultants developing models of cooperation and facilitating decision-making communications, for this book combines the best and most current thinking on how to sustain collaborative relationships in and between organizations for lasting results.”
~ Alan T. Belasen, chair, MBA program, and professor of management, Empire State College, SUNY; author, Leading the Learning Organization
“The greatest strength of Creating a Culture of Collaboration lies in the diversity of its authors and their approaches to building organizations and societies that allow the widest participation possible. Rather than closing the doors and allowing only limited voices to be heard, this book champions a vision of a world in which everyone has something significant to contribute.”
~ David A. Hart, chief executive officer, Association for Conflict Resolution
“A great overview of the joys and challenges of building collaboration within organizations and creating opportunities for collaboration between civic society and governmental decision makers. This book has equal value for people concerned with organizational transformation and public participation.”
~ James L. Creighton, public participation consultant and founding president, the International Association for Public Participation; author, The Public Participation Handbook
“Corporate America is coming to realize that singularly, we're stupid–but collectively, we're smart! Collaboration remains the key strategy for successfully competing in a global economy.”
~ Kenny Moore, coauthor, The CEO and the Monk
“With its rich harvest of international examples, its frank discussion of the nitty-gritty of collaboration, and its penetrating theoretical insights into the nature of collaboration, Creating a Culture of Collaboration ought to be read by any leader who is interested in managing collaboratively.”
~ Steve Denning, author, The Leader's Guide to Storytelling
“In this outstanding state-of-the-art resource, thirty-seven seasoned practitioners from around the world offer their insights on the deeper contextual issues that need to be addressed for collaboration to be embraced by any community. A must-read for advocates, leaders, and practitioners of collaboration in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.”
~ Susan Carpenter, practitioner and trainer; coauthor, Managing Public Disputes
“Top-down decision-making is becoming a dinosaur in this era of globalization and rapid change. This outstanding book, written by international contributors, provides the pathways for successful collaborative decision-making and the new wave of leadership, using practical, facilitative, and well-researched methods.”
~ David A. Wayne, chair, International Association of Facilitators; chief operating officer, Tapestries International Communications, Inc.
“Creating a Culture of Collaboration is an excellent addition to the thinking within the profession of facilitation. It is a great follow-up to The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation in the International Association of Facilitators series. The long term process of creating the space, values and expectations of collaboration is a serious issue in today's organizations. This book contributes much to this work.”
~ Jon C. Jenkins, Imaginal Training, Groningen, The Netherlands; Coauthor, Nine Disciplines of Facilitative Leadership
“If you or your people are going to be crossing boundaries to work with others, then Creating a Culture of Collaboration has important lessons that are worth their weight in gold. Filled with insights from practitioners and frameworks that have proven their mettle, this is a handbook for success in the twenty-first century.”
~ Seth Kahan, executive strategy specialist
“While much has been written about collaboration over the years, this book contains important new insights and strategies. Thank you for bringing these leading practitioners together to share their knowledge with us!”
~ Ingrid Bens, author, Facilitating With Ease!
“At last, a reference manual for civics in the post-9/11 world. Facilitating collaboration is the new Roberts Rules of Order from neighborhood block clubs to Congress, and from corporate board rooms to the United Nations.”
~ Jim Troxel, Millennia Consulting; editor, Participation Works
“Insightful practices covering an amazing breadth of situations.”
~ Michael Wilkinson, CEO, Leadership Strategies; author, The Secrets of Facilitation
“Your book is a necessary and timely addition to the literature on collaboration. I especially appreciate the book's international aspect.”