More Than 50 Ways to Build Team Consensus

Second Edition

R. Bruce Williams - Educational Consultant, Texas

June 2006 | 296 pages | Corwin

"As a single source of ideas for facilitators and school leaders, this book is excellent. The author very thoroughly covers the material, and the procedures are easy to follow."
-Stephen H. Laub, Principal
Rolla Junior High School, MO

Foster committed, participative teamwork in any environment!

Today's workplace is increasingly shifting from top-down, authoritative leadership to engendering participation from all the stakeholders in a team. In response to this ever-growing trend, R. Bruce Williams provides group facilitators with insights and research about teams working together to reach consensus and accomplish their goals. This revised edition presents current brain research and its implications for team leaders and members, and explores the growing importance of participative processes in collaborative working environments.

In a user-friendly format, Williams offers more than 50 practical, step-by-step activities and strategies for immediate implementation, with real-life examples to assist in the consensus-building process. The activities address the four main components of full consensus:

Creating a purposeful vision
Effecting participative processes
Fostering individual commitment
Building strong collaborative teams

Use this valuable "road map" to set the stage for establishing consensus and effecting successful collaborative teamwork!

Available Formats

ISBN: 9781412937115	Paperback	Suggested Retail Price: $40.95	Bookstore Price: $32.76
ISBN: 9781412937108	Hardcover	Suggested Retail Price: $88.95	Bookstore Price: $71.16
ISBN: 9781483362083	Electronic Version	Suggested Retail Price: $37.00	Bookstore Price: $29.60

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Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction to Building Team Consensus

I. Purposeful Vision

1. Visualizing the Common Direction: Simple Things to Do

Hopes and Desires Conversation

Snapshots

Brainstorming Closure

TV Personality in Three Years

Common Direction Written Summary

Past, Present, and Future Images

2. Creating Visible Documentation: Things That Take Effort

Cardstorming

Meeting Products Documentation

Artifacts

Report

Wall Decor of Meeting Products

Article

3. Illuminating the Total Framework: For the Committed

Journey Wall

Global Events Conversation

Newsletter

Organization Principles Workshop

Purposeful Vision Chart

All the Stakeholders

II. Participative Processes

4. Generating Total Participation: Simple Things to Do

Creating the Real Question

Eventful Happenings

Sticker Dots

Language

TV News Spot

Questions Not Dictums

Carousel Solutions

5. Organizing the Meeting Focus: Things That Take Effort

One Concrete Product

Time Flow Picture

Meeting Space

Materials

Meeting Plan Forms

6. Tapping the Group Agreement: For the Committed

Guidelines for a Consensus Outcome

Workshop Flow

Three-to-One Scenarios

Cooperative Writing Workshop

Mapping the Road to Agreement

Agreement: State and Restate

Testing for Consensus

III. Individual Commitment

7. Eliciting Detailed Assignments: Simple Things to Do

Task Volunteers

What/Who/When Cards

Timelines

Attendance

Assignment Chart

8. Expanding Personal Recognition: Things That Take Effort

Specific Praise

Individual Celebrations

Training, Coaching, or Project Feedback

Use of People’s Names

Personalized Job Tools

9. Occasioning Individual Accountability and Absolution: For the Committed

Short Weekly Meetings

“I Am Nervous About” Conversations

Implementation Lesson Conversation

A Victory Party Before the Victory

Symbol of Commitment

IV. Collaborative Teams

10. Intensifying Team Identity: Simple Things to Do

Team Member List

Team Name

Team Flag or Symbol

Team Motto

Team Song

Team Rituals or Rites

11. Increasing Supportive Connection: Things That Take Effort

Winning Team Story

Leadership Rotation

Icebreaker Opening Conversation

Dyad or Triad Brainstorming

Making the Differences Visible

Team Victory Celebration

12. Enhancing Group Reflection: For the Committed

Processing Partners

Content Processing

Meeting Processing

Teamwork Processing

Logs or Journals

Career Motivation Conversation

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

"The book is handy, easy to use, and chock full of practical ideas that can be immediately implemented. It does not bog readers down in theoretical explanations, though it gives just enough background or rationale for each activity to ground them in the 'big picture.'"

Marta Gardner, Literacy Coach

Esperanza Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA

"As a single source of ideas for facilitators and building leaders, this book is excellent. The author very thoroughly covers the material and the procedures are easy to follow."

Stephen H. Laub, Principal

Rolla Junior High School, MO

"Packed with practical ideas to help facilitators aid groups in collaborating to achieve their goals."

Tools for Schools, Vol. 10, No. 2

National Staff Development Council

"Easy-to-follow activities that promote teamwork are outlined in this handbook. Although the intended audience is facilitators, educators can also use these tools to improve class community."

Curriculum Connections, Spring 2007

School Library Journal

Works well with the others texts we are currently using.

Mr Charles Kramer

Sch Of Ed Organization Leadshp, University Of La Verne

January 28, 2014

Report this review

Text was supplemental to the class, but did not appear to be comprehensive enough for this class.

Dr Michele Kelk

School Of Education, Webster University

November 17, 2010

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Key features

Features

Offers an easy-to-use format that invites skimming and choosing from 70 different strategies

Section for each strategy includes background information, step-by-step directions, implementation tips, and a real-life example

Identifies which strategies are most useful for newer teams and which strategies are beneficial for teams that have been working together for some time

Benefits

Provides tools and strategies that will help organizations facilitate team processes and team decision making

Helps team leaders create a purposeful vision, encourage participative processes, enhance team members' individual commitment, and build a collaborative team