The Skilled Facilitator: A Comprehensive Resource for Consultants,…

Successfully resolving conflict is one of the most important tasks in management and leadership. Schwarz, a Harvard-educated organizational psychologist, teaches us how to do just this in this well-received book. Its success can be demonstrated by the fact that it now resides in its third edition. (This review only applies to the second edition.)

Schwarz tells us how to be not just a facilitator but a skilled facilitator of discussion within organization. He consults with companies with difficult cultural situations. He teaches us both psychological theory and hard-earned tricks of his trade. His writing, replete with examples and breakdowns of complex issues, breaks down our thought-processes and rebuilds them in a healthier manner.

The last two chapters address important niche needs of organizations – for someone tasked with the job of being an internal facilitator and someone seeking to provide leadership to an organization through these principles. As such, Schwarz addresses a larger audience than just those who provide outside consulting. He addresses the heart of American professional culture and challenges it to be healthier and more reasonable.

This book thoroughly earns five stars in my review because it addresses need with theoretical wisdom and with practical insight. For a follow up, I suggest Schwarz draws out more implications for organizational leadership. I long to see that embodied in a more concrete form. The last chapters left me tantalized as I never plan to be a facilitator but will still lead conversations with others. I want to prevent the need for a facilitator in the first place. Without that book on my shelf, I am left to apply these principles towards that goal in my personal professional repertoire. ( )