What I’ve been reading:

Facilitation

Participatory Workshops: A Sourcebook of 21 Sets of Ideas and Activities – hands-down one of the best resources for facilitation, from the humble, funny, self-effacing, and brilliant Robert Chambers at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.

The Workshop Book – ICA Associates’ consensus-building method.

The Facilitator Excellence Handbook – step by step facilitation tools.

The Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making – from Sam Kaner, a good reference book for understanding when and why groups need facilitators and the facilitator’s toolkit.

Organizations and Leadership

Leadership and the New Science – Margaret Wheatley’s examination of organizations in light of quantum physics, biology, and chaos theory.

Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society – from the Society for Organizational Learning, an offshoot of MIT’s Center for Organizational Learning, Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski and Betty Sue Flowers tell collective stories to describe what transformational change looks like.

Getting to Maybe – How the World is Changed – looking at organizations through the lens of complexity theory.

Resonant Leadership – Boyatzis and McKee describe the “Cycle of Sacrifice and Renewal” they see in leaders, and point to deliberate mindfulness, hope, and compassion as the source of renewal.

Co-Active Coaching: New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life – the Coaches Training Institute handbook, complete with theory, examples, coaching tools, and a CD of sample coaching conversations.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni explores the dysfunctions of absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.

The 5th Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization – Peter Senge’s classic on systems thinking.

Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity – Etienne Wenger on the learning organization.

Tell Me How I’m Doing: A Fable About the Importance of Giving Feedback – Richard Williams comes out in strong support of supportive feedback as more important than corrective feedback for ensuring positive relationships and performance outcomes.

In Search of Excellence – “a must-have for the boardroom, business school, and bedside table”, according to the back cover. Wikipedia offers a more critical view.

Perspective on McKinsey – an internal book for McKinsey & Company. (management consulting) employees by Marvin Bower, a major McKinsey shaper from the early days (and considered by Harvard Business School to be the father of modern management consulting).

The Integrity Dividend – a business case for leadership with integrity.

On Thin Ice: A Woman’s Journey to the North Pole – Matty McNair leads five relay teams of women on the first women-only polar expedition. It’s an adventure story, but I read it to appreciate her leadership style in a physically and emotionally challenging context.

Writing

Writing Down the Bones – “Think of writing practice as loving arms you come to illogically and incoherently” (p.13). A guide for “freeing the writer within.”

The Truth About Stories – “Stories are wondrous things. And they are dangerous.” Thomas King explores how our stories and myths shape our entire worldview.

A Writer’s Coach: An Editor’s Guide to Words that Work – Not only was this book immensely helpful in clarifying the writing process for me, but it also gave me a surge of relief to read a respected editor saying that worrying about split infinitives and dangling prepositions was not worth my time.

Inspiration

The Courage to Lead: Transform Self, Transform Society – ICA’s textbook for exploring our roles individually, in our communities, and in our societies.

The Ursula Franklin Reader – Pacifism as a Map – a collection of speeches and writings from Ursula Franklin, feminist, educator, Quaker, and physicist.