Product Description

John Heron, well known for his previous books, "The Facilitator's Handbook" (1989) and "Group Facilitation" (1993), both of which have become standard reading on the subject, now integrates, builds on and updates those works to provide this comprehensive guide to making a success of facilitation. The key to the new book lies in the way in which it helps facilitators to understand and develop a personal style to their work. Analytical in approach and highly structured, it offers strong theoretical content on the fundamental thinking underlying facilitation (which includes exploration of its dimensions and modes, whole person learning, and a comprehensive group dynamic theory) but combines this with a wide repertoire for practical action designed to enable facilitators to build up their skills effectively. John Heron's distinctive merit here is his demonstration of the benefit to be derived when such skills not only suit facilitator's own personality but can also be matched to whatever situation facilitators encounter. This publication makes John Heron's seminal work newly accessible - for it is now available for the first time in paperback - to a new generation of facilitators in both training and education.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #170019 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Review
Combining a strong theoretical content, including a comprehensive group dynamic theory, with a repertoire for practical action this guide provides the foundations for building effective and successful skills to suit the facilitator's personality and closely match situations encountered.

A comprehensive guide to facilitation that combines a strong theoretical content with extensive suggestions for practical actions. The book will help facilitators understand and develop their own style of facilitation that fits both their personality and the situations they encounter. (Kirkus UK)

Synopsis
John Heron, well known for his previous books, "The Facilitator's Handbook" (1989) and "Group Facilitation" (1993), both of which have become standard reading on the subject, now integrates, builds on and updates those works to provide this comprehensive guide to making a success of facilitation. The key to the new book lies in the way in which it helps facilitators to understand and develop a personal style to their work. Analytical in approach and highly structured, it offers strong theoretical content on the fundamental thinking underlying facilitation (which includes exploration of its dimensions and modes, whole person learning, and a comprehensive group dynamic theory) but combines this with a wide repertoire for practical action designed to enable facilitators to build up their skills effectively. John Heron's distinctive merit here is his demonstration of the benefit to be derived when such skills not only suit facilitator's own personality but can also be matched to whatever situation facilitators encounter.

This publication makes John Heron's seminal work newly accessible - for it is now available for the first time in paperback - to a new generation of facilitators in both training and education.

About the Author
John Heron John Heron was the founder and director of the Human Potential Research group at the University of Surrey until recently. He is now a training consultant.

Customer Reviews

Daunting and over-complicated
I believe myself to be a reasonably competent facilitator but this book, far from inspiring, left me utterly baffled. It over-complicated the subject, burying a discipline that is all to do with clarity and good communication in an avalanche of psycho-babble. I couldn't relate to the terminology and by making the book about every learning interaction (including class teaching) it made it too generalised and non-specific to be of any use in a business setting. Only for the dedicated academic reader.

Awful
I have attempted to read this book several times and each time have failed. It is vastly overcomplicated "psychobabble".
It assumes that every student is "damaged" and needs nurturing. I can only guess that this book is aimed at psychologists, as if I attempted some of the activities such as entering a discussion with my students about what learning should take place they would probably laugh me out of the class or hang me.

Over complicated
Heron's model of facilitation is over complicated and parts of this book are badly written psycho-babble. I don't recommend it and suggest people new to facilitation look elsewhere for advice.