Developing strategy takes time and resources. It requires the time and commitment of some of the most highly paid and highly experienced people in your organization. So, if your team isn’t willing to invest what is needed, I recommend that you don’t do it. Poor planning is often worse than no planning at all. So, …

I’m Michael Wilkinson and I’m the host of this blog. You can read more about me next to my picture in the sidebar. This blog will be about various aspects of facilitation, and will focus especially on practical tips and tools in posts, including posts from guest writers. You can learn more about this blog …

Michael Wilkinson is the Founder and Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc. headquartered in Atlanta, GA, USA. He is the author of Amazon bestseller The Secrets of Facilitation, The Secrets to Masterful Meetings, and The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy. Michael is a board member of the National Institute for Facilitation and founder of the …

Michael Wilkinson is the CEO and Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc. headquartered in Atlanta, GA, USA. Mr. Wilkinson is author of Amazon best-seller “The Secrets of Facilitation”, “The Secrets to Masterful Meetings”, and the brand new “The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy.” He is a Board member of the National Institute for Facilitation and …

It’s no joking matter. Moderation and facilitation at a conference or meeting are serious business, and remain among the best methods to gather and discuss information in a meaningful way. It is a way of organizing specific information productively as well. Facilitating and moderating are part of the trainer’s most important tools. At first glance, …

When developing strategy, managers are often called upon to interview executives and other managers on a variety of issues facing an organization. Questions often arise concerning the organization’s vision, or its critical success factors, or key strategies, objectives or goals. “What is a strategy? How does it differ from a goal or an objective? How …

During my time as a career transition coach, a client came into my office, opened his briefcase and dumped 20 years of performance reviews and said: “Write my resume.” Two thoughts came to my mind. The first was that I help YOU write your resume. The second was how can I make it easier for …

I understand the education versus training and experience debate, and I agree with the writer who said, “The answer is one that will keep you chasing your tail as you pursue it.” So, why have this discussion? Most of us will not deny that the best employees have both education, training and experience, but what …

Sandi Edwards’ article, Educated Workers Short On Skills Government Needs Most, published in the online publication, Aol Government, puts a new slant on the “why Johnny can’t read” debate. Only this time it has to do with the four Cs instead of the three Rs. In case, you’ve forgotten, here are the “The Four Cs:” …

When trainers are finding ways of improving performance and leadership, there’s one topic we should cover but often don’t. How do we evaluate performance? It seems an obvious fit for us, but it’s a tough and touchy topic to train about. Although people are involved, the human resource methods seem set in stone. Usually where …