Dr. Mark Smutny
Cover Designer: Mark Gerber
Publisher: Emerald Lake Books
Publication Date: October 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-945847-48-6
Book Description:
Imagine meetings where everyone is heard and all people matter.
Picture organizations that embrace all voices and are committed to justice, equity and opportunity. Imagine businesses, nonprofits and the public sector creatively engaging people in thousands of ways—seeking their best ideas, empowering the silenced, and building communities where all are treated with dignity and respect.
That’s what Thrive seeks to create.
Each chapter contains practical insights and accessible stories that transform meetings from dull to dynamic.
You will learn how to:
- capitalize on diversity’s strengths.
- keep meetings task-oriented and collegial.
- facilitate effectively in polarized or conflicted settings.
Thrive includes chapters on privilege and power, multilingual and virtual meetings, and full inclusion of people with disabilities.
Whether you are a skilled practitioner or new to leadership, Thrive will teach you techniques for facilitating more effective, inclusive and energizing meetings.
What Others Are Saying
Smutny talks plainly. “We meet incessantly for good and for ill.” Lucky for us, he spends scant attention on the ills of meetings. Instead, this updated book shows modern facilitators how to welcome all cultures and identities with inclusive procedures like Liberating Structures and Open Space Technology. Get this book, absorb it, and keep it close at hand.
—John E. Perkins, PhD, CEO of Keep the Change Consulting
Whether you’re facilitating a weekly staff meeting, workshop or problem-solving session, you want to create an inclusive meeting where all feel welcome and as if their input matters. In Thrive, you’ll learn proven tricks of the trade to make people comfortable (even with difficult topics) and engaged in your next meeting.
—Karen Catlin, author of Better Allies
In the News:
A Guide to Better And More Inclusive Meetings
Project Info:
This project began as a sort of “small world” encounter. A couple of years ago, Tara and Mark were volunteering as experts for the Nonfiction Authors Association’s annual conference. A woman named Barbara made an appointment to ask questions of us for a book her husband was working on. Tara took the appointment with Barbara and, as they got talking, Barbara mentioned that her husband, Mark Smutny, came from Idaho. Since that’s where Mark Gerber hails from as well, Tara asked what town Barbara’s husband came from.
It turned out that both Mark Gerber and Mark Smutny shared the same hometown and had gone to school together. As a matter of fact, Mark Gerber’s sister and Mark Smutny were friends.
Although Mark Smutny chose to self-publish the first edition of Thrive, when he was ready to update it and release a second edition, he got in touch with us for our help, and things went from there.
It’s been a pleasure to work on this book and to help Mark achieve his goals for this new release of his work.
Are you interested in buying quantities of 10 or more books? We offer a bulk discount on such orders. Simply visit our store for a 20% discount on orders of 10 books or more.
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