A Guide to Better And More Inclusive Meetings

SHERMAN, Conn. - Oct. 29, 2021 - PRLog -- A Guide to Better And More Inclusive Meetings

Everyone has sat in awful meetings.

Meetings often waste time. Results are elusive. The same participants always do most of the talking. And some of the best ideas never get heard.

Dr. Mark Smutny wants to change meetings for the better.

Readers of the second edition of Smutny's book, Thrive: The Facilitator's Guide to Radically Inclusive Meetings, will learn the best practices and skills needed to lead and facilitate inclusive meetings. Smutny uses description and stories that illustrate the practice, useful tips and enough theory to assist readers in their growth.

"I was frustrated with the traditional formats of most meetings that reward aggressive talkers and ignore those less culturally dominant, especially women, people of color, and introverts," Smutny said. "I believe I have a lifetime of experience to share as a professional facilitator, consultant, non-profit leader, World Cafe practitioner, and advocate for all people's inclusion. I want people who read my book to walk away with a wealth of new ideas and easily implemented solutions to make meetings thrive."

Smutny leads a non-profit agency of 140 employees in Washington state and also runs a consulting company, from which he offers his services as facilitator, consultant, workshop leader and speaker.

Smutny engaged Emerald Lake Books as his publisher because of the coaching that Founder Tara Alemany and Art Director Mark Gerber offer authors on all aspects of editing, marketing and publicizing their books. He was also impressed by the high quality of the Emerald Lake Books catalogue of published authors. (It didn't hurt that he and Gerber realized they grew up in the same small town of Twin Falls, Idaho. They even went to the same high school and their mothers were friends in church.)

Thrive offers a trove of practical, easily implemented tools and practices that can be used to build inclusion and engagement in any workplace. Each chapter contains practical insights and accessible stories that transform meetings from dull to dynamic. Readers will learn how to:

• Capitalize on diversity's strengths
• Keep meetings task-oriented and collegial
• Facilitate effectively in polarized or conflicted settings

Chapters include guidance on how to manage privilege and power, multilingual meetings, and full inclusion of persons with disabilities. Whether you are a skilled practitioner or new to leadership, Thrive teaches techniques for facilitating more effective, inclusive and energizing meetings.

Thrive: The Facilitator's Guide to Radically Inclusive Meetings is available for purchase at Emerald Lake Books, at bookstores, and on Amazon.

For more information, visit https://emeraldlakebooks.com/thrive.