The Argument Culture: Moving From Debate to Dialogue, Deborah Tannen, Ph.D., 1998. The author posits that misunderstanding is endemic in our culture because we tend to believe that the best way to a common goal is by thrashing out all our differences as loudly as possible along the way. Thus we are treated to a whole array of confrontational public forums, all based on a metaphor of war. What gets lost in all the shouting, Tannen says, is thoughtful debate and real understanding. As an alternative, she offers a survey of other, mostly non-Western ways of dealing with conflict, including the use of intermediaries and rituals.

Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 7 Powerful Tools for Life and Work, Marilee Adams, 2004. "Questioning" is a skill rarely taught in school, but doing it well - that is, asking the right questions of the right people - can radically transform attitudes, actions, and results. This book provides easy-to-learn tools that can make a significant and immediate difference in people's business and personal lives. Written as an engaging fable, it inspires readers to take charge of their thinking in order to accomplish goals, improve relationships, advance careers, investigate new territories, and in general gain greater life satisfaction. This book explains how to "be your own coach," outlines the author's QuestionThinking Model, and lists the top 12 questions for change. Real-world examples provide practical models for applying the principles in a variety of situations, while a Choice Map is a useful visual tool that demonstrates that everyone has a choice in every situation, even if it is not immediately apparent.

Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together, William Isaacs, 1999. In this book the author argues that organizational learning cannot take place without successful dialogue. Dialogue is conversation that encourages collective observation and thought, enabling groups to think beyond their members' individual limitations. Isaacs posits an "ecology of thought," which is typically constrained by habits that are known and felt but never discussed. Those habits can be revealed only through dialogue that permits inquiry, confrontation, and clarification. Only then can habits be changed and new possibilities explored. Isaacs examines the processes that constitute dialogue and shows what encourages and what discourages dialogue, what happens when dialogue is introduced into difficult settings, and how to manage the changes within oneself that are necessary to become an effective participant in dialogue.

Facilitators Guide to Participative Decision Making, Sam Kaner, Lenny Lind, Catherine Toldi, Sarah Fisk, and Duane Berger, 2007. This book gives readers additional tools and insights to enable effective participatory action and the potential to achieve strong, principled results and positive social change. Anyone wanting to increase their understanding of group dynamics and improve their skill at making groups work more effectively will benefit from this book.

Future Search: An Action Guide to Finding Common Ground in Organizations and Communities, Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff, 2000. Future search explores a promising way for enabling diverse groups of people with a stake in an organization or community to plan their own future. This practical guide offers principles, techniques, and examples for running successful future search conferences.

The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation, Daniel Yankelovich, 1999. Dialogue – a carefully structured communications technique that is generally employed to promote mutual understanding between bona fide as well as potential adversaries – has long been an effective tool in the political realm. The author of this book, however, insists that business also can utilize the process to develop "webs of relationships" that encourage the acceptance and increase the adoption of any company's plans and visions. This book outlines 15 specific strategies (such as "Focus on common interests, not divisive ones" and "Use specific cases to raise general issues") that can be successfully applied in situations ranging from routine meetings and casual encounters to corporate retreats and union negotiations. Yankelovich contends, "When dialogue is done skillfully, the results can be extraordinary."

Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide, Harrison Owen, 2008. Open Space Technology is a methodological tool that enables self-organizing groups of all sizes to deal with hugely complex issues in a very short period of time. Authored by the originator of Open Space Technology, this book details what needs to be done before, during, and after an Open Space event. It is the most authoritative book available on how to plan and run a successful Open Space event. It also adds a survey of the current status of Open Space Technology around the world, an updated section on the latest available technology for report writing (a key aspect of the Open Space process), and an updated list of resources.

The Skilled Facilitator, Roger Schwarz, 2002. This book provides the essential materials for facilitators and includes simple but effective ground rules for group interaction. It contains proven techniques for starting meetings on the right foot and ending them positively and decisively. It also offers practical methods for handling emotions when they arise in a group and offers a diagnostic approach for identifying and solving problems that can undermine the group process.

The Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook, Roger Schwarz, 2005. Based on the same principles from The Skilled Facilitator, this book offers consultants, facilitators, managers, leaders, trainers, and coaches the tools, exercises, models, and stories that will help them develop sound responses to a wide range of challenging situations. The book spans the full scope of the successful Skilled Facilitator approach and includes information on how to get started and guidance for integrating the approach within existing organizational structures and processes.

Talking From 9 To 5, Deborah Tannen, Ph.D., 1994. This book is a great sequel to You Just Don’t Understand. Although much of the book revolves around the differences in how men and women engage in conversation in the work setting, it also focuses on more gender neutral conversational styles such as indirectness, ritual fighting, giving praise, and small talk, to name a few.

Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace, Dennis S. Reina, Ph.D. and Michelle L. Reina, Ph.D., 2006. The Reinas are international experts in organizational trust, and this book introduces the reader to their trust and betrayal model. It begins by explaining why trust in organizations is so important, different types of trust and how to build them, what happens when trust is broken, and how to rebuild and sustain trust.

The World Café: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter, Juanita Brown, David Isaacs, and the World Café Community, 2005. This book explains what the World Café is, details its seven core design principles, and demonstrates how the World Café can be adapted to any setting or culture. It offers practical tips for hosting “conversations that matter” in groups of any size–strengthening both personal relationships and people’s capacity to shape the future together.

You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, Deborah Tannen, Ph.D., 1990. This book outlines how differently men and women engage in conversation. The author argues convincingly that conversational styles between men and women are so different they can be considered cross-cultural communication. By understanding these styles can we begin to accept our differences and find a common language in which to achieve more professional cooperation.

Updated August 22, 2008