Facilitating Genius: Illuminating Brilliance in Your Organization. John Lesko
FACILITATING GENIUS:
ILLUMINATING BRILLIANCE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
BY JOHN LESKO
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR LEADERS, EXECUTIVES, FACILITATORS, AND COACHES ON THE ART AND SCIENCE OF CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
FACILITATING GENIUS:
ILLUMINATING BRILLIANCE IN
YOUR ORGANIZATION
© 2015 by John Lesko. All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-2463-7
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DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my loving wife, son, and daughter.
Debbie has encouraged me over the years in ways too numerous to list here. She has stood by my side during thick and thin. Periodically she reminds me that, “Your next book isn’t going to write itself.” And then she suggests - ever so diplomatically - that I get back to work or to my office. She keeps me focused.
If Jonathan were the author of this book, it would be more crisply written. It would also likely have a more worldly sampling of genius achievements. Note to self: Start a clip-file on geniuses from other cultures beyond the English-speaking world.
And, if I had consulted with Kelsey earlier in the creative process, I am sure that I would not have struggled as much with the crafting of this text or with illustrating the key concepts found in this book.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have already mentioned my immediate family on the previous page with regards to their dedication to me and my reciprocal love for them. That said, I must also acknowledge their intellectual and professional contributions to this project.
Jonathan and Kelsey both proofread pre-publication versions of this book. They painstakingly read and marked each version from cover to cover. This review coupled with their insightful comments significantly improved the text. From them I learned, that whenever they both identified an awkward phrase, a bit of incorrect grammar, or an incomplete thought, this was proof enough that I needed to revise, fix, or finish what I erroneously thought was “good enough.”
Jonathan’s assistance with the book’s coherence and with the case studies is much appreciated. Kelsey’s design of the cover art and various worksheets merit a special “shout out.” I am grateful that Deb and I were able to send both of our grown children off to college. We are equally grateful that they were good students. We seem to have gotten our money’s worth with regards to their college educations.
A special thanks is due to a long-time friend and Army buddy, Harry Colin. Harry is likely the most well-read individual I know. His overall review and comments of this book shaped the structure and the flow significantly. At our next face to face reunion, I am buying the first round of Bier. Prost!
Patrick Kirchner is a 20-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He holds several degrees and a professional certificate (or two) from accredited universities. Patrick calls himself is a Professional Futurist. I call him one hell of an editor. We met at the local aikido dojo. I was pleasantly surprised at the interest he showed in my work. I am indebted to him for the thorough review he gave to this book.
Nya Alemayhu’s assistance with editing my final draft was an unexpected blessing. She painstakingly read this book cover to cover and identified errors in spelling or grammar that others had missed. Her fresh eyes also found several places where I repeated myself or where I needed to better articulate the message to the reader.
Kudos to Laurie Durnell of The Grove Consultants International for her kind words and periodic notes - spaced years apart - asking, “How’s the book coming along?
So ...
Q: Where would this author be without the support and tireless work of his family, friends, and professional colleagues?
A: Still toiling away with an incomplete manuscript and an unrealized New Years resolution.
Thank you, one and all.
Kudos to my coach, Cynthia Miller of Purposeful Solutions. She represented both the facilitation and coaching communities. We have worked collaboratively to support clients in the past. On this project she was not monetarily paid for her work. I am indebted none the less and will have to think of an appropriate way to thank her.
Kudos to my West Point classmate, Greg Kogut, for his friendship and encouragement.
And, to my best friend, soul mate, and loving wife, Debbie ... I am at a loss for words and cannot possibly summarize all that she has done for me, given to me, nor explain how she inspires and care for each member of our family. While I was writing and others edited this book, she was enrolled in an on-line course in writing and editing. We spent a number of hours comparing one style manual to another, debating in which case to use “which” versus “that,” or if I was being consistent in the use of the Oxford comma.
Much of the credit - as you see - belongs to family, friends, and colleagues. Any errors found within the final text should be attributed to me, and me alone. Why? Likely because, others have pointed out a better way, an awkward phrase, a data gap, etc. and I then stubbornly refused to listen to their advice.
PREFACE
FACILITATING GENIUS
1.Facilitating - To free from difficulties or obstacles. To make easy; to aid or assist.
2.Genius - Exceptional or transcendent intellectual and creative power. A natural talent or inclination. One who has such a talent or inclination. From mythology: The prevailing spirit or character, as of a place, person, time, or group. A guardian spirit of a person or place. A person who has great influence over another.
Reference: The American Heritage Dictionary - New College Edition, 1975.
Early in my career a mentor once hinted, “There is wisdom in all organizations and your job is two- fold. First, you must help others find it. Then, you need to help the group apply this wisdom to the challenge at hand.” I truly believe that my mentor was “spot on” in sharing this insight. There is untapped wisdom in most groups and nearly all organizations.
In my career as a Certified Professional Facilitator and Leadership Coach, I have tried to help my clients find the wisdom that is in the room. Doing so has not always been easy. Sometimes there is only the inkling of wisdom present. Wisdom evolves over time from the initial discovery to a point where it is refined and improved upon by the group. Wisdom rarely pops out of nowhere. Rather it emerges