Do more with less! This common refrain has taken on a deafening roar. Management of nearly every organization is trying to find any secret that will help them get the needed boots in productivity. Many are trying various new ways of tapping into the ideas and capabilities of their workforce. They often fail because the managers are too "top down" and do not know how to work "bottom up." Crisis at Santa's Workshop: Using Facilitation to Get More Done in Less Time is a business fable about a work group of elves at Santa's Workshop who try a radical approach, known as the facilitation process, to meet a seemingly impossible goal. Just think of it for a moment--Santa's evles must produce over 500 million presents each year! That calls for quite a production capability. Each year the demand goes up and the workshop must ramp up production or children will be disappointed. It is the facilitation process that enables these elves, as well as readers themselves, to succeed as they face the extreme pressure of accomplishing the goal of getting more done in less time.

The facilitation process is comprised of three steps:

1. Taking responsibility
2. Focusing on the work at hand
3. Improving working relationships

Crisis at Santa's Workshop provides the missign ingredient in the recipe for organizational transformation. Facilitating the participation of the entire organization in the change process, regardless of the appraoch taken, is the key to leading this journey. Unlike more traditional approaches to related subject matters, Crisis at Santa's Workshop is a fun an engaging narrative that can be read at many different levels. It is the classic story of a group rallying to a cause and overcoming many obstacles to achieve success. It shows how using the role of facilitator can be used to change an organization that has a rich history and strong traditions. lastly, it is an opportunity to learn much about a variety of concepts that can help managers meet today's challenges while simultaneously returning balance to their lives.

"This delightful story gives leaders important lessons about the impact of facilitation and importance of teamwork. I highly recommend it." -- Shelly Regan, President, Yamanmoto Moss

"Crisis at Santa's Workshop is a must read for anyone lookign to set themselves apart in today's competitive marketplace. The authors weave an eccentric tale turning facilitation skills into an art form. This fun and insightful book illustrates how to bring facilitation alive in your organization. I recommend it to anyone wanting to improve bottom-line results and sustain a competivie edge." -- Tani Keenlyn Bialek, Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune