Author Archive
New Product: 90-Minute Strategic Planning
Posted by: Kai Degner in Exploring New Options, Featured, Making Decisions, Strategic Planning on December 7th, 2009
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The Community Mediation Center is pleased to announce a new product to serve local business as we transition into 2010:
90-Minute Strategic Planning!
Many businesses understand the value of quality strategic planning but cannot afford the costs of time and money to hire professional facilitators. This new approach combines a staff pre-survey with ONE professionally facilitated meeting to identify and prioritize actions around core challenges and opportunities.
Special Discount!
We understand the difficult economy and so – through January 31 – we are offering a special discounted price of $495. Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce members receive an additional 15% discount!
Business owners, department managers, church leaders, and others: start 2010 with renewed direction – call us today! (540) 434-0059 or use the contact form.
HR Chamber Members Save 15%!
Posted by: Kai Degner in Featured on June 26th, 2009
The Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce has approved a new member benefit: all members receive 15% off all services provided by the Community Mediation Center. That includes the Bluestone Group!
“This is indicative of the Community Mediation Center’s commitment to strengthen our local business community with professional and affordable facilitation, training, and mediation services,” says Tim Ruebke, Executive Director of the Community Mediation Center.
In addition to staff retreats, strategic planning, and conflict resolution, Chamber members save 15% on the following trainings:
Facilitating Group Decisions and Conflicted Topics
Diversity and Sensitivity Training
Communication and Conflict Styles in the Workplace
Dealing with Intense Emotions
Communication Skills & Difficult Conversations
Sexual Harassment Prevention
Principles and Applications of Restorative Justice
Business Mediation Training
Manager as Mediator
Listening 101
If you are a Chamber member and would like more information, contact Kai Degner at kai@weworkitout.org or 540-434-0059.
Values List
Posted by: Kai Degner in Tips & Tricks on May 29th, 2009
Values are an important part of an organization’s culture. Here is a list of values to use in thinking about your organization’s current and possible future values.
- Abundance
- Acceptance
- Accessibility
- Accomplishment
Listening 101 for Businesses and Organizations
Posted by: Kai Degner in Better Meetings Ideas, Featured, Managing Conflict on March 9th, 2009
Listening is fundamental to our businesses and organizations, whether as a manager, sales person, or customer service representative. Perhaps you or your organization could benefit from an experience that will leave you with new tools to listen even more effectively. There is an exciting four-week online course available for people, businesses, and organizations: Listening 101.
Members of the Bluestone Group at the Community Mediation Center are pleased to have developed this course to be practical and to immediately have an impact at work and in life. The course is conveniently scheduled, requires no travel, and is designed to let each participant identify ways to become an more consistent and intentional listener.
Discounted group rates are available, so sales teams, managers, boards of directors, or other leadership groups can participate to increase the entire organization’s capacity to effectively listen. Visit www.Listening101.com to learn more!
Success! Harrisonburg Children’s Museum
Posted by: Kai Degner in BG in Action, Featured, Success Stories on March 3rd, 2009
Tim Ruebke of the Bluestone Group facilitated the annual board retreat for the Harrisonburg Children’s Museum. Lisa Shull, the executive director, had the following to say. If your organization or business is planning a retreat, the Bluestone Group is at your service!
“We utilized the CMC’s facilitation services for our annual Board retreat. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and effective in helping us plan activities designed to meet our goals. From pre-planning and survey work to implementation and follow-up, we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome of our event.
Having an outside facilitator enabled Board members to fully engage in topics of discussion without the added responsibility of managing the session.
We also enjoyed use of the CMC’s meeting room and found the atmosphere and arrangement to be very conducive for both large and small group work. ”
Listen to an Introduction
Posted by: Kai Degner in Featured, Meet the Bluestone Group on March 3rd, 2009
We begun posting better meeting ideas, success stories, and profiles of our roster. Now hear a 90-second introduction to The Bluestone Group:
Success! Massanutten Property Owners Association
Posted by: Kai Degner in Featured, Success Stories on March 2nd, 2009
In February 2009, The Bluestone Group facilitated a planning retreat for the Massanutten Property Owners Association. This is the third MPOA retreat we facilitated, a sign they appreciate our services. But don’t take our word for it – here’s Betty Newell, the President of the MPOA Board of Directors!
February 22, 2009
Dear Paula and Kai,
Just wanted to say “thanks” for helping us have such a productive (and pleasant) board retreat. I think everyone’s expectations were met or exceeded and we definitely will be able to provide some direction to the Long Range Planning Committee.
It is nice to work with the Community Mediation Center again and I know, first hand, what a resource you are to our community! Thanks again for your help in planning our agenda so that we really accomplished what we wanted to do.
Betty Newell
Success! Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District
Posted by: Kai Degner in BG in Action, Success Stories on March 2nd, 2009
Mr. Jay Gilliam, Chair of the Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District, wrote this to share with prospective customers of the Bluestone Group:
To: prospective customers of the Bluestone Group
From: Jay Gilliam - Chair, Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District
Date: March 3, 2009
In September 2008 the NBSWCD engaged the services of the Community Mediation Center to facilitate the development of a five year strategic plan. We asked multiple organizations to give us proposals. The Community Mediation Center gave us the best price and the broadest range of assistance. We were very happy with the services provided. They were very prepared, having met with several directors in advance of the planning session. The daylong session was well attended and they were the only group that was willing to help us turn the raw data into a digestible document. We’d be glad to work with them again in the future.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Jay Gilliam
See the Bluestone Group Flyer
Posted by: Kai Degner in Meet the Bluestone Group on March 2nd, 2009
Take a look at the Bluestone Group flyer! PDF: Bluestone Group Flyer
Better Meeting Idea: World Cafe
Posted by: Kai Degner in Better Meetings Ideas on February 11th, 2009
The World Cafe is another process The Bluestone Group can bring to your business, conference, or networking event. This process is a wonderful way to have a large group have rich, small group conversation about issues that matter. It is an effective way to create relationships in a big group, explore ideas as a large group, and keep participation and energy at a high level.
The Café process is almost infinitely malleable and will work with any group of 12 or more. We have successfully conducted Cafés with 1200 people, so size is not a problem. To date most of the Cafés we have designed, hosted and convened have been to enable large groups of people to think together about some aspect of their common future. It is a powerful community development tool. The World Café process has been used successfully at large conferences, at town meetings, among educators, for designing and implementing organizational strategy, and in numerous other settings. - NCDD
