The Bluestone Group » Featured http://www.bluestonegroup.org facilitator (n) - someone who makes progress easier Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:00:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 New Product: 90-Minute Strategic Planning http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/12/new-product-90-minute-strategic-planning/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/12/new-product-90-minute-strategic-planning/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:55:27 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=198 Discounted offer through Jan 2010

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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.

]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/12/new-product-90-minute-strategic-planning/feed/ 0 HR Chamber Members Save 15%! http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/06/hr-chamber-members-save-15/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/06/hr-chamber-members-save-15/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:43:09 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=165 Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce

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.

]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/06/hr-chamber-members-save-15/feed/ 0 Listening 101 for Businesses and Organizations http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/listening-101-for-businesses-and-organizations/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/listening-101-for-businesses-and-organizations/#comments Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:31:34 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=144 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!

]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/listening-101-for-businesses-and-organizations/feed/ 0 Success! Harrisonburg Children’s Museum http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/success-harrisonburg-childrens-museum/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/success-harrisonburg-childrens-museum/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:49:48 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=123 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. ”

 

Lisa Shull
Executive Director
Harrisonburg Children’s Museum
]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/success-harrisonburg-childrens-museum/feed/ 0 Listen to an Introduction http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/listen-to-an-introduction/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/listen-to-an-introduction/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:47:22 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=136 We begun posting better meeting ideas, success stories, and profiles of our roster. Now hear a 90-second introduction to The Bluestone Group:

Please let us know if we can be of service!
If you prefer to read the script, it is here:
Business and community leaders don’t have time to waste.  Long, inefficient meetings aren’t only a waste of time – they cost money and motivation.  It can be difficult for a leader to plan and organize a meeting, create a thoughtful agenda, moderate the meeting, participate freely, make sure everyone else can participate, stay on track, and then record what happened. 

The Bluestone Group is here to help leaders have great meetings.  Perhaps your organization needs to brainstorm new directions, decide on next steps, review the strategic plan, or discuss a conflict or miscommunication.  Maybe you would like to host a retreat, or a networking event.

 The Bluestone Group is a network of professional facilitators who help businesses and groups meet their goals efficiently and creatively. 

 We are practical, professional, and affordable.

 The Bluestone Group is at your service for planning meetings, retreats, conferences and strategic planning processes for businesses, organizations, teams, and communities.  Because The Bluestone Group is a service of the Community Mediation Center in Harrisonburg, VA, we have expertise in developing grievance procedures, resolving costly conflict and miscommunication, and offering a range of professional development training.

Bluestone facilitators have extensive experience working with groups of varying sizes, in different contexts, with diverse objectives.

The Bluestone Group is headquartered in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.  The service area covers the central Valley, the rest of Virginia, and Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Washington DC, and North Carolina.   Other locations are also possible, as Bluestone facilitators have offered training in the midwestern states and in Europe.

Visit our website at www.BluestoneGroup.org or contact us for more information – make your next meeting effective, efficient, and creative.

]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/listen-to-an-introduction/feed/ 0 Success! Massanutten Property Owners Association http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/success-massanutten-property-owners-association/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/success-massanutten-property-owners-association/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:01:52 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=118 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

 

]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/03/success-massanutten-property-owners-association/feed/ 0 Introducing BluestoneGroup.org http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/hello-world/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/hello-world/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:07:08 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org//?p=1 Group MeetingThe Community Mediation Center in Harrisonburg, VA, is proud to introduce the Bluestone Group, a network of professional facilitators who are adept at working with businesses and groups to make meetings effective, efficient, creative, and participatory.

BluestoneGroup.org will catalog innovative meeting techniques.  Content will be provided by authors from the Bluestone Group.  Over time, this website will become a resource for people and organizations interested in exploring ways to make their organizations thrive with successful events.

The Bluestone Group is also at your service for planning creative, effective, and efficient meetings, retreats, and planning processes for businesses, organizations, teams, and communities.

]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/hello-world/feed/ 0 Meet Timothy J. Ruebke http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/timothy-j-ruebke/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/timothy-j-ruebke/#comments Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:00:35 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=82

Timothy J. Ruebke

Timothy J. Ruebke

Timothy J. Ruebke
Facilitator, Host, Mediator, Moderator, Guide, Event Planner, Listener

Tim’s facilitation experience includes local government, university, and neighborhood relations; nonprofit and for-profit strategic planning; workplace conflict resolution; one-day or two-day retreats; large group dialogues, debates, and forums; team-building; and more.  Tim is currently the Executive Director at the Community Mediation Center in Harrisonburg, VA.  Currently certified to mentor-mediate civil and family circuit court cases, Tim has worked at CMC since 1992 and has completed 1400 cases in general, family, criminal, and complex organizational /multi-party issues.  He is also a certified trainer and has taught ADR courses for James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University as an adjunct faculty member.  He is an advanced practitioner member of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) and a previous board member of the Virginia Mediation Network (VMN) and of the Restorative Justice Association of Virginia (RJAV). Tim has a BS in Social Work and an MA in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University.

]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/timothy-j-ruebke/feed/ 0 Ask us now! A free 30-minute consultation http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/ask-us-now-a-free-30-minute-consultation/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/ask-us-now-a-free-30-minute-consultation/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:29:45 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=105 Planning a meeting, retreat, conference, or strategic planning session?

Take 60 seconds to fill out the form below and a member of the Bluestone Group will contact you within 24 hours to discuss how to make your event successful!  The 30-minute consultation is free of charge!

What are you and your organization interested in accomplishing?
 Having a Strategic Planning Session(s)
 Discussing a Complex Situation
 Making a Plan about a Specific Issue
 Brainstorming Ideas and Solutions
 Networking or Getting to Know Each Other or Clients/Guests/Customers
 Hosting a Speaker or Presenter
 Hosting a Community Dialogue, Debate, or Forum

Where are you in your planning?
 I'm thinking about having an event, meeting, or retreat.
 I have an event, meeting, or retreat planned already.
 I don't plan to have an event, meeting, or retreat.

Your Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Phone Number

Location (City, ST)

Company

Comments / Questions

]]> http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/ask-us-now-a-free-30-minute-consultation/feed/ 0 Meet Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/meet-kai-degner/ http://www.bluestonegroup.org/2009/02/meet-kai-degner/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:14:47 +0000 Kai Degner http://www.bluestonegroup.org/?p=94 Kai

Kai

Kai Degner
Kai serves as the Director of Organizational Communication at the Community Mediation Center in Harrisonburg, VA, which houses the Bluestone Group.  He currently serves as mayor and city council-member in Harrisonburg, VA.

He brings experience with community dialogues and forums, debates, strategic planning facilitation, retreat and conference design, moderating/emceeing, and using innovative self-organization methods.  He was on the steering committee for the 2006 National Conference on Dialogue and Deliberation. He is founder of The OrangeBand Initiative, an event begun at James Madison University to promote civil discourse about issues that matter.  He has coordinated over 300 community dialogues and forums, including one on C-SPAN.

Kai is skilled in applying a combination of innovative meeting and conference techniques designed to allow for rich participation, creative exploration, and effective decision-making.  These include Open Space Technology, World Cafe, Dynamic Facilitation, and more.  He has an undergraduate degree in Integrated Science and Technology and a Masters in Business Administration from James Madison University.

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