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Communication Skills Training: Culture, Leadership, and the Power of Listening A unique combination of classroom instruction, experiential activity and group discussion, this class enormously enhances participants’ ability to grow and sustain meaningful relationships. Overwhelmingly, graduates of the course express appreciation for the deep dive into the listening process. Many call it “life changing”, and share stories not only about the powerful impact of these new skills on their professional relationships but the profound difference it makes in their personal lives as well. The course includes: A highly personalized DISC assessment used to provide deep insight into your communication styles and empathetic understanding of the styles of others Strong practical examination of the cycle of every communication, and targeted competency practice in applying the steps for best effectiveness Leading by listening—discovering our potential to be far more successful, and supportive, through a discipline of empathic listening Embracing the idea that “we are the message”, in all the ways that we implicitly and explicitly communicate our feelings, attitudes, and intentions. Confrontation as a humble request for assistance, and a chance to grow and understand without painful interpersonal conflict Applications at work and home, with individuals and teams Our role: We are enormously fortunate to offer this powerful communication skills course created by the Barry-Wehmiller Companies (B-W). Barry-Wehmiller is an extraordinary creature in the world of business -- where they measure their success by how they touch the lives of people-- not as a goal, or a vision statement, but as a constant, living aspect of their capital equipment manufacturing and engineering services company. We can bring this course to you as a pilot, in which an intact team, or a selective sample of individuals, can experience the program and evaluate its application in your organization. At that point, your organization can ask us to provide more courses, or you can enroll some of your team in the Barry-Wehmiller University week-long course to become your own internal trainers. Every single person we've met in B-W is solidly thankful to be an employee there, and they line up to get into the powerful three-day Communication Skills Training course that is foundational to their organizational culture. This course exquisitely teaches skills of attending, listening, and "confrontation on bended knee" with a focus as much on personal transformation as on team functioning, reflecting the company’s focus: “We Build Great People who do Extraordinary Things” and “We measure success by the way we touch the lives of people”. B-W is simply unparalleled, and, happily, very profitable. The communication skills course is foundational in the unique B-W company culture-- for instance, as the required first step in moving into any leadership role, from shift supervisor to EVP. As they discovered how it was changing people's lives at work and at home, the company made a commitment to share their learnings with the world. Thus, the company (with partners like us) is taking the course to potential partner business and governmental organizations who want to experience the course and consider whether they would like to have some of their own people trained to facilitate the course inside their organizations at the cost of the materials. Amazing. They share the entire course, and offer to train your business resources, so that you can take it from there internally on your own. Their belief in the power of this course drives them to share this extraordinary resource with the world, without making a profit on it. Corporations across the country are incorporating the program for what it can do for their organizational culture, leadership, and engagement. The USAF Air Mobility Command, with 55,000 active and 80,000 reserve members, now has dozens of trainers running courses because the buzz is so good that enlisted personnel are overloading the waitlists to voluntarily sign up. Communities where the course is offered to the public by B-W affiliated foundation are clamoring for more sessions, and asking to take the course into school districts, city governments and hospital systems. As an example, you can see in the box below, a set of comments from the departments of a high profile Colorado town, as an example of the powerful impact the course is having. It's simply the best communications class we have ever experienced, providing the best skills development frame for effective teams, empathetic organization, and positive, productive and community-strengthening confrontation that we've seen. We love being associated with it! We've given it to businesses, community sessions, and non-profits and it's an enormous hit everywhere we go. Friends, this is the real deal. Nothing like B-W exists in the business world today, and they want to bring their genius to us all, to change the world. Keep your eye on these folks, you’ll be hearing lots more about them in the year to come! Here's one of many videos of CEO Bob Chapman talking about his vision. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ciIWozwnE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evaluation Comments from the operational departments in one Colorado city Police detective – "I feel I should share a story in which I utilized my new founds skills. I worked a patrol shift yesterday. I received a call from a 20 year old man (living with his Mom) reporting his Mom stole his car. I then called the Mom. She admitted she took the son's car to "teach him a lesson." She was frantic, yelling and angry. I suggested we all meet face to face to resolve the issue. When the Mom arrived she started yelling at the son. The son started yelling back. Then the Mom started yelling at me! The son immediately took his car and left. My first thought was to leave (quickly) as the "stolen" car was now back. My second thought was to start giving advice. I decided this was a good time to try out my new listening skills. So, I kept my mouth shut and listened. The initial problem seemed to be her son smokes too much pot and takes advantage of her. She doesn't like it. I asked her what she doesn't like about her son smoking pot. She said he becomes lazy. I asked her what having a lazy son means to her? She said she fears he won't succeed in life. I then asked why she thinks her son smokes pot. She said "My son misses his father." Long story short: the father recently died. Mom is terrified her son is going to be an addict and struggle through life without his father. They both loved and miss the deceased Dad. They are grieving in their own ways. So, I kept asking questions and practicing reflective listening. The silence techniques worked. I caught myself starting to give advice, data mine, come up with reassuring suggestions. I just listened and attempted to help her find her own answers. Enveloped in empathy of course! It was like magic! The Mom started crying and opening up. I was there for 2 hours! By the end, I had the full life story and an infinite amount of information concerning some very real problems. In the end, she had a plan on how she would deal with her son's, and her own, grief. She thanked me many times (I assume for listening). When I left, I thought about the Mom's issues and her appreciation. I then remembered a quote in the workbook, something about "knowing what it means to be alone." I went back and found it on page 7: "Nothing feels so good as being understood, not evaluated or judged. When I try to share some feeling aspect of myself and my communication is met with evaluation, reassurance, distortion of my meaning, I know what it is to be alone." -Carl Rogers What I learned in class really worked." Chief of Police – comments on the course from his annual personnel evaluation: "The Community Listens training has given me a personal boost in enabling me to address organizational effectiveness more productively. As of January about a third of the department will have taken the training, hopefully leading to a greater appreciation for each other's behavioral styles and improving the way in which we manage conflict and change. I think that this single training is the gateway to the most significant quality improvement in the organization and so will continue to encourage department members to sign up." More recently: "The experience: The three days spent participating in the Community Listens training were mentally exhausting in the most positive of ways. The training provided me with a unique opportunity for self-reflection after discovering how my behavioral style impacts others. As importantly, the training has helped me appreciate the different behavioral characteristics of others, increasing my tolerance and decreasing how judgmental I can be. I feel liberated when I find the courage to put the listening skills to use. The "why": The value to a community is in building an environment in which employees are more self-aware of their behaviors and tolerant and respectful of that of others. The listening skills learned allow for "real" communication and enable one individual to help another resolve their own problems." Community Safety Officer "In this course I have learned through DISC what makes me tick and what makes everyone else tick - this is pretty insightful stuff. I also learned I could be comfortable out of my comfort zone. I learned the importance of emotions and vulnerability. This will help me tremendously in my job as a police offer and most importantly with my family. I've learned that better communication will make me a better parent, role model, spouse and a better professional. I am always striving to be better in all of these roles and this course is just what I needed. Thank you!" Director - Emergency Dispatch "I would have to say that Our Community Listens has made a significant impact on the internal communications structure of our 911 center. The interactions between those that have attended the seminar have improved a great deal. Even when only one member of my team had attended the training there was a distinct difference in the way that the interactions were handled. The approaches taught in Our Community Listens are the reason that our inter-personal communications are improving every day." Asst. Director - Environmental Health and Sustainability"The skills and insights I gained through the Community Skills Training have been invaluable for me in both my personal and professional life. Using the DISC profile as a framework for improving communication is a hands-on, useable approach to improving communication with everyone in your life. The course didn't just focus on the 'ideas' behind communication; it gave me real tools that I could implement that same day and I saw results immediately. Thanks to CST I now have strong working relationships and know my personal relationships are stronger and more meaningful than ever. " Director - Human Resources"From a City and human resources perspective, the communication skills gained through 'Community Listens' helps the City of Aspen reinforce a healthy culture of honest conversations with employees, customers, council members and citizens. Moreover, leaders have a responsibility to have open and trusting conversations by 'way of the bent knee' with their employees. This, in turn, leads to a culture of growth and development, innovation, initiative and drive - to be the best individual and employee possible! Personally, I think of the DISC in almost every interaction I have with a co-worker, customer or manager. I think through how I can best structure my message by identifying his/her needs through my communication. This clarity has helped me tremendously in my success with the City. This dynamic communication approach allows me to construct my message in a way each individual can connect with and understand. As the DISC becomes increasingly engrained in the City culture, I envision communication between departments, co-workers, customers and managers only continuing to become more and more effective." Health Department "I feel strongly about being part of a team. I am loyal and dedicated. It is important to spend time talking and listening and not being a peacemaker. Change is challenging for me. I learned I am pretty darn good at my job. I need to speak out more too. I need to keep my emotions under control and to mind my verbal and non-verbal. I learned how very important non-verbal are. Silence is empowering. I commit, without trying to solve others' problems, to extend grace and space to others. I commit to express my own needs and to really practice empathy." Water plant operator – "I'm the only woman in my work group. I've long thought that the only way to work through conflict was to give it back and give it back hard. "Bring it!" has been my practice. I now know why that approach has never worked! I have learned amazing skills that have virtually eliminated conflict and have given me new tools in understanding not only my own needs but most importantly, I better understand the needs of my team. It is a new world at work. I wish I had this training five years ago." 911 dispatcher – "This is the first class in a long time where I didn't get in trouble for disagreeing and I was actually encouraged to ask questions and to speak out. I learned it is okay to be me and I will use my new understanding that it is okay for others to be their own selves too. And I will listen. There is no more important skill in my job."