Fairfield Center

Harrisonburg Student-Citizen Summit to Focus on Creating Connections

kai — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:11:29 +0000

PDF Press Release August 30 Harrisonburg Student Citizen Summit

Harrisonburg, VA, (August 12, 2010)- Fairfield Center’s Harrisonburg Summits series continues with a evening focusing on creating connections between local college students and the community at the Harrisonburg Student-Citizen Summit. The free event is scheduled from 3:30- 9:00 pm on Tuesday, September 21st, and will convene at Memorial Hall (Entrance B), the former Harrisonburg High school at James Madison University.

As with past Harrisonburg Summits, participants will create session topics based on their interests, ideas, and concerns. The breakout sessions will be held in the conjoining cafe and dining area. Over 100 people and organizations are anticipated to participate. All information and registration is available at www.harrisonburgsummits.com.

“We are excited to offer an opportunity for students and non-student community members to come talk about living together in Harrisonburg,” says Tim Ruebke, Fairfield’s executive director. “This is a positive way to kick off the academic year and focus on strong working relationships,” adds Kai Degner, mayor of Harrisonburg and Fairfield’s Director of Business Services.

Purpose of the Event

The Summit has a number of stated objectives:

To create stronger connections between residents, students, faculty, and school administrators in Harrisonburg.
To meet and discuss issues related to working, living, learning, and serving in the same community.
To connect attendees with local resources and networks that help them meet their goals
To share best practices related to university- community relationships- what are other communities doing that is successful?
To provide professional development opportunities for attendees
To invigorate existing programs meant to strengthen these relationships, or begin new efforts

Survey: Family Conflict and Mediation

staff — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:14:38 +0000

Even the strongest and closest families can have moments of stress and conflict. From time to time, conflict can be between siblings, parents and siblings, parents themselves, uncles and aunts – and at any age. A family conflict can be particularly stressful and draining, because we can’t just walk away – it’s family.

Depending on the circumstances surrounding the conflict and the capacity of those involved, it may be that a mediation could help reduce the tension, improve communication, and create a plan for moving forward.

Are you in a family conflict? Would you like information about whether mediation might be a useful tool? Fill out this brief survey or call us directly at (540) 434-0059 and a Fairfield staff member will contact you for a completely confidential conversation about how mediation might work for you.

[contact-form]

Tension in the Pews? Upcoming Training is Focused on Conflict in Congregations

kai — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:46:18 +0000

See a flyer about Fairfield’s upcoming two-part training on Handling Differences and Disagreements in Congregations (PDF) . Register below!

Are tensions mounting in your congregation? Have you been through some painful conflict and wish things had gone differently? Do you foresee potential difficulties ahead in dealing with the differences in your congregation? This is a natural part of growth for any community – and congregations are no different!

Sometimes, religious organizations and leaders shy away from conflict in fears that its recognition or exposure might present a weakness to the community or outsiders. This can become costly, in time, money, and morale.

Opportunity for Growth

Effectively resolving conflict can strengthen a congregation, and build a stronger spiritual community. Current and future conflict is an opportunity to grow – IF you are prepared!

Specialized Training

Fairfield Center invites you and your congregational leaders to a specialized two-part training in skills, tools, and frameworks to effectively deal with conflict and tension in our lives and in our congregations.

The training sessions are run sequentially, developing leadership skills in preventing conflict and miscommunication, and then managing and addressing when it does erupt.

September 22-23 Part 1: Prevention Strategies
November 17-18 Part 2: Intervention Strategies

Both trainings are recommended, but they can also be taken individually. The trainings are focused on Christian congregations but the course is open to all and the principles are applicable to other religious and non-religious groups.

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Sept 21: Build Leadership Capacity with Facilitation Skills

kai — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:49:49 +0000

Frequently, leaders of groups, teams, committees, and organizations must lead conversations. These conversations can be complex, focusing on topics ranging from strategic planning, to marketing ideas, to project development. Facilitating conversations is a sometimes daily tasks for many business and nonprofit leaders, however few of us have had an opportunity to hone our skills. Here is an opportunity!

On September 21, the Fairfield Center is offering a one-day Facilitation Training in Harrisonburg, VA. Learn ways to run effective and efficient meetings with facilitation techniques and strategies for planning and preparation, group involvement, issue identification and collaborative decision-making.

Register below – the first three nonprofit leaders who enter the discount code “nonprofitleader” save $25!

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9 Answers about Peer Mediation Programs

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:49:19 +0000

Fairfield Center is proud to be part of implementing effective peer mediation programs in schools. Over the years, Fairfield has encountered some frequent questions regarding peer mediation. Here is a selection with answers.

Learn more about Fairfield’s Peer Mediation Program and/or contact us for more information.

What qualifications should students have to be mediators?
Students should see mediators as helpers; people with whom they would feel comfortable talking. Mediators should have the respect of other students. It is critical that the whole student body feel represented by the mediators: diversity in socio-economic levels, ethnicity, peer groupings, and gender representation are essential. Mediators also need to be able to keep up their grades by making up missed class work.
How many mediators should be trained?
The demand for mediators will vary at each school so the appropriate number of students to train could range from 8–20. If there are not enough cases to keep all of the mediators busy, alternative school activities can be designed to use their skills. Keep in mind that 8, 12 and 16 are convenient numbers for training because mediation role plays require groupings of four students.
When will the training be scheduled?
Student training is usually held during school hours. The times can be alternated so the students will not miss the same class consistently. Students are required to make up all work missed. Some schools arrange to hold training during after-school hours or in the summer.
Which issues will be mediated?
Each school must decide which issues are appropriate for mediation and which demand more traditional disciplinary measures. Mediation is voluntary. Most cases include such issues as gossip, name-calling, not returning borrowed items, relationship difficulties, etc.
Which issues will NOT be mediated?
Most schools will not mediate issues involving weapons, drugs, or serious physical violence.
How do you continue the program and train new mediators after the first year?
As the trained mediators get ready to graduate to another level at school, new mediators will be needed. These should be selected from the class that will come of age that year. This new group is given the same training the others received and then joins the remaining group for that year. This is an excellent time to include some of the experienced mediators so they can sharpen their skills. They may help with role plays and other small group exercises.
Is the program misused by students to get out of class?
This occurs infrequently but when it does, it is usually discovered quickly by the mediators or faculty coordinator.
Are there limits to the program’s guarantee of confidentiality?
Students are told that everything they say will be kept confidential unless threats are made. If mediation is used as an alternative to a disciplinary process, the program coordinator may report to the appropriate administrators only the fact that an agreement was (or was not) reached. Remember that it is critical to keep mediation problems confidential. Failure to do so can spread distrust and jeopardize the whole program.
How do we get started at our school?
Contact the Fairfield Center! Call 540-434-0059 or use this form.

Silence.

kai — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:33:40 +0000

This article relates to a concept in Listening 101, a Fairfield Center Communications Training program.

Silence. Just silence.

Silence can sometimes be a powerful addition – even a contribution – to a conversation. It is normal to want to say something after the other person has stopped talking. It shows we’re interested, that we’re engaged in the conversation.

But sometimes our urge to say something comes from being uncomfortable with a lull in the conversation. Without really having anything to say in response to someone, we might fill a silence with a short phrase, or change the subject, or a question or comment that might change the direction of the conversation.

Sometimes, just a moment of space – a short silence from the listener – can allow a speaker to continue, clarify, or develop their thoughts. This can be a tremendous contribution to a speaker who may not otherwise have had the “conversational room” for this thinking.

And silence does not mean we are not communicating! With our nonverbal communication, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures, we can clearly communicate we are listening, and avoid cluttering the conversation with filler that may distract the speaker from what they would naturally say next.

In Listening 101, one of the practice opportunity early on relates to getting comfortable with the silence in a conversation. Later, we explore what can be said that might break a silence but can keep the speaker following their own train of thought.

Practice: Choose 2 conversations today and practice listening with only your nonverbal communication. If the other person stops speaking, let the silence be!

What are your listening blocks?

kai — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:39:09 +0000

Listening is easy, right? After all, most coursework and training is focused on writing, speaking, and presenting (how to get a message OUT) rather than being focused on listening (how to take a message IN).

So, everyone must be born a great listener, without need to learn, practice, and master listening skills. Well, let’s consider this question: What percentage of people in your work and home life consistently exhibit quality listening skills? Ten percent? Twenty?

The fact is listening is not easy, and in any moment any number of circumstances can make listening especially difficult. Think about instances where you know your listening shuts down, things that cause you to lose focus on the conversation at hand and keep from listening to the speaker right in front of you.

In the Fairfield Center’s Listening 101 course, these are called “listening blocks’ – and they happen all the time! Here are some examples of potential listening blocks:

Disagreement, Feeling Judged, Agreement, Disinterest, Boredom, Fatigue, Interruptions, Relationship Problems, Poor Health, Time Constraints / Rushing, Having Something to Say, Offensive Comments, Shame, Distractions, Our Own Judgments, Stereotyping, Excitement, TV, Email, Phones/PDAs

Becoming more aware of our listening blocks gives us an opportunity to notice when we’re not listening, and make a correction in the moment by choosing to listen anyway.

What are your listening blocks? Don’t be shy – you’re not alone!

Yes! Strategic planning can be fast!

kai — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:13:22 +0000

Most managers, team leaders, and business owners understand it’s a good idea to take time for planning once in a while. But many times such an activity is postponed because it’s feared it will slow the business down, it will take too long, or might cost too much money. Who can afford the time and cost for a long, drawn out process, when you need results now?

There are certainly some instances where a company needs a very involved strategic planning process, especially if it is related to a major change or restructuring or longterm visioning. However, for many circumstances, an organization can get focus and direction with a shorter, more succinct process. For example, a team review of the strengths of a particular product, a fundraising effort, increasing participation, growing the board of directors, or office organization are all important decisions appropriate for a smaller, efficient process.

Fairfield’s 90-Minute Strategic Planning program is an example of a process that can involve many people without taking much time or cost, and allow for brainstorming and discussion before facilitating decisions in just one 90-minute meeting. The keys to the process are picking a specific issue (for example, communication in the workplace, or marketing a specific product), and then having Fairfield craft a custom survey for people whose input matters. The survey results are reviewed and discussed at a facilitated meeting, and decisions are made on next steps.

This process can be setup for your business within a week of contacting the Fairfield Center’s Business Services. Call us at 540-434-0059 today for more information!

Save 15%! Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Members Save on Fairfield Business Services

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:18:42 +0000

The Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce has approved a new member benefit: all members receive 15% off all services provided by the Fairfield Center! “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: