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Different Voices, One Board: This program, designed to help individuals blend as a board, reviews differences in how individuals communicate, how conflicts within groups evolve, and communication patterns that lead to productive dialogue.

Understanding Public Conflicts: These programs review the nature, causes, and evolution of public conflicts that can develop over policies, funding decisions, and other issues, different approaches to public engagement, and approaches to productively resolving public conflicts when they arise.

Working with the Media: A Review of the Basics: These programs available, both in basic and advanced forms, help build the skills needed to work well with the media from responding to questions to drafting press releases to writing editorials or conducting interviews.  We can help you and your staff build the skills that you need.

Thinking in Questions: Questions are a key part of dialogue.  Learn how to identify what types of questions to ask to build productive dialogues and generate options for moving forward through difficult issues in a way that is productive and builds strong relationships.

Using Dialogue: What, Why, and How: These program segments look at what dialogue is and how it differs from discussion or debate, why dialogue helps kids learn or promotes effective team interactions, and how to put dialogue to use in your school or classroom. Key dialogue skills are also reviewed and taught.

Work Style Preferences: Implications for Learning and Teaching

These interactive programs look at work style preferences, primarily in reference to the Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI)™. These work style preferences affect the ways in which individuals receive and process information, and thus how they communicate. In its simplest form, the HBDI™ is a research-based assessment tool that measures work style preferences. The underlying research and model for the HBDI™ provides a framework that has been used by many corporations—including Starbucks, General Electric, and IBM—to enhance teamwork, planning, and communications.

Workshop 1 (1/2 Day): This program will focus on identifying different types of work style preferences, understanding how those preferences affect both what people hear and what they say, and how to work more effectively with others.

Workshop 2 (1/2 Day): This program will focus on how to coach student teams as well as creating lesson plans that accommodate different kinds of learners.

These workshops may be combined for a full day program. Our programs can be customized to meet your school's needs.

Getting the Most Out of Consensus Processes: 8 Modules Covering the Basics of Selecting, Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Consensus Processes

"Authoritative Communities": Using the DVD and research booklet, "Hardwired to Connect" from the Institute of American Values, this program examines and invites dialogue on what recent research reveals about how to build communities that support youth in becoming productive adults and strengthen intergenerational ties.

Dialogue 101: An Introduction to Basic Dialogue Skills

Facilitation 101: An Introduction to Basic Facilitation Skills

"Ask The Right Question": Putting the Right Question Project's "Question Formulation Technique" to Work for You.

Hate Hurts: Recognizing Hate and Minimizing Its Effects in the Community. This program, based on recent research, looks at many different forms and levels of hate and associated communication patterns, and at effective and low-cost ways citizens and communities can counteract the effects of hate.

This two-hour interactive program focuses on gaining cooperation without resorting to criticism or argument. Participants will learn how conflicts arise, specific steps for resolving conflict, alternatives to criticism and argument, and other tips for building understanding and cooperation.

Part I: This interactive program looks at the differences between dialogue and the other traditional forms of communication such as debate, discussion, and deliberation. Participants will learn specific techniques for engaging in dialogue, which is a form of communication that promotes mutual understanding. Use of dialogue skills can result in more effective communication in both professional and personal relationships.

Part II: This interactive program looks at thinking style preferences, primarily in reference to the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI™). These thinking style preferences affect the ways in which individuals receive and process information, and thus how they communicate. In its simplest form, the HBDI™ is a research- based assessment tool that measures thinking style preferences. The underlying research and model for the HBDI™ also provides a framework that has been used by many corporations—including Starbucks, General Electric, and IBM—to enhance teamwork, planning, and communications. Participants will learn to identify different types of thinking style preferences, understand how those thinking styles affect both what people hear and what they say, work more effectively with others, and create meetings, events, and activities that accommodate different kinds of learners.

Every good meeting has certain qualities: a purpose, an agenda, participants that understand their roles, and an effective facilitator. Our programs teach tools and techniques to help conduct good meetings. Participants will learn how to plan for an effective meeting by setting goals and determining an agenda. Participants will also learn skills that will help them facilitate meetings. The program will also cover other tips for making presentations or trainings more effective.

These programs focus on promoting tolerance or confronting hate within an organization or community group or in a community group’s interaction with others. We have a range of programs—from video based programs to study circles to book groups—that can be tailored to your organization. Our programs can include segments on why people hate, how to discuss and address stereotypes, and how to confront intimidating behaviors. Participants take away practical activities that can be put to use to promote tolerance of our differences, and appreciation of our diversity.

One set of programs is based on the current research of Robert J. Sternberg at Yale University:

Hate Hurts: Recognizing Hate and Minimizing Its Effects In The Community. This program, based on recent research looks at many forms and levels of hate and associated communication patterns, and at effective and low-cost ways citizens and communities can counteract the effects of hate.