What We Offer
Conflict Mediation
Common Ground mediators help people to build understanding and resolve issues. They provide unbiased assistance to all participants. Their services include:
- Helping all parties in preparing for and participating in a mediated discussion;
- Facilitating conversations that insure all participants are heard;
- Fostering an environment that encourages open sharing of personal experiences, concerns and needs;
- Assisting participants in discovering points of agreement that are mutually acceptable and that can be implemented and sustained over time;
- Encouraging informed decisions by all the parties;
- Helping parties to develop agreements that are clearly defined, commonly understood, and easily monitored;
- Assisting participants in monitoring implementation of agreements.
Group Facilitation
Common Ground professionals provide facilitation services. These services include:
- Defining clear objectives for meetings;
- Meeting with meeting stakeholders and interest groups to plan the agenda and assist them in preparing for the meeting;
- Preparing agendas and identifying exercises that will encourage achievement of meeting objectives;
- Assessing if the agenda allows adequate time for all topics;
- Providing advice on the size, acoustics, lighting, seating, and overall suitability of meeting rooms;
- Assisting in preparing for meetings including room arrangements and prework;
- Providing assistance in identifying participants and how they should be involved;
- Developing strategies to deal with potential conflicts;
- Facilitating discussions that meet objectives within timelines;
- Documenting meeting outcomes and decisions; and
- Responding to media and public interest.
Training
Common Ground offers community presentations and workshops that provide the tools to enrich people’s ability to resolve conflicts. Topics include:
Title |
Subject |
Time |
Difficult Conversations: Enhancing Your Ability to Resolve Conflicts |
Conflict and difficult conversations are unavoidable in our lives. Our challenge is not in avoiding them but in using them to build deeper and more enriching relationships. This training provides practical and proven tips on conducting difficult conversations in ways that will increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. |
2 to 8 hours |
Understanding Your Personal Style of Conflict Management |
Through self assessment testing, participants come to understand their preferred styles of handling differences. This knowledge will enhance participants’ skills in dealing with conflicts by helping them to focus on their strengths while minimizing their tendency to resort to weaknesses. |
2 to 4 hours |
Conflict in the Bible |
The Bible is a great resource for learning about conflict. For example, did you know that a section of the Old Testament is referred to as the "grumbling texts" or that the New Testament church dealt more with conflict among members than any other topic. This workshop will review some of the Bible's major conflict themes and increase participants’ awareness of the legacy the Christian church found in the Bible. |
1 to 4 hours |
Planning and Managing Successful Meetings |
Managers, executives, board chair people and pastors will benefit from this workshop. The workshop provides instruction on how to plan and lead meetings. Participants will have an opportunity to plan a meeting using techniques presented in this workshop. |
2 to 8 hours |
Resolving Organizational Conflicts Through Mediation |
All organizations experience conflict. Successful organizations deal with conflict effectively. This training provides instruction on how difficult organizational issues can be resolved through open and facilitated discussions. |
2 to 4 hours |
Organizational Consultation
Common Ground can help groups identify sources of organizational problems and define potential solutions in the areas of:
- Job descriptions
- Communication strategies
- Decision making processes
- Feedback mechanisms
- Grievance procedures