Nonviolent communication (NVC) is a revolutionary way to create and sustain a culture of shared partnership. Practicing compassion and authenticity at work opens the door to a consciousness that wakes people up to their full potential and supports productivity, high morale, and trust.

Who Participates?

This international program is targeted to leaders in both business and non-profit organizations including executives, managers, and individual contributors. This program can be particularly powerful for teams of people working together inside organizations whether they are all in one location or spread around the world.

The program is designed to have a parallel track for consultants, coaches and NVC trainers who are currently working or want to work with organizations.

About the trainers:

The main trainers for this program will be Miki Kashtan and Martha Lasley. Each retreat is scheduled to have an additional guest trainer with specific expertise in NVC in the workplace. Guest trainers will also lead some of the conference calls. The program as a whole will have a team of experienced assistant trainers.

Miki Kashtan, certified NVC trainer, is a founder of BayNVC and the North America Leadership Program. Miki conducts organizational trainings, consults with private and public sector organizations and teaches NVC at workshops around the US and internationally. Miki has also been supporting global social change movements, including coaching of the Peace Alliance in their Dept. of Peace campaign, facilitation of the African Alliance for Peace summit in Ghana and a global peace building and conflict transformation summit in Japan. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley.  You can find Miki’s blog The Fearless Heart: http://baynvc.blogspot.com and her TV show “The Conflict Hotline” at http://youtube.com/baynvc

Martha Lasley, certified NVC trainer, is a founder of Leadership that Works, and the Coaching for Transformation certification program. As an organization development consultant, Martha integrates Nonviolent Communication and transformational coaching to help people experience the alchemy of shifting blame and judgment into compassion and productivity. She trains and coaches visionaries and social activists to unleash their passion and create change. Her passion is transforming organizations by helping leadership teams create a culture of compassion, shared power and growth. She has her MBA and has written two books, Courageous Visions and Facilitating with Heart. www.leadershipthatworks.com

• 3 residential intensive retreats. Each retreat will last 5 days for a total of 15 training days. Each successive retreat builds upon and reinforces the learning of previous retreat(s).
• Regular ongoing group conference calls
• Individual coaching calls with a member of the extended training team
• Peer partner calls to support the work that you want to realize in the workplace
• Individual assignments

Teaching Style:

We will use a variety of learning modalities including short lectures followed by role plays along with hands-on practice of key NVC organizational skills. In order to deepen the learning, participants will be invited to simulate an organization by forming their own work groups with deliverables within the retreat structure.

Requested Experience:

A basic understanding of nonviolent communication, which you may gain by either reading at least the first 8 chapters of the book Nonviolent Communication: a Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg 

OR by reading through our basic reference materials on the BayNVC website,

OR by listening to one or two Introductory NVC Academy Audio Recordings,

OR by participating in the NVC Academy Basics Telecourse.

Commitment:

The first retreat in Spring 2011 is open to those who only wish to sign up for one retreat and then may choose to continue in the year long program.

The second and third retreat, as well as all other program components, will only be for those completing the year long program.

Retreat days are full and group activities often continue into the evening hours. Time commitment between retreats ranges from 1 to 4 hours per week.

Through participation you can expect to learn about and acquire tools for:

• Fostering a workplace environment of trust, shared vision, and strength to face obstacles
• Transforming conflict by co-creating strategies based on the needs of all parties
• Bringing authenticity and presence to your work without appearing "touchy-feely"
• Taking full responsibility for your impact on others
• Mobilizing internal resources to achieve goals
• Supporting groups in making quick collaborative decisions
• Changing the dynamics of employee reviews to inspire professional development
• Turning your customers, especially unhappy ones, into fans