October 27, 2010 – Gail Carroll on: NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS MEETING

DIRECTIONS TO MICROSOFT WALTHAM.

WEDNESDAY October 27 2010, 630PM

GAIL CARROLL ON : NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION, a very effective interaction tool for Agile Professionals

Gail Carroll is a Nonviolent Communication Trainer who resides in Watertown, MA. Nonviolent Communication is a communication model based on the work of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg. – also sometimes called Compassionate Communication or Authentic Communication.

After a few years of NVC study and practice, Gail attended and graduated from BayNVC’s Intensive leadership program. She began teaching NVC as part of that program in 2006. Along with teaching NVC, she has a private practice in the Boston area, offering individual clients and couples NVC empathy and mediation.

She is drawn to NVC as a strategy to bring authenticity, clarity and compassion into her professional and personal relationships. Her background also includes over two decades as a line producer in film and TV production. She also deeply values her practice of meditation.

Her web site: www.nvcboston.org

From the web site: NVC Boston is dedicated to sharing nonviolent communication (NVC) as a way to contribute to more connection and harmony in the world. Through workshops, classes and ongoing empathy sessions they provide people in the Boston area with opportunities to learn how to use language to connect and re-connect. In addition to these opportunities, they also have trainers who can work with you on private workshops, conflict coaching and mediation.

NOTE: Gail is assisted by here colleague and friend, PAUL MERRILL. Paul also convened sessions at the AGILE BOSTON OPEN SPACE event on 9/16:

Paul Merrill discovered Nonviolent Communication ten years ago. Since graduating from the NVC North American Leadership Training in 2005 he has taught in New York City (including the United Nations & Merck Corporation), as well as Belgium and Poland. He is a founding board member of Brooklyn NVC.

 

Presentation: NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION: The FUNDAMENTALS with Exercises
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This experiential session introduces NVC as a communication technique of immediate use in an Agile setting. The session provides direct experience using NVC to communicate. Attend this session to learn about practical examples of how to effectively use NVC in various Agile communication scenarios, including:

Scrum Master (SM) communicating with those outside the Scrum team. Learn SM techniques for speaking in language that can more quickly get agreement from others to help remove obstacles in the way of the team.

Scrum Master (SM) communicating with those INSIDE the Scrum team. Learn SM techniques for speaking in language that can more quickly communicate to the Product Owner about how to foster higher levels of team self-organization and related productivity.

Team members communicating with each other about differences; processing conflict. Learn ways to develop standard conflict processing protocols inside the team using NVC techniques. The ability to process differences and navigate conflict is one of the hallmarks of fantastic, great teams. Learn to be great by using NVC to get there more quickly.

DAN MEZICK SAYS:

Focusing on Agile practices is useful. However– “individuals and interactions over processes and tools” is part and parcel of the Agile Manifesto. Focusing on people is essential.

Scrum Masters (SM) must be part teacher, part diplomat, and part facilitator. The SM must be keenly aware of the content, timing and format of messages when discussing impediments with folks who may have no stake in the team’s greatness. In short the SM must enjoy people and “figuring people out”. At issue is empathy, defined as “understanding and entering into another’s feelings”. Scrum Masters and team members who must discuss mistakes, differences and other volatile subjects, and must learn to empathize to be effective.

Non-Violent communication is a tool for developing empathy and for developing more effective and therefore useful communciation forms. According to Gail Carroll,

“…. Every message, no matter what its form or content, is an expression of feelings and needs. NVC also assumes that we all share the same, basic human needs, and that each of our actions are a strategy to meet one or more of these needs. When we can be clear about what those needs really are, and communicate that in a way that also includes the needs of the other party, we all have a much higher chance of getting our needs met.”

“People who practice NVC have found greater authenticity in their communication, increased understanding, deepening connection and conflict resolution. “

Strongly consider attending this meeting if you are a Agile team member or Scrum Master looking to communicate clearly and effectively as you execute on Agile work in and around your Agile teams. If you are dead serious about effective Agile, you want to plan to attend this meeting.

09-22-2010 MEETING AGENDA:

6:30 PM: PART ONE: Intro to Scrum Fundamentals. Scrum is simple to explain and difficult to implement. Come hear the simple explanation and consider taking a shot at the often-difficult implementation.

7:00 PM: Food & socializing & networking time

7:25 PM: PART 02, MAIN EVENT: GAIL CARROLL on: NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION: The FUNDAMENTALS with Exercises

8:25 PM: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION OF MEETING

REGISTER:

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS MEETING

DIRECTIONS TO MICROSOFT WALTHAM.

NOTE: Please don’t register casually for this meeting, as you do us a big disservice to us by distorting the actual count for the seating and food. Registration is an explicit commitment to attend.

DIRECTIONS TO MICROSOFT WALTHAM.