Communication Orientation |
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11/06/08
The heart and soul of our community is communication. We strive for open and compassionate communication. The core of our communication is captured in our Interpersonal Agreements. We are committed to supporting and respecting each other. We are committed to active listening and empathy. When the inevitable conflicts arise, we are committed to talking directly to the person with whom we have a conflict in order to restore harmony, rather than simply complaining behind their back or holding a grudge. These are high ideals which are difficult to live up to, but we are committed to them and we keep striving.
We seek the same sort of supportive, compassionate exchange in our community email chat. Over the years, we’ve learned that when conflict arises on the chat, it is best to take the discussion “off line” and have face to face conversations instead. Email discussions seem too susceptible to misunderstandings and hurt feelings when there are disagreements, especially ones that are emotionally charged. Please see our Chat Usage Guidelines for more information on using the chat appropriately.
Each one of us is responsible for good communications and harmonious relationships, but the Process & Communication team is available to help us when the going gets rough. For example someone from P&C may mediate a conflict resolution discussion if the participants think it would be helpful. The team has several experienced mediators.
Anyone is welcome to put announcements of community interest on the common house chalkboard.
There are 3 bulletin boards in the common house. The one in the mailroom is for information directly relevant to Heartwood or its members (e.g., common meal menus), the one at the top of the stairs is for information about the larger community (e.g., a concert at Fort Lewis College), and the one by the upstairs bathroom is for community photos.
Additional helpful tips can be found in our Communication Skills Guidelines.
The heart and soul of our community is communication. We strive for open and compassionate communication. The core of our communication is captured in our Interpersonal Agreements. We are committed to supporting and respecting each other. We are committed to active listening and empathy. When the inevitable conflicts arise, we are committed to talking directly to the person with whom we have a conflict in order to restore harmony, rather than simply complaining behind their back or holding a grudge. These are high ideals which are difficult to live up to, but we are committed to them and we keep striving.
We seek the same sort of supportive, compassionate exchange in our community email chat. Over the years, we’ve learned that when conflict arises on the chat, it is best to take the discussion “off line” and have face to face conversations instead. Email discussions seem too susceptible to misunderstandings and hurt feelings when there are disagreements, especially ones that are emotionally charged. Please see our Chat Usage Guidelines for more information on using the chat appropriately.
Each one of us is responsible for good communications and harmonious relationships, but the Process & Communication team is available to help us when the going gets rough. For example someone from P&C may mediate a conflict resolution discussion if the participants think it would be helpful. The team has several experienced mediators.
Anyone is welcome to put announcements of community interest on the common house chalkboard.
There are 3 bulletin boards in the common house. The one in the mailroom is for information directly relevant to Heartwood or its members (e.g., common meal menus), the one at the top of the stairs is for information about the larger community (e.g., a concert at Fort Lewis College), and the one by the upstairs bathroom is for community photos.
Additional helpful tips can be found in our Communication Skills Guidelines.