Communication Communication comes from Latin: Communicare, which means ’to make common’. When I work with communication I take as my point of departure the idea that we all have a basic need to understand and to be understood. Communication is what binds us together. Community – whether it be a community of interest, a community of colleagues or an other grouping – is created and held together by this glue or putty. But, we can also become bound by communication. When problems occur, they are first noticed in the communication. Solving those problems demands – yes, communication! Therefore, communication can be seen as both the cause and the solution! Therefore, putting focus on how we communicate while also beginning to change our ways of communicating, can be one way to start solving the problems. It is easier said than done, and more than fine declarations of intent are needed. We need knowledge of and insight into communication and into our own ways of communicating, as well as tools to communicate in a more open way. I offer courses where dialogue and an appreciative and ‘exploring’ conversation style are simple suggestions for more constructive patterns of communication. I do it by working with: • Knowledge about basic principles of communication, i.e. the fact that communication consists in sharing our interpretations of the world rather than facts and objective observations. • Insight into one’s own – and a group’s communication patterns; and how they can be more constructive. • Tools to handle communication in practice, i.e. to listen, to handle a difficult conversation or to create dialogue during a conflict. Examples of accomplished jobs KVINFOs MENTORNETWORK (Centre for Information on Women and Gender): ‘The good dialogue in a mentor relationship’. Five workshops on communication in 2006/2007. Århus, Copenhagen, Odense, Esbjerg and Ålborg. KFUMs Sociale Arbejde (Social part of the organisation which is similar to YMCA – related to the Danish Church): How to brand oneself as a leader with confidence and power. Workshop for employees in the social cafés of KFUM, May 2007. ALMI (Organization which promotes the development of competitive small and medium-sized businesses and stimulates new enterprise with the aim of creating growth and innovation in Swedish business life). Two-days workshop in communication and networking for up-coming business owners with another ethnic background than Swedish. March 2007. Bohult Backegården 360 73 Lenhovda Phone: +46-474-24 000 Mobile: +46-70-25 09 108 info@helde.dk