Tag: Blake Helm RARE Resource Assistance for Rural Environments

Active Listening and Meeting Facilitation

Posted on by Julia Havens

I am working on the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Update project this term with the Community Planning Workshop. A major component of the project involves meeting regularly with regional stakeholders with the main focus of these meetings being stakeholder participation. The data collected from these meetings is important information, as it will frame how the goals and objectives for the CEDS will be refined and affirmed from the previous CEDS. A key tool for successful meeting facilitation is a communication technique called active listening. Active listening is tool that promotes open communication, helps resolve conflicts, limits misunderstandings, and builds trusts among participants.

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) UpdateReflective Feedback – a key component

A key component of active listening is providing reflective feedback. Reflective feedback summarizes or paraphrases what the speaker said and why it is important to the group. This type of interaction helps participants build relationships within their group and keeps communication open and easy.

I noticed in our first meeting that by rephrasing a speaker’s ideas and intent each participant felt that their concerns and priorities were being heard and would be incorporated into a final CEDS product. Using this technique I also noticed that it helped set the tone of the meeting and laid a foundation for clarity and understanding. Without being prompted, participants were naturally using reflective feedback as a way to communicate with each other. Such a natural response to the technique meant the meeting did not feel forced and the conversations evolved organically.

Why it works

Active listening works because it makes it easier to see the world through others’ eyes, giving us the potential to gain deeper insight and understanding into the assumptions that other perspectives adopt in their decision making process.

 

Blake Helm Community Planning Workshop CPW Resource Assistance for Rural Environments About the Author: Blake Helm is a Master’s in Community and Regional Planning student. In another life he spent his time as a rock-star slinging coffee and cake at a local bakery. Nowadays he spends most of his time keeping his 10-month-old daughter alive and writing memos.

 

Stories From the Field: A RARE AmeriCorps Perspective

Posted on by Julia Havens

Life in RARE: Oh the places you’ll go!

Howdy Neighbor
Blake Helm St Helens RARE Americorps Program Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsOne of my favorite things about life in the RARE AmeriCorps Program – Resource Assistance for Rural Environments is not just living and working in my community, this is generally true for most of us, but RARE allows you to engage your community in ways that I feel you would not otherwise be able to. In a sense, it gives one a platform, and here in St. Helens we are taking advantage of our platform.

A Little Confidence
We have a great thing going in St. Helens. Life is good, we live next door to the Columbia River, have ample recreational opportunities, a major city right down the highway, and some great independent minded and creative people. However, the shadow of Portland looms large in our part of Columbia County and it’s sometimes hard for residents to see all the local character. With a little push from the right people, us local AmeriCorps representatives (3 RAREs and a VISTA) started a YouTube Channel called ‘We Are St. Helens.’

Blake Helm St Helens RARE Americorps Program Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsSmile for the Camera
‘We Are St. Helens’ looks at all parts of the community and celebrates them; our community’s history, businesses, environment, and hearts. We’ve made two videos so far that focus on St. Helens’ big heart, the local group called Community Meals and the nonprofit SAFE. These two organizations provide a service to the community that can’t always be quantified but should always be applauded. Local businesses are getting the spotlight as well with a video on Alterations by Heather, a local alteration shop that promotes its employee’s hand crafted wares.

What’s Next?
We hope that these videos can inspire local residents, help them to appreciate all the great things around them, and eventually for them to connect and participate with their community. ‘We Are St. Helens’ will soon post its 6th video about the city’s lone distillery, Ye ‘Ole Grog Distillery, so be on the lookout!

 

Blake Helm RARE AmeriCorps Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsAbout the Author: Blake received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in GIS from Penn State University. Blake has worked with Lane Council of Governments, Willamalane Parks and Recreation, and the Army Corps of Engineers on an array of GIS related projects. Blake applied to the RARE AmeriCorps Program in hopes of further developing a skill set that will allow him to find work in his most desired career field – planning and community development. Blake placed with the Port of St. Helens, where he is utilizing his GIS experience to develop a more sophisticated map of Port properties for marketing and development efforts. He is also assisting with the complex permitting process needed for further development of the Port Marina; assisting with compiling various grants; and, helping address an increasing need to develop more robust Emergency Management Plans.