Transitions is a community development program aimed at building the capacity of people to help themselves. Many of the tasks we perform each day such as running a household, contributing to the school PTA, working, making consumer decisions, and being a citizen require a variety of skills. Knowledge about communications, decision making, conflict resolution, and planning can help all of us be more effective in fulfilling these roles.

Planning is the first step in helping families, organizations, and communities cope with change because it provides a road map of where the group wants to go. Planning makes transitions easier. But putting a plan together is hard because everyone wants something different.

Program materials include a workbook that contains some basic information and exercises to help develop the skills needed to work with a group in transition. The first section, Planning for Change, gives a simple planning model aimed at moving a group quickly through the process to get a plan of action. The next section, called Planning as a Family, describes how a family might use the planning model. From a Group to a Team, provides information and exercises to help a group learn to work together better. What is a Leader, the next section, summarizes some leadership concepts and some activities for learning more about leadership styles. Taking Care of Business, presents some ideas on how to make group meetings more effective, while the last section, Maximizing Group Productivity, offers some suggestions for dealing with difficult situations.

Workshops and presentations complement the educational hand-outs and workbook. In addition, specialized organizational assistance including facilitation is available. Contact Dr. Linda J. Cox for more information.