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Denise Jess and her associates offer trainings and consultations that support the creation of inclusive organizations, that is, ones where multiple perspectives are welcomed, conflict is used creatively, and people are honored with dignity and respect so they are able to contribute their best work. We work primarily with educational, human service, healthcare, governmental and business organizations.

Through years of experience, we have developed very successful training programs using innovative, process-oriented, interactive teaching methods. We can adapt these trainings and/or individually tailor them to meet the specific needs of your organization. Our trainings can take the form of a series, full day workshops (1-3 days) or institutes (5-10 days). Our consultations are a partnership process where we collaborate with you in designing and implementing interventions that will sustain organizational improvements.

Our specialties include:

Conflict Resolution

We believe that conflict is a natural part of life. When handled with integrity, curiosity and compassion, conflict can open us to new possibilities and can deepen our relationships with ourselves and with others. However, most of us have grown to see conflict as “bad;” as an either/or experience — we flee or fight, we win or lose.

We choose to use the word transformation versus resolution because our experience shows that not all conflicts have a nice, neat, easy resolution. The term resolution implies that a problem needs to be solved and if we were just smart enough, persuasive enough, or if the other person would just “see it our way,” everything would be fine.

Transformation implies a different approach. It begins first with our relationship to conflict — how we think and feel about it, and then what actions we take. We believe the beginning step in transformation is internal — in how we think about the experience and the other person with whom we have a difference. Rather than perceiving them as an “enemy” and the conflict as a problem to be solved, we teach folks how to identify needs and the common ground that exists between people. This approach supports the maintenance of healthy relationships and more creative ways of finding mutually acceptable solutions.

Our approach is not a recipe, but rather, our participants learn skills to be present in the moment, so they are able to listen deeply to the other and have the courage to speak their truth. A unique aspect of our workshops is the introduction of the skill of centering. Being centered means finding an inner place of calm alertness which then increases our ability to access our best thinking. Centering is often contagious; when one person is centered, others are often calmed by their presence, helping to de-escalate the intensity of the situation, so that all parties can work together.

Another essential aspect of our workshops is on understanding the role that assumptions play in conflict. Participants learn techniques for understanding when assumptions are operating and learn skills for looking beyond assumptions to identify the real issues at hand. When underlying needs are addressed, common ground between conflict partners is often discovered and solutions can be long-term and respectful of all parties.

Our conflict transformation workshops are appropriate for individuals and groups who would like to work with conflict in a healthier manner. Our conflict transformation workshops can be custom-designed to meet your groups’ particular needs (e.g. through case studies and examples related to your group's focus). We also offer consultation and facilitation services with groups who are working through conflicts. Our approach differs from standard mediation services. Rather than serve as a neutral third party in mediating a dispute, we focus on teaching people the skills necessary to work through conflict themselves. They are then equipped to work through future conflicts that may arise.

© 2002 Denise Jess Consulting and Kathy Germann Consulting.

Diversity Issues & Anti-Oppression Work

Training Services

Our diversity training includes a broad brush approach which addresses the full range of diversity issues, (e.g., race, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc.), as well as trainings to explore specific issues in a more in-depth fashion. The diversity trainings are available in formats ranging from one to five days and can be custom-designed to meet your specific organizational needs.

Honoring our common differences, the title of our diversity training, illustrates the exciting paradox of learning the truth about each other as humans — those things that might surprise us to discover that we have in common as well as those wonderfully unique attributes and experiences we each hold. Only when we are willing to go beyond stereotypes and labels, fear and old hurts, can we begin to learn the truth and make the authentic connections between people that support healthy and productive organizations and communities.

We begin our diversity trainings with developing an awareness and understanding of what it means to live in a society where oppression, the “isms,” are very much alive in our institutions. We want to create an understanding that our individual actions alone are not the only thing that needs to change. Our actions or lack of action take place in a larger context that influences the outcome of our behaviors. Rather than a “quick fix,” we strive to help people understand the root of oppression so the positive actions we take are aimed at making real and lasting change.

Most of us think of ourselves as good intentioned folks and we surround ourselves with others that we perceive similarly. If asked, we’d say, of course we want the isms to go away. And yet, they remain. The question is, what keeps them in place? Our work is about understanding how good intentioned folks’ actions or inactions may unintentionally perpetuate oppression. Rather than attempt to learn a “laundry list” of “facts” about people who are different from us, we focus on learning about ourselves - on becoming aware of our own “filters” and assumptions, our power and privilege, and how those impact our attitude and actions.

Our work is not about blame or confrontation or about who is more politically correct. We strive to create a safe forum for dialogue about these issues so all those present can learn from and with one another. Everyone is hurt by oppression, we all have a stake in transforming the current paradigm, and we all need each other to make it happen. We explore how to become genuine allies with one another in creating truly inclusive organizations that value multiple perspectives, and treat people with dignity so they can contribute their best work.

© 2002 Denise Jess Consulting and Kathy Germann Consulting.

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Consultation Services

Many organizations begin their work on diversity issues by offering awareness trainings. This can be a good start, and it is one of many steps in the larger work that can be done to create inclusive organizations. We offer consultation services that will support your efforts in doing a comprehensive diversity initiative that will facilitate a real transformation toward becoming an inclusive organization. A full diversity initiative includes not only awareness training, but also in-depth consideration of your organization's policies, practices and procedures. This process may involve such efforts as:

  • establishing a diversity council to provide leadership for your efforts
  • conducting an organizational assessment to review the strengths and areas of improvement
  • creating a vision for inclusivity that drives a long-range plan
  • establishing ongoing educational opportunities.

Your efforts in becoming an inclusive organization will pay off in numerous benefits for your individual employees and your organization as a whole. Your organization will:

  • experience enhanced creativity and productivity leading to increased revenues and/or abilities to provide services
  • exhibit stronger problem-solving capacity and abilities to learn from and value multiple perspectives
  • loyalty to the organization
  • have satisfied customers providing positive referrals

Sound like a great place to work? Let us help you create it.

© 2002 Denise Jess Consulting and Kathy Germann Consulting.

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Team Building

All of our team-building workshops are custom-designed to meet the specific needs of the team. Initially, we conduct an assessment to determine what is working and what the desired areas of improvement are on the team. We then work in partnership with the team leaders to develop a plan of action that includes the workshop agenda as well as follow-up activities to support the learnings.

The following are possible learning objectives for a team-building workshop. Participants will:

  • Improve their communication skills.
  • Increase their openness to and respect for other team members' ideas and perspectives.
  • Build healthy work relationshps between new team members and current team members.
  • Identify concrete ways to provide a supportive work environment.
  • Learn decision-making skills.
  • Learn effective skills to deal with conflict.
  • Learn cooperative problem-solving skills.
  • Identify a collective vision and develop action plans.

© 2002 Denise Jess Consulting and Kathy Germann Consulting.

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Training Design

We believe people learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. We offer a workshop on the fundamentals of adult education, with a focus on the design and facilitation of experiential education. This workshop is suited for beginners as well as practitioners who have been teaching for some time and who may simply desire some new ideas.

We are also available to consult with you on the design of one of your specific workshops. We use our expertise to help you clarify learning objectives and create activities that support you in successfully teaching your material.

© 2002 Denise Jess Consulting and Kathy Germann Consulting.

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Learning Styles/Perceptual Thinking Patterns

We believe that one of the most common, yet often unacknowledged forms of diversity is learning “style” differences. These differences impact how we think, learn, communicate, take action and express feelings. When these differences are honored and seen as assets, the possibilities for deeper communication, connection and sustainability of our decisions are significantly enhances. When these differences are underappreciated and seen as problematic or deficiencies, the results can range from diminished communication, a break-down in the effectiveness of working and familial relationships and can leave any of us wondering where we “fit in” or even what’s “wrong” with us.

Perceptual Thinking Patterns (PTP) is a mode, based on the work of Dr. Dawna Markova, that is useful in understanding how our minds work, why we have differences in how we learn, process and communicate and the benefits and gifts of each learning pattern. The concrete applications of the model are useful for helping us discover how we each can utilize the gifts of our learning patterns to enhance the quality of our work, family, and community lives. Through out understanding of PTP we can support compassionate and effective relationships with others who may process differently from us.

There are many models for helping us understand the rich differences in human behavior — Myers-Briggs, Perceptive Communication, Enneagrams, True Colors — each with its unique ability to help increase our understanding. Like these models, PTP has its ability to help us understand and like all other models should not be assumed to shed light on every aspect of human behavior. PTP is useful for helping us:

  • Bridge differences in communication
  • Decrease conflict
  • Conduct more productive and inclusive meetings
  • Create dynamic presentations
  • Improve relationships and increase rapport
  • Facilitate communication among employees, family, and community members
  • Increase productivity and ability to provide services
  • Enhance parenting skills
  • Foster lifelong learning
  • Support deeper understanding of and compassion for self
  • Create balance and satisfaction in our lives
  • Enhance creativity and reflective thinking

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Workshops sponsored by University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies

(The links below will take you to the Department's web site for more information.)

Facilitating by Heart

The Joy of Meetings: Recipes for Success

Listening for a Change

Perceptual Thinking Patterns: The Mind at Work

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