Posted by Terrence Dalton on Oct 15, 2020
On Tuesday, October 13th, the Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to learn about Heart to Heart Communications presented by co-founders, Rev. Norm Douglas, M.Div. and Lawrence Vuillemin, Esq.  It was a very inspiring presentation with multiple follow-up questions about the organization, its mission, philosophy, etc.  Watch the presentation below or by clicking here.
 
 
THEIR STORY
 
Heart to Heart is a leadership development non-profit organization that works with individuals and organizations from all-across the Greater Akron community.
 
Throughout 2019, Heart to Heart hosted 226 events, including breakfasts, workshops, retreats, and their signature series sessions and worked with 24 organizations. Over 1,700 people participated in Heart to Heart programming through their organization or individually.
 
At Heart to Heart, their team facilitates conversations around mission, vision and purpose statements to inspire leaders, and ensure the organizational leaders are living out the statements that define their organization.
 
Their unique curriculum is grounded in the belief that there is a strong connection between employee inner and interpersonal development and the vitality and success of every organization.  
 
THEIR MISSION
 
Enriching lives by helping individuals and organizations strengthen and live their inner values.
 
THEIR VISION
 
 A community where people find meaning and purpose and live ethical values in daily work and community life.
 
 
HISTORY OF HEART TO HEART
Rev. Norman Douglas, M.Div. (left) and Lawrence Vuillemin, Esq. (right), Heart to Heart co-founders, crossed paths in the spring of 1986. During Larry’s recovery from a life-changing stroke at the age of 35, he was reflecting on how his work life could be linked more strongly with his personal beliefs and values when he met Fr. Norm, who was looking to help individuals experience their inner core values as more relevant to the practicalities of their everyday lives, including work.
 
Soon, people were coming together to discuss in a heart-to-heart way how to strengthen the link between their deepest beliefs and ideals and their daily activity. It was their vision to strengthen the connections between people’s inner core values, ethical values, and daily work. They believe that this focus upon the inner development of individuals is a necessary foundation for enhancing workplace relationships, purpose, ethics, wellness and productivity.
 
From their early beginnings, they eventually expanded into the not-for-profit organization called Heart to Heart Communications, Inc. facilitating workplace programs and personal enrichment experiences.
 
Since 1990, more than 30,000 people have attended their corporate workshops, training, H. Peter Burg Leadership Connections Series, and community programs.
 
During the presentation, Rotarians were asked to silently think about how one matches your values, faith and ethics to your workplace and personal life.
 
 
Current Heart to Heart Service Offerings
 
Core services can be customized and tailored to an organization’s needs.  The services offered, include, but are not limited to:
  • Inclusive Leadership Series: Leverage inclusivity to create a strong culture that impacts the bottom line. In today's technology-driven world, understanding the power of inclusivity enables leaders to address workplace and personal challenges such as unconscious bias and miscommunication while strengthening personal and employee engagement.
  • H. Peter Burg Leadership from Within Series: An in-depth and practical guide to strengthen leadership capabilities, with an emphasis on personal inner growth as the foundation for effective leadership.
  • The Enneagram: An insightful, practical, and proven program about how we are alike and different, what motivates us, where we place our attention, and how we communicate, manage change, and more.
  • Appreciative Inquiry: A positive approach to problem solving by discovering organizational strengths and designing processes to realize hopes and dreams.
  • Mindful Leadership: Participants will have opportunities to experience and practice proven techniques for integrating mindful leadership into a busy life, enabling leaders—whether they lead organizations, teams, or families—to enhance their ability to lead and live with excellence.
  • StrengthsFinder: Become more adept at identifying and using well your strengths at work. Determine how to further recognize, encourage, and leverage team strengths.
  • Working as One: During this workshop teams will walk away with strategic considerations and concrete ideas for how to work better together using specific communication tools and techniques.
I encourage anyone who could not attend the Tuesday meeting to view the recording of Father Norm and Larry Vuillemin, Esq.  Their passion about the mission and vision of Heart to Heart should get everyone to explore this program further for both their personal growth and the growth of their organization.

Rotarians wishing to learn more about the Heart to Heart Communications program can go to their website at https://www.h2hc.org or reach out to them at the following address: Heart to Heart, 37 N. High Street, Suite B, Akron Ohio 44308, or phone number:  330.434.3278 

 

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