What do you mean by a 'Registered user'?
What is a Master Pack Number?
Please explain the difference between
Retail Pricing and Master Pack pricing?
I have a board game called "Compatibility" and I have seen
another one called "The all new Compatibility" did you invent these?
Can I just purchase the vision packs without buying a Master Pack?
Do you offer training in the use of the CCS and do you
have people who can facilitate events?
How do I get the CCS?
I am a fully registered user -
can I leave vision packs with my participants?
Is the CCS Australian?
There is one person in our company who is registered -
does that mean we all are?
What do you do about the cards getting mixed up?
How did you pick the images for the CCS?
Can I buy just one pack?
What is the CCS?
What does it do for people?
When would I use it?
Will it work for me?
Why does the CCS work?
How was the CCS invented?
Who is CCS Corporation?
What do you mean by a 'Registered user'?
To become a CCS registered user, more correctly known as a 'Registered CCS Master Pack user', you or your organisation must purchase a CCS Master Pack and then register the CCS Master Pack number on this website. Once your registration is confirmed you will be granted access the 'Master Pack Users' sections and entitled to reorder any individual CCS products at Master Pack prices.
What is a Master Pack Number?
When you purchase a CCS Master Pack your Facilitators Manual contains a unique number known as a CCS Master Pack number. The number can be found on the back inside cover of your manual and also on the certificate of authenticity included in the front of the manual. This number is used to gain access to the "Master Pack Users" section of the website and entitles you to purchase CCS products at reduced prices and in whatever volumes you require. Note: you must register your Master Pack number on this website to qualify for these master pack prices.
Please explain the difference between Retail Pricing and Master Pack pricing.
CCS Corporation has a dual pricing structure:
- Retail price - If you are really only looking to purchase a few CCS products (such as some CCS vision packs or a CCS jumbo vision pack) then you can do this by purchasing a Special Purpose Package and other products at the Retail Price.
- Master pack price - If you are looking to use the CCS in an ongoing capacity for say training, facilitation, coaching, icebreaking or program integration, it is likely to be much more economical for you to first purchase one of our CCS Master Packs. Each Master Pack includes the CCS Facilitators Manual, a selection of CCS products and a CCS Master Pack number. Just pick the one that best suits your startup needs.
Once you register your Master Pack number with CCS Corporation you are entitled to purchase additional CCS products at significantly reduced rates, known as the Master Pack Price.
If your organisation already has a CCS Master Pack number registered with CCS Corporation, you can use that number to order CCS products at Master Pack prices.
I have a board game called "Compatibility" and I have seen another one called "The all new Compatibility" did you invent these?
Yes. The "all new" game is marketed through Crown & Andrews and is available in Australia, US and UK. Due to popular demand, a new 6 player version of Compatiblity based more closely on our original version will be launched in 2003.
Can I just purchase the vision packs without buying a Master Pack?
You don't have to purchase a Master Pack, but you do have to purchase at least one Special Purpose Package, such as the CCS One-on-1 (inc. 2 vision packs), the Focus group package (inc. 8 vision packs) or the Family First package (inc. 5 vision packs). You can add as many vision packs as you like at the time of purchase. Note: the vision packs will be at retail prices, not the special MP prices.
Do you offer training in the use of the CCS and do you have people who can facilitate events?
Absolutely. We regularly deliver in-house and public programs for both new and experienced registered users.
As for events, we are very experienced in using the CCS to enhance almost any kind of social or corporate event. Just call us. 
How do I get the CCS?
Easy - you can purchase CCS products right now from the secure online shop or you can call us directly.
While it is simple to use you may choose to have CCS Corporation provide introductory coaching sessions for your all levels of user. The training provides a wealth of ideas and techniques to help capitalise on the full versatility of the system. Call us to find out more.
CCS products can be purchased from this site or by contacting us on:
Tel +61 2 4977 1211
Fax +61 2 4977 1233
Can I leave vision packs with my participants?
Yes. As a user you are entitled to build the vision packs into your programs (provided you maintain the CCS identity and acknowledge its origin as CCS Corporation).
Is the CCS Australian?
Yes. The CCS was and is developed in Australia by the Australian company CCS Corporation Pty Ltd.
There is one person in our company who is registered - does that mean we all are?
In short, yes. The previous individual User Registration system has been replaced with the Master Pack system. A company need on ly purchase one Master Pack to begin using the system throughout the organisation.
What do you do about the cards getting mixed up?
If you are going to collect the vision packs at the end of an involved session, you may have to check your packs before the next presentation. The best idea we've seen is to take one of your vision packs and paste each card face up on a large piece of cardboard to form a collation guide. This will help you quickly determine if you are missing any cards.
To minimise (even eliminate) this possible problem simply state to your participants at the beginning of the session that the pack they are holding will be theirs for the day and could they take responsibility for keeping it complete. At the end of the session ask everybody that is certain that their pack is intact to place the CCS header card and score card back on the top of their pack. This usually means you only ever have to check one or two packs.
An even better idea is to build the vision packs into the program and make them part of the material cost. This allows you to leave them behind as a souvenir removes the collation problem all together.
How did you pick the images for the CCS?
As you might Lot's of people ask that. As you might expect, lots of people ask this question. The selection process began when the idea was first used in the Compatibility boardgames we developed (and still sell around the world). In the first instance it was trial and error using pictures from popular newspapers and magazines and sampling people’s responses.
However we gradually came to realise that certain kinds of images caused people to open up better than others – most particularly images that were somehow familiar and a little common – almost like those from an average photo album.
Over a period of 7 or 8 years we gradually refined the pack down to the present set. We actually were planning on only having 50, but because of the way high quality playing cards like this are manufactured, it made sense to go with 52.
Can I buy just one pack?
Not by itself. If you have a Master Pack you can reorder just one vision pack or if you are purchasing a Special Purpose Package, you can add another single vision pack. But you cannot simply purchase a vision pack by itself. (Note: we have in the past allowed people to do this but our philosopy is very much focused on ensuring that people have at least a minimum of documentation - hence the Special Purpose Packages.
If you are just keen to try the CCS to see how it works for you, you may like to take a look at the CCS One-on-1. It has 2 packs and 2 booklets on the use of the CCS and an 'upgrade discount' on any Master Pack.
What is the CCS?
The Compatibility Communication System, or CCS is a ace-to-face communication tool.
At the heart of the CCS are sets of image cards, known as vision packs. The cards contain a specially selected collection of photographs, illustrations and words.
Participants are asked to select image cards from vision packs to show how they feel about a particular word or topic. As they share their feelings they are compelled to communicate openly and honestly and to encourage the same from those around them.
By varying the topics and activity formats, the CCS can be used to bring fun and clarity to almost any corporate or social meeting.
What does it do for people?
For the presenter, the CCS:
- rapidly builds rapport between presenter and participants and the participants themselves
- makes it quick and easy to plan and customise a flowing, fruitful session
- dramatically increases participation and puts the participant at the 'centre' of the training
- saves session time by rapidly indentifying common and unique thoughts
- can be a unique, new approach to training
- offers consistency across groups, while allowing versatility
- adds fun and enjoyment
- creates a non-threatening atmosphere
- gives you a focus to ask questions and springboards to promote discussion.
For the participant, the CCS:
- is something fresh, friendly and fun
- helps create a comfortable environment
- promotes new ideas and thoughts
- allows comparison with other participants
- helps to clarify and prioritise ideas
- increases the depth of response
- provides an interesting and logical way to articulate thoughts
- ensures a chance to speak and be better understood
- offers a way to talk about sensitive matters that can be less threatening than simply saying them.
For an organisation, the CCS:
- has immediate and ongoing applications that can enhance communication across the organisation
- offers a way to involve and combine the views of all the people present at a meeting, ensuring richness of ideas and commitment to outcomes
- increases the effectiveness of face-to-face meetings by improving listening, understanding, morale, clarity and communication
- can increase productivity through improved communication between staff, better utilisation of human resources, increased motivation and commitment, greater staff retention.
When would I use it?
The CCS is primarily used by people who train, facilitate, lead, manage meetings or educate. Typically this is HR and sales managers, supervisors, teachers, trainers and team leaders.
The CCS is particularly useful when you have situations such as:
- beginning a strategic planning
- kicking-off a conference
- brainstorming ideas and solutions
- resolving conflict
- clariying your own thoughts
- enhancing communication in an interview
- creating corporate or team vision
- selecting and prioritising goals
- getting staff feedback
- raising and discussing sensitive issues.
Why does the CCS work?
Much has been written about the pyschological representation, processing and stimulating effects of images on the human mind. It appears to be an area for constant argument and evolution. Whatever the conclusion however, nothing seems to sum it up better than the simple proverb, a picture paints a thousand words.
What is agreed, is that images affect us. Profoundly. We think in images, we dream in images, we use images to describe, to make plans, and to remember. And we do it constantly.
Imagine you are studying a picture of a chair. You have choices. Do you see the iconic representation of a chair? Do you generalise to furniture, architecture, design? Do you imagine yourself sitting on the chair in some time, place or occasion? Do you see colour, or feel emotion? Or do you do all of these?
You may find yourself making connections with images that surprise you, that take you in unexpected, even involuntary directions. The possibilities are indeed, endless.
For those studying the psychology of imagery, this ambiguity is both fascinating and frustrating. But for the CCS, it is a gift!
As participants sort through their CCS vision packs making connections and seeing ideas, their minds are filled with thoughts.
Frequently accompanying those thoughts is the compulsion to express - the very fact that an image can have hundreds of meanings stimulates participants to want to discuss their particular associations.
Even if their choices appear unusual, they know they cannot be wrong, since an image can mean anything, to anyone, anytime! This regularly leads people to talk about subjects or view that may have otherwise gone unmentioned.
As participants describe their choices to others, genuine conversation and understanding follows. People are almost invariably curious to hear why each person chose what they chose. Hence, quite spontaneously, questions are asked, similar ideas are identified and connections are made. It's an extraordinary way to get people talking.
And apart from all that, it's a whole lot of fun!
Will it work for me?
The short answer is probably. The experience of the thousands of people who have used the CCS either as presenter or participant indicates that it is well accepted across all kinds of industries, cultures, sexes, ages and mixes of these.
When presented in the manner covered in the CCS Trainer's Manual, you can be very confident that the CCS will quickly build a non-threatening atmosphere with open communication and participation from the entire group.
To date the CCS has been used to improve face-to-face communication in the following areas:
- telecommunications
- publishing
- health funds
- food products
- manufacturing
- pharmaceuticals
- business services
- recruitment
- airlines
- legal and accounting
- financial services
- beauty products
- banking
- high technology
- business technology
- universities and schools
- hair care
- advertising
- training and consulting
How was the CCS invented?
The simple but powerful concept for the Compatibility Communication System (CCS) was originally used in a boardgame we developed called, strangely enough, Compatibility.
We licensed the boardgame to well-known Australian games company, Crown & Andrews, who launched it in Australia. Compatibility was introduced to the world at the New York Toy Fair at the start of the 1996, with a fanfare promotion that involved Ivana Trump and former New York mayor, Ed Koch. Mattel launched it into the US, UK and French markets in September of that year.
The game was eventually translated into 6 languages and released in 12 countries worldwide.
How was the CCS invented?
While working as an Education Officer at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum, Craig Browne was assisting in some research that was being done to test museum visitors' attitudes to ideas the museum had for a new exhibition. Visitors were given a pile of pictures cut-out from magazines and asked to find images that they thought showed the type of things they expected to see in the new exhibition.
Craig explains: "As I watched the people filing through these images, I was struck by their absolute concentration and obvious delight in finding suitable images to represent their point of view.
People who had not been saying much started sharing ideas and even asking questions of others. I said to myself, there's got to be a game in this!
What followed was several years of trial and error, prototyping, testing and trying to get game companies to take notice. In the end we started our own little company, Compatability Pty Ltd and set out to market the game ourselves. As fate would have it, while meeting with the toy and game buyer for a major retail chain we were introduced to the MD of Crown & Andrews. In the meeting that followed the game was accepted."
to the boardroom ...
"While all this exciting stuff was happening around the world with Mattel we were beginning to play with the idea of using the image cards in training, facilitation and face-to-face communication. Our backgrounds are in education, training and management so it was a natural progression.
When the game finished its run with Mattel we combined what we had learned from this multicultural experience with what we knew about training to develop the Compatibility Communication System, CCS."
Who is CCS Corporation?
Originally known as Compatibility Pty Ltd, CCS Corporation is an Australian company that started out by developing games for the toy and game industry.
With extensive backgrounds and experience in training, education and staff development, the company's founders saw an opportunity to use gaming principles in the world of training and communication. Gradually the company's focus centred on one game, Compatibility. CCS Corporation has now been developing the CCS concept for more than 14 years.
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