THE CCS or Compatibility Communication System, is a paper and software based card sort system for improving the effectiveness of face-to-face communication and self-discovery.
“The CCS cards enable my clients to unlock the door to self-understanding in a safe, creative and liberating way ... the cards help them to build a firm foundation for honest and open communication.”
THE CCS is used to help people describe and understand their lived experiences and to apply what they discover to the professional or personal task at hand. Importantly the CCS helps individuals readily tap into their well of knowledge – both tacit and explicit. And it helps people in groups, teams and one-on-ones to quickly identify common and unique views, and to understand and connect deeply with one another.
In fact, by varying the topics and selection and recording processes, this disarmingly simple tool can be used to profoundly impact the quality of almost any communication experience.
Imagine you are sitting in a room with 20 other new team members. Each of you is holding an identical pack of 52 CCS cards, known as a CCS vision pack. Each pack contains the same specially selected set of photographs, illustrations and words.
A facilitator announces ...
“Go through your pack and find 5 cards that, for you, describe what you believe are the elements of the ideal team.”
The facilitator has already told you that it doesn’t matter what cards you and your colleagues choose – there are no set meanings for the images – so any card can mean anything to anyone at any time. What is important, is why you say you chose what you chose.
After a few moments of thumbing through your pack and choosing some cards, you compare and discuss your choices with others in the team and find yourself quickly and honestly identifying common and unique views.
During this enjoyable process, you are surprised by the depth and clarity of your understanding, your ability to articulate your thoughts, and the way the CCS helps everyone to cut through to what matters most.
You and your colleagues now work together to find a small set of images and associated words that best represent the key elements of the topic – in this example – ‘the ideal team’.
ORIGINATING from a clever and entertaining board game, the CCS has grown to become a tool of choice for face-to-face communication and self-reflective experiences. It has been used in more than 70 countries around the world – crossing all manner of language and cultural boundaries – in programs for education, training, organisational and human resource development, team management, coaching, counselling and self discovery.
While the use of imagery as a communication tool is not new, the CCS is developed around a unique and proprietary image selection criteria, we call the common image communication concept.
common: the images are typically of a ‘common’, everyday nature – both in the subject matter and the manner in which the images are cropped and presented. The CCS image collection could be described as ‘snap-shots on life’ or ‘a well travelled photo album’. The images are chosen for their ability to remind us of our own lived experiences and to become metaphors to help us describe these experiences This is in contrast to the more ‘crafted’ imagery used in advertising and motivational products such as posters. This kind of imagery has the purpose of coaxing us to receive a particular message. As such, the imagery is ‘loaded’ to ensure we get that message and we have an almost learned response to these types of pictures and symbols.
common: everyone has the same set of illustrations, photographs and words – the images are ‘common’ to all participants. This approach allows for better comparison, sharing and the identification of shared and unique ideas.
| Praise for the CCS |
| Why professionals use the CCS |
| The CCS for group processes |
| CCS for one-on-ones |
| CCS for self-discovery |
| CCS Master Kits |
| Who developed the CCS? |
| Case studies |
