Recently, the Manchester Shambhala Meditation Group provided two important opportunities to our sangha and friends for giving us feedback: a successful online survey and our 2nd annual Community Meeting. These two events were very helpful in showing us some new possibilities, areas of growth, things we could improve, and programs that would be of interest. It has taken some time to process the wealth of information we received and prioritize the areas we’d like to focus on in the next year. We'd like to fill you in on the results of the survey and Community Meeting, and to give you the broader picture of where we’re headed.
Survey
We had a 21% response rate for our email survey, which is excellent by survey standards. There were multiple choice questions, as well as opportunities to provide written feedback for each question. We truly appreciated everyone’s honesty and openness in their participation and we regarded all comments as important. The positive feedback we received centered on participants’ connection to the teachings and teachers, the support for ongoing practice, and the social aspect of the group. The majority of feedback concerning areas we could improve revolved around two main themes: an additional night of the week, preferably just focusing on meditation practice; and clearer information regarding the center, its offerings, and Shambhala in general.
Community Meeting
The Community Meeting was an opportunity for the leadership council to both provide transparency to the group concerning areas of finance, the survey, and the Shambhala Database project, as well as create an opening for participants to be very specific in what improvements, classes, and services they would like to see the Manchester Shambhala Group provide or work toward. The latter was done through both prepared and on-the-spot brainstorming by participants, and the ideas were written down on large presentation boards. Then everyone was given the opportunity to rate their favorites, which provided the leadership council with a clear picture of where the group as a whole would like to put their energy for the coming year. This was not a process of elimination, merely of prioritization, and many ideas that didn’t “score” well are still worth implementing.
Results
Based on the survey, we feel it would be important and beneficial to provide an additional evening for meditation, with a long range goal of also adding another night for an ongoing beginner class. We will also work toward improving our communication about the center and Shambhala through our website and with a brochure.
The top 10 results of the Community Meeting, in order of prioritization by vote, are:
- Growing our membership base
- Choosing a community service project
- Tame Your Mind, Save the Planet, and Get Well – Saturday Symposium
- Enlightened Relationships – Weekend Program
- Bringing John Baker back – possible Weekend Program
- Buddy system (one-on-one) for new participants
- More yoga teachers, etc… to help with rent
- Stocking the library, e.g. Seminary Transcripts
- Collaborating with Northshire Bookstore to invite Shambhala/Buddhist book tour guests
- Miksang I (Contemplative Photography) – Weekend Program
In conclusion, we want to thank everyone who participated in both these events which will help shape the near future of our group, and if you were not able to participate, we are always open to feedback at any time. Please keep your eye out for emails concerning the above changes and programs, and we hope you will continue to participate. We exist as a group for the benefit of all.
With warm regards,
Bethany Perron
Dan Brown
Dave Lindberg
Wendy Krom
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Community Meeting and Survey Results
Survey
We had a 21% response rate for our email survey, which is excellent by survey standards. There were multiple choice questions, as well as opportunities to provide written feedback for each question. We truly appreciated everyone’s honesty and openness in their participation and we regarded all comments as important. The positive feedback we received centered on participants’ connection to the teachings and teachers, the support for ongoing practice, and the social aspect of the group. The majority of feedback concerning areas we could improve revolved around two main themes: an additional night of the week, preferably just focusing on meditation practice; and clearer information regarding the center, its offerings, and Shambhala in general.
Community Meeting
The Community Meeting was an opportunity for the leadership council to both provide transparency to the group concerning areas of finance, the survey, and the Shambhala Database project, as well as create an opening for participants to be very specific in what improvements, classes, and services they would like to see the Manchester Shambhala Group provide or work toward. The latter was done through both prepared and on-the-spot brainstorming by participants, and the ideas were written down on large presentation boards. Then everyone was given the opportunity to rate their favorites, which provided the leadership council with a clear picture of where the group as a whole would like to put their energy for the coming year. This was not a process of elimination, merely of prioritization, and many ideas that didn’t “score” well are still worth implementing.
Results
Based on the survey, we feel it would be important and beneficial to provide an additional evening for meditation, with a long range goal of also adding another night for an ongoing beginner class. We will also work toward improving our communication about the center and Shambhala through our website and with a brochure.
The top 10 results of the Community Meeting, in order of prioritization by vote, are:
In conclusion, we want to thank everyone who participated in both these events which will help shape the near future of our group, and if you were not able to participate, we are always open to feedback at any time. Please keep your eye out for emails concerning the above changes and programs, and we hope you will continue to participate. We exist as a group for the benefit of all.
With warm regards,
Bethany Perron
Dan Brown
Dave Lindberg
Wendy Krom