May 2004, Issue 6
THE CARNEGIE COACH

FROM DALE CARNEGIE® TRAINING - ST. LOUIS

It has been said that Dale Carnegie Training is not a spectator sport.  No matter what course you take, you are expected to take action in some area in your life.   People do not need training; they need results enhanced by training.

In our newsletter this month we are focusing on taking action.  Dale Carnegie St. Louis is taking action on a dream.  We believe strongly in the impact we can have on organizations and individuals.   Our dream is to impact youth.  In June, we will initiate the Generation.Next program for teenagers.  But to truly impact the community, we believe we have to provide opportunities for those who would benefit from character development, but may not be able to afford it.   We are introducing St. Louis to the Youth Character Development Foundation which will support this dream by providing funding to bring this valuable program to additional deserving youth.  We encourage you to be a part of the action!

We hope you enjoy this and every issue of our newsletter. With that in mind,  please send us an e-mail message at info@carnegiestl.com if you have any suggestions regarding topics you would like to hear about in future issues.

In This Newsletter:

Articles:

Taking Action on Personal Growth

Dale Carnegie Youth Character Development Foundation

      Tips for Success
       Upcoming Events

       Award Winners

       Quote of the Month
       Class Schedule

What are your goals?  A bigger house?  A new car?  A promotion?  To run your own business?  To increase your income by 50%?  To get along with your family over the holidays?  To lose 30 pounds?  To make a difference in your community or with youth?  To make the office a more enjoyable place to go?  To retire at 50?  To make a speech in front of 200 people?  To stop smoking?  To help a loved one stop smoking without hurting your relationship?  To get out of debt?  To stop worrying about things you cannot control?  To close a sale that you have been working on for a year?  To complete a marathon?

Are you going to reach these goals by continuing to do the same things you are doing today?    Most of the time, the answer is probably not.  You have to make changes or improvements to reach these goals.  You cannot do that until you get out of your comfort zone.  So when do you start?  You will not start until you DECIDE you are going to make improvements.  Once you have made a decision, you have to TAKE ACTION.  Once you have taken action, you have moved out of your comfort zone.  For instance, have you ever wanted to make a point in a meeting and were afraid to speak up?  You watched others speak their minds while you just listened.  If you finally speak up, you will find a sense of relief.  You will have expanded your comfort zone through a simple step.  Your potential is multiplied when you can break through barriers.  So when are you going to start? 

I watch my children grow up and overcome challenges all the time.  My daughter had a dream to be a high school cheerleader some day.  She had many years of gymnastics training and was in great shape.  Her barrier was having the confidence to go into the tryouts.  Like many teenage girls, she is naturally shy.  All the other girls looked so intimidating.   Walking into the parent-daughter meetings, she looked so timid.  She made sure she had friends go to tryouts with her so they could support each other.  Coming out of tryouts, she looked extremely confident.  She went in, did her best, and felt like she was going to make it.  Once she took the first step on the floor, her preparation took over and her fears went away.   That was three years ago.  Today, she is co-captain of the varsity squad.  It started with her preparing, deciding, and then taking action.

Three years ago, my son decided he wanted to go to Tae Kwon Do.  He wanted to be a black belt.  Each advancement has challenged him to do something different.  But, to advance, he had to demonstrate proficiency in front of an audience.  He broke through that barrier at his first belt testing.  With a supportive audience and others around him doing the same thing, he quickly realized that if he did what he was taught and practiced, he would succeed.  Each success has helped him realize he has more in him.  It built confidence in him.  I was most proud when he stopped a bully from picking on his friends.  He knew he had the ability to hurt the bully, but he did what he needed to do to stop him and walked away.  He saved his reserve “power” for when he needs it to use it.  He showed me what confidence is.  He reached black belt this fall.  Now his goal is second-degree black belt.  The initial breakthrough creates momentum for continued success.

My wife and I are proud of our children. They are great kids.  But our job as parents is not to see that we have good kids, but to develop adults with confidence and good character who contribute to society.  My daughter’s favorite line is, “Next year, I will be in college, and I will have to make these decisions on my own.”  Wow!  Does that put pressure on us.  That is why we want to make sure that we provide them with tools needed to expand their comfort zone so they can address difficult situations with confidence, without us.  And therefore, prepare them for continuous improvement.

Where are you in your life?  What would have happened if you had crashed through personal barriers ten years ago?  What would your life have been like?  Would you already have reached some of your goals?  As Dale Carnegie says, “Don’t worry about the past”.  Focus on what you can do today.  What can you do to help others to improve?   What kind of improvements do you want to make now?  What is keeping you from taking actions?  There is always an opportunity for a better future, if you decide to make it better and you take action.

And if you think it is too late to change, my mother will turn 84 in September when she starts the Dale Carnegie Course!  She wants to expand her comfort zone.

Jonathan Jones is an independent management consultant and coach and is a certified leadership instructor for Dale Carnegie Training - St. Louis. For more information on Jonathan Jones, go to   http://www.jonathanjonesconsulting.com

The “Generation Next” program brings to youth in the area the same time-honored principles that Dale Carnegie taught over 90 years ago. These principles have literally changed young people’s lives. But what about youth who might not be able to afford to attend the Dale Carnegie course? The answer to this question is the Dale Carnegie Youth Character Development Foundation (YCDF). The mission of the foundation is simple: “To create character among young people.”

Founded in Buffalo, New York, the foundation provides scholarships to youth who would not otherwise be able to attend the Generation Next Dale Carnegie program. The foundation is supported by corporate sponsors, private donations, and public grants. Donations to the foundation are tax deductible and students who graduate from the accredited program receive three college credit hours.

To promote the efforts of the Foundation, a YCDF Advisory Panel has begun to form.  Leaders in the business, academic, religious, and medical communities will serve on the panel for the following purposes: 1) to provide immediate visibility and credibility in the community for the foundation, 2) to help create a network among potential donors and 3) be available by phone to provide ideas and consultation to the foundation if needed.

KLOU radio Program Director, Al Brock, has become the founding YCDF Advisory Panel member in the business community. Al’s excitement and enthusiasm for the foundation will make a positive difference and his contributions will be valued.

Other YCDF advisory panel members include: Frank E. Krebs, Director of Client Training for Magellan Health Services, Dennis Hostettler, Ph.D., professor at SIU Edwardsville, Michael Meagher, Ph.D., University of Missouri, Rolla, and Beverly Thompson, Coordinator of Special Programs for the Normandy School District.

Steven Koehler will be leading the effort of developing the YCDF in the St. Louis region. Steven brings to his position a wealth of business and leadership skills from many years in both the corporate and non-profit sector. This will be the fourth non-profit organization that Steven has either founded or headed.

Please take a moment to visit the foundation web site at www.YCDF.org.

DALE CARNEGIE COURSE®
Communication & Interpersonal Skills

Class#               Day          Start Date            Location
D7-04           Tuesday          June 15                  St. Louis
*Seminar      T-W-Th          July 20, 21, 22         St. Louis
D15-04         Tuesday         August 24               Collinsville, IL
D16-04         Thursday        September 9            St. Louis

Length of Course:  12 Weeks (One session per week)

Time:  6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
*Length of Seminar:  3 days    Time:  8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

GENERATION.NEXT FOR TEENAGERS 

Generation.Next is designed to prepare young people for the real world. It gives them the skills they need to reach their goals and live up to their full potential –at school, home, and work.

At Dale Carnegie Training®, we call them “skills that will last a lifetime.” The course content focuses on five key areas that are critical for future success:
•  Building Self-confidence
•  Enhancing Communication Skills
•  Interpersonal Skill Development   
•  Teamwork and Leadership Skills
•  Effective Attitude Management

Class#           Day            Start Date              Location

N1-04         Tuesday          June 8                    St. Louis

Length of Course:  8 Weeks (One session per week)      

Time:  5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Leadership Training For Managers®        

Results-Focused Leadership Training

Class#           Day                   Start Date         Location

M4-04         Thursday a.m.        June 17               St. Louis
M4-04         Wednesday p.m.    September 15       St. Louis

Length of Course:  7 Weeks (One session per week)      

Time:  p.m. Class 6:00 p.m. –   9:30 p.m.
          a.m. Class 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Dale Carnegie, Sales Advantage®        

Professional Sales Training

Class#             Day             Start Date            Location

*Seminar        T-W-Th          July 13, 14, 15        St. Louis
  S4-04           Monday          September 13         St. Louis

Length of Course:  8 Weeks (One session per week)

Time:  6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

*Length of Seminar:  3 days
Time:  8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

High Impact Presentations®        

Video-Critiqued Presentation Skills Training

Class#             Days             Dates               Location

H8-04            Tues/Wed       June 22 & 23       St. Louis

Length of Course:  2 Consecutive Days
Time:  7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

See you in the next issue!
The staff of Dale Carnegie® St. Louis