News From the Swamp
Issue
Bringing you ideas from The Results
Group Office
on
In This Issue……….
·
A Choice To Think
About
·
News from the Swamp
and More
·
Mid-Day Correction
·
Thought of the
Month
·
Leadership Thoughts
·
Results Box—A Call
To Action
·
Checkout Billy
·
Build Your Success
Library
·
Words From the
Audience
·
Staying In Touch To
Grow
·
Subscription Info
Help us
grow: Recommend this newsletter to your
friends and associates.
I hope most of you spend time thinking about where the direction of your life is taking you. My life has taken me in many directions and offered me many roles—teacher, chemist, supervisor, manager, professional speaker, author, management consultant, husband, father, friend, elected official—to name just a few.
As I’ve thought about the many directions life has taken me, this question came to mind: “Should one pursue a life of fame or meaning?” As a speaker, consultant and author, the product of my efforts brings a bit of fame. Candidly, fame makes me a bit uncomfortable. I believe the discomfort surfaces because meaning is more important to me. Fame has a way of building a distorted image of who we really are. Perhaps that is why so many people in the entertainment field turn to drugs, experience such fragile relationships, and even privately profess a high degree of insecurity about their life.
Ambition can be a curse or a cure for the adventures of life. We must learn to harness the power of our ambition and focus it on providing meaning in the life of those whose path we cross in this life’s journey. In my mind, that is the source of true happiness.
Certainly highly ambitious individuals have produced much for the world. And, that is good. But, only by tempering ambition with humility can we make meaning possible. When ambition is only fueled by the desire for fame, the product can be as toxic as the most lethal gas.
The choice I’d like you to consider as you reflect on these words––What is my pursuit?
This newsletter covers leadership concepts in the workplace and personal leadership ideas. As an extra bonus today, I’m including the first issue of my newest newsletter, Children First at the end of this newsletter. It’s a trial issue for you and, as we Cajuns say, a little lagniappe for your continued loyalty to this newsletter. There is no obligation to subscribe. This is a one-time mailing unless you choose to get on the list. If so, send an email with “children” on the subject line and you’ll be added to the list. For those already subscribed, no need to do so again.
Mid-Day Correction (An Idea
from my friend, Bob Furlow)
As one goes through the day, a solid practice to incorporate into your daily schedule is what Bob calls a mid-day correction. It’s simply a time when you reflect on the activities of the morning and the results those activities generated. Ask how you feel about your accomplishments and you get a more emotional tie to your results. If the results feel comfortable, you’re probably on the right course. If there is a bit of uneasiness about what’s happened, it’s probably time to take some corrective action.
Start your day with a detailed plan of what you want to accomplish; spend time at mid-day reflecting on those accomplishments and, at the end of the day, assess all that has happened. Then, make plans for tomorrow. There is no “black magic” to this process. It’s really a common sense approach to success no matter what you do for a living or what goals you want to accomplish.
“There is a destiny in store for each of us.
It’s our responsibility to listen to our heart and uncover our gift.”
Billy
Arcement
From my viewpoint, there is a purpose for each of us on this earth. We are part of a grand master plan that, if carried out preciously as created, will produce an unbelievable synergy of activities. Unfortunately, one element thrown into the mix, our free will, sometimes gets in the way. Too often, we make choices that are contrary to helping us achieve our destiny. For me, listening to the message of my intuitive sense (my heart), is the sign I should never ignore. When I do, I rarely get the results I’m seeking and I end up with a most uncomfortable feeling.
Uncover your gift. Reach your destiny. The key to unlocking your gifts and destiny is in your heart. We all have a sense of knowing what is right and wrong and we all have the capacity to make the right choice.
Without
doubt, we are happiest when we are working on the path of our destiny. Peace of mind, true happiness, balance, and
satisfaction can only happen if we carry out the plan specifically created for
us. Don’t miss receiving your gift.
Leadership Thoughts
What new idea have you incorporated into your leadership style this week? Leaders have an obligation to continually grow their leadership ability. If we forfeit the potential of each day by failing to grow, we do all that we lead a great disservice.
I’d like to
share a few thoughts from The Serving
Leader, written by Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert.
1. Build the confidence and self-esteem of others.
2. Keep raising the bar of expectations of those you lead.
3. Teach those we lead the knowledge, skills, and strategies they need to succeed and work hard to remove obstacles that prevent progress in these areas.
4. Build on the strengths of those you lead.
5. Provide
a compelling vision that people will want to run to achieve.
During the next month, examine your
leadership style against these five items. If an element is missing,
incorporate it into your business activities.
These are great ideas I’ve long advocated to build organizational
success and teamwork. I first started
using this strategy when I was coaching high school sports forty years
ago. The ideas are not new but sometimes
we forget the obvious. This book is a
great reminder to re-think how we do business.
It certainly re-kindled my thoughts and made me very frustrated that I
did not write this book!
Is there any specific management or self-development question you’d like
to see addressed in future newsletters?
Forward your question to barcement@eatel.net
and look for your answer in a future issue.
Billy Arcement blends thought provoking ideas with his “Cajun Stories” to bring audiences a winning combination guaranteed to make your event a success. Call us. We’d love to help! Go to http://www.searchingforsuccess.com to learn more about Billy’s programs and services. Our results are guaranteed!
Build Your Success Library
Searching for Success shares a long list of principles and strategies that, when applied, will improve your life. I guarantee this or I’ll refund your payment! Contact us and we’ll ship the book to you the same day. Email or phone in your order and we’ll bill you. We’re trusting people!
Please notify us if your email address changes. Send your new address to barcement@eatel.net and we’ll update our distribution list. If you enjoyed what you’ve read, please forward this newsletter to a friend who might get a pointer or two from these messages. Send us their email address, to add them to our distribution list.
Value Added Ideas
You may reprint content from
this newsletter or from past issues.
We’re also happy to provide you with articles from our archive of
previously published articles to add value to your publications. Send an email request to barcement@eatel.net and specify your
needs.
********************************************************************
This newsletter
was sent to you because of a request or because you were a participant at a
conference where Billy Arcement was a speaker.
It is being sent to you for educational purposes. Should this newsletter have reached you in
error and you do not wish to continue receiving it, see the “unsubscribe”
message below.
For a free subscription, click here: Subscribe Today!
To UNsubscribe, click here: Unsubscribe.
The above links are automated. If you'd like to communicate
with a real person, please contact barcement@eatel.net or call Billy
at (225) 677-9426 (Our office is in
*******************************************************************
36570 Swamp Road South
Prairieville, LA 70769
(225) 677-9426
Toll free (888) 376-7374
Copyright © 2003, The Results Group, All Rights Reserved
Children
First
Issue #
1: September 2003
By
Billy Arcement, MEd.
“Working with educational
leaders to keep children first.”
In
This Issue
A
Warm Welcome
Welcome to the inaugural issue of this newsletter. It’s the beginning of a dream to share information on how to make the lives of children, our own and others, better. Children are our future. If we wish to grow the future well, we must concentrate on the most important element of our future today––children!
I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this issue although I must admit I did take advantage of your readership to introduce you to this newsletter. I hope you will forgive my boldness with this effort and that you will overcome your temporary feeling of being “tricked” by the value found in the messages contained in the newsletter.
What will be our focus? At this point, I want to share information that will help parents and educators improve their successes as they work with children. I wish a newborn came with an instruction manual. But, unfortunately, they don’t.
I hope that the ideas shared will
help you start you own manual. Let me
know what you think. Love to hear from
you.
A
Resource for You
The internet is a wonderful
invention. But, like all good things,
some people begin to use them in a way no one ever conceptualized. I came across this resource as I was doing
some research on the web, an unbelievable resource parents can use to help
their children learn, and thought it worthy of sharing with you.
http://www.Cybertipline.com
is a great website where, among other things, you can report offensive spam
that comes into your home or office computer. It’s worth checking out.
Another
Great Resource
I’m
fortunate to have many friends who are full of useful and applicable
ideas. One such friend is Dr. Marvin
Marshall. Marv has a great newsletter, Promoting Responsibility. It is great for teachers and
parents. If you would like a sample
issue, contact Marv at marv@marvinmarshall.com
and I’m sure he will be more than happy to add you to his list and send you a
trial issue. There is not cost.
You
might also check out his book, Discipline
Without Stress, Punishments or Rewards––How teachers and parents promote
responsibility and learning. It’s
full of great advice for teachers and parents.
A
Thought for You
This is not something I’d normally
do but, in light of the nature of this newsletter, I’m passing this poem on to
you. It is reported to be a part of an
unbroken chain of emails that began on
IF I KNEW
If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall
asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your
soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you walk
out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one
more.
If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice
lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word, so I could play
them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra
minute
to stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming
you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to
share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just
this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an
oversight,
and we always get a second chance to make everything just
right.
There will always be another day to say "I love
you,"
And certainly, there's another chance to say our
"Anything I can do?"
But just in case I might be wrong and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never
forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved
one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day.
That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or
a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to
be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today, and whisper in their
ear,
Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always
hold them dear
Take time to say "I'm sorry," "Please
forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about
today.
A Parental Responsibility
Research shows that a child, by age five, has the
vast majority of their value system in place.
That means, when your child enters school, whatever values you’ve taught
or didn’t teach your child becomes the nucleus of what a teacher has to work
with. Those values can make a teachers
job a dream or a nightmare.
Here is a
list of what I call my “Daily Dozen List of Values” that all parents should
have introduced to their child before their first day of school. Each demands continual refinement and
improvement but they are the foundation upon which character is built.
Parents should also possess these
important values. (I realize that you
cannot teach what you do not know but now you don’t have an excuse….you know!)
1. Courtesy
and Manners
2. Compassion
3. Honesty
4. Strong
Self-Worth
5. Thriftiness
(Use of money)
6. Continually
improving
7. Self-discipline
8. Positive
attitude
9. Service
to others
10. Using their
talents
11. Use of
their time and setting goals
12. A belief in
God.
The Most Abused Parenting Skill
You may never have perceived your parental role the same as the role of a manager. But they are the same. As a parent, you are managing the most important entity in your life––your child. Moreover, like a good manager, there are certainly guidelines that, if practiced, will make you a better manager and thus a better parent.
The most consistent difficulty managers experience is his or her inconsistency. Yes, being predictable is good. When you are not, you expose workers to confusion. The same idea works for your parenting role. If you are inconsistent with your discipline for example, children don’t know how to act. The “punishment should fit the crime” is a good axiom to remember. When you come down on a child for an action then, when they do something worse you don’t react at all, this builds confusion in the mind of your child. Likewise, if there is inconsistency between parents, that compounds the confusion. It’s a good idea for both parents to get together on a discipline plan so that consistency reigns with every decision.
I’ve spent a lifetime studying leadership ideas and, my own personal research confirms that when a manger gets in trouble with his or her management style, the vast majority of the time it’s due to inconsistent decision-making. As one who has been a parent for forty years, I can also say that when parents have trouble with their child, large parts of these difficulties are due to inconsistency in the way parenting takes place.
Let me suggest you reflect on past difficulties you’ve experienced with your child and determine the level of consistency around that issue. Chances are, when corrected in a consistent manner, the trouble will go away.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
If you want your child to read––read to them and let them see you read.
If you want your child to possess good manners––demonstrate them first
If you want your child to respect others––respect to all you meet.
If you want your child to value education––you must value learning.
If you want your child to respect teachers––demonstrate respect for teachers first.
If you want your child to be honest–demonstrate honesty in all you do.
If you want your child to find value in religion––you must have a strong belief system.
If you want your child to be responsible––be responsible yourself.
Do you get the message?
Your Input Appreciated
If there is a burning question you might have about parenting, please pass the question on to me. I won’t claim to be an expert on parenting having made my share of mistakes while raising my four children. But, I promise to research and validate answers prior to sharing them.
This newsletter is for you and the content should reflect issues important to readers. So, keep those cards and letters coming.
Billy Arcement, MEd. is one of the premier speakers on school board leadership in the country. His philosophy of removing politics from the decision making process and making all decisions for the benefit of children is a refreshing change from “business as usual.” He also has quality messages for superintendents, school administrators and teachers. He blends thought provoking ideas with his “Cajun Stories” to bring audiences a winning combination guaranteed to make your event a success. Call us. We’d love to help! Go to http://www.searchingforsuccess.com to learn more about Billy’s programs and services. Our results are guaranteed!
Build Your Success Library
Searching for Success is a great book for school administrators to use to train staff and teachers as well as helping them interact positively with students and parents. Why not make it part of your training process. It also makes a great gift from a business to a school staff. Contact us about discounts for multiple purchases for your school district or business.
Value Added Ideas
You may reprint content from
this newsletter or from past issues.
We’re also happy to provide you with articles from our archive of
previously published articles to add value to your publications. Send an email request to barcement@eatel.net and specify your
needs.
********************************************************************
This newsletter
was sent to you because of a request or because you were a participant at a
conference where Billy Arcement was a speaker.
It is being sent to you for educational purposes. Should this newsletter have reached you in
error and you do not wish to continue receiving it, see the “unsubscribe”
message below.
For a free subscription, click here contact barcement@eatel.net with the word “Children” on the subject line.
To UNsubscribe, email with the word “unsubscribe” on the
subject line or call Billy at (225) 677-9426 (Our office is in
*******************************************************************
(225) 677-9426
Toll free (888) 376-7374
Copyright © 2003, The Results Group, All Rights Reserved