Character First seminar focuses on building character in the business world
In life, there are characters, and then there is character.
While being a character or being around a character can be fun, life oftentimes boils down to the character people exhibit in their everyday lives, whether at work, home, in their community or church or wherever they may be.
In the business world, character is every bit as important. Characteristics like dependability, generosity, loyalty, hospitality and sensitivity make up the teams which create a company, create who they are and the image they portray to the community around them.
Because being people and a business of great character is so vital to the success of any business, Character First was born. Character First is a program which focuses on promoting 49 key character qualities, and regional representative Don Showalter has brought the program into a number of area businesses and schools. The results have been quite positive.
“Building great character, regardless of whether it is in the family setting, at school or in business, helps to build a foundation which can inevitably help people grow and build relationships,” said Showalter. “Everyone can benefit from building good character qualities.”
As part of the Character First venue, Showalter will present the seminar Character In Business: The importance of who you are in the marketplace and beyond, on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Berlin Hotel & Suites.
The event will provide hands-on training on how to implement Character First into an organization, and will include a number of courses which Showalter said are designed to create a better avenue of communication and more solid relationships between management teams and employees.
Courses for the event will include What is character, and why is it important, Emphasizing character in the workplace, Recognizing employees for excellence, Handling misconduct and poor behavior and How character impacts the culture of an organization. The main speaker will be John Burnett, Character First regional manager from Oklahoma, who will be providing the orientation teaching.
“The goal is for management teams and individuals to gain a better understanding, and to equip them to implement character initiative in their companies, with a view toward building a culture of character,” said Showalter. “This helps create strong teams, helps businesses better serve their customers, builds relationships and even helps management to better deal with conflict and correction, performance appraisals and even hiring techniques.”
The cost of the training seminar is $195 per person. Lunch will be included. To register, call 614-329-2102, or email Showalter at: don@showalter.com.
“This is going to be a very hands-on day of training orientation designed to make any company better,” said Showalter. “It is designed to provide know-how in a number of different areas in business where character plays such a key role.”
While Character First has been around for years in the area, many still are unaware of the impact it has on area businesses and in the schools in particular. In order to fund the program in the schools, Character First has received financial donations from a number of area businesses who feel that providing the teaching of quality character in our school-age children is vital to their growth into adulthood.
Dan McKey, principal at Winesburg and Mt. Hope elementary schools, has had Character First as part of his curriculum for close to a decade, and said that the growth he has witnessed, and the value these characteristics provide, have been substantial.
“It’s been a very positive impact on our students,” said McKey. “We always had well-behaved children, so it is not a huge difference there, but long-term we are helping to instill these valuable character qualities in the kids, and that is big.”
McKey said that each school does their own thing when it comes to implementing the character qualities each month, some doing assemblies, others working in the classroom setting or with announcements.
Even as Grandparents Day nears at Mt. Hope, he pointed to his sixth-grade class, connecting their willingness to decorate, serve and connect with the grandparents during the day as a prime example of the characteristic of hospitality.
“They get a better understanding of what that particular character trait means, and it draws attention to a trait that is oftentimes overlooked,” said McKey.
Contributors to the area school programs include 77 Coach, Ashery Country Store, Inc., Berlin Transportation LLC, Chuck Nicholson, Inc., Commercial & Savings Bank, Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd., Dave Kauffman Realty, Dutchman Hospitality Group, Inc., FirstMerit Bank, Guggisberg Cheese Inc., Hummel Insurance Agency, Huntington National Bank, Ivan Weaver Construction, JDM Structures, Ltd., Keim Lumber Company, Killbuck Savings Bank Co., Mast Farm Services Ltd. and Mast Sales and Service, Millersburg Electric Inc., Mt. Eaton Pallet, Ltd., Precision Geophysical, Inc., ProVia Door, Rea Foundation Inc., Walnut Creek Foods/Coblentz Distributing, Weaver Leather and Yoder Lumber Company, Inc.
“We are very grateful to these businesses who have shown their commitment to the area’s youth by making Character First a priority in the school system,” said Showalter. “They are helping to build a solid foundation for the students. There is no way we can ever tell these businesses how grateful the entire community is for their strong, strong contributions.”
“We are extremely appreciative of the many businesses who have shown their support over the years,” agreed McKey. “Their kindness and generosity (both fine character traits themselves) have meant a lot to the growth of our students.”
While being a character or being around a character can be fun, life oftentimes boils down to the character people exhibit in their everyday lives, whether at work, home, in their community or church or wherever they may be.
In the business world, character is every bit as important. Characteristics like dependability, generosity, loyalty, hospitality and sensitivity make up the teams which create a company, create who they are and the image they portray to the community around them.
Because being people and a business of great character is so vital to the success of any business, Character First was born. Character First is a program which focuses on promoting 49 key character qualities, and regional representative Don Showalter has brought the program into a number of area businesses and schools. The results have been quite positive.
“Building great character, regardless of whether it is in the family setting, at school or in business, helps to build a foundation which can inevitably help people grow and build relationships,” said Showalter. “Everyone can benefit from building good character qualities.”
As part of the Character First venue, Showalter will present the seminar Character In Business: The importance of who you are in the marketplace and beyond, on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Berlin Hotel & Suites.
The event will provide hands-on training on how to implement Character First into an organization, and will include a number of courses which Showalter said are designed to create a better avenue of communication and more solid relationships between management teams and employees.
Courses for the event will include What is character, and why is it important, Emphasizing character in the workplace, Recognizing employees for excellence, Handling misconduct and poor behavior and How character impacts the culture of an organization. The main speaker will be John Burnett, Character First regional manager from Oklahoma, who will be providing the orientation teaching.
“The goal is for management teams and individuals to gain a better understanding, and to equip them to implement character initiative in their companies, with a view toward building a culture of character,” said Showalter. “This helps create strong teams, helps businesses better serve their customers, builds relationships and even helps management to better deal with conflict and correction, performance appraisals and even hiring techniques.”
The cost of the training seminar is $195 per person. Lunch will be included. To register, call 614-329-2102, or email Showalter at: don@showalter.com.
“This is going to be a very hands-on day of training orientation designed to make any company better,” said Showalter. “It is designed to provide know-how in a number of different areas in business where character plays such a key role.”
While Character First has been around for years in the area, many still are unaware of the impact it has on area businesses and in the schools in particular. In order to fund the program in the schools, Character First has received financial donations from a number of area businesses who feel that providing the teaching of quality character in our school-age children is vital to their growth into adulthood.
Dan McKey, principal at Winesburg and Mt. Hope elementary schools, has had Character First as part of his curriculum for close to a decade, and said that the growth he has witnessed, and the value these characteristics provide, have been substantial.
“It’s been a very positive impact on our students,” said McKey. “We always had well-behaved children, so it is not a huge difference there, but long-term we are helping to instill these valuable character qualities in the kids, and that is big.”
McKey said that each school does their own thing when it comes to implementing the character qualities each month, some doing assemblies, others working in the classroom setting or with announcements.
Even as Grandparents Day nears at Mt. Hope, he pointed to his sixth-grade class, connecting their willingness to decorate, serve and connect with the grandparents during the day as a prime example of the characteristic of hospitality.
“They get a better understanding of what that particular character trait means, and it draws attention to a trait that is oftentimes overlooked,” said McKey.
Contributors to the area school programs include 77 Coach, Ashery Country Store, Inc., Berlin Transportation LLC, Chuck Nicholson, Inc., Commercial & Savings Bank, Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd., Dave Kauffman Realty, Dutchman Hospitality Group, Inc., FirstMerit Bank, Guggisberg Cheese Inc., Hummel Insurance Agency, Huntington National Bank, Ivan Weaver Construction, JDM Structures, Ltd., Keim Lumber Company, Killbuck Savings Bank Co., Mast Farm Services Ltd. and Mast Sales and Service, Millersburg Electric Inc., Mt. Eaton Pallet, Ltd., Precision Geophysical, Inc., ProVia Door, Rea Foundation Inc., Walnut Creek Foods/Coblentz Distributing, Weaver Leather and Yoder Lumber Company, Inc.
“We are very grateful to these businesses who have shown their commitment to the area’s youth by making Character First a priority in the school system,” said Showalter. “They are helping to build a solid foundation for the students. There is no way we can ever tell these businesses how grateful the entire community is for their strong, strong contributions.”
“We are extremely appreciative of the many businesses who have shown their support over the years,” agreed McKey. “Their kindness and generosity (both fine character traits themselves) have meant a lot to the growth of our students.”
Published: October 27, 2011
