Inside Out
Business Edition
"You can't change the direction of the wind. . .
but you can adjust your sails!"
--Jimmy Dean

Kim Olver, MS, NCC, LPC

www.Coachingforexcellence.biz
Kim@Coachingforexcellence.biz

To read our blog click here or go to www.coachingforexcellence.biz and click on "Blog" on the left hand navigation bar. Read some of Kim's musings and add some of your own!

A Message from Kim

This ezine is organized around the school technique of class meetings. Do not immediately discard this if you are not a school teacher or administrator. The concept of meetings can work and generalize to team meetings at work and family meetings at home. Meetings are an extremely useful tool for group problem-solving and for assessment of certain key areas. Please review the article and see if you can see any parallels between class meetings and a meeting that might be particularly helpful to you in your work or your life. If you find application, please go to our blog and share your connections my readers.

I would like to ask for your help. I am attempting to run an Amazon.com bestseller campaign for my book, Leveraging Diversity at Work. This means I need two things and I thought I’d ask you, my readers, if you or anyone you know could potentially help me. When running a bestseller campaign, I need f-r-e-e electronic products to add to a bonus bundle for people who purchase our book on the date of the campaign and I need people with targeted email lists to businesses and corporations willing to send out the notice about my book’s release to their clientele. Why would anyone do that, you ask?

Well, first of all, the f-r-e-e bonus electronic gifts cost the creator nothing once it has been created. People can simply download the product from the website. I am talking about special reports, ebooks, coupons for services, podcasts, CDs, DVDs and any other product that can be obtained at a website. The benefit to the person donating a product is that they will increase targeted traffic to their website, capture the visitors’ email addresses and increase their prospect list. The products must be geared toward businesses. Anyone purchasing our book on the designated campaign day will also receive an additional $2000 in f-r-e-e bonus gifts and they will have to visit each website to pick up their gifts.

The second thing I need are people who cater to businesses and corporations and have an email list of this clientele. On campaign day, I am seeking these list owners who would be willing to send out a notice to their list about our book offer. Why would they do that? Because they are presenting their clientele with a high value offer. Our book sells for $19.95, which will be discounted on Amazon so for less than $20, their clients can pick up an excellent book on leveraging diversity, as well as receiving over $2000 in bonus gifts!

If you know anyone who you believe can either provide a bonus gift or email notice of my book to their business customers, then please get in touch with me. If you provide a lead that works out, I will send you a f-r-e-e  autographed copy of our book. I appreciate your willingness to think about this and to help me accomplish my best seller goal. Thank you.

If you would like to learn more about implementing Quality School ideas in your class or school, then click here.

In This Issue

Feature Article
Class Meetings

Upcoming Events
Teleclasses
Chat Room

Quote of the Week
“Providing students with a needs-satisfying learning environment not only
prevents irresponsible behavior, it also encourages students to be engaged
in quality learning by appealing to what intrinsically motivates human beings.”

—Jonathan Erwin

Book Review
Every Student Can Succeed: Finally a book that Explains
How to Reach and Teach Every Student in Your School
Dr. William Glasser

Tip of the Week

Business Q&A

Reports & eBooks

CLICK HERE
for Fr.ee Teleclass Offer

About Kim Olver

Feature Article

Class Meetings
by Kim Olver

This article describes the process of conducting class meetings with students in a school, however, there is great applicability for office meetings held with employees, and even family meetings as well.

Class meetings should be held regularly and not simply be used for addressing problems, although problem solution is a valid use of class meeting time. The purpose of class meetings is to increase students’ positive involvement with school, the teacher and each other; solve class problems; learn to think; build confidence, specifically in verbal ability; and bring relevance and usefulness to classroom instruction.

In a classroom, there are basically three types of class meetings. There is the social-problem-solving meeting, concerned with addressing some social behavior in school or the breaking of some classroom rule. There is the open-ended meeting, which is concerned with useful learning and the open discussion of a stimulating, useful and provocative subject. Finally, there is the education-diagnostic meeting, which is concerned with how well the students understand the concepts of a particular part of the curriculum.

Teachers need to be somewhat directive in the first meeting and thereafter as needed. Rules need to be established prior to the first class meeting or can even become the subject of discussion for the first class meeting. These rules need to be maintained throughout or discussed as a class if a need arises to change or alter the rules. During class meetings, teachers must be warm and enthusiastic, keeping blame, punishment and criticism out of class meeting time.

Class meetings should be conducted regularly—not only when there are problems to be discussed, perhaps three times a week. Meetings should be conducted with students seated in a circle so everyone can see each other interaction is enhanced. The length of these discussions should be appropriate for the age of the students—roughly their age multiplied by two is acceptable. No one should be allowed to criticize or put down another student.

The open-ended meeting should be used most often, even in environments where problems and behavior issues are the rule rather than the exception. Any intellectually important topic, both related and unrelated to school, could be fair game for discussion. Students are asked to discuss any thought-provoking question. This question should have relevance in their lives and could be related to the curriculum.

Educational-diagnostic meetings are always related to the curriculum the class is studying. This type of class meeting can be used by the teacher to assess whether or not the teaching strategies being used are effective. Teachers can ask the students questions to determine how much they know about an area already covered in class. This should never be used to evaluate individual students but only as a way to determine what the students collectively do and do not know.

Educational-diagnostic meetings can be used prior to a unit of study to determine what the students already know; after a unit of study to determine what was learned and ideas for application; to examine the students’ perceptions about learning specific information and its usefulness; or to evaluate specific learning or communication skills, possibly vocabulary increase.

Since teachers can have a vested interest in wanting their students to have mastered material the teacher has taught, it might be useful to switch classrooms with another teacher to conduct education-diagnostic meetings to prevent any teacher bias.

During social-problem-solving meetings, students are included in the problem-solving process. The teacher or a student would identify an issue that needs to be discussed and resolved and the students are a major part of brainstorming and contributing to find the solution with the teacher acting as the facilitator and leader. In this way, everyone in the class takes responsibility for problem resolution, while at the same time students are learning valuable life problem solving skills.

All problems pertaining to the class as a whole or to any individual student in the classroom are appropriate for discussion. A student can bring up a problem or the discussion can be initiated by the teacher.

Dr. William Glasser says, “The discussion itself should always be directed toward solving the problem; the solution should never include punishment or fault finding.” The teacher conducts the meetings in a nonjudgmental fashion. He or she may reflect what has been said by the group but should avoid giving his or her own opinion. Students are, however, allowed and even encouraged to express their opinions. It is helpful for other students to hear how they are perceived by their peers.

In order for each student to feel important and heard it will be helpful to have a “talking stick” or some other object available. In this way, whoever has the floor to speak will also hold the talking stick. No one else is permitted to speak until the person with the stick is satisfied that he or she has been heard by the others. Then the stick is passed to the next person with something to say.

Class meetings are a wonderful way to give your students the gifts of confidence and problem solving skills. They also help share the responsibility with the students for figuring out solutions to day-to-day situations that arise in the classroom.

Copyright © March 2006 Kim Olver. All rights reserved

*Click Here or on icon to read some of Kim's other articles*

Upcoming Events

Teleclasses
(Times in EST)

All teleclasses are one (1) hour in length and all you need is a telephone. When you register we will send you a phone number that you will call five minutes prior to the start of your teleclass. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, but if you prefer to just listen that’s all right too. You do not need a computer or Internet, only a telephone. Don’t delay. There are a limited number of slots available.

Crisis Prevention & Intervention
March 21, 2006 -- 1:00 -- 2:00 p.m.
Are you someone who is constantly putting out fires all day? Are crises a regular part of your work life? Would you like to learn how to prevent more than you have to actually intervene in? Then join our class. You will learn how to recognize early warning signs so you can do more prevention but also, you will learn how to maximize the ostvention time to prevent recurrences of the same issues.

Lead Management
March 29, 2006 -- 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Are you a manager? Are you a teacher? Are you a therapist working with nonvoluntary clients? Then you need to know about the lead management! Lead management is a management style that accomplishes two things---it provides a need-satisfying environment for the workers and yourself and it creates opportunities for workers to produce high quality work thus increasing the quality of the production of goods or services.

Effective Communication
April 11, 2006 -- 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Would you like to have better communication with your co-workers? Would you like to understand and have them understand you better? This class can help. You will learn about different communication styles between men and omen and how to maximize the chances you will be heard and understood.

Cultural Awareness
April 17, 2006 -- 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Are you a member of a diverse workforce? Do you have diversity among your customer base? Do you have difficulty understanding why some people do things the way they do? Do you think of culture as simply race and ethnicity? Then this class is for you. We will discuss a very broad diversity perspective and talk about ways to help others become more understanding of difference and actually understand that diversity is actually a huge advantage in the workplace.

Chat Room

Kim will be available in her chat room for questions
and dialog on the following dates and times:

March 21, 2006 -- 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
March 28, 2006 -- 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
April 7, 2006 -- 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
April 13, 2006 -- 9:30 - 10:30 p.m.
April 18, 2006 -- 1:00 -2 :00 p.m.
April 25, 2006 -- 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Quote of the Week

Book Review

Every Student Can Succeed: Finally a book that Explains
How to Reach and Teach Every Student in Your School
Dr. William Glasser

This book explains Choice Theory and helps teachers and administrators put it to use in their classrooms and schools. Dr. Glasser begins with an emphasis on establishing strong relationships—teachers with students and students with each other. He goes on to explain what is wrong with the current A-B-C-D-F grading system used in the schools and makes his case for competency based education. No work would be accepted that wasn’t at least a B or competent work.

This more closely mirrors real life. Employers sure don’t accept D work and call it passing. Employees are generally told to keep working at it until it is up to standard. Glasser discusses how destructive external control is to relationships and to quality learning and then goes on to explain how to virtually eliminate it from the classroom and school itself. Once students are able to meet their needs within their classroom, there is no longer any need resort to “behavioral problems.”

Glasser spends the final chapters of his book explaining the “how tos” of implementation of choice theory in the schools. Currently, there are currently 20 Glasser-approved Quality Schools in the world, 18 of which are in the US. These schools have seen a significant decrease in discipline problems, increase in graduation rates, decrease in truancy and significant improvements on standardized testing. Check out the book and see if you can implement his ideas in your school or classroom. Click here for how to begin the training process.

Click here to order this book

Tip of the Week

There are three conditions that must be in place in a classroom to facilitate quality work. They are a need-satisfying environment, an explanation and understanding of how what is being learned can be applied to the students’ lives, and self-evaluation. Students must be asked to evaluate their own work against the rubric that was created jointly with the class and the teacher. Of course, in certain areas teachers must make the final assessment of whether or not competent work was actually done but students need to self-evaluate their work as often as possible. If you would like to learn more about creating a Quality Classroom, then go to http://www.coachingforexcellence.biz/SchoolRT.htm and discover the Quality School Workshop offerings. Join us and learn all you need to help your students learn and to minimize behavioral problems.

Business Q&A

Question: I received a brochure of yours in the mail about the training for Quality Schools and Choice Theory and was wondering if there are CEUs with that or the possibility of college credit?

Answer: Actually, there are CEUs available for Illinois teachers, social workers and licensed professional counselors, as well as, national CEUs for certified counselors. Whitworth College also provides two education credits at either the graduate or undergraduate level. On top of that, it can be a life-changing workshop, with application for both your personal and professional life. Please don’t miss it.

Reports & eBooks

Diversity at Work - Do you believe you maintain a diverse workforce in your company?  Do all your employees come together in critical situations or are there cultural divisions?  This chapter from my book, "Leveraging Diversity at Work: How to Hire, Retain and Inspire a Diverse Workplace for Peak Performance and Profit" discusses diversity issues in the workplace and how maintaining a diverse workforce can create a satisfying work environment for your employees and ultimately contribute to the growth and bottom line of your company. If you would like more information about my book click here or click on the "books" link in the left navigation bar. Receive "Diversity at Work" FREE when you purchase a Coaching Package. Click here or on the "Coaching Services " link in the left navigation bar to view our packages. To purchase this ebook alone, simply click on the title above, Diversity at Work.

De-Escalation Skills Tip Sheet
Are you someone who is confronted with angry people in the course of your job? Angry co-workers, angry managers, angry customers, angry clients, angry suppliers, angry subordinates? Want to learn ways to take the wind out their sails and have them communicating more cooperatively?

In this special tip sheet, gain some insight into your own anger and methods for getting it under control before attempting to intervene with someone else expressing anger. Also, learn the five proven techniques to de-escalate an angry person that greatly increase your odds for success.

Your staff will be more confident---they will know how to handle difficult situations. Problems will be solved on the front line without the need to pass “situations” on to supervisors. These skills will help you and your employees handle customers and clients with ease. Customer satisfaction will improve, thus helping you increase sales or referrals. You will stand out above your competition.

If you work with residential clients, you can significantly decrease any physical restraints. Don’t let this information pass you by! There is nothing to lose. If you are not satisfied with the information presented, just send me an email and I’ll return the money you paid and you can keep the report.

Choice Theory Report
Choice Theory, a concept developed by William Glasser, is an explanation of human behavior.  Choice Theory has five basic components —the basic human needs, the quality world, the perceived world, the comparing place and total behavior. This report gives a more detailed explanation of these five components.
To learn more about Choice Theory click here or to purchase the report click on the title above.

About Kim Olver

Kim Olver is a professional coach, specializing in the field of interpersonal skills, empowerment and leadership development. She has functioned in the role of supervisor and administrator for over 20 years. This column is for readers to submit their questions for Kim to answer. It could be a question about supervision skills, maximizing teamwork, customer service, interpersonal skills or client satisfaction and empowerment. No interpersonal question in the field of work is off limits. To ask your question, simply send it by email to Kim@CoachingforExcellence.biz and look for her response in future issues.

F-R-E-E Teleclass

How would you like to take one of my teleclasses for f.ree? All you have to do is get two (2) people to subscribe to either of my e-zines and send me their e-mail addresses for confirmation with the name of the teleclass you would like to attend. If you do not wish to attend one of the teleclasses, you can give your f.ree teleclass to a friend or family member. It’s that simple! Send either one or both of the following links to all your friends and family and ask them to subscribe to the e-zine. For the personal edition of "Inside Out", go to The Relationship Center and for the business/school edition go to Coaching for Excellence and have them type their name and email address in the boxes on the right-hand side of the web page where it says, “Subscribe to Receive 'Inside Out', our Fr.ee EZine". Only two people actually have to subscribe for you to be eligible for a f.ree teleclass. Once their subscription has been confirmed you will receive an e-mail giving you the bridge line and access code for the teleclass of your choosing. A listing of teleclasses being offered can be found in both my weekly e-zine or on my calendar page at either web site. There is no limit to the amount of f.ree teleclasses you can earn---you get one f.ree teleclass for every two referrals that sign up for one of my e-zines. Within the next year I am planning on adding many new teleclasses on several topics including the following:

How to Do More in Less Time
Coaching for Peak Performance
Effective Communication
Goal Setting and Attainment
Diffusing Anger
Problem Solving
…….and many more.

Please continue to check this eZine and my website calendar for these new and exciting teleclasses. Don’t wait, take advantage of this offer and experience the new technology of teleclasses, learning and growing from home or office.

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Copyright © March 16, 2006 Kim Olver. All rights reserved.