Integrity Matters Broadcasts
December 2, 2008
Dear Friends:
Even if you did not learn everything you needed to know in kindergarten, there is still time to add to your knowledge. Because, if you are not yet dead, then you need to continue preparing for the future!
Since arriving on the college campus of California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), my personal learning curve has been tremendous. Even beyond my organizational and operational observations of an academic institution, simply being around young, enthusiastic and optimistic students lifts one’s spirits. Executives-in-Residence’s first eight Pay It Forward Scholarship recipients are still in the early stages of their entire lives and that energizing perspective, alone, is magical. Maybe wisdom which frequently emerges from experience needs a regular dose of idealistic exuberance, which most often comes from younger people.
On November 21, at one of our twice-monthly “group mentoring sessions”, our Pay It Forward Scholarship recipients received two more lessons for living, in addition to what they are gaining from their one-on-one meetings with their individual mentors. The dual focus on November 21:
- Health and Nutrition – building blocks for living, learning and thriving
- Five Success Components - what is takes to get hired and be effective
Lesson one: Health and Nutrition - Patricia “Trish” Sevene-Adams, Ph.D. CSUMB Faculty
Dr. Trish Sevene-Adams, Imelda Muñoz, Tianna Esparza, José Esquivel Julio Castro
Dietary and Activity Guidelines Emphasizing: Moderation, Variety and Balance
- Adequate Nutrients Within Calorie Needs
Eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages
within and among the basic food groups.
Limit intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol,
added sugars, salt and alcohol.
Adopt a balanced eating pattern (DASH OR USDA)
Food Guide
Balance calories in vs. calories out.
Prevent gradual weight gain by increasing
physical activity and reducing calories.
Strength, Endurance, Flexibility
Resistance train at least 2 days per week
At least 30 minutes most days of the week
60 minutes most days of the week to prevent weight gain
60 minutes most days of the week for children
Lesson two: Five Success Components - Dr. Darrel A. “Del” Mank
Having managed high technology businesses, as well as building and selling them, and currently a lecturer at Santa Clara University, it only made sense when he – a member of our Executives-in-Residence network – stopped by our offices during one of our twice-monthly mentoring sessions – to ask him these questions: “What have you observed in employees that cause them to be effective and successful? What do you look for when hiring?”
Without hesitation, Dr. Mank offered these fivesuccess components:
- Competence – knowledge, skills and abilities to “do the job”
- Curiosity – unrelenting desire to learn, grow and gain insights
- Energy – physical, mental and emotional strength to go the “extra mile”
- Drive – single-minded focus on results, coupled with uncompromising resolve
- Effectiveness with people – listening skills coupled with humility, balanced with courage
Dr. Del Mank, Jim Bracher, Tianna Esparza, José Esquivel, Imelda Muñoz, Julio Castro
Clients, for thirty-plus years, have invited our consulting organization, Dimension Five Consultants and the Bracher Center for Integrity in Leadership, to help them identify talent, refine leadership skills and improve team effectiveness. Both individually and organizationally, the issues remained the same: leveraging productivity through integrity.
Interestingly, Del Mank’s listing of his five success components usually involved our consulting expertise with the fifth, effectiveness with people, when a manager, or candidate for promotion, was discovered to have under developed his or her people skills. Regarding health and energy factors outlined by Dr. Sevene-Adams, more often than not working harder is still key to achievement. And, having the strength to run the marathons of productivity do demand significant strengths, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Successful executives know who they are and how to leverage their own values, knowledge and abilities to generate productivity. Effective executives capitalize on the complementary assets of their colleagues. Our executive effectiveness program combines the Portrait (interpersonal integrity) and Feedback (organizational integrity) with our ongoing counsel (individual integrity) to more quickly realize the potential of individuals, either those growing from within the company, or those being selected from the outside. Perceptive executives seek methods to ensure continuous improvement for themselves and those around them. So, why shouldn’t we be passing along the same valuable insights to the next generation, early in their career development?
This Executive Integrity process, when introduced to university students so that they might apply the same disciplines to the worlds in which they operate is as simple as applying the first of our Eight Attributes of an Integrity Centered Organization beginning with: CHARACTER: consistency between word and deed. The clarifying questions are these: Do the leaders of your organization exhibit congruence between what they say and what they do, as well as what they say about what they did? Do leaders exhibit the right behavior? It is never too early to exhibit character, which, as one eight-year-old from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County said: “Oh, Mr. Bracher, [character] is what you do when no one is watching.”
Wisdom from children is often the most profound.
According to Warren Buffett; entrepreneur, billionaire and global business advisor: "In evaluating people, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if you don't have the first, the other two will kill you."
Merry Christmas!
Should your traditions differ – please know that you are wished quite simply, only the very best, in the months and years ahead.
Jim
James F. Bracher
Founder
Dimension Five Consultants, Inc.
Bracher Center for Integrity in Leadership
P.O. Box 22467
Carmel, California 93922
www.brachercenter.com
And at:
James F. (Jim) Bracher, Director
Executives in Residence
University Corporation at Monterey Bay
California State University Monterey Bay
100 Campus Center,
Building 201 - Suite 101
Seaside, California 93955
Phone: (831) 582-5015
Phone: direct: (831) 582-5038
(831) 582-5019 Fax
jfb2c@brachercenter.com
