National League of Junior Cotillions (NLJC)

National League of Junior Cotillions (NLJC) May 27, 2010

The focus of the message is for the Memorial Day holiday and as we go into the weekend and the remembrance of what Memorial Day represents as it is different for each of us, as we remember those we honor and cherish.

I have a friend who currently has his young boy enrolled in the National League of Junior Cotillions (NLJC). I’m duly impressed with his parents for being so insightful.

I went to the NLJCs website and I chose to provide their area of focus as their national courtesy character and citizenship of the month as it focuses on some of the key skills that we all need to step back and reflect and work to improve our own skills and our social graces.

The challenge that our young generations have with being connected with the social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, You Tube and other methods of communicating including texting, is the lost art of etiquette.

I recently attended a business lunch, and I took the opportunity to observe the lack of etiquette that the Millennials, the Generation X & Y and perhaps the ‘Boomers presented as they ate lunch at the table. There were Traditionalists at the table as well and the younger folks were texting messages while we were eating lunch to one another, and forgetting that they were there to socialize, network, pass the bread, pass the butter, and make polite conversation.

My hope is as our social websites focus on learning that we can focus on social etiquette and remember how important it is to show basic kindness courtesy, character, citizenship and honor to others who are seated beside them.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF JUNIOR COTILLIONS^TM

The purpose of the National League of Junior Cotillions National Courtesy, Character and Citizenship Month™ is to promote an awareness of the necessity to regain a sense of honor, dignity and respect in our young people through education in Courtesy, Character, and Citizenship.
Courtesy in the home. Courtesy at school or work. Courtesy in the community. Courtesy in the electronic age. Courtesy at social events. Courtesy in sports. Courtesy and character.

Character

• Honoring those in authority
• Honesty in everyday living.
• Financial Integrity
• Honesty
• Promise Keeping
• Self Respect, Self Discipline.

Citizenship

• Respect for our Country
• Respect for our Countries Political Leaders.
• Respect for local and national Spiritual Leaders.
• Respect for our Servicemen.
• Respect for our Flag.

http://www.nljc.com/nationalcourtesy.htm

In chapters of the NATIONAL LEAGUE OF JUNIOR COTILLIONS^TM across America, students are learning the basics of etiquette, ethics and manners. Here is today’s lesson for you. Please check this page frequently for new topics.

http://www.nljc.com/etiquettefortoday.htm

Q: How is the proper way to introduce a younger person to an older person?

A: The proper way to introduce a younger person to an older person is to remember that a young person is always introduced to the older person, unless the younger person is more important.

Each year, the NATIONAL LEAGUE OF JUNIOR COTILLIONS™ releases a list of the Ten Best Mannered People. The major criteria for selections are that the individual has been an outstanding role model of good manners and exemplary behavior during the current year. NLJC students from across the nation submit their list of nominations from individuals who are news makers from a wide variety of activities including but not limited to: Politics, Business, Sports, Arts, Military, Music, Comedy, Television, Motion Pictures or Theater. The Ten Best Mannered list is prominently featured in the media – including CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, and the associated press.

http://www.nljc.com/bestmannered.htm

The Secret Handshake, by Kathleen Kelly Reardon

In reading “The Secret Handshake, Mastering the Politics of the Business Inner Circle“… it is good to see the wisdom of others such as Reardon note that she as a professional OD consultant interview people in departmental teams the person that fingers are pointed at for starting a conflict may have been part of the problem but no longer are the actual problem.

What truly amazes me the most is the loss in productivity and the amount of time and effort and cost to the company and that the company is willing to endure these costs rather than to deal with the problem effectively and nip it in the bud.

My hope that as an operational cost saving measure, that Management teams would see the wisdom in dealing with the nature of human conflicts and find ways to save precious human resources.

In Reardon’s book, (2001) there is a nice passage and it reads as,

In point of fact rarely is the person at whom fingers are pointed when I arrive at a company that single source of political unrest. Politics is relational. For every move that is made, countermoves occur. Thus even if only one or two people initiate conflict and political methods of interaction, in time others are pulled into the mix. One effective way to turn around this kind of situation is to help those involved recognize how each of them is contributing to the situation, and then work with them to break up old patterns and change how they relate to one another. Most organizations don’t have the patience for this resolution process. It’s easier to blame people and get rid of them. In highly politicized arenas, though, this quick fix approach rarely alters the underlying pattern of dysfunctional politics. (p 17)

Reardon, K. (2001).The secret handshake mastering the politics of the business inner circle. New York, NY. Currency and Doubleday Publishers.

Quotes from John Hope Bryant

Several of John’s quotes:

“Greatest sin is not to do good when you could”

“Passion is emotion properly focused”

“Courage is leading through fear and taking it to action”

“The crisis we are in is virtues and values”

“We (US) lost our storyline”

“Make ‘Smart’ sexy again!”

“Rainbows after storms”

“Saint is a sinner that got up”

Why I like John Hope Bryant is because he represents to me the new leader and manager that we need going forward in the emerging leadership in the world.

There are going to be many obstacles and people wanting to keep the status quo in organizations functioning as they have been in the past. Yes and what we have been witnessing in the past three years with the collapse of the financial markets in the Western Hemisphere and as the financial markets affect the Eastern Hemisphere the way we do business needs to change.
A strong focus on humanity, diversity of needs, putting people first and by listening to their needs will make the change that is needed in our emerging leadership in managing people effectively.

Two quotes below are only two of my favorites – so many times we just let things go and we just don’t help people when we could. In the past we just walk away and think that we just could get away with it and most of the time we did.

Lastly what good is doing anything without passion? Oh yes, I know passion can be seen as a negative, I like the boundaries that John put on passion. It no longer is a loose cannon.

:- 0

“Greatest sin is not to do good when you could”

“Passion is emotion properly focused”

L.

http://www.johnhopebryant.com/

Bryant, J. (2009). Love Leadership. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA.