Dale Carnegie knew that turning a lesson into a story was the best way to convince an audience of his ideas. While his easy-to-implement advice is the backbone of his best-selling books, the heart and soul of them are the tales of how his tactics have transformed lives. Although it has been 83 years since the first publication of How To Win Friends and Influence People, Carnegie’s methods continue to inspire people around the world. Here, a few trainers share success stories from their time in the classroom.
Participant names have been changed for confidentiality.
Relationship Benefits
While running a Dale Carnegie Immersion seminar in Arizona, Instructor Kim Ewers encountered a participant who was very uncomfortable with the course material. An IT whiz, Matt preferred technology to people, and was surprised by the strong human relations focus of the course.
Kim spent some time with Matt, coaching him on the benefits of building strong relationships, and how doing so would help him to foster communication with coworkers. Still unconvinced, Matt went home for some self-reflection, and to consider whether or not the program was for him.
The next day, Matt returned with a changed attitude and an open mind. He went on to receive accolades from his peers and awards in Human Relations and Breakthrough from his instructors.
Improved Behavior
Dale Carnegie Training’s offerings include in-house coaching, where a professional trainer will visit an organization to provide on-site instruction. Tom Mangan, trainer for Dale Carnegie of Western Pennsylvania, was once running one of these sessions when he made a huge impact on a participant.
“Tom taught us to be human again,” is feedback that has stuck with Mangan ever since he heard it. The participant was so pleased, in fact, that he chose to register for a public High Impact Presentations course once he learned that Mangan would once again be the trainer.
Transformed Emotions
Divorces can be one of the most difficult times in a person’s life, and for Carolyn, the experience had left her feeling emotional and insecure. In an attempt to re-build her self confidence, she registered for Strictly Business: The Dale Carnegie Immersion Seminar with instructor Kim Ewers. Over the course of three days, Carolyn’s outlook turned around completely.
By the end of the seminar, she had transformed feelings of insecurity into those of confidence, and walked away with two awards – Human Relations and Outstanding Performance.
Improvement for Life
Shelley Wilcox has been a Dale Carnegie instructor in Arizona for over twenty years, and has experienced a lot of rewarding developmental moments with course participants in that time. One of her standout interactions happened recently, however – with a Dale Carnegie Course graduate from over ten years ago.
In the late 2000’s, Manuel began the Dale Carnegie Course as a person who always found fault…with everyone else. By the end of his twelve weeks with Wilcox, however, he was an inspirational leader in line for promotions at work. Even now, over a decade later, Manuel coaches his kids’ sports teams and has progressed even further in his career. Manuel’s story is proof that Dale Carnegie training works for life!
Far-Reaching Development
Dale Carnegie’s human relations principles aren’t just for the workplace – they can be applied in all aspects of your life, from negotiating the sale of your house to raising your children. In a Dale Carnegie Course in Arizona, trainer Jeff Hill experienced just how great of an impact Carnegie’s work can have in the relationship between father and son.
During one class, participant Leigh shared a story about his home life. Currently raising two boys, Leigh was always hard on them, pushing them towards better behaviour and better grades. The relationship was a strained one.
During his time in the Dale Carnegie Course, Leigh encountered a story in How To Win Friends and Influence People that described a very similar situation to his own. The tale sparked an epiphany in Leigh, and he saw his sons in a new light – a light that encouraged him to accept their childish faults and to enjoy experiencing their growth without forcing it upon them.
What’s more, Leigh would go on to share this experience with a co-worker who was also facing difficulties with his two children. The co-worker took Leigh’s words to heart, applied the advice in his own home, and has also seen improvements in his family’s relationship.
“Live an active life among people who are doing worthwhile things, keep eyes and ears and mind and heart open to absorb truth, and then tell of the things you know, as if you know them. The world will listen, for the world loves nothing so much as real life.” – Dale Carnegie