Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Donna Dale Carnegie, Chairman Emeritus, Dale Carnegie Training®:

HARTFORD (Tuesday, November 15, 2005) - On October 22, 1912 my father, Dale Carnegie, began teaching a class at the YMCA in New York. Who would have thought that 90 years later, it would be recognized worldwide as a definitive program in human relations? Today, in fact, it is the foundation of our organization.

I thought it would be timely to reflect on how the Dale Carnegie Course® has developed over the years and how that relates to what we are doing now.

The Dale Carnegie Course® is special to me because it helped me in managing my shyness. I am truly committed to being its champion! When something in the course is changed, there is always a concern that we’re threatening its essence, getting too far from the original. What many people don’t realize is that my father constantly experimented with the course. He didn't want it to be stagnant in a changing marketplace.

In 1936, for instance, the course included a lab. But father omitted it the following year, explaining, "The people don't seem to want it." He even altered the length of the course several times. It started as a 17-week program, was cut to 16 weeks, and by the time of his death in 1955, it had been compressed to 14 weeks.

For several years, Dale Carnegie conducted successful 3-day seminars on sales, enthusiasm, human relations, and other topics. What we’re doing today is going back to some of his ideas. Our strength is in the classroom experience—our signature instruction and its passionate delivery. Seminars give us the opportunity to showcase our abilities to a larger audience.

My father was a man who defined himself through change. The fact that he changed the spelling of his family name from Carnagey to Carnegie is a perfect example. He said, “People in New York kept spelling and pronouncing it that way. Who was I to correct them?” As it turned out, it was also a savvy market decision.

Dale Carnegie constantly looked toward the future, adapting quickly to new demands. As we move forward, I see a future filled with possibilities and opportunities. We can remain centered on our tradition and still be open to innovation. As Chairman of the Board and the founder’s daughter, I feel a particular responsibility to stay true to the spirit of the company my father created and my mother later developed and led."


Sincerely,
Donna Dale Carnegie

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