Even the most well-behaved children tend to lie. Sometimes the lies are about things that don’t really matter, but it can be frustrating when your child continues to lie in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. As a child, how many times were you told that you wouldn’t get into “as much” trouble […]
How many times have you thought you were intervening in someone’s life for their own good? This could look like giving hard-heard advice. Maybe you created a difficult or hurtful situation that you believed would help them in the long run. Or perhaps you coerced someone until they gave in and did what you thought […]
November is National Runaway Prevention Month. No one wants to hear of children running away from home and it’s an incredibly complex issue. Some teens run because they are being abused at home. Others run because they have been tempted by freedom. Some run to be with a romantic interest. And some haven’t run at […]
Domestic Violence – violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner. Are you being hurt by someone who’s supposed to love you? Do you think you are asking for it? Do you live in fear of it happening again? Will you stay or will you go? […]
Punishment and discipline are often used interchangeably, yet their meanings couldn’t be more different. The Latin root of punishment means “to inflict pain,” while the Latin root of discipline means “to teach.” At some point, people end up in positions that involve disciplining others. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, supervisor or manager, handling discipline problems […]
Even the most well-behaved children tend to lie. Sometimes the lies are about things that don’t really matter, but it can be frustrating when your child continues to lie in the face of overwhelming proof to the contrary. As a child, how many times were you told that you wouldn’t get into “as much” trouble […]
The management style of the industrial age no longer suits the informational age. The bureaucratic, top down, authoritarian style is not effective with today’s workers. People are no longer motivated by rewards or fear of punishment as much as by being connected to the bigger purpose, having need-satisfying work, and exercising their independence and creativity.
This month’s InsideOut Empowerment Challenge is about looking beyond behavior to its purpose. All behavior is purposeful. Every behavior is a person’s best attempt to get something they want at that particular time to more effectively meet one of their five basic needs.
InsideOut Empowerment Principle #5: When you find yourself unhappy about the conditions of your life, you should first clarify specifically what you want rather than focusing on what you want to avoid. So often, we can articulate what we don’t want but when asked to specify what we do want, we don’t know how. This is a little like making a list for the store of what you don’t need, going shopping, and expecting to come home with everything you want. It will never work.
Q: From a school principal using the principles of InsideOut Empowerment:
Here is the dilemma: A second-grade teacher and I have been attempting to help a second grader improve his behavior in school. He does fairly well in the classroom with the teacher nearby, but when he’s in more unstructured situations (cafeteria, bus, playground, etc.) he makes terrible choices over and over. (He is always watching to see if he can “get away with something.”)
