Leaders Focus on Social Responsibility—Even in a Tough Economy

Dec. 17, 2009 - PRLog -- Over its 30 years of existence, The Ken Blanchard Companies® has made a commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen and has worked with clients and local organizations to raise awareness, encourage assistance, and strengthen support of groups and initiatives that help make a difference.

Supporting the company’s core values—Ethics, Relationships, Success, and Learning—these Blanchard® social responsibility projects are designed to aid the community, the workplace, the internal workforce, and the environment. Programs include:

•   Blanchard Student Leadership: Teaching young people how to understand what motivates them every day and how to influence others—whether in school, at work, or in the community.
•   Blanchard for Others: An employee-driven and financed, company-supported charitable group.
•   Blanchard Give-Back Program: Empowers each individual employee to direct funds from company profits to his or her charity of choice and encourages the active involvement of employees to give back to the community. In 2009, each full-time employee will have $300 to direct.
•   Homes of Hope: Blanchard volunteers and their families travel to Tijuana, Mexico, through the Youth with a Mission Organization to build two-room homes for families in need.
•   Green Efforts: Includes the Blanchard Green Team, recycling programs, and a focus on more environmentally friendly products.
•   Infant at Work: Blanchard parents bring their babies to work, socialize them, and bond for
the first 5 months.
•   Blanchard Ambassador Program: Provides opportunities during paid work time for associates to perform meaningful services to the community by utilizing their talents and dedication in order to enhance the lives of the people around them.

“It’s important for organizations to choose a strategic focus for their corporate social responsibility efforts,” says leadership expert Ken Blanchard. “That’s how organizations can make the biggest difference with limited resources. The focus areas of our company’s corporate social responsibility efforts are taking care of the environment and developing our youth to be good leaders.”

Although the company also supports many local charities and internal workplace programs that emphasize taking care of its people, Blanchard is putting additional effort into making its leadership programs available to students at the middle school and high school levels. With the help of corporate sponsors, foundations, and local charities, Blanchard has trained over a thousand students in the last decade to overcome assumed constraints, chart a vision and course to achieve their dreams, and take initiative even when they are not “in charge.”

“Understanding yourself and identifying your personal points of power are the first steps to preparing leaders,” says Blanchard.

To learn more about Blanchard’s Student Leadership programs, visit www.kenblanchard.com/studentleaders.

Known for his best-selling business books that include The One Minute Manager®, Helping People Win at Work, and Leading at a Higher Level, Ken Blanchard has always encouraged tithing; that is, giving a percentage of personal income to charities and causes in which you believe in. That’s why his company encourages its employees to give back to the community in many different ways.

Visit the Blanchard Web site on Social Responsibility to learn more about these and other programs that the company is creating to make its employees and community a better place. To learn more, visit www.kenblanchard.com/About_Ken_Blanchard_Companies/Social_Responsibility/

Blanchard Media Contact:
Wendy Wong, Vice President of Marketing and Director of Media Relations, +1 760 233-6710
Email: wendy.wong@kenblanchard.com

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About The Ken Blanchard Companies:
With over three decades of helping leaders and organizations, more than 18 million books in print, programs offered in more than 12 languages and clients across six continents, The Ken Blanchard Companies is recognized as one of the world’s leading training and development experts.

As the innovator of Situational Leadership® II—the most widely taught leadership development system in the world—our behavioral models add a situational context to the training experience so individuals learn to be more productive in real-world scenarios and make the shift from learning to doing more quickly and effectively. Learning takes place through both instructor-led and virtual experiences offered by our worldwide network of consulting partners, trainers, and coaches.

To learn more, visit www.kenblanchard.com.