The main book was "How To Win Friends And Influence People" and I was reminded of it all when I came across the mindmap shown above. It can be found and viewed in larger format on www.mindmeister.com .
The other sources were "Don't Grow Old, Grow Up" and "How To Stop Worrying And Start Living".
Looking back I have to say that I think it was one of the most valuable learning experiences I have enjoyed in my life and I have attended a lot of courses. As a teenager I was very self-conscious. If I had to speak or ask a question in public then my heart raced and I felt sick. I tended to internalise a huge amount and build internal stresses. I was also very technical in my approach to work, possibly at the expense of the people and relationship aspect.
Those who know me now might ask, "So what's changed?", but I know they would be joking, at least in the most part. I am now a happy extrovert who is happy speaking and contributing in public. I have much better ways of dealing with stress and certainly don't feel as old as my birth certificate suggests I should.
Of the almost 100 people I have personally seen go through the course (I have put a few of my staff on it too), all but one gained significantly from it, often in ways they did not expect at the start.
Of course I am not a prime example of all things Dale Carnegie. I still make my share of mistakes, but a self awareness really helps.
I know they run the modern version of the programmes all over the world. It can seem rather formulaic, ie session 12 in London is the same as session 12 in New York or Hong Kong, and this may put some people off. Instead this structure allows one to make up missed sessions with confidence or possible adapt to travel schedules.
For anyone who is committed to developing themselves and/or their team, I commend consideration of the Dale Carnegie courses.
