Introduction to Landmark:
I hold Master degrees in Business Management and in Clinical Counseling and Psychology. I am, also, a Landmark Education Graduate. All this is to say, I am both certified and qualified to render a professional opinion on Landmark Education content -- which I have observed first hand.
Landmark Education made a profound difference in my personal and professional life. I directly attribute finding my love for life -- personal and professional -- to Landmark. After being estranged for 30 years, I reconciled with my Mother. She went to Landmark Education, and now we are great friends -- thanks to Landmark.
What's my personal relationship with my Mother got to do with my business success? Everything! "Holding hurt" or "hiding anger" will poison the fertile ground of any business -- not only from the top down; but, from the ground up.
Making "a clearing" for growth, by getting clear with myself, has allowed me to apply Landmark principles. These principles have been fundamental to doubling my income since attending Landmark Forum almost 2 years ago.
I want my own employees to be successful -- at all levels -- in their personal and professional lives. I want them to bring their own commitment to success into my business -- which is a manifestation of our collective successes. I have sent several members of my staff to Landmark. So far, Landmark education has not only been good for my business, but Landmark Education has been very good for my employees.
What is Landmark Education:
Landmark Education is a Personal-Professional development company. The words "personal-professional" are hyphenated here, because Landmark presents a balanced approach to success -- in the whole context of "your life" -- not just professional methods -- in your "working life". This approach starts 1) dealing with ones own persona -- helping a person answer the question, "who am I", and 2) continues build on the answer to that question -- integrating "who I am" into "who I am being" and "who I am becoming" -- as part of my family circle, my work circle, my community circle.
In short, in both a personal and professional context, Landmark has demonstrated a successful formula in helping each person, themselves, find themselves, re-create themselves, and thus create their own unique place in their own world, and the greater world of us all.
Philosophically speaking, I find part of
Landmark's program could be summarized, but not limited to, the sage wisdom of,
know yourself; be true to your own yourself; by being true to your own word; by
living -- moment to moment -- into the integrity of your own word; by doing what
you say you will do. Any way you look at it, this is "good business" --
professionally and personally.
In answering this call to honor -- honoring ones own word to themselves and to
others -- one creates a truly great and successful life -- both personally and
professionally. This is only one very small piece of what I have learned from
Landmark's Education.
Foundation for Controversy:
As I see it, one of the key elements of success, in Landmark Education, is what I call "self-forgiveness before self-love" -- by "letting go of the pass" by letting go of "being right". This concept has been around for years in both Personal Development and Clinical Counseling and in 12 Step Groups. Some religious groups lay claim to a philosophy of "forgiveness" for centuries. Landmark Education is aggressive in this area and, as a result, Landmark graduates are encouraged to "forget the past" and reconcile "in the present' with people -- usually family members. Because of Landmarks formula for doing this, Landmark clients become genuine, sincere and successful in creating a clearing for success.
Many Landmark graduates do reconcile "in the present", or at least do neutralize "the past", with family members -- including ex-spouses. As a result, many of these family members -- children, parents, spouses, and ex-spouses -- enroll into Landmark education. In fact, Landmark has relied on this "word of mouth" advertising for the bulk of their sales. Landmark clients do take on a loyalty and pride -- being associated with Landmark -- kind of like sports fans association with a winning team.
Once given the tools for success, Landmark clients are encouraged to develop their own business leadership skills within the context of Landmark seminars -- as volunteers, who assist in all aspects of Landmark seminars. Volunteers obviously get to attend the seminars free of charge. This is just another way that Landmark helps low income clients.
Landmark Controversy:
Because of some the above practices, Landmark has attracted righteous indignation of "cult chat" groups. This negative publicity, in the end, has been very good for Landmark. This opportunity has 1) given Landmark the opportunity to exonerate itself as a legitimate business entity -- before the world, and 2) given Landmark extraordinary high level of publicity, and 3) given Landmark the opportunity to legally "prove slander".
Harvard Business School conducted a comprehensive Case Study called Landmark Education Corporation: Selling a Paradigm Shift. In this study, Landmark Education was found to be a very successful, and very legitimate, "business". This Case Study is in proprietary used by Harvard Business School. (See Harvard Business School 9-898-081 Rev. April 22, 1998, Landmark Education Corporation: Selling a Paradigm Shift) For what it is worth, the "cult chat" rooms, still attack Harvard Business School for their findings.
Other studies (see below) have been conducted on Landmark Education's unique approach to "personal-professional" training -- applauding Landmark.
When given the opportunity to come forward to substantiate their own claims, Landmark's dissenters declined. Now it seems, they are unwilling to even put their names on their own "chat", regarding Landmark. What few names do surface, on their own chat, have proven to be fictitious names. Thus "cult chat" claims and names can not be validated -- is to their own discredit.
Noteworthy is the fact, that if
these individuals could back their claims, then these same claims
would be worth a lot of money -- in legal damages and legal awards. The
truth is, fictitious claims by fictitious people are hard to collect on.
In a professional study last year, many anonymous letters, and letters by
fictitious authors, reveal that most of these dissenting letters have amazingly
similar writing styles. This finding suggest that most alleged slander against
Landmark maybe, in fact, be the work of only a few individuals -- who would
rather be anonymous, that be publicly proven wrong.
The fallout from Landmark having to defend itself against "cult chat", has backfired against the cult chat rooms. As a result of full public disclosure, Landmark's business has exploded.
Reputable cult watch sites, with a sense
of ethical responsibility, have "officially" retracted their claims. Chat rooms
of less than ethical merit, find themselves "officially" speechless -- in
the light of new information presented by Landmark; however, rather than admit
they were wrong about Landmark, these chat rooms now exercising their rights to
anonymous slander -- under protection of some states' laws, in some states.
The Result of Controversy:
There is an old saying that says, "The best revenge is living well." If that is the case, then Landmark is enjoying sweet revenge. Landmark Education took on the challenge of addressing and confronting false cult claims. They have voluntarily make a full public and legal disclosure of their activities, under oath, for the record, in courts of law. The world now knows exactly what Landmark is doing -- and, the world likes Landmark Education.
Landmark Education is now one of the largest "Personal-Professional growth educators -- in the world. Landmark is now active in over 27 countries: Japan, Israel, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Romania, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Jamaica, United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Australia and New Zealand. Many of these clients play key roles in government and business in those countries; And now, China.
Branches of the U.S. Government
that openly acknowledge use of Landmark Education training:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of the Navy
NASA
Harvard Business School makes proprietary use of their study on
Landmark Education. Students and professors are reported to have attended
Landmark Forum.
Landmark Education Issues CEUs. In business and academic educational circles, Landmark Education's programs are solidly acclaimed and acknowledged; so much so, that Landmark has been granted the right to issue CEUs (continuing education credits) which are recognized by companies and educational communities world wide.
The Talent Foundation, in its study (see below), A Shortcut to Motivated and Adaptive Workforces (June 2000 -- Phase 1 Results) used The Landmark Forum as a foundation class to boost employee success.
Just a few of Landmarks clients include:
Apple Computer, USA
Mercedes Benz, USA
Reebok International
GlaxoWellcome
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals
New Zealand Steel
Northrop Grumman Corporation
The "informal list" of companies now sending their top
executives to Landmark Education reads like a "Who's Who" of the Fortune 500
companies.
The Sports and Entertainment Industries now solicit exclusive Landmark Forums -- where high profile celebrities -- and corporate executives -- can have "private" Landmark Forums -- which are closed to the public and press for obvious reasons.
Bottom line:
Cults do NOT issue CEUs (Continuing Education
Credits) NOR do they command the respect of the worlds' largest companies and
most powerful governments.
My Personal Stance on Landmark Education:
I am both qualified and certified to evaluate Landmark Education's programs from both a clinical and managerial perspective. Unlike Landmark's critics, I am willing to state my name and backup my statements as follows:
I find nothing in my evaluation of Landmark that would influence, much less damage, an individuals spiritual belief system.
I do find many things in Landmarks programs that does influence a person's belief in themselves; and
I do find Landmark's education does supply both the tools for success, and the environmental framework to develop those tools.
Sincerely and truly,
Bruce Mayfield, MBA, MSPsy, BSCS
LINKS:
Landmark Education’s programs have been the subjects of several independent research studies as follow:
The Yankelovich (DYG, Inc.) Study: Analysis of The Landmark Forum and Its
Benefits
“More than seven out of 10 people found The Landmark Forum to be one of their
lives' most rewarding experiences…” Nationally recognized social scientist and
public opinion analyst Dan Yankelovich, DYG Inc.'s chairman, conducted this
study. The study addresses profiles of participants in The Landmark Forum, their
satisfaction levels, and the value they reported.
The Talent Foundation Study: A Shortcut to Motivated and Adaptive Workforces
“Individuals surveyed showed significantly higher levels of motivation,
self-esteem, and confidence…” The Talent Foundation, a global organization that
provides innovative methods for the development of talent in the workplace,
published a study on The Landmark Forum. This study, conducted within accepted
scientific guidelines, validates the results that the Landmark technology
produces.
The IMC, Inc. Report: Evaluations of Landmark Education's Programs
“Participants gave The Landmark Forum extremely high ratings in important
categories. Nine out of 10 participants expressed strong satisfaction with the
value they received from The Landmark Forum.”
The Harris Survey: Money: The Impact of Landmark's Programs on Participants'
Income Levels
Participants reported that Landmark's programs had a positive impact on their
relationship with money in key areas such as significant increased income, less
anxiety about money, and greater effectiveness in managing their finances.
Robert Marzano Study: A New Paradigm for Educational Change
“The ultimate proof of the effectiveness of the seminar is the extent to which
participants consider new, more effective paradigms…” Robert Marzano, a Deputy
Director with the Educational Laboratory is widely recognized as an expert in
critical thinking and curriculum design. This study explores the nature of the
change process and the impact of change in business and education.
A University of Southern California Case Study: Transforming the Network of
Conversations in BHP New Zealand Steel
“Leaders in BHP New Zealand Steel assert that LEBD's [Landmark's] engagement…
galvanized the workforce…” The University of Southern California Marshall
Business School published a case study that focuses on the impact of Landmark
Education Business Development's work at BHP New Zealand Steel.
A Harvard Business School Case Study: Landmark Education Corporation: Selling a
Paradigm Shift
“LEC’s technology… is intended to provide individuals and organizations with an
insight into how to become more effective...” Harvard Business School published
a case study that focuses on the history, curriculum, and results of Landmark
Education’s programs.
The following articles highlight several Landmark graduates and their community achievements:
St Louis Post-Dispatch
“I wanted regular New Yorkers to know that they also were in the thoughts and
prayers of the nation.”
Antelope Valley Press
“[Landmark’s] Self-Expression Leadership Program…teaches individuals and
organizations how to be leaders and effective communicators… Participants came
up with a community project…Thus the ‘Happy Birthdays!’ project was born.”
The Gazette
“An eye-opening course about community – how we’re all connected as human
beings, and how one person really can make a difference in the world.”
Parma Sun Post
“Extraordinary things are happening in a corner of Parma… ‘Clients at Landmark
Education powerfully take out into their lives the tools they learn…’”
The Detroit News
“What if more [community leaders] took courses such as The [Landmark] Forum that
sparked new ways to communicate, see past blight, and seize new possibilities?”
The New York Times
“Neat Street started as part of a [Landmark Education] course on leadership and
self-expression… The assignment: create a program that affects a community, be
it family, neighborhood, whatever.”
Bucks County Courier Times
“There was an energy with these kids. They wanted to get involved in everything…
[They] came away knowing that art can be fun.”
Coastal View
"[Each] teen will research [a] senior's life during the course of their visits
and then create a project which creatively expresses the senior's life."
Hunterdon County Democrat
“In addition to helping needy athletes, the equipment drive satisfies a class
requirement…in the Landmark Education leadership seminar.”
Marin Independent Journal
“I don’t want to go home,” he said. “Most fun I’ve ever had...since I was
paralyzed.”
The Miami Herald
“As you work with them in terms of their coping skills and managing the impact
of AIDS in the household, you also work with educating them so they won’t put
themselves at risk.”
Press-Telegram
“Business owner hires ex-gang member as part of the program. She urges others to
join effort”
Record-Courier
“Grandparents and teenagers, skateboarders and senior citizens, musicians and
music fans of all ages have found reasons to celebrate together. ...”
The Arizona Republic
“Camp Hakuna Matata… named for a phrase in the movie The Lion King that means,
“No Worries,” [gives] families a four-day escape… and a chance to learn from
others affected or infected by [HIV]. “
Valley News Dispatch
“[Tim Stevens] started B-PEP, Black Political Empowerment Project, during a
Landmark seminar. Last year, B-PEP registered 8,000 African-Americans in
Pittsburg [to vote].”