“In the three years prior to our character initiative, we had 42 labor and employee grievances, and seven different lawsuits. In the three years since we put the character initiative in place, we have had two grievances and no lawsuits from employees. I think that, in and of itself, is significant.”
— Rodney Ray, City Manager, Owasso, OK
“The paradigm of Character First is that the right thing to do becomes the easiest thing to do.”
— Paul Mogabgab, CEO, EDG, Inc.
“All of our employees have undergone character training in the 49 areas that make up a business of character. We believe in building long-term relationships...that are founded on character.”
— Tom Gill, Owner, Tom Gill Chevrolet
“We think Character First does what we want in terms of developing character for students.”
— Dr. James Branscum, Superintendent, Metro Technology Center
“Character helps us build our ways of learning to learn…without that character, all the education in the world is meaningless.”
— Deborah Craven, Counselor, Crooked Oaks School
“We found a way to import character into our world, and it hasn’t been the same since.”
— Ken Krivanec, Executive Vice President, Quadrant Homes
“Starting with our juvenile inmates, Character First has permeated the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office. It is the avenue that changed the atmosphere where 2,400 inmates reside and 800 employees work. If we can do Character First here, it can be done anywhere.”
– Argyl Dick, chaplain to the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center
“One of our strategies for success is teamwork. ‘If two or more agree on anything…it is bound by our Father in Heaven’ (Matt. 18:19). But real teamwork is a rarity and only comes about with people who have a high level of trust. The Character First program has raised the level of trust of our employees which has led to the teamwork that helps make us successful.”
– Joseph M. Oliver, Chief Steward, Chairman and Founder Oliver Heating & Cooling
“If you’re looking for a program, this isn’t it. If you’re searching for real change in your life and the people you live and work with, Character First is what you’re looking for. Character awareness is all-encompassing. It’s a small investment that continues to pay huge dividends.”
– David Melvin, President, David H. Melvin, Inc.

A New Character Resource

 I have added a new resource for your use. Speaking Character, edited by Earlene Smith, Ed, D., is a study/workbook on the language of character. Learning a language is a skill. Strong word skills are necessary for getting an edge in almost everything we want to achieve. The mastery of their use requires the gift of your time.This study is designed to help you master the use of the 49 character qualities used by Character First. The time you spend on this study will enable you to effectively communicate in the language of character. Why is that important? By effectively communicating and praising for character, we can inspire and motivate others to develop character in their lives—and CHARACTER DETERMINES SUCCESS!

Praises for Character First

“In the three years prior to our character initiative, we had 42 labor and employee grievances, and seven different lawsuits. In the three years since we put the character initiative in place, we have had two grievances and no lawsuits from employees. I think that, in and of itself, is significant.”
— Rodney Ray, City Manager, Owasso, OK

“The paradigm of Character First is that the right thing to do becomes the easiest thing to do.”
— Paul Mogabgab, CEO, EDG, Inc.