| Revision as of 01:04, 22 January 2004 edit69.91.15.70 (talk) Landmark Education offers The Landmark Forum and other courses← Previous edit | Revision as of 06:42, 22 January 2004 edit undoHadal (talk | contribs)Administrators31,685 edits reverting infomercial, again.Next edit → | ||
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| '''Landmark Education Corporation''' (LEC), founded in 1991, lineal descendant of Werner Erhard and Associates (]) and of ''est'' or ], characterises itself as a ] selling ] or a business selling ] distinctions. "Landmark Education LLC" filed as a "limited liability company" in February 2003. | |||
| Some former participants in Landmark Education courses, as well as critics who have no direct experience of the courses offered by Landmark, have categorised it as a ] and attributed it with ] or ]-like characteristics, mentioning words like ], ], ] or "biz-cult". (''See'' ) | |||
| '''Landmark Education Company Overview''' | |||
| '''Methodology''' | |||
| Landmark Education is a global educational enterprise committed to the fundamental principle that people have the possibility of success, fulfillment, and greatness. Recently named one of the top training and development companies in the world by HR.com, Landmark offers programs that are innovative, effective, and immediately relevant. The ideas, insights, and distinctions on which their technology is based, and the exceptional results people produce from participating in their programs have made Landmark a leader and innovator in the field of training and development. | |||
| Landmark, as an international employee-owned ], has more than half of its offices in North America and the remainder in European, Asian, African and Australasian countries. Landmark promotes the work and technology of ], though without stressing his name, his ideological forebears (people have cited ], ], ] and ]) or his sometimes ] reputation. | |||
| The work of Landmark Education is the product of extensive research and development in individual and organizational effectiveness and communication. Landmark uses its leading-edge educational methodology to enable people to produce extraordinary results and enhance the quality of their lives. | |||
| Landmark operates by enrolling guests of seminar participants to attend the ], encouraging them to transform their ] and to enrol their family members, friends and acquaintances in the meantime. Others see this as a process of recruitment of guests by word-of-mouth which initiates them into attending more and more seminars. The Landmark Forum has been conducted in 26 countries - | |||
| Time magazine noted that Landmark Education is quickly "becoming a global brand name." Headquartered in San Francisco, Landmark now offers programs in more than 100 cities via 60 major offices worldwide. In addition, Landmark Education Business Development, a wholly owned subsidiary, offers corporate consulting internationally. Hundreds of thousands of people on five continents have participated in Landmark's programs. | |||
| * ] - ], ], ], the ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| * ] - ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| * ] - ], ] | |||
| * N. America - ], ], ] | |||
| * S. America - ] | |||
| * ] and ] | |||
| Many participants become assistants for the corporation. Their status is of volunteer unpaid workers, a status the ] has deemed equivalent to that of employees, with rights to remuneration and benefits. If successful in enrollment, assistants may join the "elite" staff. | |||
| Landmark Education and its subsidiaries hold memberships in the following professional associations and organizations: | |||
| * American Society for Training and Development, | |||
| * International Society for Performance Improvement, | |||
| * American Management Association, and | |||
| * Academy of Management. | |||
| '''Stated Attitudes''' | |||
| Landmark Education offers programs and curricula through 60 offices and 21 countries world wide with its core program . It is an employee-owned company with 750 professionally trained course leaders worldwide, Landmark is strongly motivated to provide the best educational experience for the more than 125,000 people that participate in its courses each year. | |||
| Landmark presents itself as "not therapy" and opposes ] (an attitude shared with or inherited from ]). However some participants suggest that some of its practices (or exercises) resemble ]. | |||
| Landmark forestalls some potential criticism by setting up (or creating) an atmosphere of trust and by disparaging ]ed questioning as ]. | |||
| At one time Landmark touted its new methods of ] as ] ]. More recent changes in ] have seen it associate its work with the concept of ]. | |||
| ''' |
'''Reactions''' | ||
| Landmark ] may seem pervasive and confusing. Some participants' confusion/enthusiasm has allegedly led to ] issues and legal action (Refer the book by Martin Lell, ''Das Forum: Protokoll einer Gehirnwäsche: Der Psycho-Konzern Landmark Education'', Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich, 1997, ISBN 3423360216). Most graduates of Landmark programs express quasi-religious commitment to "the work", at least initially. | |||
| The ideas and distinctions on which Landmark Education’s methodology is based, and the results it has produced, make Landmark a leader and innovator in the field of training and development. Landmark’s technology is drawn from a rich tradition of thinking and research that spans a number of disciplines such as philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, and cognitive science. Landmark Education continues to evolve and develop its unique educational methodology. Similar to riding a bicycle, in Landmark’s programs you learn by direct personal discovery – a moment occurs when a new ability is yours. You become confident in what you’ve learned, and the new ability is yours forever. | |||
| '''Evaluations''' | |||
| The Landmark method is more like coaching than teaching; more like conversation than lecture. While conventional education methods focus on content (adding facts, rules, or skills to our knowledge), the Landmark method deals with context – the framework(s) in which content can exist. | |||
| A study commissioned by ] suggests that attending a Landmark Forum has minimal lasting effect on participants' self-perception. (Refer J.D. Fisher, R. C. Silver, J. M. Chinsky, B. Goff and Y. Klar ''Evaluating a Large Group Awareness Training: A Longitudinal Study of Psychosocial Effects'' Springer-Verlag, 1990, ISBN 0387973206) | |||
| Academic, peer-reviewed long-term studies of effects of attendance do not appear to exist. | |||
| '''What People Say Who take Landmark Programs''' | |||
| '''Prominent Corporate Landmarkians:''' | |||
| <i>“Landmark is an amazing organization for successful people. This organization, like no other organization I know, really can make a difference in peoples’ lives and in the lives of companies. They deliver what they say they can deliver and are totally dedicated to that.” | |||
| </i><br> - Michael C. Jensen, Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business School | |||
| *], brother to Werner Erhard, heads Landmark Education. | |||
| <i>“For anybody who wants the best life they can possibly have, for anybody who wants to make the biggest difference in this lifetime that they can possibly make, for anybody who does not want to miss one breath of opportunity, then I would tell them that they should take the Landmark Forum.” | |||
| *] functions in the important role of legal representative: Landmark has issued legal threats against media expressing anti-Landmark publicity. | |||
| </i><br> - Geraldine Newman, President, Geraldine Newman Communications | |||
| *] has conducted courses from the earliest appearances of Werner Erhard in "trainings" activity. | |||
| ⚫ | ==External links== | ||
| <i>“It’s an empowering adventure. Something that frees you up…to experience the relationships you have, to communicate better, to deal with your boss, your family, your friends. It’s just an opportunity of a lifetime.” | |||
| ⚫ | * | ||
| </i><br> - Paul B. Fireman, Chairman & CEO, Reebok International, LTD | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| <i>“I have a life that I love, and I live it powerfully. And that’s what Landmark provides.” | |||
| * | |||
| </i><br> - Linda G. Howard, Attorney, New York City Law Department | |||
| * | |||
| <i>“As a psychiatrist, it’s very apparent that Landmark Education is offering a very extraordinary level of training and is committed to producing breakthrough results.” | |||
| </i><br> - Dr. Vijay Nair, Psychiatrist & Epidemiologist | |||
| <i>“As a person whose life is about global issues, I can’t think of a more effective training program available to people in the world than Landmark Forum. One of the greatest values for myself is the ability to deal with intractable global problems without getting discouraged and fully resigned. Individuals, as a result of participating in the Landmark Forum, discover a commitment and then go out into the world and make it happen.” | |||
| </i><br> - Dr. Charlie McNeil, Team Manager, Environmental Programme, United Nations Development Programme | |||
| <i>“The programs and courses offered at Landmark Education are extraordinary. No matter what you do for a living, whether you’re a scientist, a physician, whether you’re considering buying a home, or you’re raising a family, this education provides a profound and lasting impact on your life.” | |||
| </i><br> - Dr. Bert Petersen, Jr., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center, Albert Einstein School of Medicine | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | * | ||
| * | |||
Revision as of 06:42, 22 January 2004
Landmark Education Corporation (LEC), founded in 1991, lineal descendant of Werner Erhard and Associates (WEA) and of est or Erhard Seminars Training, characterises itself as a business selling transformation or a business selling ontological distinctions. "Landmark Education LLC" filed as a "limited liability company" in February 2003.
Some former participants in Landmark Education courses, as well as critics who have no direct experience of the courses offered by Landmark, have categorised it as a large group awareness training and attributed it with multi-level marketing or cult-like characteristics, mentioning words like brainwashing, hypnotism, parasitism or "biz-cult". (See http://home.swbell.net/danchase/forum.htm )
Methodology
Landmark, as an international employee-owned corporation, has more than half of its offices in North America and the remainder in European, Asian, African and Australasian countries. Landmark promotes the work and technology of Werner Erhard, though without stressing his name, his ideological forebears (people have cited Heidegger, Scientology, Fernando Flores and Zen) or his sometimes controversial reputation.
Landmark operates by enrolling guests of seminar participants to attend the Landmark Forum, encouraging them to transform their lives and to enrol their family members, friends and acquaintances in the meantime. Others see this as a process of recruitment of guests by word-of-mouth which initiates them into attending more and more seminars. The Landmark Forum has been conducted in 26 countries -
- Asia - Japan, Israel, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong
- Europe - Romania, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom
- Africa - South Africa, Kenya
- N. America - Jamaica, US, Canada
- S. America - Mexico
- Australia and New Zealand
Many participants become assistants for the corporation. Their status is of volunteer unpaid workers, a status the United States Department of Labor has deemed equivalent to that of employees, with rights to remuneration and benefits. If successful in enrollment, assistants may join the "elite" staff.
Stated Attitudes
Landmark presents itself as "not therapy" and opposes psychoanalysis (an attitude shared with or inherited from Scientology). However some participants suggest that some of its practices (or exercises) resemble psychotherapy.
Landmark forestalls some potential criticism by setting up (or creating) an atmosphere of trust and by disparaging reasoned questioning as cynical. At one time Landmark touted its new methods of training as non-linear learning. More recent changes in fashion have seen it associate its work with the concept of emotional intelligence.
Reactions
Landmark jargon may seem pervasive and confusing. Some participants' confusion/enthusiasm has allegedly led to mental illness issues and legal action (Refer the book by Martin Lell, Das Forum: Protokoll einer Gehirnwäsche: Der Psycho-Konzern Landmark Education, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich, 1997, ISBN 3423360216). Most graduates of Landmark programs express quasi-religious commitment to "the work", at least initially.
Evaluations
A study commissioned by WEA suggests that attending a Landmark Forum has minimal lasting effect on participants' self-perception. (Refer J.D. Fisher, R. C. Silver, J. M. Chinsky, B. Goff and Y. Klar Evaluating a Large Group Awareness Training: A Longitudinal Study of Psychosocial Effects Springer-Verlag, 1990, ISBN 0387973206)
Academic, peer-reviewed long-term studies of effects of attendance do not appear to exist.
Prominent Corporate Landmarkians:
- Harry Rosenberg, brother to Werner Erhard, heads Landmark Education.
- Art Schreiber functions in the important role of legal representative: Landmark has issued legal threats against media expressing anti-Landmark publicity.
- Charlene Afremow has conducted courses from the earliest appearances of Werner Erhard in "trainings" activity.