By ALAN HOSKINS
Although students were away on Spring Break, learning didn’t stop at Kansas City Kansas Community College this week.
More than 100 staff members were treated to life skills and lifetime lessons in an inspirational hour-long Staff Senate program presented by Mary Bichelmeyer Lucas, the Chief Resource Officer for Staff Mark, one of the nation’s largest and most successful staff companies.
Lucas is also the author of the highly-acclaimed book, “Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher’s Wisdom,” which debuted in 2006 and now is in its 10th printing.
One of 10 children of Mary and John Bichelmeyer, Lucas recounted many of the lessons learned from her father as the successful owner of Bichelmeyer Meats in Kansas City, Kan.
Some of those lessons:
- “The No. 1 reason you stay in a job is your boss; the No. 1 reason you leave your job is your boss. The deciding factor is how you feel in the presence of your boss. If it brings out the best in you, you’ll stay. If not, you’ll leave.”
- “Show ’em what you’re made of. You will never have a second chance to make a first impression. The first hunk of meat you sell is yourself.”
- “Make a positive impression by working on finding something to like about someone. Listen to learn what there is to like. If you don’t like somebody, then they don’t like you.”
- “Don’t forget the comeback sauce so you’ll be remembered best when someone leaves Comeback sauce is made up of one part recognition, one part connection and an added dose of the unexpected.”
- “The only way YOU can change the world is how YOU view the world.”
- “Admit your mistakes. Raise your hand, put it down and get back to playing the game.”
- “Know when to let go. Don’t take life so seriously. You’re not going to get out of it anyway.”
- "Don’t get all wrapped up in yourself. When you are wrapped up in yourself, you make a darn small package.”
- “Inspire yourself. Nobody makes you happy but yourself. Celebrate every chance you get.”
Karalin McKain, the Director of KCKCC’s Leavenworth Center, is the president of the Staff Senate.
Other members of the committee for the personal development program were Maggie McCoy, Assistant Director and Transition Specialist in the Nursing Division; Lori Chaffin, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the Technical Education Center; and Doris Holleman, Director of the Campus Child Care Center.
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PHOTO: Mary Lucas (center), the author of the book “Lunchmeat & Lifetime Lessons,” got a chance to spend time with two nieces, Julia (left) and Kathy Bichelmeyer, prior to presenting a personal development program at KCKCC Wednesday, (KCKCC Photo by Alan Hoskins)
