History: The Person-Centered Approach To Organizations

The first seeds of Camelot were sown when Ernest E. Meadows started his professional career as a counselor at a treatment center for delinquent boys. It was here that he was first influenced by Carl Rogers and the Person Centered Approach.

He published two studies, one on Ego Strength and one on Avoidance Behavior which attracted the attention of professionals with the government of the State of California. He was invited to join President Johnson's "War on Poverty" and appointed Head Counselor for The Job Corp. Here he began to learn about and be fascinated by organizational behavior. This fascination has remained at the core of his working life ever since.

In 1968 he participated for the first time in the La Jolla Program at the Center for Studies of the Person. It proved a turning point in his career. He was impressed by what people at the time were calling "euphoria", something he immediately understood to be much more fundamental and important than that. "It was energy generated as a result of healthy psychological processes." He at once realized the value of these processes -- congruence, empathy and unconditional positive regard -- to organizations and has been perfecting their application in this arena ever since. Mr. Meadows chose to specialize in the workplace for he believes "Work gets the most creative, the cream of people's energy."

In 1965, the U.S. Forest Service recruited Ernie as the first organizational development specialist ever to be hired by a government agency. Here he was able to develop and clarify his ideas on the Person Centered Approach within organizations. He came to believe massive amounts of energy are lost through unresolved interpersonal conflicts, goal conflicts between the individual and the organization and through secrets. Counter-productive work relations persist because people function from a "powerless" position. He is convinced this energy sink can be eliminated by: strengthening the chain of command; energizing the work force; empowering individuals; and humanizing the organization. During his 8 years with the Forest Service Ernie became closely affiliated with the Center for Studies of the Person.

In 1973, Ernie moved to La Jolla and Camelot was born. Since then he has provided consulting services to numerous individuals and organizations throughout this country and abroad. He and his staff use an experiential approach to teaching PCA which encourages individual involvement and creative problem solving and frees up energy to build a more effective organization.