Global Business Expert to Keynote 2008 BABI London Gateway Conference

Leading global business expert John A. Caslione, President and CEO of GCS Business Capital LLC (GCS) has been selected by the British American Business International (BABI) to present this year's keynote address at its annual conference on 20th May 2008 in London (UK).  Mr. Caslione's keynote speech will serve as the centerpiece for the theme of this year's conference - its title: Globalization: The Second Wave.

Globalization: The First Wave was the entry of over a billion workers from emerging Asian markets into the global workforce.  This influx of new labor into the global economy resulted in major industry restructuring, strategic offshore movements, outsourcing, and the emergence of new competition unrestricted by national borders spawning unprecedented opportunities and creating rising political tensions along the way.

Globalization: The Second Wave, which only recently began is focused on two new powerful forces:  integration of the world's capital markets and the addition of over a billion new consumers in the world marketplace and growing.

The conference will feature a series of speeches and presentations led by distinguished diplomats from the US and the UK, along with leading global business leaders who will contribute to the event:  The Honorable Robert H. Tuttle (US Ambassador to the Court of St James's - UK); Sir Nigel Sheinwald KCMG (UK Ambassador to the United States); Ian Davis (Managing Director, McKinsey & Co.); Dan Glaser (Chairman and CEO, Marsh Inc.); Jim O'Neill (Head of Global Economic Research, Goldman Sachs); and John Micklethwait (Editor-in-Chief, The Economist), among others.

 To have John A. Caslione speak at your event go to:

http://www.keynoteresource.com/JohnCaslione.html

09:48 - 2008-Mar-23

Unstoppable Influence

Why Everything You Learned about Selling Doesn’t Work

There is no affluence without influence. If you are an experienced professional who is wondering when you will learn systems and strategies that not only motivate, but also monitor, manage, and measure change, then this seminar is a MUST!

Get what you want! While all performance models are static and only provide the conduit, the MasterStream Method is dynamic and thus sparks the desired behavioral change to maintain momentum. Not just the same old tips and techniques, the ChangeGrid is a tool that predicts one’s response to tasks and activities and thus provides a diagnosis and prognosis of personal, team and business success. It suggests specific action plans for change, while positively redirecting power for improved performance and results.

Escape the velvet prison – apathy.  Manage productive tension with scientific maneuvers that alter the level of challenge to prevent apathy.  If you have faithfully followed other programs without success, this system will reveal the missing but essential element for influence and impact to increase your personal power and profit.  If you want affluence, you must understand and exercise influence.

About Edie Raether:

An expert on “Breakthrough Thinking for Mastering Change and Business Excellence,” Edie Raether, MS, CSP is an international speaker, trainer, and coach. An authority on influence, innovation, and intuitive/emotional intelligence, Io have Edie Raether speak at your meeting go to: http://www.keynoteresource.com/EdieRaether.html .

11:46 - 2008-Mar-18

Leader-shift – A Dynamic System For Re-Engineering Change Management

Discover how this revolutionary model for influencing change will increase sales and dramatically improve your leadership skills. LeaderShift is an in-depth program focusing on the application of ChangeWorks!, the MasterStream Model, and pride-based leadership as a strategy for increasing individual and team pride in the workplace to improve performance and service excellence. While other programs offer managers many insights into their employees’ attitudes toward change, ChangeWorks! concentrates on enhancing a manager’s ability to guide their employees during times of transition — to reduce their resistance and boost their productivity.

LeaderShift takes a radically different approach, focusing on the four key skill areas and abilities that distinguish true leaders from just managers:

Awaken and sustain desire in their followers

·Articulate a compelling vision

Mobilize the efforts of others

Develop followers into leaders

ChangeWorks! is a truly unique training experience which goes far beyond the scope of typical change management programs. Rather than focusing on traditional goal setting and strategic planning activities at the executive level,

ChangeWorks! turns its attention to the individuals who must make those changes happen — the managers charged with the responsibility of implementation. While other programs offer managers many insights into their employees’ attitudes toward change, ChangeWorks! concentrates on enhancing a manager’s ability to guide their employees during times of transition — to reduce their resistance and boost their productivity.

Book Edie Raether to speak at your meeting:

http://www.keynoteresource.com/EdieRaether.html

02:17 - 2008-Mar-13

Generations Working Better Together

Face it: The generation gap these days is more like a canyon. People under 30 and people over 40 do not see eye to eye! The over-40 crowd wonders why the 25-year-old wants to be promoted to manager during his first week of employment (and leave at 4:55 p.m. daily). Meanwhile, the under-30 group believes a more seasoned coworker’s computer crashed simply because he is old.

What happened to make these generations so misunderstood? We know historically that each generation is at odds with the next, but the situation described above is an extreme version of that concept. Terms here like “millennials” (which sounds like 1,000-year-old infants) or Generations X and Y (seemingly indicating that algebra was somehow involved) or “baby boomers” (being the group that bombs babies?) are silly names.  These labels encompass ages whose limits are tough to define. For instance, if you’re 47, despite being considered a baby boomer by many, you still belong to Generation X by some interpretations. At what point did we decide that a baby is not qualified to be part of a boom?

Research shows the real issues exist between the over-40 and under-30 groups, with the people in the middle having combined issues, traits, and opinions. It seems that each camp makes some very strong points if we listen objectively; it’s just very difficult to be objective when you are confused about the other camp.

Let’s take a look at what we know and can do something about; and let’s get honest about what we don’t know, what we did, and what we can’t change.

What makes people under 30 the way they are?

The elementary school system changed how teachers taught and rewarded for accomplishment. Teachers praised students along the way to the goal, not just when a task was completed. They stopped to celebrate along the way to success, creating motivation through little rewards rather than a big reward at the end. The teachers also promoted self-esteem by making sure every child knew he or she was cared for regardless of accomplishments. The recurring message delivered through this approach goes like this: “We love you; we know you can do it; and here is a little prize at the halfway mark to prove that to you.” This under-30 group is shaped by more than just the educational process; they also grew up in the most affluent society the world has ever known. We gave them a lot and told them they could have anything they wanted in life. Now, the under-30s are here to collect! The bottom line: We did it!

So what’s the good news about the under-30 set?

The majority of workers in this group are very capable and committed to each other. No generation has ever had the loyalty to each other that this group possesses. They work well in teams and achieve remarkable results in record time if managed effectively. It’s true that they want to do this wearing flip-flops, but the results we have seen from the well-managed are impressive.

Each generation, it seems, is uniquely suited for the evolving world it will inherit. If you watch the news these days, you hear the latest reports on celebrity rehab alumni as the words scrolling across the bottom of the screen give you the death toll in Iraq. Who can make the most of a world like that? They can! The under-30s have no problem with it; over informed and underdressed, they will navigate the busy future with ease.                                                                                                                

What’s up with the over-40s? They seem kind of stressed out!

The over-40 group was raised to believe that working hard is proof of commitment (in reality, you can bust your butt and secretly hope the company goes under so you don’t have to quit). Also, they think working late proves that you are working hard. They think that leaving before 5 p.m. means you are not management material, while the under-30s believe that working until 8 p.m. every night just means you lack time management and life balance. The under-30s grew up in families where Mom or Dad – or both – always worked late.

Additionally, most research shows the over-40 males believe they are what they do for a living. In one interview, a 49-year-old salesman was asked who he was when he was not working. He said, “Well, mostly, I am always working. But when I’m not, I guess deep down inside I’m a relationship builder who knows how to get people to agree with me.” You mean like a salesman? He said, “Yeah, exactly!”

How can we get more productivity from the under-30 group?

Wishing people were like you is not a strategy. You have to motivate the under-30s the way they grew up being motivated. They need to be praised along the way to the goal. Celebrate the small victories on the road to success and quit telling these workers about five-year plans; their plan in five years is to have a new plan. This plan mostly likely will not involve you or your company (no offense). Give them short, tight deadlines and make sure your objectives are not hindered by low-tech tools. If their computer at home is twice as fast as the one at work, they have a crummy job. And most important, they want to do a good job and get a reward in the first week. Make sure you have system that will allow that to happen.  And finally, if thinking about these tips is causing you to lose the will to live, remember that our society created these people so now we have to make sure they can get the job done.

 How can we get the over-40s to see we can do the job much more effectively if they would let us do it a little bit our way?

Let them know you understand the old way first. If you have an innovative new system and you fail their little quiz on the old one, you’re toast. Also, make sure you seek their counsel. If you are 27 and your coworker is 41, you need to make sure he knows that you know that his experience is an asset to your decision-making process. A 27 year old department head with 35 direct reports who were all in their 30s and 40s did not heed this advice personally in those days, so his nickname was “Punk-boy manager.” It’s hard to wield authority with that label floating around the office.

What the over-40 group really wants from you is gratitude and respect. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made!                          

What do we need to do to work more effectively with each other as a team?

Get over ourselves! People who grow up at different points in history have a unique experience and outlook toward life. It’s always been that way and will mostly likely continue. And though these differences seem a bit greater than some in the past, they are in effect natural. We have already established in the past 30 years that dealing with diversity and understanding each other’s differences is critical to communication and success. So, letting people be who they are and dealing with it is not new. It’s easy to say, “We were all young once” – but the truth is we were not all young under the same circumstances.

One day the under-30 group will grow up and will face a new crop of young people. They will be saying things like “What do you mean we can’t come to work naked? It’s natural. And besides, global warming has made clothing irrelevant!”

About the author:

05:22 - 2008-Mar-11

The Future of Health Care In A High Tech World

How will radical innovations in stem cells, genomics, cloning and personalized medicine shape our future?

If you or your clients want to know what's next for the Future of Health Care, consider America's Leading Futurist, Dr. James Canton.

McKinsey & Company did and felt Dr. Canton "helped attendees think strategically about what it will take to continue to succeed in the medical device landscape," and that his "presentation helped to set the stage for the presentations that followed."

The Future Of Health Care In A High Tech World: - keynote presentation by Dr. James Canton:

Complex new technologies are rapidly reshaping business, markets and customers. This multimedia keynote examines the key trends and technologies that are revolutionizing health care and medicine. The digital convergence of genomics, embedded devices, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, nano-biology, nextgen optical networks, super computers and longevity tech will create a new health care landscape. Are you ready for the changes that lie ahead in the future?

How will the health care organization of the future integrate these technologies? What will be the demands of the future health care customer and how can organizations plan today to prepare? Health care organizations are struggling with how to enhance their service in an era of the digital health customer. How will health care change in the post-genomic society? What are the top technologies that will offer opportunity?

As the convergence of advanced technology, from quantum computers, to the next generation Internet, to smart agent networks reshapes the health care marketplace of the future; technology will offer many challenges and solutions. A review of the best of breed customer companies and technologies will be highlighted. Find out from a leading futurist and CNN Guest Host what are the key trends that will give your customers, organization or industry a briefing on what's next for technology and how it will affect you.

Book Dr. James Canton to speak at your next meeting at::

08:12 - 2008-Mar-2

The Insider Secrets of Sales and Marketing Workshop

Give Us 2 Days And We'll Give You The Insider Secrets To Increased Profits and Sales - Guaranteed!

If you are ready to start 2008 with a solid, proven formula for increasing your sales, this is the program for you!

The Insider Secrets of Sales and Marketing is a jam-packed, 2 day course focused on giving you the insider secrets to identifying and executing a realistic and battle-tested plan that can double or even triple your income - this year!

Working with course leaders, Ursula Mentjes and Liz Goodgold, you walk away with custom-created strategies that are practical and tactical. This is a hands-on, step-by-step program using your company and real-world examples to ensure that you reach your goals.

What You Will Learn:

In this 16-hour sales and marketing workshop, you will master the skills to:

    * Identify your key point of difference

    * Transform your image into an enduring brand

    * Position yourself as an expert

    * Leverage the web as your low-cost marketing tool

    * Create media hooks, sound bites, and alluring publicity ideas

PLUS, you'll learn all of these sales essentials including how to:

    * Understand the power of your core business

    * Create a comprehensive sales plan

    * Build a successful sales team (that doesn't just include you!)

    * Develop a plan to leverage strategic partnerships that sell for you

    * Create a way to ask for and collect high quality referrals

    * Manage your customer relationships for long term success!

    * Analyze the "Math" behind the Millions!

Who Should Attend?

This program has been created specifically for small businesses and entrepreneurs that do not have Super Bowl-sized advertising budgets. It is tailored to the professionals who are often selling a service not a product.

Most importantly, this workshop is geared toward entrepreneurs who are experts in their own fields, but not necessarily marketing and sales experts. It assumes that today you are ready to think in ways that you have never thought before!

Dates:  March 20-21, 2008

12:54 - 2008-Feb-27

What We Can Learn From India

Take a break from all the negative news about the economy. I’m just back from a speaking trip to India, where one continues to be struck by the unbounded optimism in business circles. Sure, growth might be temporarily slowing, which may put the damper on investments for a short while (ask the board of Reliance Power, whose IPO tanked on the Mumbai stock exchange, wiping 25% off the stock value in the first week!). But Indians have learned to take the long view. Whether the value of the Dollar, or the price of oil, or even the whole US economy goes up or down, they know the future is still gravitating irreversibly toward Asia.

India is one of the only countries I know where you come down to the hotel restaurant in the morning and most of the people in the room seem to be having laptops and PDAs for breakfast. I mean, there’s literally no room on the table for the food! It’s like “Breakfast is for bevakoofs!” (Hindi for “idiots”). The talk at these tables is all about growth percentages and expansion plans. And don’t expect much of a change at lunch or even dinner. This is a nation that has come to live and breathe business.

Mira Kamdar, in her book Planet India, points to a simple premise that appears to be at the heart of India’s remarkable success: “Treat every problem as an opportunity”. It was this attitude, after all, that led India in the late 1990s to step up and offer to help the U.S. with its looming Y2K computer crisis. Where else were American companies going to find enough low-cost, English-speaking software engineers to do all the drudge work of Y2K readjustment? And when the year 2000 came and went, without airplanes dropping out of the sky and nuclear power stations turning into mushroom clouds, those same American companies started wondering what else they could outsource to India on the cheap: e-commerce, IT support operations, call centers, services, even mission critical applications. Thus the Indian IT industry – and as a consequence the whole Indian economy – went into overdrive. No wonder Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, argues that “Y2K should be a national holiday in India, a second Indian Independence Day”.

I see this same “problem as opportunity” attitude when I talk to Indian companies of every stripe. When I asked one CEO recently about the impact of the weak Dollar on his business, his reply was stunningly upbeat. “Oh,” he said with a grin, “that really works in our favor. It’s going to make it much easier for us to expand in the U.S. market. Now we can buy up American companies at bargain basement prices”.

Of course, India doesn’t have to go out looking for problems to solve. It has enough of those on its own doorstep. With 40% of the world’s poor, one-third of the world’s malnourished children, 800 million people in need of education and proper employment, the world’s single largest population of people infected with HIV/AIDS (not to mention other widespread diseases), 17% of the world’s population but only 4 per cent of the world’s freshwater, a looming energy crisis, relentless terrorism, and a dreadfully damaged environment, India faces some of the most daunting challenges on the planet today.

That’s where there’s a need for innovation at an unprecedented scale. Not just innovation in the traditional business sense, but “social innovation” that addresses the needs of India’s society, schools, healthcare systems, cities, and environment. Thirty years ago, the late great Peter Drucker pointed out that this, too, is an important definition of innovation. In his seminal book Management he writes that modern social needs “are not too different in kind from those which the nineteenth-century entrepreneur converted into growth industries – the urban newspaper and the streetcar; the steel-frame skyscraper and the school textbook; the telephone and pharmaceuticals”. India, perhaps more than any other country on earth, has recognized the need to turn its social problems into opportunities for innovation, and is rising to the challenge in a grand way.

Look anywhere in India today and we see exciting examples of social innovation combined with profitable business innovation. And behind each of these examples we usually find some wonderfully heroic entrepreneur who has battled with heart and soul to give ordinary people a better life. I think of Dr. Reddy, founder of Apollo Hospitals Group, who is using state-of-the-art technologies, breakthrough business models, and revenues from medical outsourcing and medical tourism, to put world-class healthcare within almost everyone’s reach. I think of economist Muhammed Junnus, founder of Grameen Bank, who pioneered the concept of micro-credit, and in the process became the world’s first “banker to the poor”. I think of Ratan Tata, India’s answer to Henry Ford, whose tiny $2,500 Nano automobile (the same price as a Louis Vuitton handbag!) is set to do for mass mobility in this century what Ford’s Model-T did in the last. I think of amazingly unpretentious Narayana Murthy, now retired cofounder of Infosys, who has repeatedly demonstrated his belief in “compassionate capitalism” – an altogether different paradigm that focuses not just on wealth creation but on making a significant contribution to society.

Three cheers for India’s irrepressible optimism and can-do spirit in the face of almost impossible odds. What many in the country have clearly figured out is that every great challenge presents enormous opportunities, and that success at innovation is about much more than revenues and profits; it’s about doing well by doing good. There’s a lesson in this for all of us.

 Rowan Gibson is a global business strategist, a bestselling author and an expert on radical innovation. His last book, Rethinking the Future, has been translated into over 20 languages. Rowan’s new book Innovation To The Core (co-authored with Peter Skarzynski) has just been published by Harvard Business School Press. Book Rowan Gibson to speak at your next meeting:

09:42 - 2008-Feb-26

Peak Performance Keynote Speaker

Murray Banks is the consummate speaker whose messages hit home with CEOs, sales teams, managers, educators, front-line service personnel and clerical staff every time. He is a master storyteller with a knack for finding humor in the most unlikely situations. Murray Bank's messages are always personal, interactive and entertaining whether they're delivered before 4000 in a convention center or 40 at a management retreat. He is one of the nation's most sought-after speakers in the area of lifestyle and its impact on performance.

His success as an educator, athlete and long-time professional speaker, coupled with his genuine optimism and enthusiasm make every presentation a starting point for personal and professional growth. Murray Banks has no "canned" speeches. Based on your group's needs and preferences, he will create a customized presentation incorporating material from one or more of his signature topics. 

 Performance Under Pressure  -  Leading With Passion And Style!

School board members are between the proverbial "rock and a hard place." While we struggle with limited financial resources and the implementation and funding flaws of NCLB, we must also inspire our administrators and teachers to be at their very best every day!

Murray's keynote highlights the leadership skills that foster a climate of success for our administrators, faculty and students…. enthusiasm, focus, positive problem solving and optimism. The challenge: these are the very attributes that disappear under constant pressure and stress! "Who we are, may be as important as what we know!" will be a focal point for this presentation as Murray blends humor, incredible visuals and wonderful school stories to highlight the point that our interaction with colleagues on the board and the ability to focus on what is best for our students can be affected by fatigue, burnout and overload. School governance is consuming, so a key factor will be how we balance our real job and family with our school board work to maintain the idealism and optimism that pushed us to join our school communities. And, to be gracious and professional when constituents corner us in the grocery store with their opinions and questions!

It's all about performance under pressure, and Murray knows something about performance...at the same time he was presented the prestigious TEACHER OF THE YEAR award in Vermont, he was one of the top finishers in the IRONMAN Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii. He then received national recognition as an OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR and recently won the masters World Championship in cross-country skiing. For 22 years, Murray has worked with school faculties, school administrators and school boards throughout North America.

Book Murray Banks to speak at your meeting: http://www.keynoteresource.com/MurrayBanks.html

03:02 - 2008-Feb-19

Dan Hopping Discusses Today’s Changing Consumer

Daniel Hopping is a global technology futurist, author, consultant and speaker. With four decades of hands-on experience, Dan’s area of expertise is forecasting the impact that technology will have on the retail industry and tomorrow’s consumer.

The consumer of today is changing lifestyles at such a rapid pace that companies cannot change their operating systems fast enough to stay current. Dan predicts accelerating changes affecting how we live, work, shop and play over the next five years will be greater than the changes we have seen in the past 20 years. The advent of cell phones, email, phone mail, widespread use of PC’s, kiosks, wireless, Bluetooth and many more technologies have all been developed during that twenty year period.

Dan Hopping has been involved with more than 24 retail “store of the future” projects. His company, Next Retail Group, works with manufacturers and retailers to keep them abreast of the latest technologies and their utilization. As a keynote speaker Dan has inspired audiences worldwide including NRF, FMI. NACS, APLA, CCFA, Euroshop, Retail Solutions UK, Retail Systems and WLA. In addition to his many speaking engagements, he is often invited to speak at University MBA programs.

To book Dan Hopping to speak at your meeting go to:

http://www.keynoteresource.com/DanielHopping.html 

05:31 - 2008-Feb-15

Where Did All The Growth Go?

It had to happen. After several years of solid growth and blue sky thinking, we now have a big, dark cloud hanging over the global economy. So what do we do next? Many companies are likely to put the brakes on innovation initiatives, reasoning that money is getting too tight to invest in new products and business strategies. It’s the usual knee-jerk reaction at a time like this. And it’s totally counterproductive. In a slowing economy, companies need to find new opportunities for pushing up revenues, not just focus on cutting costs.

 Judging by all the long faces at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, the party is definitely over (at least for a while). I may be sticking my neck out here, but I’m not entirely sure I want to join the pessimists. In the past, the mighty U.S. economy has proven to be incredibly resilient, despite all the prophets of gloom and doom. In this decade alone, America Inc. took severe beatings from the Dotcom bubble, the 9/11 attacks, and fallout from financial scandals like the Enron meltdown, yet it came back stronger than ever. Clearly, we’re facing a significant slowdown in 2008, but I’m far from convinced that America is the new Japan, destined to spend the next decade in the economic doldrums.

When the world’s dominant economic player (the U.S. accounts for 22.5% of the global economy) starts sneezing, it’s obvious that markets everywhere panic about catching the flu. But let’s not forget that, taken together, Europe and Japan also account for about 25% of the global economy. And while recent stock market turbulence indicates that decoupling from the U.S. economy is still mostly wishful thinking, there remains some hope that China, India and other developing markets can somehow continue to drive global growth, even as America stalls.

Many of the world’s leading companies are already a lot less U.S.-centric than they used to be. Take Nokia. Most of the company’s revenue growth is currently coming from China, Asia Pacific, Middle-East and Africa. For the Finnish mobile phone giant, North America and even Europe represent yesterday’s growth markets. Or consider U.S. based Yum Foods, owner of the fast food chains KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Today, 50% of the company’s profits come from overseas markets where business is booming (Yum is particularly focused on China, India and Russia), compared with U.S. sales which grew by a mere 2% last year.

The big question is whether these emerging economies, which are still highly dependent on exports (especially to the U.S.), can continue to grow their domestic markets if consumer spending in the West – and thus demand for their products – starts to plummet. Only time will tell.

One thing’s for sure: now is not the time to start mothballing your company’s innovation initiatives. Innovation is not a luxury reserved for the good times. It’s the mainstay of revenue growth and company value and market share and competitive advantage, whatever the state of the economy.

Recessions aren’t forever – the current slowdown is likely to last maybe three or four quarters at the most, which is nothing in product development terms. When the economy returns to growth, which it certainly will, your company needs to be ready with innovative new offerings on the marketplace with which to attract current and future customers. If you put the brakes on innovation now, you won’t be able to come out swinging once growth takes off again.

To illustrate the point, do you think for a minute that a company like Apple is going to stop innovating because the economy is in a downturn? Not on your life. As Bruce Nussbaum pointed out in a recent BusinessWeek article, during the last recession Apple was not firing talent, trimming expenses and cutting back on innovation projects. Instead, the company was busy working on several big strategic opportunities – iTunes, iPod and its new retail stores. When the economic skies cleared up, Apple took off like a rocket. As Nussbaum puts it, “Winners always emerge out of recessions and they almost always beat their competition on the basis of something new.” By the same token, hands up if you think the Chinese are going to relax their innovation efforts while America tries to get its economic act together. I don’t think so, do you?

This, then, is not the time to pull the plug on innovation. If the growth rate in your industry is slowing down, what you need now more than ever is new sources of revenue – new products, new markets, new customer segments. Otherwise you’ll be faced with ever-declining revenues and profits from your existing business.

The thing to do now is engage your whole organization in the search for new strategic growth opportunities – and ways to make more out of the business you already have. This doesn’t call for huge innovation budgets. One of the most inexpensive methods for generating lots of new ideas is simply to ask for them. Another is to look outside your organization, and involve suppliers, partners and even customers in the search for new, value-creating opportunities. This kind of “open innovation” is what my colleague Gary Hamel would call “innovating on the cheap”.

By all means, take a careful look at your innovation investments and try to manage them very efficiently in the months ahead – just like any other budget in the company. But don’t let innovation become the victim of a shortsighted focus on bottom line results. Instead, continue to build and maintain your company’s foundation for long term growth, which is centered on its capability to innovate.

08:52 - 2008-Feb-6

Pat Lencioni’s Point of View – The Law of Thirds

There is a model that I really love to share with clients because it always provokes an exceptionally strong reaction from them, a terrific mixture of revelation and relief. I wish I knew who to attribute the model to, because it is as powerful as it is simple.

What I'm talking about is something called the "law of thirds," and here's how it works.

Imagine that you are leading an organization of some kind. You might be a CEO of a company, or a manager with a department full of employees. Or you might be a pastor serving a congregation, or a principal with a host of children and parents in your school. This could even apply if you are a coach or a teacher or an elected representative in a local civic organization.

Whatever the case, you can divide your constituents into three segments: "supporters" (not 'yes people', but generally reasonable folks who want what is best for the organization), "naysayers" (generally unreasonable folks who always seem to complain), and "undecideds" (people in the middle who aren't quite sure which side to join). Incidentally, I don't think the three segments break into equally sized parts. I've usually found that there is a fairly sizable group of supporters, an even larger number of undecideds, and a relatively small collection of naysayers.

Unfortunately, the naysayer group manages to portray itself as being much larger than it actually is, like an animal flaring its mane to mislead and scare off a predator. The way that small groups do this within organizations is by continually demanding more time from leaders, and by protesting more loudly than the other two groups.

Hence, the real power of the law of thirds lies in the choice it presents for leaders, and the starkly different ramifications of those choices.

Choice #1: Pleasing the Naysayers – By focusing attention on trying to win over the naysayers—something many of us 'pleasers' do—we end up giving them more oxygen than they deserve. Not only does this encourage them, it also provokes the undecideds to join the chorus of complainers when they realize that it's the best way to get the attention of the leader. And if that isn't scary enough, catering to the naysayers eventually pushes the very best supporters out the door in search of an organization where their loyalty and cooperation will be rewarded.

Choice #2: Assuming the Best – When we make the better decision and choose to focus our energy and attention on supporters, we drain the oxygen from the naysayers and provoke the undecideds to join the ranks of the supporters. And we end up encouraging the very worst of the naysayers to leave on their own, saving the organization valuable time and money. And if that sounds harsh, consider that we are helping them choose to find a place where they won't be so perpetually unhappy, if that is at all possible.

But what exactly does it mean to focus on the supporters? It doesn't mean we ignore the naysayers, per se. It is more about communicating to the entire organization as if everyone were reasonable and positive and generally interested in the greater good. That means we have to learn to smile at the naysayers, thank them for their input, and explain without apology or condescension that the organization is heading in a certain direction based on what's in the best interests of the whole.

And here's the amazing part; even some of the naysayers will eventually become supporters when they realize that chronic complaining doesn't work. Ironically, this can only happen when we stop trying to win them over. I guess that's yet another example of the power of tough love, something that pleasers like me sometimes struggle to do.

Patrick Lencioni is available to speak at your meeting. More information at http://www.keynoteresource.com/PatrickLencioni.html

08:27 - 2008-Jan-30

Creating A Positive, Innovative And Productive Work Life

Keynote business speaker and author Joel Zeff creates energy. His spontaneous humor and vital messages have thrilled audiences for years. As a national speaker and humorist, Joel captivates audiences with a unique blend of hilarious improvisational comedy and essential ideas on work and life. Corporations and organizations nationwide seek him out to motivate and energize their employees on such topics as creativity, communication, teamwork, passion and fun. His first book, “Make the Right Choice: Creating a Positive, Innovative and Productive Work Life” was just published by John Wiley & Sons.

A former newspaper journalist and public relations executive, Joel started his own consulting business in 1994. His business initially focused on helping technology and telecommunications companies with marketing, advertising and public relations. As he came in contact with so many corporate cultures, he noticed the glaring need for employees to have more fun and re-energize their creative spirit.

Joel  will be featured on "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" on CNBC TONIGHT, January 29^th, 2008. at 9:00p.m.CST / 10:00 PM EST.  The show will be rebroadcast at 12:00 CST 1:00 am EST

Book Joel Zeff to speak at your next event. More information at http://www.keynoteresource.com/JoelZeff.html

01:04 - 2008-Jan-29

Feel Great in 2008 by Eileen McDargh

Let’s face it: new years are not always “new”.  Too often it feels like nothing more than a new calendar in which to write down pages of non-stop activities, project deadlines, social obligations, and commitments made by someone other than you.

SO stop! It’s time to plug into something that YOU choose? something that can renew your batteries and refresh your interest in work AND life.  Unlike the bobble-headed figures that nod  “yes” at every touch, you DO get to declare ?time out? and place yourself first.

#1:  Retreat to advance.  Take yourself away for at least two nights and three days to a place for a silent retreat. Yes-silence!  Forbid yourself from using the phone, the television, or the radio.  It’s time to listen instead to the voices in your head that have been trying to get your attention for ages. Write what you sense. Think on paper.  And make resolutions that speak to what matters most.

#2:  Experience something far a field from your profession. Take a class or read a book that is NOT in your chosen line of work. Select something that piques your curiosity. The notion is to look for connections or ideas that might stimulate a new way of looking at your work or your life.  Former elementary teacher Gail Wenos studied ventriloquism and discovered a new way to teach adults!

#3:  Stretch yourself.  If you take an exercise class once a month, try going two more times.  If you cook the same food the same way, alternate with a new cookbook.  One father saw himself as totally ill-equipped to ride anything that had less than four wheels. But he took motorcycle lessons with his teenage son and his sense of personal accomplishment grew along with the bond to his child.

#4:  Practice your art every week.  Everyone has an art. It might be hammering nails or singing in the shower. It might be designing a garden or counseling a friend.  But it uses a talent you’ve got and when this talent is engaged, you burn brightly.  You leave the time refreshed. Put this down as a personal  “no matter what” on your day timer.

#5: Throw out what weighs you down.  Read only those things that are meaningful to you.  Can the clutter as well as the people who are the constant complainers and gripers.  Ditch the weight of unnecessary purchases and their financial burden. Give clothes you haven’t worn in over a year to Goodwill . Remember, every ounce counts.

Think of 2008 as the year that YOU take control over what charges your batteries and renews your energy field. Guaranteed, it won’t cost you $100 per barrel.

To have Eileen McDargh speak at your meeting go to:

http://www.keynoteresource.com/EileenMcDargh.html

03:01 - 2008-Jan-27

Keynote Speaker Connie Merritt’s Return On Investment

Connie Merritt saves you money and makes you healthier by presenting solutions to the most powerful job stressor - disrupted or difficult relationships.

Improving relationship skills reduces stress.

This has a direct effect on the way people handle their jobs - they make fewer mistakes, have improved concentration and increased job satisfaction. A healthier employee delivers bottom line results throughout the company with greater efficiency and productivity, reducing overall employee health care benefit cost, reducing worker compensation claims, reducing absenteeism and employee turnover."

When you book Connie Merritt as your speaker consider the following:

  Your stress will be lower during meeting planning and implementation - Connie has addressed more than 600 groups in the last 25 years and knows about your deadlines, constraints and concerns.

Your attendees will feel heard, understood and connected - Connie's active experience and credentials in health care plus her community involvement makes me "one of them."

Your meeting will be taken to a higher, more meaningful level - Connie's thorough preprogram research, audience interviews and natural humor give over-committed professionals not only skills to improve relationships but a renewed sense of purpose.

More information on Connie Merritt at http://www.keynoteresource.com/ConnieMerritt.html

01:32 - 2008-Jan-24

Ivan Gelfand’s Economic And Investment Report

One of the major economic negatives has been the housing markets and the sub-prime mortgage debacle. Unfortunately, this problem will be with us throughout 2008 and into 2009 and that is not good news. The economy or GDP (Gross Domestic Product) depends on consumer spending. Consumer spending accounts for 2/3 of GDP. As long as there are major lags in home construction, sales of new and older homes, and major declines in housing prices, which indirectly affects huge amounts of consumer spending, there cannot be any growth in the economy. When the lag in the housing markets does level off (which is expected possibly by year-end or spring of 2009), any recovery will lag severely.

Energy prices, another current economic negative, is also a constraint on consumer income and therefore on their spending. High energy costs not only affect the consumers, but are major factors for manufacturers and retailers, due to add-ons for transporting goods and other materials. Crude oil per barrel reached $100 per barrel in early January and is currently (as I write this) hovering around $96 to $97 per barrel. Don’t be surprised to see a barrel of oil at $125 by late spring of this year

Turbulence in African oil producing countries, and the always possible threat of another war in the Middle East, will maintain the current high price of oil, for the near-term. As the price of oil goes up, so do the prices of gasoline and heating oil, again hitting the consumer’s pocket book. The bright spot in all of this is the possibility of Saudi Arabia opening up another oil field and new oil supplies coming from projects in non-OPEC countries, such as the US Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and Russia. As a result you could see the price of oil decline in the later part of 2008 and into 2009.

Interest rates will continue their decline in 2008 with the U.S. Federal Reserve policy makers cutting the Federal Funds rate another 1 ¼% to 1 ½% throughout the first half of the year. It is very likely that the Fed will cut this rate and the discount rate by ½% when they meet the end of January. Weak employment report this month will pave the way for such a move, in addition to the poor credit and housing markets. It is therefore conceivable that the Fed will reduce the Fed Fund rate each time they meet during the first half of the year

The U.S. dollar continues to decline vs. foreign currencies. The positive of this makes the U.S. manufactured and other U.S. goods considerably cheaper in the global economy. As a result, a considerable number of industries are enjoying healthy growth and profits through their large increase in exports. In 2007, the exports of these industries grew 12% and are expected to increase at least 9% in 2008. The U.S. trade deficit, therefore, has narrowed considerably. The negative of all of this is inflation. As our manufacturing and other exporting companies increase their production; costs for wages; and other products increase, also. In addition, foreigners visiting the U.S. are spending large sums of money in restaurants, hotels and shops, attracted by the bargains in this country.

Unfortunately, the stock markets are “taking a beating” as a result of the credit crunch, the housing market and sub-prime problems. This should continue, at least, through the first half of the year. I expect this will improve in the second half of 2008 as GDP will begin a modest increase. GDP should grow somewhere between 1% and 2% for 2008. The stock market, therefore, will show little growth from 2007. 2008 will be a year of caution for equity investors.

The run to quality has been the goal for the bond and commodity markets, such as Treasuries and Gold. As a result, the price of Treasuries has increased with yields declining. The 10 year Treasuries should be about 4 ¼% by mid-year 2008. The spread between Treasuries and high grade bonds continues to be wide, but should narrow somewhat as the year progresses. Despite the many problems of quality investment and finance companies, their bonds and notes continue their quality agency ratings. There are many attractive yields in these securities. Any purchases of these securities should have at least a AA rating, or better, by one rating agency. I would continue to use the ladder style of maturity diversification and purchase within the 10 year maturity range.

Tax-free municipal bond yields continue to be attractive, relative to the yields on taxable corporate bonds, if your tax bracket is high enough to warrant them. A tax bracket of 28% or higher might warrant looking at these bonds. The insurance companies that insure municipal bonds (giving them a AAA rating) have been having problems similar to the investment banking companies. As a result, you should inquire about the status of the insurance company that is insuring any bond purchased. In addition, make sure the underlying rating of the bond is at least an A or better. This guarantees the quality of the bond you are buying if the insurance company goes out of business.

Book Ivan Gelfand to speak at your next meeting at:

http://www.keynoteresource.com/IvanGelfand.html

11:38 - 2008-Jan-21

Joel Zeff Successful Meeting Tip Of The Month

Evening events are always popular. And, I have seen a definite increase in clients looking for entertainment or a speaker to present after dinner. My first question is always, “Have you ever thought about having your entertainment before dinner?” Of course, clients usually don’t have the entertainment or speaker before dinner. Why? Because when the first conferences were held in ancient Roman times, Marcus Meeting Planner decided the best time for entertainment would be after dinner. Nobody questioned Marcus Meeting Planner and nobody has questioned him since.

Here is my thinking on having the entertainment before dinner:

The timing works significantly better. You don’t have to rush through dinner to get to the program. Your attendees have more control over their time. They can eat quickly and go back to their room for some much needed rest, or they can take their time through dinner and enjoy the company.

Your attendees have just seen an excellent speaker. Now, we all have something to talk about through dinner. We have all sat at 10-top tables and stared at the flickering flame of the candles. Now, we can talk about the speaker.

Your audience will not be as tired. Usually, your attendees have had a long day. Now, you are asking them to sit through dinner and then entertainment before they can go home or go to sleep. Having the entertainment earlier in the program can also give the audience a quick energy burst before dinner.

 Personally, I don’t speak while people are eating. I don’t even want my audiences eating a cracker. If you have the speaker or entertainment before dinner, you don’t have to fight the servers, bar, buffet lines, chocolate volcano or frozen martini sculptures.

The audience will always be more focused before dinner. They haven’t had as much to drink and their bellies are not full. Usually, a more attentive audience means a better performance.

Book Joel Zeff for your next meeting at http://www.keynoteresource.com/JoelZeff.html

02:25 - 2008-Jan-17

Building Relationships at Work

From Joel Zeff’s January 2008 Newsletter:

A business paper in Las Vegas wanted me to write up some thoughts on building better relationships at work. The writer only had space for a few of my thoughts, so I wanted to share my entire article with you. I will probably expand this into a larger article at some point.

Here are a few quick thoughts about building better relationships at work:

1. Each day at work ask yourself one question: “How can I make the other people around me more successful?” If you answer that question and act on it, you will have a very successful team. Most people come to work and say, '"How can everyone else make ME more successful?" If you don't care who gets the credit, if you learn to support and take care of the person next to you, the entire work environment will quickly change.

2. Take ownership of your happiness and passion. Too many times, employees let other people’s actions or words determine their happiness. Happiness is a choice. Unfortunately, when we give control to other employees, managers, customers, partners, or vendors, we are never very happy. We have to take back that ownership. Would you, as a normal, sane person, really make the choice to wake up in the morning, comb your hair, brush your teeth and say, “Man, I am bitter, frustrated and angry. I can’t wait to get to work.” No, you wouldn’t. Yet, people do that every day. We have to help each other understand it is a choice. We have no control over many issues in the workplace. We always have control of our attitude and how we react to those issues. We do have a choice to wake up every morning happier and more energized.

3. We all want two things from our jobs: opportunity and positive support. If we don’t get those two things, we are not very happy. We might come to work, but we aren’t happy. Give each other opportunity and positive support each day.

4. Be open and flexible to change. Change will happen every day. Most changes are out of our control. What we can manage is how we deal with change and each other. Be open. Be flexible. Be patient. Have fewer heart attacks.

5. Say thank you. When you drive home, think about all the people you worked with that day. Did you forget to give someone positive support and appreciation? If you did, be sure to say something tomorrow or send an e-mail. They still want to hear the words.

6. Stand up and say something. Until we each have microchips implanted in our brains, we will not be able to read each other’s minds. Talk to each other. If you have an issue, say something. Don’t keep it bottled up. Or, worse, whine to others in the break room. If you want something to change, you have to say something.

7. Be patient and understanding when you communicate. We are all different. We work differently. We communicate differently. Accept this fact, and life will be much easier.

8. Work in the moment and focus. When someone is speaking to you, they are giving you their most precious gift: time. It is our only possession that cannot be replaced. When you work in the moment, you are not multi-tasking. You are not thinking about your e-mails, phone calls, etc. You are only thinking about the person or persons who you are working and communicating with at that moment. Working in the moment is a very special place because we are more creative, productive and effective.

Joel Zeff is available for speaking engagements at http://www.keynoteresource.com/JoelZeff.html

01:20 - 2008-Jan-15

Leslie Sanchez is Politicking With Kick

Leslie Sanchez’ private counsel is frequently sought by Fortune 100 firms while her public analysis has appeared in major publications and on major networks. Leslie also appeared as a candidate in the inaugural year of The Apprentice - Martha Stewart on NBC.

Her expertise carries over into the political arena as well. Leslie tackled some of the most difficult issues before Congress as an aide to Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas - where she worked on high-profile immigration and border security legislation. She was often assigned to work with the staff of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. and is credited with helping House Republicans "put the foundation together" for their Hispanic outreach efforts.

A veteran of political and grassroots campaigns at all levels, in 2000 Leslie's portfolio included developing and executing the Republican Party's first-ever multi-million dollar advertising campaign aimed directly at Hispanic voters.

Leveling playing fields.

In 2001, Leslie was named executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. In this role, she served as the President's point-person on education issues impacting the Hispanic community. Under her direction, the task force she led built a grassroots network of 20,000 parents, educators and students. She monitored and evaluated Hispanic participation in education programs for 29 federal departments and agencies totaling over $110 million. Leslie also negotiated strategic partnerships between 30 Fortune 500 companies, grant-making foundations, government agencies and trade associations.

In addition, Leslie has been featured at Harvard University's ARCO Forum of Public Affairs at the Kennedy School of Government, and served as an ex-officio member of the President's Task Force on the Status of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

To book Leslie Sanchez to speak at your meeting go to: http://www.keynoteresource.com/LeslieSanchez.html

03:04 - 2008-Jan-14

Get Weird With John Putzier

John Putzier is the author of two best-selling books, Get Weird! 101 Innovative Ways to Make Your Company a Great Place to Work (AMACOM) and Weirdos in the Workplace! The New Normal…Thriving in the Age of the Individual (Financial Times Prentice Hall)

As an expert on current and emerging workplace issues and trends, John is invited to make regular appearances on major networks and contribute to major publications.

 John worked for a decade in a variety of human resources positions for a Fortune 100 corporation, where he served as an equal employment opportunity officer and manager of employment. Additionally, he has served on a variety of boards of directors for professional associations.

John Putzier offers a number of programs,including:

"Get Weird!"

101 Innovative Ways to Make Your Company a Great Place to Work

In the spirit of his best-selling book, “Get Weird!” there are 3 versions of this program which can be adapted to employee groups, business owners/executives or HR managers, and can run from a 60-minute keynote, up to a half-day workshop.

Every participant will get all 101 ideas in handout form, AND will learn the three universal truths behind the writing of this book, that are not in the book itself. With this knowledge, you will learn 1) how and why every manager must be a human resource manager, 2) how anyone can implement performance-based initiatives, even with limited time, money and authority, and 3) why getting weird is a timeless, priceless concept (i.e., because there is always a talent shortage).

If you like a no-nonsense, business-driven approach to human resources, then this is the program for you and your group. If you’ve read the book, you know John’s style is not only playful and pragmatic, but at times can even be controversial and irreverent.

09:38 - 2008-Jan-11

Creating Customer Bliss

Jeanne Bliss’ vim, vigor and passion for customers is the result of the collision of her Italian heritage and the serendipitous circumstances which brought her to the Wisconsin farmlands in 1983.

She developed her passion for the customer at Lands' End, Inc., where she reported to the company's founder and executive committee as leader for the Lands' End customer experience.

Jeanne went on to serve Allstate Corporation as their chief officer for customer satisfaction & retention.

At Mazda Motor of America as Senior Manager, Customer Satisfaction Jeanne  initiated the brand's retention effort..

Now managing partner of her own company, Jeanne coaches leaders on how to wrap their company's focus around customer profits. She is a worldwide keynote speaker on sustaining the energy and effort required to keep pushing that customer rock up the hill.

Jeanne offers a number of programs, including:

Why Good Companies Do Bad Things to Customers...and How to Fix It

Lighthearted Observations and Real-World Advice on How to Become a 'Customer' Company

Put on your coveralls for protection and participate in exposing the awful truth. We say customers are "it" then make them a casualty of the actions of our corporate machines. Audiences participate in exploring the 'dance of the silos,' how we force customers to use 'organizational navigation devices' to do business with us and how we've actually programmed behavior that works against them. Laugh at the reality of the truth and sigh a breath of relief learning what can be done about it.

Making Customers a True Priority of Your Business

Who's Yanking Your Customers' Chain?. What Crusaders Need to Know and CEOs Must Acknowledge

Your base of company power, a new concept called the Power Core, may actually be putting up roadblocks to customer focus and loyalty. From the Power Core, the 'true' priorities of the organization are set, and that disposition impacts everything touching customers - from what success looks like, to what skills are heralded, to how mandated company actions become customer experiences. You must know this base of power, this Power Core to understand the scale and scope of the customer work. In this keynote, identify your Power Core, learn how to examine its impact on customers and depart with an approach for getting to the heart of the issues between your customers and your company.

More information on Jeanne Bliss at http://www.keynoteresource.com/JeanneBliss.html

02:38 - 2008-Jan-9