What’s Your Dominant Thought About the Boston Bombings?

B-O-S-T-O-N. I know, I know. We’ve probably all heard our fill of Boston over the past week or so. I have a strange feeling that before it’s all over, we’re going to hear a great deal more. In fact, most Americans will forever change the way they think of Boston … and that, in itself, is a tragedy!

Pause for just a moment and focus on the City of Boston as you once knew it. Just about anyone who has ever attended school has a certain degree of familiarity with that historic city. Some have studied the history of Boston, some have visited there regularly, others have adopted one of their famed sports teams. We’ve all been exposed to Boston in one way or another prior to the recent tragedy which captivated headlines around the world.

Have you ever considered the number of reasons people had to think about Boston prior to the horrific bombing? You might be surprised. Of course, answers will vary based on age, location, travel, background, etc. but consider a few of the many possibilities:

Boston Red Sox, Celtics, & Patriots / Irish immigrants / Harvard, Boston College & M.I.T. / the Boston Tea Party & Battle of Bunker Hill / the T.V. show “Cheers” / New Kids on the Block / the Kennedy family / the Subway System & the “Big Dig” / North Church & Paul Revere / Fenway Park & Boston Gardens / The Constitution (ship) / famed medical and research hospitals / Boston Harbor & Boston Commons / and, of course, the Boston Marathon. I’m sure others have many additional memories which would ordinarily come to mind at the mention of “BOSTON.”

Sadly, that will seldom happen in the future. Most all dominant thoughts will be replaced with any number of visions of terrorism, death and horrendous injuries. That is so sad and unfair for so many reasons. Speaking for myself, I refuse to allow that to happen. I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to work in the Boston area a great number of times over the years in my role as a trainer, consultant and keynote speaker. I’ve learned to know and love the people and the culture of Boston. I won’t be able to totally forget the horrendous events surrounding the Marathon. I doubt if anyone will. However, I can choose to replace those events by focusing on more positive actions which arose as the result of so many unsung heroes who surfaced during this tragedy and the days to follow.

There were so many first responders, citizens, fans, police officers, fire personnel, hospital staff, etc. who immediately surfaced to assist those in need. Another impressive group could be classified as fellow Americans all over the country. Let me share one memory that will always stick with me.

I don’t know if you’re aware of the long-standing rivalry between New York City and Boston when it comes to sports of any kind. It’s serious business. The teams’ rivalry, which has reared its ugly head in bench-clearing brawls and fan assaults over the years is unequaled in its intensity and long history. The word “hatred” is often used to describe the feelings that fans from both cities feel for the other.

Due to the intense rivalry, every form of media, here and abroad made it a point to cover fan reactions to the Boston tragedy. The rivalry was set aside and support for fellow Americans emerged as the immediate response to initial news reports. The New York Yankees played a home baseball game the night following the bombing. TV screens around the world focused on Yankee fans wearing Red Sox hats, shirts, and jackets while flying banners and flags supporting Boston.

For over ten years now the Boston Red Sox have enjoyed a tradition of pausing in the eighth inning to pump Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” through their Fenway Park speakers. Everyone in the audience stands up and sways back and forth with their fellow fans in a show of camaraderie and team support. No one is certain how or why this tradition got started but Bostonians seem to love it.

The night following the bombing a few weeks ago, a stadium full of Yankees fans stood arm in arm at the bottom of the third inning in the Bronx, singing along to “Sweet Caroline,” the Boston Red Sox anthem. Irony and sarcasm were absent. During a moment of silence at the start of the game, a large commemorative ribbon with logos from the two teams was shown on the electronic board atop the ballpark. Sincerity was the mood of the night. Hard-boiled New Yorkers knew what the good folks of Boston were going through. It was touching and so representative of how Americans support one another in time of need!

In fact, if you looked around New York the past few weeks, you’d have seen nothing but love for Boston and that is, indeed, a rarity!

In what city officials said was a first, the bright-blue Boston city flag flew at half-staff at New York’s City Hall, on the orders of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

An Occupy Wall Street group, the Illuminator, on Monday night projected the two teams’ logos in large lights on the walls of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A heart was inserted between the logos, to read “NY(heart)B.” The image has gone viral.

“Sweet Caroline” also was played by the Chicago Cubs, L.A. Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and the Cleveland Indians.

Interesting footnote: Shortly after the 9-11 attacks on New York’s Twin Towers, everyone in Boston’s Fenway Park stood in unison and sang “New York, New York” accompanied by tears and prayers for the victims of that horrible tragedy. That’s the United States I know, love, and have faith in.

If my previous dominant thoughts of Boston and New York are going to be replaced as a result of terrorism, I’m going to replace them with examples such as those noted above. That’s MY choice and I’ve already made it!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Your Dominant Thought Will Prevail in 2013

It’s happening once again. Maybe it’s just me, but I have heard others mention it as well. We’re rapidly moving through the holidays as we approach the coming new year. Moving from Halloween activities through New Year’s Eve celebrations feels more like a few weeks than three months.

It’s been a very difficult year for so many, and things don’t look much better for the coming year. Sadly, many have made the personal decision to throw in the towel and place the blame on politicians, a tough economy, global competition, and a myriad of other convenient excuses.

I don’t think these people realize that they have become their own worst enemies. All my life, I’ve heard about the importance of having a positive mental attitude. I’ve seen hundreds of examples where positive thinking or the lack of it made the difference in the life of an individual and/or an organization.

It’s not hype. It’s not motivational voodoo though some present it as such. I’m a firm believer in the fact that we move toward our most dominant thought! If that thought happens to be negative, we stop trying, we blame circumstances, we lose our purpose, we give up. We suffer the negative consequences we predict for ourselves.

On the other hand, if we keep our most dominant thoughts positive, we experience the opposite. We become more creative, form new alliances, fine tune products and/or services, and refuse to give up. Such success is profiled in the media most every day.

The decision is yours! What will 2013 hold for you? You might want to review your dominant thoughts today in preparation what must be done in the near future.

We recently lost a fantastic speaker and author who has been motivating people for decades. Zig Ziglar has been using terrific stories to share his wisdom with audiences for close to 50 years. I’ve heard him share the following story many times and it certainly demonstrates the importance of self-confidence and positive thinking. What do you think?

The Kindness of John D. Rockefeller

A business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment.

He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly an old man appeared before him.

“I can see that something is troubling you,” he said.

After listening to the executive’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.”

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.”

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world! “I can erase my money worries in an instant!” he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the un-cashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the un-cashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared.

But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. “I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller. ” And she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he’d been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his new found self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he ever imagined.

What are your positive dominant thoughts for the coming year? Be they negative or positive … you WILL move toward your most dominant thought! Act accordingly!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Stress Is Taking Its Toll

Here are three simple questions about a prominent challenge for all of us in today’s current environment.

  1. What is the definition of stress?
  2. What causes stress?
  3. How does stress affect you personally?

Simple questions, right? However, ask a dozen people those three simple questions, and you’ll more than likely receive a dozen different answers to each of them.

The reason is simple. There is no common definition of “stress” that everyone can agree on. What may be stressful to one person may be pleasurable or have no effect whatsoever on another. For a wide variety of reasons, we all react differently to stressors.

However, most would agree that stress can be a crucial challenge in today’s ever-changing, chaotic environment. Most of us are busier than ever before. We’re busy at work, busy at home, busy with children, and busy with social and religious obligations … and simply trying to keep our heads above water.

I have personal friends, family and associates who are currently dealing with the consequences of stress. Earlier in my career, I actually lost my eye sight for a period of time as a result of stress factors in my life.

Most of us can easily define the “stress” we’re currently dealing with. We’re well aware of the fact that stress is responsible for high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and a growing number of other health issues.

Most of us know exactly what’s causing the stress in our lives.

And, ironically, most of us know a number of things we can do to reduce our current stress levels. It might be diet, exercise, sleep, or any number of coping strategies that we’ve been exposed to. We know what to do—we simply don’t it.

For some, it’s because they really don’t believe they’ll experience those negative consequences. They have to SEE it to believe it. They actually have to experience a

S ignificant
E motional
E vent

before they’re willing to take coping action of any kind.

In short, it goes back to the knowing-doing gap. We know what we should do—we simply don’t do it.

You might want to take a proactive stance on this critical issue before you suffer the negative consequences which could very well change your life.

Take a few minutes to review this short video to learn 10 Rules to Simplify Your Life and reduce stress levels.

You’ll gain nothing by watching the video.

You’ll gain nothing by learning, even memorizing, the 10 rules.

You’ll gain a great deal by executing what you learn from this short video!. Are you willing to do that?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Overcoming the Fear of Failure

I’m very fortunate to have a good number of high school and college students as “friends” on my Facebook page. Many of them, surprisingly, are from other countries. I often receive requests for quotes to be used in papers that are being written about a wide variety of business subjects and I, of course, am more than happy to oblige.

I’m also asked for advice by these young people on how to deal with a number of common, as well as unique, challenges. Recently, a young lady requested advice on overcoming her very serious fear of failure. I needed more information before feeling comfortable to address that issue so I contacted her by phone. We had a very interesting conversation for almost a full hour.

Listening to her concerns took me back to my early days in business … vividly reminding me of so many of my fears at that time. I remember one of my biggest fears being that of having to speak in front of my small class of 30+ students in high school. It was indeed a serious fear which would constantly lead to a trembling voice, knocking knees, loss of memory, a high pitched stutter, and enough sweat to fill my shoes after a single paragraph.

Years later, I would work in radio (I have a great face for radio!) and television. Today, I travel all over North America speaking to large and small groups ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. I speak to high school and college audiences in major auditoriums. I speak to CEOs, corporate boards and large groups of military personnel. And I make it a point to often think back to those high school days when I would rather cut off an arm than walk to the front of a 30-student classroom to share a simple book report.

When you think about it, we don’t have a fear of speaking in front of an audience or any other fear for that matter. We have a fear of failing—making a mistake that might generate laughter and even humiliation on our part. Fear of failing can result in tremendously negative consequences for us.

However, upon further examination, I think you’d have to admit that you’ve failed many times in your life, although you may not remember.

You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn’t you? How many times did you fall trying to learn how to ride your bike? I remember spending hours and hours trying to learn how to tie my shoes, failing time and time again. To this day, I can’t cook a fried egg without breaking the yolk!

Did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat? Heavy hitters, the ones who hit the most home runs, also strike out a lot. In his day, Babe Ruth was the home run king with 714 home runs to his credit. What few people know is that during that same time period he also held the record for striking out at bat more than anyone else with 1,330 failures.

R.H. Macy failed seven times, before his store in New York caught on.

Author J.K. Rowling had her Harry Potter manuscript rejected time after time. Today, after successful books, movies, toys, clothing, etc., she is the world’s richest author with a net worth of $1.0 billion dollars and 400 millions books published.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. His coach justified the cut by pointing out that Michael had little or no potential!

Wayne Gretsky, probably the greatest hockey player to play the game, pointed out that you miss 100% of the shots you fail to take! Don’t worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.

Tom Peters, professional speaker and successful author of 15 best-selling books, tells an interesting story about Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, and the fact that Sam was totally unafraid to fail. Listen to Tom and then go face a fear. Make it a habit. You’ll be glad you did!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Three Words That Could Change the World

The title of this article is a little misleading. Let me correct that immediately. I want to share three words that, IF EXECUTED, could change the world! It, of course, requires that we close the proverbial “Knowing-Doing Gap.”

We’ve all been exposed to these three words for decades. Everyone knows what they are, everyone knows what they mean, and everyone knows how to execute them. However, in today’s rapidly changing, ever-chaotic environment, very few people attempt the actual execution. And that could very well be why this country is in the shape it’s in today.

By now, you may have figured out that the three words are: WALK THE TALK!

The following three-minute video explains it much better than I can. However, as you watch this moving message, I want you think about the impact which might result if it were mandatory for all members of the following organizations to not only watch the video but also execute the message!

  • All Washington Politicians
  • All State Politicians
  • All Members of Law Enforcement
  • All Wall Street Executives
  • All Wall Street Employees
  • All Medical Personnel
  • All Business Executives
  • All Business Owners
  • All Board Members
  • All Athletes in Every Sport
  • All Coaches and Staff
  • All Religious Leaders
  • All Members of the Entertainment Industry
  • All Members of the Military
  • All Parents
  • All Family Members

I hope by continuing this list to the extreme, I’ve made my point! Children no longer have role models to look up to. No one trusts anyone. A handshake or verbal agreement is laughable today. Marriages don’t last. People have lost faith in the greatest country in the world! What’s next?

Trying to solve the above challenges seems insurmountable. And yet, if each of us, individually, could focus on the execution of the message in this video, you would see massive change take place almost immediately! Take a look, see what you think, and begin today!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Is Customer Service “Falling Down”?

I recently saw a late night re-run of a terrific action/crime film starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall. This 1993 film, Falling Down, centers on Douglas’s character, William Foster, who is a recently divorced and unemployed former defense engineer.

The film follows him as he goes on a violent rampage across the city of L.A. trying to get home in time for his daughter’s birthday party. Along the way, a series of encounters, both trivial and provocative, cause him to react with violence and make sardonic observations on life, poverty, the economy and commercialism.

One particular scene takes place as the main character finds himself in a fast food restaurant after several extremely stressful events on an unusually hot summer day.

What happens next is classic, and I’m certain viewers will immediately identify with his frustration with the total lack of customer service he receives from the staff and the manager of Whammy Burger. We’ve all been there, we’ve all felt the same, but fortunately we avoided responding the way Foster did.

This short clip will have you sitting on the edge of your seat while realizing this scene could occur most anywhere at any time in today’s chaotic environment. I’ve shared this clip with many seminar audiences while defining the term “Vigilante Consumer.” I can’t think of a better way of explaining this term and demonstrating the possible consequences, although extreme in this case, of poor service.

The title of the film, referring to Foster’s mental collapse, is taken from the title of the nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down, which appears several times during the film.

Watch this clip and see if you don’t relate to his frustration at not being able to order breakfast two minutes after they switched to the lunch menu. You’ll also laughingly identify with his comparison of the skimpy unattractive Whammy burger in his hand to the thick, juicy, scrumptious photo on the menu board.

If customer service is critical to your success, you might consider sharing this clip with your staff followed by a discussion of how Foster might react after a visit to your establishment.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Looking for That Decisive Edge? It’s Simple and Accessible! Set Goals!

I’ve been presenting keynotes and seminars on the subject of goal setting for as long as I can remember. It’s not the most popular subject to the masses. It falls into a unique category along with time management, preventative maintenance, and diet and exercise. Everybody knows it’s necessary—nobody wants to hear it! It’s probably because they realize it means planning, discipline and execution! However, seldom are the benefits considered.

Economic stress, a competitive marketplace and a chaotic environment have apparently caused many to understand the necessity and benefits of both individual and organizational goal setting. Of the 50 plus seminars we offer our clients, inquirers and requests for “On Your Mark, Get Set, Goal!” have recently escalated this program into our current top five! There’s obviously good reasons for such an increase.

The importance of setting clear goals is difficult to exaggerate. Goals are commonly emphasized as one of the key factors for achieving success for both individuals and companies. In fact, numerous studies have for years declared that the lack of clearly defined goals is widely considered to be one of the greatest stumbling blocks in achieving success. Glance at any best-selling book on the subject of personal and professional development and you’ll find countless references to the need for this critical skill.

There are several reasons why the average person dreads the thought of goal setting:

  • Assumed lack of time
  • Lack of understanding as to the importance of goals
  • Obvious lack of knowledge as to the “How-To’s”
  • Not recognizing the many benefits
  • Fear of failure
  • Fear of rejection

As a result, extensive national studies all agree: Less than 5% of the population set goals! The vast majority of people have no goals at all! Less than 1% of those who have goals, write them down!

Stop and think of the advantage you have over your competition if you not only set goals, but write them down! Apparently many are beginning to realize just that based on increased activity we’re seeing from our clients. Want and/or need that advantage. Do something about it! Take action now!

Remember what Michelangelo said: “The greatest danger for most of us is NOT that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it!”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Another Priceless Lesson Taken from Headlines

This commentary is NOT about cars or airplanes so please read it to the end to understand a valuable lesson we can all benefit from!

This morning I came across another of the unending lessons available to us if we simply pause, examine, and contemplate from time to time.

I read an article explaining why Ford Motor Company is benefiting greatly from the fact that they refused government bailout money. Maybe Ford did “Have a Better Idea!” (Remember Ford’s old slogan?)

When G.M. and Chrysler gladly accepted the offer of funds from Washington, Ford instead mortgaged itself heavily, borrowing private capital instead of taxpayer cash. At that time, new CEO Alan Mulally wanted to avoid the government control which accompanied the bail-out funds. It allowed his company to make its own decisions about new products, reorganization, and personnel changes.

As a result, Ford sales soared during the recent cash-for-clunkers month-long program and Ford products appear to be gaining popularity among new car buyers. Ford placed two of its products, the Focus and the Escape, on the list of the top ten cars bought by buyers trading in clunkers. The other eight entries were Asians, led by Toyota and Honda. In August, Ford saw a 21% rise in its retail sales overall, which indicates a diminishing reliance on unprofitable fleet sales. Ford has gained retail market share in 10 of the last 11 months.

The lesson I mentioned earlier evolved from the fact that Southwest Airlines was the only American airlines to refuse government dollars following the aftermath of the 9-11 tragedy. They felt it was wrong to burden the taxpayer under those circumstances.

Long story short … when the Fortune 500 was recently revealed, Southwest Airlines was the ONLY U.S. airline to show a profit. Compare that to Ford’s recent performance and realize that it may very well pay to trust dedication, determination, and true grit to get you through trying times. It certainly seems to have worked for these two risk-taking, future-focused industry giants proving that it can be done.

By the way, have you tried the government-owned, General Motors new cologne? Hello?

Maybe General George Patton was right when he said: “Americans love a winner and hate a loser. Forget about sympathy for the underdog.”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Never Give Up

Very few people recognize Charles Schultz by his photo, but millions identify with his name as soon as they hear it. As a young boy, he was known as Sparky after a comic-strip horse named Sparkplug.

This young man struggled every day throughout his school years. In fact, he failed every subject in the 8th grade. In high school he flunked Latin, Algebra, and English, and he flunked Physics with the lowest sore in his school’s history.

He did very poorly in sports, few people talked to him at all, and he was known by students and faculty alike as a loser by every possible measure. Although most who knew him saw no value, he believed he was blessed with a natural talent: his ability to draw. While very proud of his drawings, no one else shared his view. In fact, his high school yearbook rejected a series of cartoons he submitted in his senior year.

His only art training evolved from a correspondence course he completed after graduating from high school. He always dreamed of being a cartoonist at Walt Disney Studios and wrote them a letter in hopes of achieving that goal. Disney requested a sample of his work. He spent days creating a portfolio, forwarded it to Disney and soon received a heart-breaking form letter turning him down.

Little did he know at the time but this dire disappointment became the turning point in his life. He was again reminded that he was a loser. As a result, he decided to draw his autobiography in cartoons focusing on a chronic underachiever. He created a little boy whose kite would never fly and whose destiny and total blind trust in his friends prevented him from ever being able to kick a football. However, the entire world would come to know and love this little guy whose name was Charlie Brown.

Sparky’s real name was Charles Schultz and his “Peanuts” cartoon strip began in 1948 and went on to be one of the most popular cartoon strips in history. When it ended 52 years later in 2000, it was running in 2,600 newspapers in 21 languages with a readership of 355 million in 75 countries. He even earned his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He drew every single strip by hand which earned him, together with merchandise, TV specials, and theater and stage musicals, more than $1 billion.

Remember his loyal beagle Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Franklin, Sally Brown, Schroeder, Pigpen, Frieda, and the Great Pumpkin? Schultz originally called his strip about Charlie Brown and his Friends “Li’l Folks.” However, he quickly discovered that this title was far too close to the names of two other popular comics of the time: Li’l Abner and a strip titled Little Folks. To avoid confusion and possible legal action, Schultz settled on the name Peanuts, after the peanut gallery featured on the Howdy Doody Show.

Robert J. Thompson, the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, has described Peanuts as “the most shining example of the American success story in the comic strip field,” ironically based on the theme of “the great American un-success story,” since the main character, Charlie Brown, is meek, nervous and lacks self-confidence, being unable to fly a kite, win a baseball game, or kick an football. The strip is considered to be one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, making it “arguably the longest story ever told by one human being.” In book form, the complete 18,250 cartoon strips would compromise 5,000 pages.

The final daily original Peanuts comic strip was published on January 3, 2000. Original Sunday strips continued for a few weeks, with the last one published, coincidentally, the day after Schultz’s death on February 12th.

Remember Sparky … a total loser in the eyes of the world? Yet, consider the joy he brought into the lives of millions around the world because he refused to give up. Add to that accomplishment his own personal success in so many ways. There may be a little of “Sparky” in you or maybe someone you work with … maybe a friend, neighbor or family member. If so, share the importance and power of never giving up!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Innovation – Necessity or Luxury?

There once was a time when most every organization viewed innovation as a priority—something a business must do in order to grow and prosper. In today’s economy, innovation falls into the same category as training and advertising. It’s viewed as something we put on the back burner until better times return.

However, many successful companies view all three areas as areas that are nice to focus on when things are going well but absolute necessities when times are as tough as they are today. I challenge you to truthfully answer the question posed in the final paragraph of this piece. In fact, that question should be posed to and discussed among every member of your leadership team if you hope to keep pace in an environment that includes increasing numbers of customers, competitors, new technologies, and challenges.

Every year, BusinessWeek publishes its list of the 25 most innovative companies based on an annual survey of top executives by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). This past December, BCG sent its 20-question poll to senior executives around the globe. The 2,700 respondents, who answered anonymously, were asked to name corporations that consistently offer inventive products, customer experiences, business models, or processes. The votes of executives who chose their own employers were disqualified.

BCG then factored in the financial performance of the top vote-getters as follows:

  • Survey results 80%
  • Stock returns 10%
  • Three-year revenue 5%
  • Margin growth 5%

As you can plainly see, this list was not the result of a popularity contest. Listed below are the Top 25 Most Innovative Companies. The entire list of the Top 50 companies can be viewed at www.businessweek.com. A visit to this site will provide you with the ranking, examples of how they achieved those rankings, their stock return, revenue growth, and margin growth.

There are six newcomers this year:

  • #16, Samsung,
  • #18, Volkswagen,
  • #19, McDonalds,
  • #23, ATT,
  • #24, Coca-Cola and
  • #25, Vodafone.

They replaced General Motors, Boeing, Goldman Sachs, 3M, Target, and Facebook which all fell from grace.

Below you’ll find the ranking, the organization, and last year’s rating.

  1. Apple (2008 – #1)
  2. Google (2008 – #2)
  3. Toyota Motor (2008 – #3)
  4. Microsoft (2008 – #5)
  5. Nintendo (2008 – #7)
  6. IBM (2008 – #12)
  7. Hewlett-Packard (2008 – #15)
  8. Research In Motion (2008 – #13)
  9. Nokia (2008 – #10)
  10. Wal-Mart (2008 – #23)
  11. Amazon.com (2008 – #11)
  12. Procter & Gamble (2008 – #8)
  13. Tata (2008 – #6)
  14. Sony (2008 – #9)
  15. Reliance Industries (2008 – #19)
  16. Samsung Electronics (2008 – #26)
  17. General Electric (2008 – #4)
  18. Volkswagen (2008 – NR)
  19. McDonalds (2008 – #30)
  20. BMW (2008 – #14)
  21. Walt Disney (2008 – #14)
  22. Honda Motor (2008 – #16)
  23. AT&T (2008 – #27)
  24. Coca-Cola (2008 – NR)
  25. Vodafone (2008 – #47)

I’m certain you would expect me to endorse training and innovative efforts as I make a living assisting clients to do just that. However, I challenge you to take a second look at those on the above list. Consider their long-standing success, their stock return, their revenue growth, and their margin growth. Note the fact that these productive organizations believe and engage in the pursuit of innovation as a critical strategy in their journey to success in the midst of our current recession and market meltdown.

Again, browse the above list, answer the following question, and take the proper action while you still have the option to do so.

The question you should soon discuss with your leadership team: Do we delay innovative efforts until the dust settles and better times return OR do we initiate, encourage, and support innovative strategies at every level of the organization to survive, improve efficiency, quality, and flexibility to attain the success we seek?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.