2007 August » AchieveMax® Blog

Monthly ArchiveAugust 2007

Moment with Melanie Melanie L. Drake on 29 Aug 2007

Beginner Business Blog: Top Five Tips for Starting Your WordPress Business Blog

When we first talked about starting a blog for the AchieveMax® web site, I had a few concerns, the primary one being that I would have to learn a new program, which—after some research—turned out to be WordPress. Having now worked with a blog in WordPress for almost a year, I admit there are a number of things I wish someone had told me about WordPress and blogging when I started.

For those of you considering starting a WordPress blog for your business (on your own server, not through WordPress.com), here are the top five tips I wish I had known before starting a WordPress blog.

1. Windows Live Writer

The WordPress editor is lacking to say the least. I think it is worse than the first word-processing program I used more than 20 years ago. For St. Patrick’s day, Harry wanted his “Fact-A-Day” post to be in green text. With the WordPress editor, there is no button to change the color of the text. Instead, you have to track down the code for green text in some other program. Windows Live Writer, on the other hand, allows you to change colors of text, create tables, insert tags, insert maps and do a bevy of other things. You can then save the draft locally, post the draft to WordPress, or publish the article. It’s a little cranky with registered trademarks and em-dashes when transmitting a post into WordPress, but other than that I have no complaints so far.

2. Feedburner

Although I knew about Feedburner a few months before I ever set up an account, I initially didn’t see the need for Feedburner since I already had an RSS feed as part of WordPress. However, Feedburner makes it easy to redirect 100% of traffic for your feeds to a FeedBurner feed you have created. FeedBurner can then track all of your feed subscriber traffic and usage and apply a variety of features you choose to improve and enhance your original WordPress feed. I particularly like the feature that allows people to subscribe to the RSS feed via e-mail as well as the statistics for outgoing links and incoming links. I also use the headline animator (see below) in my e-mails. Since there are so many optional features, it takes a while to dig through your choices; I am still setting up some of the features.

AchieveMax® Blog

3. Daily Back-ups

Ever since Norton Antivirus decimated my Netscape mail a number of years ago, I’ve learned to back up my important files often, most on a daily basis. One day not too long ago, our blog disappeared. There was no way to sign in to the administrative panel, and nothing showed up on the main blog page. My web host has a link for downloading the SQL database, and believe me, without the back up, I could have lost months of work. I still have no clue what happened, but restoring the database with the back up was the only thing to fix the problem. Even with the back-up, I lost a few comments and the final version of two posts. There is also a WordPress Database Backup plug-in for those without this back-up feature on their web host.

4. FileZilla

Originally, I installed WordPress through Fantastico, which automatically installs a variety of scripts, through my web host. WordPress regularly updates its software with new additions and security updates that should be uploaded to your server. Updating WordPress via Fantastico was fine until a glitch with Fantastico caused all the em-dashes and registered trademarks to convert to gobbledygook. I have since discovered FileZilla, which is a fast FTP and SFTP client for Windows with a lot of features. I simply download the newest WordPress version, sign into my account, and upload my file. Of course, always create a back up of your SQL database and site before installing a new version of WordPress.

5. Technorati Incoming Links

Technorati searches, surfaces, and organizes blogs and the other forms of independent, user-generated content (photos, videos, voting, etc.) increasingly referred to as “citizen media.” It currently tracks 98 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media. By joining Technorati, you can claim your blog, which then allows you to see your incoming links in your WordPress dashboard. This feature is a good resource to know who is linking to you.

While I was writing the section on Technorati, I ran across an article, Newbie Blogging - Crucial Choices and Trackbacks. This blog article is a great source for learning about trackbacks and includes links to other sources for new blog owners.

Melanie L. Drake is a consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

“Beginner Business Blog: Top Five Tips for Starting Your WordPress Business Blog” is part one in a series of blog articles designed to help you start your own business blog.

Technorati Tags: WordPress, blog, beginner blogging

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Fact-A-Day from Harry K. Harry K. Jones on 28 Aug 2007

Fact-A-Day from Harry K. - August 28, 2007

Fact-A-Day from Harry K. In the spirit of C.A.N.I. (Continuous And Never-ending Improvement), here are this week’s new facts—one for each day of your coming week. Pass them on to others to keep the spirit alive or invite your friends and family to visit our blog where they can also view previous entries.

The first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel was a woman, Anna Edson Taylor. She made the journey on October 24, 1901, and escaped unhurt.
Next time you’re sprawled comfortably in a hammock, ponder this: the hanging bed was used by the natives of Brazil for hundreds of years. It was made of nets, suspended between trees, and woven from bark fibers of the “hamack” tree.
A bootleg refers to the long leather boots worn by cowboys in the Old West. They were used to store all manner of illicit goods, including an extra gun, a bowie knife, or a flask of moonshine.
James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, stood only five feet four inches tall and weighed less than one hundred pounds.
Roman statues were made with detachable heads, so that one head could be removed and replaced by another.
In ancient China people committed suicide by eating a pound of salt.
10 percent of all human beings ever born are alive at this very moment.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Technorati Tags: facts, learn, life-long learning

Little-Known Facts about Leaders Harry K. Jones on 24 Aug 2007

Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Leaders - Lee Iacocca

If someone were to ask me what Lee Iacocca was best known for, I’m afraid I would find it quite difficult to decide on a single answer. Today, he’s an 82-year-old philanthropist and author who’s as active, feisty, and driven as he’s ever been — if not more so.

However, to highlight a single chapter in his on-going saga would indeed be a momentous challenge. Think about the choices:

He was an American industrialist.
He was president of Ford Motor Company.
He was instrumental in the development of the Ford Mustang.
He was fired from Ford Motor Company.
He saved the Chrysler Corp. from bankruptcy via restructuring as chairman.
He secured a loan guarantee from the U.S. Congress in 1979 to save the company.
Unlike so many other industries, he repaid the entire loan — seven years earlier than expected!
He was responsible for Chrysler’s acquisition of AMC in 1987, reducing the Big Four to the Big Three. This move also brought the profitable Jeep division under Chrysler’s corporate umbrella.
He was a passionate advocate of U.S. business exports in the 1980s.
In 1982, Ronald Reagan appointed Iacocca to head the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, which was created to raise funds for the renovation and preservation of the Statue of Liberty. He continues to serve on the board of the foundation.
In 1999, Iacocca was the head of EV Global Motors Co. a company formed to develop and market electric bikes with a top speed of 15 mph and a range of 20 miles between recharging at wall outlets.
He is the author and co-author of several best-selling books.
He is a strong advocate for better medical treatment of diabetes. In 2000, Iacocca founded Olivio Premium Products, which manufactures the Olivio line of food products made from olive oil. He donates all profits from the company to diabetes research.
Iacocca has been an advocate of “Nourish the Children,” an initiative of Nu Skin Enterprises, since its inception in 2002. He is currently its chairman. He takes an active interest in the initiative and helped to donate a generator for the Malawi, Africa, VitaMeal plant.
Iacocca led the funding campaign to expand Lehigh University into buildings formerly owned by Bethlehem Steel. Iacocca Hall on the Mountaintop Campus of Lehigh University houses the College of Education, the biology and chemical engineering departments, and The Iacocca Institute, which is focused on global competitiveness.
In July 2005, Iacocca returned to the airwaves as Chrysler’s pitchman, along with stars such as Jason Alexander and Snoop Dogg, to promote Chrysler’s “Employee Pricing Plus” program; the ads reprise the “If you can find a better car, buy it” line that was Iacocca’s trademark in the 1980s. In return for his services, Iacocca and DaimlerChrysler agreed that his fees, plus a $1 donation per vehicle sold from July 1 through December 31, 2005, would be donated to the Iacocca Foundation for diabetes research.
Most recently, he wrote a book, Where Have All The Leaders Gone?, in which he challenges both political parties and business leaders everywhere to return our country to the levels of strength, quality, success and integrity it once enjoyed. He minces no words in this particular best seller. Visit our book reviews on our web site for greater insight.

See what I mean? Where would you focus? I hope I have, in some way, encouraged you to do some personal research on your own into this very multifaceted leader who will forever grace the pages of history books everywhere.

Lee Iacocca was born Lido Anthony Iacocca in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Italian immigrants who had settled in Pennsylvania’s steel-making belt. After high school, he graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in industrial engineering. He then attended Princeton University on a Wallace Memorial Fellowship.

Beginning a career at Ford Motor Company as an engineer in the early 50s, he quickly proceeded to turn them on their ear. He made tremendous inroads in engineering, sales and design and became president on his 40th birthday in 1964. Ironically, he clashed with Henry Ford II and ultimately was fired in 1978 despite Ford posting a two-billion-dollar profit for the year!

Rather than retiring, which he was certainly in a position to do, he moved across town to the Chrysler Corp. and performed what was considered to be miracle after miracle as he made automotive history. After retiring from Chrysler, you’d think Lee would be ready to settle down and enjoy his much-deserved retirement. Instead, he appears to have considered that retirement as a launching pad for the second half of his life. He’s accomplished more since retiring than most people do in their entire lives.

You’ll want to learn more about this very unique leader and will be inspired to share what you learn with others. We need more leaders like this man, and we need them today!

By the way, when embarking on your research, you can remember how to spell his last name by using the method devised by his Chrysler employees. They devised the mnemonic slogan: I Am Chairman Of Chrysler Corporation America.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Technorati Tags: leadership, leaders, business

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Look-Listen-Learn Harry K. Jones on 23 Aug 2007

Generation Communication Gap: Do You Really Know that “Generation Y” College Freshman You Call Family?

Look-Listen-Learn I recently read a very interesting article that focused on a possible motive for many of the major challenges we’re facing today. Chaotic examples of disruptive scenarios were shared from the area of politics, sports, the economy, today’s workplace, entertainment, employment, health care concerns, immigration, education, war, and family structure to name a few. It suddenly became quite apparent that there’s a growing communication problem within our society today, and it’s impacting just about everything we do.

The importance of good communication skills has long been acknowledged as a necessary skill for anyone striving for success. Our society has recognized, taught, debated and focused on this skill set for as long as I can remember. Then why the sudden epidemic leading to chaos in so many situations? The author suggested that it might be more than just communication skills. He suggests that it might very well be based on more of a “generational” clash than on a lack of communication skills. True, the ability to converse with one another is critical today more than ever as global cultures clash, technology advances at a tremendous speed, and the world becomes “flatter” by the minute.

However, is our lack of ability to converse successfully a result of declining communication skills or simply a more vivid example of our society existing of so many living generations who simply don’t make the time or effort to understand one another? And yet we’re forced to live and work together, making critical decisions impacting those around us who may very well have no idea as to what may have influenced our decision-making process.

This is a listing of recent generations for individuals born in the United States. Dates are approximate, as recognized by demographers. As you review the list, try to visualize someone you may know from each of the generations.

2001-Present - New Silent Generation or Generation Z
1980-2000 - Millennials or Generation Y
1965-1979 - Generation X
1946-1964 - Baby Boom
1925-1945 - Silent Generation
1900-1924 - G.I. Generation

As you review the list of those you visualized, think about the many vast differences in each generation. Consider their childhoods, parents, education, technology, politics, religious influences, work ethics, global exposure, etc. Obviously, there are tremendous differences in each generation, and yet today we’re forced to interact in a number of various scenarios. For instance, my grandchildren were exposed to computer operation and speaking Spanish in kindergarten. At that same age, I majored in sliding my nap rug across the classroom floor on my stomach, and the highlight of my day was devouring graham crackers and milk every afternoon.

Maybe this author has struck a critical chord here that demands closer scrutiny. As a society, we’ve acknowledged generation gaps, written books about them extensively and even discuss them in the classroom. However, have we really taken these studies seriously and made an effort to understand how we differ in so many ways from one generation to the next? Do we seriously realize the negative consequences that might result if these gaps continue to widen? If, after reading the following information, you realize the need to broaden your perspective on this critical issue, seek out the numerous studies and books available on the subject by going to Google and/or Amazon.com for further references.

Just in case you weren’t feeling old enough today, just read this. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year’s incoming freshman. Here are a few points from this year’s list. For the complete list, please visit the Beloit College’s Mindset List for the Class of 2011.

They never “rolled down” a car window.
They have grown up with bottled water.
Pete Rose has never played baseball.
Rap music has always been mainstream.
They were born the year Harvard Law Review Editor Barack Obama announced he might run for office some day.
Wal-Mart has always been a larger retailer than Sears and has always employed more workers than GM.
Al Gore has always been running for president or thinking about it.
They grew up in Wayne’s World.
Stadiums, rock tours and sporting events have always had corporate names.
MTV has never featured music videos.
The space program has never really caught their attention except in disasters.
They never saw Johnny Carson live on television.
The World Wide Web has been an online tool since they were born.
Dilbert has always been ridiculing cubicle culture.
There has never been a Berlin Wall.

It’s a wonder we can even speak to each other. And, interestingly enough, no one generation is more correct or incorrect than another. They’re all just enormously different from one another, and we’d best take immediate action to close those major gaps. What are you going to do?

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Technorati Tags: business, change, communication

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Resources Harry K. Jones on 22 Aug 2007

Tomorrow’s Work Place

The August 20th edition of Business Week magazine will be featuring a cover story on “The Future of Work.” In this special double issue, they will discuss how we will master technology, manage companies, and build careers in the era of the global 24-7 workforce.

As part of this special project, Business Week conducted a poll of 2,000 Americans in middle management and above, 25 years and older. Here’s a short sampling of their findings.

90% of managers think they’re among the top 10% of performers in their workplace.

When asked which of the following scares those polled the most, they answered as follows:

	Men	Women
My Computer	4%	7%
My Boss	6%	7%
My Spouse	11%	5%
Wall Street	27%	35%
China	52%	46%

More than 1 in 4 (25%) workers 55 and older say they expect to retire.

Only 1 in 10 (10%) under the age of 30 says the same.

6% of respondents under age 30 said they’ve accidentally called their boss Mom or Dad.

This special report also discuss “The Five Faces of the 21st Century Chief.” I found this article quite interesting as it predicted that the “generalist” CEO will give way to the “specialist” CEO, whether that’s a global networker or someone with a knack for assembling all-star teams. They’re also predicting five specialist CEO types to be in the greatest demand:

The BRAIN … May be algorithm geniuses, coding prodigies, or merely credentialed scientists or designers. CEOs in touch with their inner geeks will be a much sought-after breed.
The AMBASSADOR … CEOs with explicit business experience in emerging markets of China, India, Russia, Brazil and Dubai.
The DEALMAKER … Those able to both sell off non-core assets and go toe-to-toe with private equity players on big acquisitions will be in heavy demand.
The CONDUCTOR … Future companies will have to form alliances with outsiders and turn to networks of innovators for new ideas. More cooperation and creativity across divisions will also be necessary. This CEO will have to orchestrate everyone to play in the same key.
The CASTING AGENT … As Boomers retire, the talent wars will become fierce. CEOs who can retain the best people and deploy them adeptly will be hot commodities.

Think of the number of today’s CEOs who can’t honestly claim a strength in any one of those five areas.

Be sure to check out this issue of Business Week as it’s filled with articles reflecting the change of today’s workplace. They discuss the future of perks in the workplace, the no-cubicle culture, home-office-lab possibilities and the question of cog or co-worker?

If you happen to be one of those who won’t admit to constant change, simply pick up the newspaper and keep tabs on the number of articles you find in one issue that tells a different story. It was recently explained to me by an experienced MBA within a leading national organization that the realities of change didn’t actually apply to their current environment. They were too small and far too well-rooted in their current culture to be affected by the scare tactics of the change-mongers among us. I’m pretty certain there were people with very much that same attitude working for American Motors Corp., Trans World Airlines (TWA), and Montgomery Wards at one time. I wonder where they are today?

Want to learn more about broken molds, smashed time clocks, multidisciplinary projects, accordion staffing, freelance armies, mobile managers, and the just-in-time workforce? Don’t miss this captivating August 20th issue of Business Week.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Technorati Tags: business, management, change

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Fact-A-Day from Harry K. Harry K. Jones on 21 Aug 2007

Fact-A-Day from Harry K. - August 21, 2007

Fact-A-Day from Harry K. In the spirit of C.A.N.I. (Continuous And Never-ending Improvement), here are this week’s new facts—one for each day of your coming week. Pass them on to others to keep the spirit alive or invite your friends and family to visit our blog where they can also view previous entries.

More than 100 Barbie dolls are sold on eBay every hour.
A 2-inch square of Velcro is strong enough to hold a 175 lb. Man from the ceiling.
The first item sold on eBay (then called Auction Web) was a broken laser pointer that sold for $14 — at the time, more than the cost of a new one.
On that cold, cloudy, first day of business in 1955, Ray Kroc’s No. 1 McDonald’s sold $366.12 worth of 15-cent hamburgers, 19-cent cheeseburgers, 20-cent milkshakes and 10-cent sodas and orders of fries.
Women wear engagement and wedding rings on the third finger of the left hand (not counting the thumb) because an ancient belief held that a delicate nerve runs from that finger to the heart.
Although your head and neck take up only 10% of your body surface, you can lose more than 30% of your body heat through your noodle. Kids lose up to 60%. Unlike other blood vessels, the arteries in your head and neck don’t constrict in the cold air.
Elvis Presley was born in East Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. Had he lived, he would be 72. Impersonators abound, and it may help soften the blow of another blue Christmas without him. According to a recent Harris poll, more than 17 million Americans (men outnumber women two to one) have impersonated Elvis Presley at some point during their lives. Nearly 72 million have seen an Elvis impersonator. Long live “the King.”

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Technorati Tags: facts, learn, life-long learning

Look-Listen-Learn Harry K. Jones on 20 Aug 2007

Leadership Lessons We MUST Pass On

Look-Listen-Learn Over the years I’ve heard many people complain about professional speakers sharing stories, anecdotes, allegories, parables, metaphors, etc. that have been around forever. Apparently, they’re tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. I can understand that.

In fact, I’ve felt that way myself from time to time as a speaker while I’m creating keynote or seminar content. I can remember thinking maybe I should skip that particular material this time as so many people have heard it before. However, whenever that thought enters my mind, two major facts soon follow.

First, these traditional favorites have been repeated so many times by so many speakers for good reason. They educate, they entertain, they make a point, they’re memorable, they’re passed on to future generations because they have been proven time and time again to add value to those who hear them. When they stop proving to be valuable, they’ll be forgotten and cease to exist.

Second, I think of the many valuable tips, tools, strategies and lessons I’ve learned over the years from professional speakers and trainers that continued to share those very valuable traditional favorites. If they had decided to discontinue sharing for fear of being accused of repetition, I never would have had the pleasure and privilege of learning this material myself. As I think back over my career, I can remember hearing and reading a lot of repetition from such notable speakers and authors as Tom Peters, Zig Ziglar, Denis Waitley, Jim Rohn, Peter Drucker, John Maxwell, Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Norman Vincent, Brian Tracy, Napoleon Hill, and Tony Robbins. I’m so thankful they were persistent in their messages.

I’m also concerned about this valuable material not reaching the ears, hearts and minds of future generations. How will they learn these lessons if we don’t continue to share them? In reviewing today’s current business environment, it’s quite obvious that many of today’s leaders have missed some very important lessons during their careers, and the results have taken their toll. I urge you to join me in making certain we pass on these wonderful lessons to our future leaders.

For example, a client recently sent me the following old favorite. Although she had heard it many years ago, she enjoyed and appreciated hearing it again. After reviewing it myself, I certainly have to agree with her. I also thought of many people I’ve met who hold a variety of leadership roles who obviously missed this “oldie but goodie” the first time around. It’s one of many we should all remember and pass on to emerging leaders in every organization. Enjoy.

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one:

“What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, red-haired and in her early 40s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello’.”

I’ve never forgotten that lesson.

I’ve also never forgotten her name was Dorothy.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Technorati Tags: leadership, life-long-learning, business

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Business Briefs Harry K. Jones on 15 Aug 2007

Business Briefs - August 15, 2007

Chocolate Anyone?
Campbell Soup, the largest soup company in the U.S., recently reviewed their extensive portfolio and decided to explore strategic alternatives, which include the possible sale of their Godiva Chocolate division. They feel the premium chocolate business simply doesn’t fit their strategic focus on simple meals such as soup, baked snacks, and vegetable-based beverages.

Ronald sells Boston Market
McDonald’s has reached a deal to sell its Boston Market chicken chain to private-equity firm Sun Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. It’s amazing how many Boston Market fans had no idea the family-style restaurant was owned by McDonalds.

Preparation for Olympic Games Underway
Like so many other countries obtaining the privilege of hosting the Olympic games, China is pulling out all the stops to make certain they convince the world that they can produce the grandest games in history. With one year remaining before the opening ceremonies, Chinese organizers are evicting more than a million tenants to make room for the 37 venues, which make up the famed games. They’re also shutting down factories to reduce pollution, plotting to control the weather, staging rallies to teach English and ordering Beijing’s sometimes rude citizens to mind their manners. They’ve even scheduled the opening ceremony to take advantage of a Chinese lucky number - 8. The games will begin at 8:08, August 8, 2008.

They’re expecting 10,000 athletes and 550,000 visitors. To put on a good face for the world-wide exposure, China will dole out a record $40 billion on stadiums and airport and subway improvements. China is determined to overcome its growing negative image resulting from recent scandals involving contaminated food and consumer goods.

Possible Tax Increase Haunts Tobacco Land
As Congress weighs the biggest federal cigarette tax hike in history, $1 per pack, analysis has noted sharp declines in consumption. The nation may be about to experience one of the biggest one-time declines in smoking according to leading economists and health experts. Don’t expect the ever-strong tobacco industry to sit back and hope this doesn’t happen. You can bet the midnight oil is being burned in nightly strategy meetings all over Tobacco Land. The potential revenue losses would be an unacceptable blow to an enormous profit picture. You’re going to be hearing more about this issue in the coming days.

Toy Industry Added to Victim List
The Fisher-Price division of Mattel toys has become the latest victim of the “China Syndrome” to the obvious dismay of U.S. parents from coast to coast. Mattel, like many other toy manufacturers, had contracted with companies in China to make the toys. These toys produced sales of $22 billion last year, not counting another $12 billion in computer games. The toys were recalled because of concerns about paint containing lead, which has been outlawed for use on U.S. toys since 1978. China currently makes 70% to 80% of the toys sold in the USA.

The “China Syndrome” appeared first in pet food, then seafood, then tires, then toothpaste, and now it’s included the biggest toy company in the world as well as many other smaller ones. What’s next? Does anyone see a pattern here? Young toy owners are smart enough to respond with a resounding “duh”? What will it take to reveal this pattern to Washington?

Coke Gets Healthier
Cola-Cola announced it has agreed to purchase privately held Energy Brands, Inc., known as Glacéau, the maker of vitaminwater and other enhanced water beverages. The $4.1 billion acquisition will be in cash and is expected to close this summer, subject to customary approvals. Add current sales of their Dasani brand to the potential of Glaceau Vitaminwater, and one would think that the minds at Coke are taking water very seriously.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Technorati Tags: business

Fact-A-Day from Harry K. Harry K. Jones on 14 Aug 2007

Fact-A-Day from Harry K. - August 14, 2007

Fact-A-Day from Harry K. In the spirit of C.A.N.I. (Continuous And Never-ending Improvement), here are this week’s new facts—one for each day of your coming week. Pass them on to others to keep the spirit alive or invite your friends and family to visit our blog where they can also view previous entries.

One out of five American meals is eaten in a car.
Bamboo is stronger than concrete.
The word “deadline” originated in a Civil War prison, where lines were drawn that prisoners passed only at the risk of being shot.
At 840,000 square miles, Greenland is the world’s largest island. It is three times the size of Texas.
The ears of a cricket are located on its front legs, just below the knees.
You can tell the temperature by listening to a cricket chirp. For the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and then add 37.
25% of all the vegetables consumed in the United States are french fries.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Technorati Tags: facts, learn, life-long learning

Need a Lift? Harry K. Jones on 13 Aug 2007

What Happened to “Americans”?

The “AMERICAN” I grew up with has disappeared. As a military serviceman, I was an “AMERICAN,” serving and protecting other “AMERICANS.” I took great pride in doing so. Today, I’m sad to report the demise of those “AMERICANS.” They have become an endangered species moving rapidly toward a state of total extinction. WE can reverse that dangerously negative trend, and I’m suggesting we begin doing so immediately. Let me explain.

Merriam-Webster defines “American” as ”a native or inhabitant of North America or South America.” It is also defined as “a citizen of the United States,” which is the definition used in this article.

Due to my extensive travel schedule, I find myself doing a lot of my computer work very late at night. In doing so, I usually keep the television on, tuned into one of the many news channels, as a multi-tasking effort to keep me awake as I compute and keep up to date on what’s going on in the world. I learn a lot by listening to, watching, and reading the news. I’m growing tired of what I’ve learned the past few years. For instance, I have learned that we have lost trillions of dollars in Iraq, and I learned who’s at fault. A conservative television station clarified exactly why the liberals are totally at fault. It made sense to me. Then I turned to a liberal station and learned how the conservatives engineered the entire operation. That, too, made sense to me. The list goes on and on. Who’s responsible for the poor and/or lack of response to Katrina? Gas prices? Immigration? Global warming? Lack of health care? Infrastructure collapse? Growing taxes? Rising prices? Poor quality? Trade imbalance? Who’s truly at fault? Republicans or Democrats? Conservatives or Liberals? Bulls or Bears? Pro-life or Pro-choice? Hawks or Doves? Male or Female? Rich or Poor? Boomers or Busters? Catholic or Protestants? I obviously have no clue.

I do know this. “AMERICANS” die in wars. “AMERICANS” suffered from Katrina. “AMERICANS” are paying higher prices for everything. And, as I look back over the years, it’s so very obvious that our greatest accomplishments occurred when we came together as “AMERICANS.” We cured diseases, we won wars, we landed on the moon, we overcame tremendous odds, we solved problems, we created the world’s greatest products and services, we won the respect of the world, and we did it as “AMERICANS.” We didn’t accomplish any of these things as members of the many categories listed above. We’ve always been at our best when we came together as “AMERICANS.” Have we forgotten this valuable lesson? Can we afford to forget it? It’s time we returned to the valued status of “AMERICANS.”

I recently received the following piece from a friend. It was written by my all-time favorite author, “Anonymous,” and it reminded me that those serving our country all over the world, defending our way of life, and doing it proudly are doing so as “AMERICANS.” This is a fact that we should be thankful for, should be appreciating daily, and should be explaining to our children and grandchildren as we strive to regain that treasured status as “AMERICANS.”

Here’s another thought. If you know any of these true “AMERICANS,” take a moment out of your busy day and send them a note of thanks and appreciation. If you don’t know anyone serving our country abroad, contact any one of the following sites to learn more about sending e-mails, letters, gifts, etc. to members of the military all over the world. What a fantastic family project! What a great tradition to pass on to future generations. A few moments out of your busy day can make all the difference in the world to a brave, lonely “AMERICAN” on the other side of the world. No politics, no issues … just thanks and appreciation from one “AMERICAN” to another. Do it today and urge others to do the same.

For those who fight on distant shore,
Who give without a word;
Defending us with honor,
So gallantly they serve.

For every boy who leaves his home,
Returning here a man;
And every woman who made a choice,
To make serving part of her plan.

For every fallen soldier,
Who gave all they could give;
To guarantee our liberty,
And the freedom that we live.

Each one who served with honor,
The brave, the tried, the true;
America gives its thanks today,
For we see a hero in you.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

For more information on our seminars, keynote presentations, or consulting services, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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