AchieveMax® Blog

I don’t know about you, but I’ve pretty much had my fill of politics. This comes after witnessing my 641st televised political debate earlier this evening. After the fourth debate of the series, I was convinced as to exactly who I was going to vote for. However, I changed my mind after the fifth debate. And again after the sixth and so on and so forth up until tonight’s 641st attempt at brainwashing the American public. I’ve reached the conclusion that there are very few honest people within the beltway of Washington D.C., and I’ve met them both. One drives a colorful taxi for Liberty Cab and the other waits tables at the Café Promenade at the Mayflower Hotel on Connecticut Ave. NW!  

After months of countless commercials, character assignations, and a myriad of promises and pledges, I have recognized a major theme emerging from the 24/7 political madness we’ve been subliminally forcefed.
 
The theme, of course, is CHANGE! What an original concept. It must be a good one because every single candidate from both parties and possibly a third has decided to jump on that bandwagon. And why not? Of course things must change. We’re rapidly “surging” out of control on a multitude of fronts from coast to coast … immigration, social security, energy, mortgages, veterans, inflation, recession, building starts, trade balance, education, jobs, health care, foreign policy, military, global competition, abortion, affirmative action, the budget deficit, tax reform, oil prices, campaign reform, crime, death penalty, drugs, foreign relations, war, gay rights, guns, labor unions, unemployment, and the environment. Other than that, things are going well.
 
If I’m not mistaken, CHANGE has been the battle cry of every candidate in every election for as long as I can remember. And, furthermore, every victor of every election DID keep their promise of CHANGE. Some of that change was for the better and some of it was for the worse.
 
For instance, it’s quite apparent that politicians in Washington, on both sides of the aisle, have accomplished little or nothing in helping this country cope with the many challenges listed above. Overwhelming gridlock has stifled progress on every front—oh, except one. Democratic leaders joined with their Republican counterparts to agree on a $4,100 pay hike for themselves for 2008. Luckily for them, the pay increase is not tied to their approval ratings or job performance. I find it interesting that more Americans can name the three stooges than the three branches of government … probably because the three stooges are more likely to get something done.
 
What constantly baffles me is the fact that the majority of those politicians, in every debate, stating the critical need for change has been serving in a position to institute change—and yet has done little or nothing to do so!
 
The same pattern holds true in business as well. Much talk about the need—little action to succeed! Our work with many clients in this area has revealed that few employees have been exposed to information on the subjects of change, creativity, or innovation. We encourage it and expect it but do little to prepare our personnel to actually deal with it. Let’s stop waving the banners and singing the anthems and do more to focus on providing our people with the tips, tools, strategies, and training to pursue and obtain the true CHANGE that will lead to the success we so genuinely desire.

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 on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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