Sam Walton and his family built an empire that today rules the retail industry worldwide and sees little or nothing that will stifle that growth and success in the near future.

However, that empire started with one store, a few dedicated employees and a man who knew how to inspire, teach and lead his employees. He established goals and knew what he had to do to reach them. He also knew how to convey those special talents to his staff and he did so regularly.

One of the first and most effective principles he established within the culture destined for growth and supremacy was very basic indeed. It was introduced to his employees as E.T.D.T. … an acronym created to remind everyone to “Eliminate The Dumb Things.”

A new employee—a bit unclear of the battle cry—once asked Sam what a “dumb” thing was. Sam’s answer was clear and precise: “A dumb thing is anything that impedes our progress, the progress of our customers or vendors.” He went on to explain “anything” might be a policy, procedure, rule, regulation, process, strategy, idea, tool, etc.

Sam went on to say: “If and when you see a dumb thing, bring it to our attention, explain how and why it’s impeding progress, and suggest a better way to do it.” That’s how he achieved critical employee involvement, received many more suggestions than any of his competitors, reached tremendous customer satisfaction levels, and grew to be larger, more productive and more profitable than his next ten competitors combined.

It’s interesting to note that leaders in every field of endeavor seem to encourage the respect and support of the “basics.” Tom Peters, famed author and consultant, says: “The older I get, the less boring the ‘basics’ become!” Maybe more of us should consider that revelation. It does have a successful track record.

Would your organization benefit by a greater focus on the concept of “E.T.D.T.”?

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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E.T.D.T. Spells Success is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

Most companies divide their leadership into three groups.

1. Upper Management—top leadership, decision and policy makers.
2. Middle Management—those who act as a buffer between the other two while trying to execute strategies.
3. First-line Supervision—those who act as an ambassador between leadership as a whole and the front-line staff who actually carries out the tasks.

If you could sit down with members from each group and discuss the challenges and short comings of the organization, I’m certain you would find a major common thread. In most cases, the group you are talking to will readily admit that any blame and/or faults which may exist can be found in the other two groups! It never fails. Here’s a sample of many of the comments I hear from each of the three groups … regardless of their age, size, industry, product, or service.

Upper Management

• Supervisors and managers are not communicating effectively.
• Supervisors are not providing leadership on management issues.
• They are not confident they know the vision/goals/objectives of the corporation.

Middle Managers

• They are not sure of corporate direction.
• They are not sure they can trust information provided to them.
• They are not sure what to communicate.
• The tend to treat supervisors as just another worker.
• They are working extremely hard—making little progress.

First-line Supervisors

• They feel unempowered.
• They are disenfranchised—not members of management.
• They are not sure what is really expected.
• They are not sure they can trust information provided to them.
• They don’t trust upper management (two levels above).
• They don’t feel they have answers for subordinates.

Having heard that kind of feedback, what conclusions might you come to?

The list could easily be a long one, but you would have to agree that the majority of the items on that list should be classified under the title of communication. However, in most cases, the organizations either don’t recognize the common denominator or fail to address it as a critical issue.

Tom Peters, famed author and consultant, says, “The older I get, the less boring the BASICS become!” Maybe the problem arises in the fact that good communication is no longer considered a basic.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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Communication as a Strategy is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

William James (1842-1910), the American philosopher and psychologist known as “the father of American psychology,” once shared this wise observation: “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

The true challenge, of course, is to make that choice. History reveals countless scenarios where a choice would have made all of the difference and yet no choice was made. Choosing not to choose is a choice! 

It’s also quite obvious that the more information you have at your disposal, the wiser the choice you will make. Consider this shocking fact: “A weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely to come across in a lifetime in 17th century England.”

Thomas L. Friedman, author of the best-selling The World Is Flat, states that “Never before in the history of the planet have so many people—on their own—had the ability to find so much information about so many things and about so many other people.”

While both of these observations are indeed encouraging to our effort to combat the many stresses we face today, the fact remains that we, as individuals and organizations, must exert the effort to seek out, absorb, and apply this necessary information. More than ever before we must research, read, benchmark, seek mentors, ask and observe. Everyone has equal access … not everyone pursues it. The responsibility is yours.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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Some of what we learn is very positive.

Some of what we learn is often negative.

Both situations can be very advantageous if we keep an open mind.

Don’t allow your personal preferences about people or organizations to cause you to miss a valuable learning experience.

There’s always something to learn.

Often we learn something we should emulate.

Other times we learn what NOT to do.

For instance, in my travels across North America, I have learned that half the population hates Wal-Mart while the other half loves Wal-Mart. Both groups feel fully justified. Obviously, the half that loves Wal-Mart must have more money than the half that hates Wal-Mart. Of course, I say that in jest, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that Wal-Mart has once again emerged in the number one position in the Fortune 500 with revenues of $378 BILLION dollars!

To put that figure in perspective for you … if you were to combine the revenues of the following Wal-Mart competitors, you would arrive at a total of $376 billion.

Home Depot, Target, Sears, K-Mart, J.C. Penney, Lowe’s, Macy’s,
Nordstrom, Gap, Kohl’s, Toys “R” Us, Office Max, Staples

Not a bad year for the giant Smiley Face!

The on-going love-hate relationship we share with Wal-Mart actually provides us with a tremendous learning opportunity. However, many people dislike this retailer so much that they simply refuse to acknowledge them as a source of learning.

History tells us that Wal-Mart has made many poor decisions. They’ve tried many things that simply didn’t work. In fact, they’ve suffered some classic debacles that made headlines world-wide. However, they continue to top the Fortune 500, they continue to experience rapid growth, and they produce breakthrough in many areas.

The reasons are obvious:

• They acknowledge challenges. 
• They embrace change.
• They encourage creativity and innovation.
• They advocate calculated risk taking.
• They don’t fear failure.
• They learn from their mistakes.
• They keep on keeping on.

Regardless of that admirable performance, Wal-Mart has blundered time and time again. Study the mistakes in detail and learn as much as you can at their expense. Then take the time to study their successes and choose those you wish to emulate.

Take a look at a short list of what Wal-Mart hopes to be future successes. Some will pan out and result in news-making advances. Others may fall by the wayside and soon be forgotten as another poor choice. The important thing is they keep trying something new in the hopes of coping with an environment that is certainly challenging for them as well as their customers. Can you say the same?

Wayne Gretzky once said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” Think about that as you browse the shots Wal-Mart is currently focusing on.

Dr. Sam?
The first of the new Clinic at Wal-Mart walk-in centers, as they will be called, is to open in Little Rock, Arkansas, in April and be run by nurse practitioners. Wal-Mart said it plans to brand 200 of the new clinics with RediClinics. RediClinic, which already operates 13 clinics in Wal-Mart stores, plans to open one of the new units in Atlanta in April and another in Dallas next summer.

“Toy Safety Net”
Last fall, Wal-Mart implemented a “Toy Safety Net” program after the slew of toy recalls and toy safety concerns that plagued parents and retailers. These new toy safety guidelines include more independent lab tests, new standards on heavy metals (including lead), new guidelines on Phthalates and encouragement of date codes.

Check-cashing Expansion?
Aiming for consumers who don’t have bank accounts, Wal-Mart still wants a piece of the bank biz. Last year Wal-Mart cashed 45 million paychecks collectively worth $17 billion! It promotes the MoneyCard, which can accept direct deposits, when customers cash paychecks. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart is expanding the number of stores with “Money Center” areas near the front of the store. Some 494 stores had them at the end of fiscal 2008, and 15 more opened in March.

Gourmet Grounds?
On April 1, Wal-Mart announced the launch of six coffees under its exclusive Sam’s Choice brand. Three of the brands are Fair Trade Certified, while the other three are certified by the Rainforest Alliance and USDA Organic. Wal-Mart’s aim was to appeal to consumers with an affordable line of gourmet coffee that has a positive environmental and social impact.

Energy Focus Continues
Wal-Mart Stores has announced the introduction of its most energy efficient U.S. store, the HE.5 prototype that will use up to 45% less energy than the baseline Supercenter. The HE.5 begins a new series of prototypes designed for specific climates, the company said.

Wrangling Profits
In March, Wal-Mart announced plans that it would begin selling milk under its own private label brand (“Great Value”) that is not sourced from cows that have been treated with growth hormones.

Another Shot at Furniture
Wal-Mart recently announced it is rolling out a new home furnishings brand, “Canopy,” as it tries to get lagging sales in that division back on track. The line will include bedding, furniture, bath accessories and dinnerware. Wal-Mart said the brand is designed “with a budget-wise customer in mind.” It said prices will be up to 40% below those of competitors.

Keep an eye on Wal-Mart and discover what works and what doesn’t in hopes of finding something you can apply to your own business … not their products or services but the way they search for ways of solving problems for their customers.

You don’t have to shop there.   

You don’t have to buy their stock.

You don’t have to like them.

However, you can certainly learn a great deal from both their failures and successes.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Wal-Mart – A Learning Experience is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

Long story short, our after-banquet chat led to an informal offer I simply couldn’t afford to pass up. I was invited to spend a half-day with my old friend as he wanted me to witness something he thought I’d enjoy. I accepted his offer, and we agreed on a mutually convenient date.

When I worked with him years ago, he was a prominent supervisor with his company. Today, after several promotions, he’s a vice president of what is now an international organization. It didn’t take long for me to understand why he’s been so successful.

We met for breakfast and then I joined him for a half-day of visiting clients. Yep, it was that simple. This is something he has placed on his calendar every month for years. He said he wished he could do it even more often but his travel schedule currently prohibits any more than a day a month.

He wanted me to see what has resulted from a book we both read and enjoyed very much decades earlier. It was a Tom Peters’ classic, In Search of Excellence, in which he encouraged MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). My friend applied this strategy within his organization and was so pleased with the results that he decided to extend his execution to his client base. That’s what he wanted me to see.

Once a month, he unexpectedly drops in on a number of his clients to do nothing more than say “Hi,” ask how things are going, and inquire as to what he can do to make his client’s life a little easier. His questions and comments are very informal and conversational. His visit is short and pleasant. He claims to walk away from every client feeling he has learned, through casual feedback, something new about the client, his product and service, and/or their relationship.

During our half-day adventure, we chatted with five clients, and I couldn’t help but recognize the fact that each of the five seemed pleasantly surprised to see him. One even mentioned the fact that my friend was the first vendor that had ever taken the time to stop by, much less inquire as to how they might be helpful.
After each visit, he jotted down several notes on a legal pad … all of which I was certain would be put to good use with disciplined follow-up. After lunch I thanked him for the experience and told him how much I appreciated the opportunity to see someone actually applying, with enthusiasm and obvious success, something he had learned. He informed me that he thought I might find it interesting because we shared a respect of both the author and the concept.

He said he makes these visits religiously when he’s in town as well as while on the road throughout the country. He swears his ROI (Return On Investment) is incalculable and encourages everyone to make such activity a critical part of their schedule.

Situations such as this one are indeed rewarding and even more so when totally serendipitous. Why not “Shock a Customer” by calling or stopping by for a visit? You may be pleasantly surprised as well.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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Shock Your Customers is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

Now let’s take a look at even more great news.

• Even though you may consciously forget more than 90% of what you learn during your lifetime, your brain will store 10 times more information than can be found in the 20-million volumes within the Library of Congress!
• There are at least several trillion hard-working cells inside you, some so small that it takes 250 of them placed side-by-side to equal the diameter of the period at the end of this sentence.
• No single scientific instrument has been developed yet that is as sensitive to the light as is your eye. In the dark, the sensitivity increases 100,000 times so that your naked eye is able to see a faint glow, which is less than a thousandth the brightness of a candle’s flame, yet it can see the light from stars, the nearest of which is 25 billion miles away!
• Your ears are as much acoustic marvels as your eyes are optic phenomenons. The inner ear can detect 15,000 different tones. Not only do these ears perform hearing, they control your equilibrium as well.
• Your heart beats an average of 75 times a minute, 40 million times a year: that’s nearly three billion times in a lifetime! At each beat, the average adult heart discharges about 4 ounces of blood, nearly 3,000 gallons a day, and 650,000 gallons a year: enough to fill more than 81 gasoline tank trucks! Your heart does enough work in one hour to lift an average-sized man to the top of a three-story building, creates enough energy in 12 hours to lift a 65-ton tank one foot off the ground and generates enough power in a lifetime to lift the largest battleship completely out of the water!

Feel important? Feel amazed? Feel obligated to appreciate, pamper, and care for those astonishing gifts you’ve been blessed with? Can you honestly say that you’re living up to the extraordinary potential you possess? Whether you realize it or not, you are an amazing person! You are important! You have great value!

Can you imagine how much stress and worry could be removed from your life by realizing your true importance? Worry comes from the belief that you are powerless. You are not powerless. You are here for a reason. You possess more than enough natural intelligence and ability within you to reach any goal you want to achieve.

If you had been exposed to these facts at a young age, would it have made a difference in your self-image and your attitude toward your ability to reach your personal goals? Is there someone you know right now that might benefit from realizing how important they really are? If so, consider the priceless gift you provide to them by taking five minutes out of your busy day to sit and share this information?

Start today. Make a difference in your own life as well as the lives of others. Live up to your potential! You’ll never regret it!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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The Miracle of You – Part II is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

I’m a firm believer that many are born with a greater proclivity to learn, adapt, and pursue excellence instinctively. They are truly blessed with high energy, exceptional intelligence, extreme persistence, self confidence and a yearning to influence others. That doesn’t insure they will become a great leader.

A decade of research by the Center for Leadership Studies has proven that even those who weren’t prepared early in life to be a leader could definitely benefit from techniques designed to develop and master leadership skills.

Many other aspects such as experience, environment, culture, and self-esteem play an important part in the leadership formula as well. I’ve personally witnessed the power and results of strong self-esteem as well as the devastation which can result in the absence of this critical element.

For decades I’ve been sharing information with young people who have demonstrated a desire to pursue leadership roles in various aspects of their lives. One of the key elements I focus on is that of strong self-esteem. Young people seem to naturally fall into two distinctive groups: those who seem to feel very confident in their abilities and potential for greatness and those who struggle intensely with identifying their self-worth. The latter group, of course, will find great difficulty in achieving their leadership aspirations.

In an effort to establish a firm foundation of self-worth, I encourage young people to pause for a moment to realize how significant they really are. Reflecting on the successful outcomes of this exercise, I began using it with adults as well. I have an e-mail in my files from a middle-aged chemical plant supervisor who proclaimed that had he been exposed to this way of thinking 25 years earlier, he would certainly be much more successful today than he currently is. I was pleased when he closed his message with the observation that he realized it wasn’t too late to make a difference in his next 25 years! That’s a powerful message to share with a younger generation!

Some of the thoughts I share on this crucial subject of self-respect / self-worth / self-esteem is paraphrased from a book that has occupied a special spot on a shelf of my personal library for many years. The Power of Positive Doing by Ivan Burnell shares 12 strategies for taking control of your life. One of his many areas of focus is self-respect.

You may find it indeed rewarding to share the following observations with your children, grandchildren, students or employees. I’ve witnessed a wide variety of reactions over the years and the vast majority have been very positive and gratifying. I’ve seen people change their view of themselves after hearing this message. For some, I’m sure it was short term, for others I feel it truly had a lasting difference. What do you think?

Do You Know You?

You wake up each and every day in the driver’s seat of a modern miracle. It is your sole privilege and responsibility to direct that miracle in the right direction to achieve the personal success you desire.

Your mind, body and spirit form a exquisite organism—one which is capable of achieving almost unimaginable feats! Your body’s entire structure, from head to foot, is a miracle of precision engineering and production.

If you are an adult of average weight, this is a portion of what your body accomplishes every single day:

• Your heart beats 103,689 times!
• Your blood travels 168,000,000 miles!
• You breath 23,040 times!
• You inhale 438 cubic feet of air!
• You eat 3 1/4 lbs. of food!
• You drink 2.9 quarts of liquids!
• You speak 25,800 to 30,000 words!
• You move specific muscles 750 times!
• Your nails grow .000046 of an inch!
• Your hair grows .01714 of an inch!
• You exercise 7,000,000 brain cells!

A number of years ago a group of prominent scientists were asked if they could create a computer that could perform all of the functions of the human brain. After exhausting research and a great deal of theorizing, these experts came to a shocking conclusion. To reproduce the actions and components of a human brain:

• They would need to build a structure the size of the United Nations Buildings in New York City.
• They would need to fill that building with the latest technology.
• This massive, complex machinery would require a cooling system with an output equal Niagara Falls.
• It would require a power source that could produce as much electricity as is used by the entire state of California!

I’d like to leave you with this information in the hopes that you will consider the true power you possess. Are you utilizing it to its fullest extent? Do you truly realize your value and potential? What are you going to do about it?

Watch our blog for Part II of “The Miracle of You,” which is coming your way in the near future. In the meantime, create an action plan to capitalize on that extraordinary potential you know you possess. Drop us a note and keep us posted on your progress and growth as you inspire others as well.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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The Miracle of You is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

For instance, while in the midst of thousands of people in Times Square in Manhattan, I stop to think about what may be happening at that moment back in my small, quiet midwest home town. Upon returning home, I’ll relax on my deck overlooking the lake as I visualize what might be occurring at this precise instant in the heart of New York City where I was just a day earlier.

It’s difficult for anyone to realize how many people might exist in this world, how many cars are maneuvering our highways and byways at any given moment, or how many events may be taking place simultaneously around the globe.

Maybe the following data will help put things in better perspective for you. Think about it!

If the population of the Earth was reduced to that of a small town with 100 people, it would look something like this:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 Americans (northern and southern)
8 Africans

52 women
48 men

89 heterosexuals
11 homosexuals

6 people would own 59% of the whole world wealth and all of them would be from the United States of America.

80 would have bad living conditions.

70 would be uneducated.

50 would be underfed.

1 would die.

2 would be born.

1 would have a computer.

1 (only one) will have higher education.

Kind of an eye-opener isn’t it! Think about it!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Think About Perspective is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

While the observation is indeed true, that’s not why most organizations are finally facing the fact that they should provide creative tools, training and strategies for their people. They’re doing it out of desperation. They’ve run out of options, and they’ve seen the positive return on investment for others who saw the light early on.

One of the concerns I hear from time to time involves the high cost of adapting and maintaining a creative culture. This of course is a misconception. In fact, the opposite is true and has been proven time and time again. Let me share an example.

I just returned from a weekend at Big Cedar Lodge located 10 miles south of Branson, Missouri, on the 43,000 acre Table Rock Lake tucked into the wooded hillsides of the Ozark Mountains. This popular luxury vacation paradise is like none other I’ve had the opportunity to visit. Our client brought their entire leadership steering committee to this scenic vista to enhance their team skills. Those in attendance had a wonderful experience and constantly voiced their appreciation for the opportunity. I’m certain the price tag was substantial although the organization viewed it as an investment rather than a cost.

It was quite obvious to even the most casual observer that Big Cedar Lodge was a contradiction in creativity. Over the years, they’ve spent millions of dollars to create this Utopia. You can see the evidence at every turn:

• A Jack Nicklaus signature golf course.
• Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.
• Waterfalls at every turn.
• Table Rock Lake and its 745 miles of shoreline nestled into the Ozark Mountains.
• Swiftly moving streams designed to flow across the winding roads of the property.
• A full-service marina, spa, and gift shop, and several choices for fine dining, along with horseback riding, pontoon boating, canoes, paddle boating, carriage rides, live entertainment, basketball, ping pong, tennis, bass and trout fishing and trails suited for walking, biking, or hiking. Tours are available by bike, jeep or horseback.
• Choice of tastefully decorated lodges staggered throughout the Ozark Mountains, cozy cottages nestled in the dense forest, or rustic log cabins decked out with the latest technology and authentic wilderness decor.

I was assigned to an exquisite log cabin which gave new meaning to the word “rustic.” Constructed of rough-hewn logs, these comfortable retreat cabins offer the ultimate in personal space and total seclusion. Tucked away amidst the dense timber overlooking Table Rock Lake, the interior design of this unique cabin offered a lavish wilderness atmosphere. It came complete with a beautiful limestone fireplace, a large Jacuzzi bath, a bed the size of a football field, a full kitchen with refrigerator, stove, microwave, and dishwasher, a large 50+ inch flat screen TV, high-speed Internet access, a gigantic gas grill on a wrap-around deck, a FREE over-stocked mini-bar and a dozen very realistic looking animals placed strategically around the cabin and highlighted by recessed accent lighting.

Believe it or not, I’m trying to make a point here other than the fact that a situation like this causes one to pray for a flight delay, preferably a two- or three-day delay. This place offers anything and everything money can buy. However, it balances your experience with a large number of things that money can’t buy! Each of those particulars are a by-product of “creative thinking.”

While every attendee I chatted with sang the praises of this fabulous resort, I seldom heard the above amenities mentioned. I’m certain, beyond the shadow of a doubt, all of the above were greatly appreciated. However, what I did hear mentioned over and over again were experiences which I’m certain will be repeated to others as they return home. For instance:

• Rustic signs displaying a 12 1/2 mph speed limit.
• Immediate no-cost transportation all over the extended property.
• Singing around cozy bonfires offered nightly.
• Gingerbread Wish cookies left on your bed stand each night with a copy of a local custom and instructions on how to have your wishes granted through a cookie ceremony.
• A beautiful complimentary gift basket in every cabin containing 4 large bottles of water, two bags of chips, a bag of popcorn, caramel corn, and several other snack foods.
• The most pleasant, polite, informed, guest-focused staff I’ve ever encountered. After placing my wake-up call, the very pleasant operator requested my permission to call me right back to make certain the phone ring was loud enough for me. In 40 years of coast to coast travel, I have never had that happen.
• After my program on Saturday, I stopped by the executive offices to let them know how pleased I was with their property, staff, culture and environment. In chatting with one of the managers, I learned that the majority of the novel practices I mentioned were created and initiated by staff members. The costs were very minimal, the response was phenomenal, and the return on investment immeasurable. Creativity, brainstorming, and innovation were obviously intricate ingredients in this very unique culture.

Those returning home from Big Cedar Lodge will have tremendous memories of an unforgettable experience. While the beauty and ambiance will not be forgotten, they will be sharing with others the creative differences they encountered … the unique remembrances which made this particular getaway stand out from all others. The “creative edge” provided by the involved staff deserves much of the credit for providing those distinctive memories … recollections which will translate into much free advertising and marketing as well as what I am certain will be a great deal of repeat business.

Does that “critical creative culture” exist within your organization? It could very well be the decisive factor in achieving future success in today’s competitive marketplace. Take a moment to visit our web site to review the following program content which may be useful in the development of such a culture for your organization:

• “Creative Innovation” (Get Out Of The Box)
• “Tennis Shoes & Blue Jeans” (Back-to-the-Basics Approach to Creativity and Innovation)

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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Low Cost of Creativity is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

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 motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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Generation Communication Gap: Do You Really Know that “Generation Y” College Freshman You Call Family? is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

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 motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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Leadership Lessons We MUST Pass On is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

Having worked at so many levels of this movement, it has been very gratifying to watch the focus on member service become more intensified than ever before. Of course, as in any enterprise, some have advanced their efforts more rapidly and to a greater degree than others. For the past year, we have been tracking the efforts of a great number of very successful credit unions to create a profile of winning strategies that are necessary to make the claim that you are doing everything possible to focus on the member. We coined the word MEMBERIZED a number of years ago to denote those organizations that excel in their efforts to offer superior member service on a continuous basis.
 
Main Entry: mem-ber-ize
Pronunciation: ‘mem-b&r-”Iz
Function: transitive verb

1. the ability to become more responsive to your members;
2. to enhance your ability to attract new members;
3. to consistently apply the principles of constant and never-ending improvement to create a service strategy, systems and staff that supports members in every way.

Synonym: see MEMBER SERVICE
 
As a team, discuss each of the following statements and agree on the most truthful answer.

1. Do you have as many members as you want?
   Yes___ No___
2. Are your members as loyal as you would like?
   Yes___ No___
3. Do you generate as much business from each member as you would like?
   Yes___ No___
4. Does your entire organization know what your members want and need?
   Yes___ No___
5. Is your service strategy focused on hearing what members are trying to tell you?
   Yes___ No___
6. Can your credit union respond quickly to what members and markets are telling you?
   Yes___ No___
7. Does your service strategy enable you to proactively service your members?
   Yes___ No___
8. Are the full capabilities of your credit union accessible to your members?
   Yes___ No___
9. Does your service strategy reflect the bottom-line importance of member service?
   Yes___ No___
10. As an organization, do you strive for continuous and never-ending improvement in your quest for incomparable member service?
    Yes___ No___

The Bottom Line
If you answered NO to any of these questions, you’re not yet fully memberized. However, you must agree that this simple test suggests the enormous advantages and tremendous potential in becoming memberized.
 
The AchieveMax® team is prepared to work with your staff in creating the necessary strategies to reach that coveted level of memberization. Please call 1-800-886-2MAX or contact us via our web site for more information.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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A Challenge to Credit Unions is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

1. I couldn’t help but notice that I was already smiling as I imagined doing some of these things.
2. I couldn’t get over the simplicity of each suggestion.
3. I realized there were a good number of them that I had never actually attempted.
4. I immediately felt better just thinking about doing some of them.
5. I couldn’t help but think about how much I would appreciate it if someone did some of these things for me.
6. I pledged to myself that I would do at least 10 of these suggestions by
   the end of the year.

I want to give you just a couple of examples, hoping you’ll be tempted to want to see the rest.

• Let someone cut in front of you during rush hour traffic.
• Call your parents.
• Visit a retirement center.
• Leave a “thank you” note for the cleaning staff at work.
• Write a letter to a distant relative.
• Recommend a good book to someone.
• Dance with someone who hasn’t been asked.
• Tell someone you mentioned them in your prayers.
• Figure out someone’s half-birthday by adding 182 days and surprise them with a cake.
• Ask someone about their children.
• Brush the snow off of the car next to yours.
• Tell someone which quality you like most about them.
• Pay for a stranger’s cup of coffee without them knowing it.
• Ask to see a store’s manager and comment on the great service.
• Wave to a child in the car next to you.
• Fill up the copier machine with paper after you’re done using it.
• Tell someone you believe in them.
• Ask an elderly person to tell you about the “good ole days.”
• Wave to someone looking for a parking place when you’re about to leave a shopping center.
• Compliment a coworker on their role in a successful project.
• Tell a child you’re proud of them.
• E-mail a friend some information about a topic they are especially interested in.
• Bake some cookies for your local fire or police department.
• Stop and buy a drink from a child’s lemonade stand.

Don’t forget — there are 101 suggestions. I’ll have you know that I’ve already accomplished three of the ten I pledged to complete by the end of the year. It’s quick and easy, and it really does put a smile on your face! Check it out!

Have a nice day!   

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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This time-honored masterpiece has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it as a very young child in 1955. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen it with friends, later with children, and even later with my grandchildren. I discovered something new every time I saw it, and it’s never grown old for me and the millions of others who have seen it.

There are so many lessons to be learned from this paragon of cinema excellence, and we can easily apply them to our families, our personal lives and/or our careers. On the other hand, I’ve lost count of those I’ve spoken to who never really never “got it” even though they loved the storyline, the characters, and the music.

I know of clients who have discussed the lessons of “Oz” as they relate to the workplace, and I’ve read about therapists who have guided families through major challenges using the many valuable messages lurking in the storyline. I even have a long-time friend and associate who built a thriving consulting business on this popular theme. For those of you with children and/or grandchildren, “Oz” affords you a fantastic opportunity to not only enjoy a very entertaining movie but to share some very precious “life lessons.”

If you think “Oz” hasn’t impacted us as a society, simply consider the number of words and phrases you hear regularly that immediately produces images of that mystical land “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”…. Kansas, tornado, Dorothy, Auntie Em, Toto, Munchkins, Wicked Witch of the West, The Wizard, ruby slippers, Glinda The Good Witch, yellow brick road, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Brain–Heart–Courage, Emerald City, Angry Apple Trees, Deadly Poppy Fields, Flying Monkeys, “DingDong The Witch Is Dead” and the list goes on and on.

This American musical fantasy film, based on the 1900 children’s fable by L. Frank Baum, was first released in 1939. It’s hard to believe it’s still so relevant today. Although the many captivating characters are loved by everyone who sees them, the actual “stars” are known by very few. Judy Garland was, of course, a superstar who brought Dorothy to life as no other actress could have done. Ray Bolger, famed dancer, was perfect for the part of the ever-nimble Scarecrow, Jack Haley replaced Buddy Ebson as the Tin Man after the future Beverly Hillbilly almost died from a poor reaction to the silver paint, which transformed him into the loveable metal woodsman, and Bert Lahr, comedian extraordinaire, made you love rather than fear the Cowardly Lion. Frank Morgan, although relatively unknown to viewers, made you believe he was the Wizard. What few “Oz” fans ever realized was the fact that Frank also played the roles of Professor Marvel, a carnival sharkster, the doorman to Emerald City, the cabby driving “the horse of a different color,” and the guard at the gate to the Wizard’s sanctuary, for a total of five different roles in the film. This group of very talented actors joined forces with a couple of unique witches and a community of Munchkins to dance and sing their way into our hearts forever.

Decades after the movie premier, the English band America attempted to explain one of the many morals of the story in their rendition of a song called “Tin Man.” They summarized the entire movie with the line: “Oz didn’t give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn’t already have.” That line was one of two that should be shared with our children while they’re still young. The other is summarized by Dorothy’s cherished observation that “There’s no place like home!”

These messages have touched the hearts and souls of millions over the decades as demonstrated by the longevity of the music and the messages. “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” was recently featured as a final performance by an American Idol for millions of devoted fans. In 2003, New York City welcomed the debut of the box office smash “WICKED.” This Broadway favorite is the story of two girls who meet in the Land of Oz long before Dorothy dropped in. These two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. This spellbinding new musical was nominated for nine Tony Awards … winning three of those. There are currently five productions running — on Broadway, on a U.S. National tour, in Chicago, in L.A. and in London’s West End.
           
While this entertaining epic will live on forever and entertain legions of both old and new fans, it will also be a very valuable learning tool for anyone who truly examines the many treasures offered throughout the cherished storyline. Discuss them with your children and encourage them to apply them regularly as they face the challenges of growth and success. Apply them consistently within your work culture to realize the true value they offer to everyone involved.

For instance:
“Oz didn’t give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn’t already have.”
Seek, discover, and utilize the tremendous potential we possess within our current staff members. Close the “Knowing-Doing Gap” to increase productivity without adding a single dollar to your payroll.

“There’s no place like home!”
Spotlight and share the many assets within our organization that we so often take for granted. Create an appreciation for resources and benefits we often overlook.

Like the loveable Lion, muster the courage to see and acknowledge the reality we must deal with in today’s competitive and challenging environment.
You’ll have to do it sooner or later. The sooner the better.

Emulate the tireless Tin Man by finding the heart to own your circumstances, no matter how difficult that may prove to be.
It’s not what happens to you in life … it’s how you react to it that makes the difference.

Mimic the Scarecrow, obtain the wisdom to solve any problem or overcome any obstacle that stands in your way.
Never stop learning. When you’re green, you’re growing. When you’re ripe, you’re rotting. Examples of each appear daily in news headlines. The choice is yours.

And, finally, imitate Dorothy and exercise the means to make things happen, allowing you to get the results you want.
Take action. Become a mono-maniac with a mission.

Do these things regularly and you’ll find the happiness and contentment you’re searching for!

And, every now and then, take the time to take in a good movie with a friend or loved one. In fact, consider The Wizard of Oz. With any luck, maybe we’ll meet someday, and we can talk about our thoughts on “Oz” … “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” 

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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The Wizard of Odds is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

The life span of the average one-dollar bill is only 18 months. Most one-hundred-dollar bills remain in circulation for nine years.

The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing makes $696 million a day!

It’s illegal for U.S. currency to have the portrait of a living person.

Between the Fort Worth, Texas, and the Washington D.C. facilities, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing uses about 18 tons of ink per day. 

The only woman ever depicted on United States paper currency was first lady Martha Washington, on a silver certificate.

Afraid of ending up with counterfeit money? Fear not! Only 0.01% of the $750 billion in circulation is actually counterfeit.

Currency is printed on cotton, not paper.

If we laid each current U.S. bill printed side by side, they would stretch around the earth’s equator about 24 times.
 
Contrary to popular belief, pennies contain only 2.5% copper — they are mostly made from zinc.

There are five million millionaires in the U.S.

The ridges on the sides of some coins have a name — reeding or milling.

People used to save their cash in kitchen jars made of a clay called pygg, and people called them pygg jars. Later they became known as piggy banks and were made in the shape of pigs. 

There is about 500 billion of U.S. currency in circulation and most of it is held outside of the United States?

There are only nine engravers in the whole U.S. who do all the engraving for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

All engraving plates used by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, have been engraved in reverse.

If your money is mutilated and if you can account for 51% of your bill, the Office of Currency Standards in Washington, D.C. will gladly replace your money.

It only costs 4.1 cents to make a $1 bill. It costs the same thing to make a $100 bill.

In the early 1900s, you could return dirty money to Washington to be cleaned. If the bill was in good shape, they would wash it, iron it, and reissue it.

When bills finally wear out, they are sent back to the Federal Reserve Banks where a machine sorts out the good, the bad, and the counterfeit. The counterfeit bills are sent to the Secret Service. The worn-out bills are pulverized and buried. They used to burn old bills, but because of the lead in the ink, they are now buried.

Prior to using paper money, Americans used buckskins for money. This is where we get the term “bucks.”

There are 4 automobiles and 11 light posts on the back of the $10 bill.

If you use a magnifying glass, you can see Abraham Lincoln sitting at the
Lincoln Memorial on the back of a penny. 

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Money Mania! is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

Significant
Emotional
Event

Those more seasoned observers will learn from the “Significant Emotional Event” of others. Let’s watch and learn as this story unfolds. I think it’s only just begun.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Demise of “The Big Three”? is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

Constructive and/or developmental feedback is priceless and has so often been the decisive factor in many a success story. On the other hand, improper or misguided feedback can be terribly destructive. It’s entirely possible to receive feedback that influences us to change course or even give up on a chosen direction. In short, like everything else in life, feedback should be taken in moderation. It should be weighed carefully and evaluated often before allowing it to influence one’s thinking.
 
As we review our rich heritage and recount historical events, we find many valuable examples of when it may have been more advantageous to ignore feedback. Review the following examples and consider what may or may not have occurred had those involved paid heed to their ill-advised feedback.

• In 1958, CBS television producer Don Hewitt told Barbara Walters: “With your voice, nobody is going to allow you on the air.” She then signed with NBC and has been broadcasting and producing for nearly five decades!
• In the early 70s, a famed literary agent told Danielle Steel that she’d better learn to cook because her book would never sell. She found another agent and has since sold close to 400 million books!
• Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy in 1941, said: “No matter what happens, the U.S. Navy will never be caught napping.” Three days later, on December 4th, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, catching the U.S. Navy fleet totally unaware!
• In 1908, Orville Wright claimed: “No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris!”
• In 1848, Daniel Webster, senator of Massachusetts, said: “I cannot conceive of anything more ridiculous, more absurd, and more affrontive to all sober judgment than the cry that we are profiting by the acquisition of New Mexico and California. I hold that they are not worth a dollar!”
• During a 1963 audition, a BBC radio producer said: “The band’s okay but, if I were you, I’d get rid of the singer with the tire-tread lips!” Of course, he was talking about The Rolling Stones and their lead singer, Mick Jagger. Nearly 45 years later, the Stones are still touring to screaming audiences all over the world!
• In 1959, a Universal Pictures executive said: “You have a chip in your tooth, your Adam’s apple sticks out way too far, you squint your eyes, and you talk too slow! You’ll never make it in Hollywood.” He was talking to Clint Eastwood.
• In 1911, Marechal Foch, French military strategist, said: “Airplanes are interesting toys but of absolutely no military value!”
• In 1969, Margaret Thatcher said: “No woman will in my lifetime be Prime Minister.” That was 10 years before SHE was elected Prime Minister!

I guess “THEY” don’t always know best!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Feedback Isn’t Always Valuable or Necessary is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

I guess I’m just disappointed that I didn’t come up with it myself. I should have. I average visiting at least two airports a week. Sometimes I manage to waltz through six to eight airports in a week’s time. Do you have any idea what that means as far as boarding passes, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, lost bags, turnstills, delayed flights, newspapers, and security bins? Mind boggling. However, it’s often easy to start taking all of these things for granted, which makes it very difficult for even the most creative person to recognize the potential that surrounds us every day.
 
For instance, I mentioned security bins. In all seriousness, I can’t even begin to imagine how many times I’ve grabbed one of those extraordinarily durable, dull grey or white 12-inch by 17-inch plastic bins that have, over the years, held just about everything man’s mind can conceive.

However, I never once visualized the monumental financial potential sitting there right in front of me as I filled it with my laptop, shoes, coat, belt, watch, wallet, change, cell phone, and anything else that my favorite TSA (Transportation Security Administration) shadow might detect should I not declare it. Moments later, after passing through the secret tunnel of darkness and technology, I would proceed to retrieve my personal property from that plastic monstrosity as I rushed off to another flight. Again, I missed the obvious. Sadly, someone else recognized it and acted upon it.
 
Someone must have been thinking billboards when they came up with the idea of selling ads printed on durable paper to be glued inside every one of those millions of security bins scattered across the nation. In fact, I’m sure it won’t be long before they can be found world wide.
 
The TSA has agreed to authorize this new method of advertising and is expecting to share the wealth with competing advertising companies. Of course, the TSA plans to benefit greatly as it requires vendors to stock airport checkpoints with new bins, carts, and stainless steel tables.

A pilot ad program began in July of last year at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). They began with Rolodex ads, but you can soon expect to see anything from peanut butter to luxury cars. Research reveals that these bin ads can be sold for $250,000 to $500,000 per year! Think about the number of airports across the country that would be interested in additional income at the expense of the vendors wanting to advertise. The potential is unlimited and will obviously give us passengers something else to read as we await the always late flight from wherever.  

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Everything Is Business is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

Over the years, I’ve grown to know the cities of New York and New Orleans intimately. As a result, the devastation of 9-11 and Katrina affected me in a very personal way, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever fully recover from either of those tragedies. I’ve been in a unique position that has enabled me to personally observe the constant annual face lift of Las Vegas as it battles the inevitability of constant change. I watched it evolve from “Sin City” to “A Family Destination” and its recent return to “Sin City.” It’s getting to the point that a landmark hotel and casino falls almost monthly to make room for a much larger, much more modern and even more unique structure. Las Vegas is now the 11th fastest growing city in the nation, and Nevada is the 2nd fastest growing state in the nation.
 
An obvious benefit of constant travel presents itself in the form of being able to learn something new almost every day. When I’m not learning something new through direct observation, I find myself drawn to reading or “Googling” something unique almost daily. What continues to mystify me is the vast amount of information that I continue to discover. In fact, much of it deals with subject matter that I’ve never been exposed to. These discoveries are exciting, informative and almost always inspire me to continue my quest for learning.

On my recent return flight from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, I exchanged magazines with a fellow traveler and discovered a number of startling facts about the Amazon. I’m not certain whether I’ll ever find a use for this information, but I did find it very interesting indeed. What do you think?

The Amazon contains half of the world’s tropical forests, spread over an area the size of the continental United States.
 
More than 100 types of plants and 1,700 kinds of insects can be found in the branches of a single mature tropical tree.
 
The Amazon has more than a million interdependent—and exotic—species of plant and animal life, such as:

• trees with 6-foot long leaves
• flowers with 3-foot long petals
• plants that can cradle 10 gallons of water in reservoirs formed by their leaves
• rodents that weigh up to 100 lbs.
• butterflies the size of dinner plates
• bees the size of birds
• tarantulas so big they eat birds
• catfish so big they’ve been known to eat children

I don’t remember learning of these facts in school. On the other hand, it might well have been because I wasn’t listening nor had I developed my current thirst for knowledge. For this reason, I encourage my grandchildren to read and strive to learn something new each and every day. It can do nothing but help them grow and develop in hopes of dealing with the many challenges that await them in a very competitive world. I truly believe it’s one of the best legacies we can leave for them.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

A World of Diversity is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.

That’s it for now … I’ve got to go move some furniture!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational 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 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Lift a Couch … Find a Fortune! is a post from the AchieveMax® Blog, which includes articles on business, change, leadership, motivation, teamwork, time management, and more. Please visit our site for more information on our professional speakers, custom-designed training, and keynote presentations.