About Harry K. Jones

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

C.A.N.I. Insures Success

Awaken the Giant Within “CANI” is an acronym for “Constant And Never-ending Improvement.” We refer to it constantly in a number of our seminars. It should be a battle cry for all organizations and individuals in these challenging days of chaos and change.

We should teach and support CANI to our children at a very young age.

There was a time when many students felt graduating from high school meant there would be no need for further study or progress. More fortunate students felt that way after an additional four year in college.

Well, that has certainly changed! Today, every business, organization, and individual must focus on CANI if they hope to strive, thrive and compete in today’s global economy.

Ironically, many businesses have reduced their training focus in an effort to save money. Study after study has shown this strategy to be disastrous! We are currently experiencing the fastest rate of technology growth in our history and the rate of change continues to accelerate at a frightening pace!

If we don’t prepare our workforce to deal with these challenges, how can we hope to survive? You might want to have that discussion with your leadership team, board members, and stakeholders. Do so and I can promise you’ll witness silence, wide eyes, and expressions of concern.

You might consider sharing the origin of the word CANI with your decision makers. It was created by Tony Robbins, a self-help author and motivational speaker, more than two decades ago. You can read about it in his 1991 bestseller Awaken the Giant Within.

The original principle was first taught by W. Edwards Deming as he taught the United States how to improve production during World War II. After the war, he was sent to Japan to teach them his quality methods. Ultimately, the Japanese were better students of the CANI principle. Deming is well-known for helping the Japanese to recover their industrial base after World War II.

The Japanese had their own term for CANI. It is Kaizen. Kai means change, and Zen means good. Kaizen is a change for the good.

The Japanese proved that Deming’s methods worked. I can remember the days in the 60s when the only thing Japan was known for was cheap toys that fell apart after a short time. “Made in Japan” was a joke in the early 1960s. By the 1990s, it stood for quality.

They transformed their manufacturing to the point where they produced cars known to have better quality than America’s domestic production by the 1990s. Today, Japanese cars and electronics are known for consistent quality due to CANI principles.

In the spirit of Kaizen (CANI), Toyota Motors receives more than 1.5 million suggestions a year from its workers … those in the heart of the organization. You can imagine how many of those suggestions were crucial to their quest for dominance.

Kaizen quickly became an essential part of the Japanese culture and was applied to every aspect of one’s life. Children were taught at a very young age that they were expected to strive for growth, knowledge, and improvement at every stage of their lives.

Maybe we should be doing the same thing. Think about it … If all you did was improve one tiny aspect of your life every single day, you would achieve mastery in uncommon time.

Robbins points out that CANI:

  • Creates a personal and business momentum that will be hard for your competitors to catch up with.
  • Provides personal satisfaction and fulfillment because it will cause you to grow personally.
  • Leads to innovation. Innovation creates leverage.

CANI is a principle designed to encourage you to make small incremental improvements daily. In doing so, you will be forced to find a way to go beyond your current set of self-imposed limitations.

The coming decade will reveal the demise of businesses and organizations we once thought were indestructible. Leaders will emerge in every industry that were virtually unknown just years before. You and your organization may very well become either Distinct or Extinct and the strategy of CANI may very well play a crucial part in that decision! The choice is yours!

About Harry K. Jones

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

Grocery Industry Embraces Change!

In our continuing series on change and its rapid spread across most every industry in the country, we will share examples which have been very successful, those which have failed and those which have yet to prove to be wise or foolish. There are certainly lessons to be learned in every instance.

Let’s see what the news holds for us this week:

We see a number of our clients asking and answering the following question:

What new products and/or services might we offer in the near future to insure our growth and success?”

Apparently many others are asking that same question and coming up with some interesting answers.

Kroger Tests New Markets

When you hear the name “Kroger,” you normally think of groceries.That might be because Kroger has been providing a wide variety of food products to its customers for 128 years. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger reported sales of $90.4 last year, making them the largest grocery chain in the U.S. and fourth largest in the world. It currently operates 3,574 stores under nearly 24 different banners.

Kroger’s store formats include supermarkets, price-impact warehouse stores, hypermarkets, department stores, convenience stores and mall jewelry stores.

Food stores are its primary business and account for approximately 94% of total company sales. Kroger is the parent company to several “banner” supermarket chains in 31 states, such as: Ralph’s, Dillons, King Soopers, City Market, Pay Less Super Markets, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC (Quality Food Centers), Baker’s, Owen’s, JayC Food Stores, Gerbes, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, and Kroger Fresh Fare.

Kroger also operates 788 convenience stores under six banners in 19 states: Turkey Huill, Kwik Shop, Loaf ‘N Jug, QuikStop, Tom Thumb, and Smith’s Express.

It also operates 342 fine jewelry stores under names such as like Fred Meyer Jewelers, Littman Jewelers, Barclay Jewelers, and Fox’s Jewelers.

Its price-impact warehouse stores operate under the banners of Food4Less and FoodsCo.

Its multi-department stores are known as Fred Meyer.

Its marketplace stores operate under the following banners: Fry’s Marketplace, Smith’s Marketplace, Dillon’s Marketplace, and Kroger Marketplace. These locations are larger than its typical grocery stores and sell car parts and furniture in addition to groceries.

Kroger also operates 37 food-processing or manufacturing facilities, producing high-quality private-label products that provide enhanced margins for Kroger.

Kroger operates 1,124 supermarket fuel centers, which are a natural addition to its one-stop-shopping strategy.

Kroger’s 1,948 pharmacies, located in its combination food and drug stores, provide high-quality services at everyday low prices.

Kroger Personal Finance, LLC provides personal finance products and services. It offers credit, prepaid debit, gift, and reloadable debit cards; pet insurance for dogs and cats; ID theft and fraud protection, and credit monitoring services; and in-store money services, such as check cashing, coin counting, and money transfer services.

The Little Clinic provides high-quality, affordable healthcare located in convenient retail settings. The Little Clinic diagnoses and treats minor illnesses for patients 18 months of age and up with care provided by board certified nurse practitioners and/or physician assistants. The Little Clinic operates 80 clinics in select Kroger, Fry’s, and King Soopers stores in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arizona, Georgia and Colorado.

In select locations, it also has “cheese masters,” or associates who wear red jackets and offer customers expertise on cheese selections.

Kroger Tests a New Change

You may very soon see a major change in your local Kroger stores as it has decided to test clothing (shoes, jewelry and undergarments, including brands such as Skechers, Hanes and Levi’s). It’s a one-store test being conducted in Ohio. Decisions to expand will be based on customer feedback. The test comes as traditional supermarkets struggle to compete with big-box retailers such as Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

To hang onto customers, Kroger has been working to improve the shopping experience and differentiate itself from the pack. For example, the company has cut down on checkout wait times and offers a loyalty program that offers customers discounts base on their past purchases.

If this major change proves to be successful in this location, you can expect many of the additional 3,574 stores to follow suit. That’s a major change. As you look over the diverse products and services listed above that are currently offered by Kroger, you must wonder what will next appear in your traditional grocery store. Kroger certainly has a wide variety of choices to choose from.

Here’s another thought. Don’t you think Kroger’s nationwide competitors are interested in this special project? They’ll be watching closely to see if it’s successful. Can you imagine these major changes taking place across the country in such major chains as Safeway, Supervalu, Publix Super markets, Piggly Wiggly Stores, A & P, Whole Foods, Winn-Dixie, ShopRite, Wegman’s, and others.

This could be a major revolution in a traditional industry that has for years offered little or no innovation. Change originating in one single store could impact an entire industry from coast to coast.

You might want to chat with your own staff about the possibility of adding additional products and services that may add value and insure success in the future.

About Harry K. Jones

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

Olympics Examples on Constant Change

Last week, I shared a few of the many changes we see taking place almost daily. You can bet that these changes aren’t being made due to a love of change. More realistic motives might very well include competition, customer demand, technical advances, growth, speed, and budget to name just a few.

Let’s examine a few more recent examples of change:

Did you notice anything out of the ordinary about this year’s Olympic games in London? Although missed by many, several unique changes occurred that raised eyebrows around the world.

  • In the opening ceremony, Queen Elizabeth and James Bond shared a moment which began in Buckingham Palace and ended with a parachute jump into the opening activities (or so it appeared).
  • Attendees enjoyed a special presentation featuring John Lennon singing “Imagine.” The Spice Girls reunited to sing while standing on cab roofs that spun around one of the competitive tracks.
  • An athlete from South Africa ran the 400 meters with no legs.
  • A woman from Poland played table tennis with one arm.
  • Equestrian horses jumped from one hemisphere to the other over the prime meridian at Greenwich Park.
  • In many previous Olympic competitions, several competitors were sent home for doping in hopes of capturing a medal. This year, two competitors were sent home for tweeting racist slurs about their competitors.
  • After investigating two teams from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia, eight female badminton players were disqualified after trying to purposely lose matches to receive a more favorable place in the tournament.
  • In 2016, the Olympic games move to Rio and, as skyrocketing costs and world-wide chaos continue to escalate, one can only imagine what may happen in South America’s first try as an Olympic host.

As you can see, not all change is good, and much of it is difficult to deal with. However, it can’t be ignored and can easily lead to greater challenges if not dealt with.

In our Productive Chaos: Riding the Wave of Change seminar, we examine a wide variety of tips, tools, and strategies for dealing with the many challenges of change in today’s hyper-competitive, increasingly complex world!

Is your organization prepared for the continuous change which we know lies ahead? Give us a call at 800-886-2629 to learn more about this critical program and its many benefits to you and your organization.

About Harry K. Jones

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

Rate of Change Continues to Accelerate

For the past five years, our most requested keynote and seminar program has been Productive Chaos: Riding the Wave of Change. The reason is obvious. Today organizations and individuals are forced to deal with a fast-changing, hyper-competitive, and increasingly complex world!

Sadly, many are struggling to cope with the consequences of constant change. Ironically, others are taking advantage of the opportunities created by that same escalating wave of change.

Doubtful? For one week, keep your eye on the examples of drastic change which appear in the local, state, and national media. No industry is immune today and paradigms currently range from disastrous to phenomenal. The one obvious constant—change.

Let’s examine a few of the most recent examples:

The Toilet Changes

Researchers from China, Switzerland, Britain, the Netherlands, Canada and California have flocked to Seattle for the “Reinvent the Toilet Fair,” a two-day showcase hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Yes, THAT Bill Gates … of Microsoft fame and fortune.

In a YouTube video calling for a “toilet revolution,” the foundation called for “new ideas to help reduce disease and find new ways to turn crap into valuable stuff, like fuel, fertilizer, and fresh water.”

Gates took on the mission of building a better toilet a year ago. As he recently told the Times of India, 1.5 million children die each year due to severe diarrhea caused by poor sanitation because they lack the kind of toilets that affluent countries take for granted.

Best Buy Changes

Remember the classic battle between Circuit City and Best Buy? Circuit City is now history as Best Buy emerged victorious. However, Best Buy has identified Amazon as its greatest competitor in today’s challenging marketplace. To compete it plans to revitalize the Geek Squad … this time to do much more than just computer repair. The Geek Squad  will now install GPS devices in cars and offer in-store Smartphone tutorials for customers. They’ll also advise homeowners on how to reduce energy bills and educate hospitals as to how to safely transmit patient records through tablets.

Best Buy is also considering a name change for the 20,000 strong Geek Squad workforce as it enhances their job descriptions to offer so many more services.

As you can see, openness and adaptability to constant change is rapidly becoming a way of life for any business or individual who hopes to survive the ever-growing challenge of our chaotic business culture.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing other current examples of those who have recognized the importance of changing with the times.

About Harry K. Jones

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

Successful Companies Focus on Creative Thinking

As a result of a series of photos I’ve been posting on Facebook, I recently received several e-mails asking about our creativity seminars and keynote presentations. I must admit that I’m a bit surprised at the number of people who claim that they’re NOT creative in the least. I would have to disagree with them, pointing out that creativity is an inherent human phenomenon! This is a critical message that we’ve been sharing for years now.

We not only share the message but also provide tips, tools, and strategies designed to reveal this hidden asset to those attending our seminars. Let me take just a moment to explain why this is such a critical message for so many in today’s chaotic environment.

Creativity Is Seldom Taught

There will soon be a day, in the very near future, when one MUST demonstrate his/her creativity and innovation in order to compete in the workplace — and yet we’re not sharing that message in our schools. High school teachers don’t have time to do so and feel the kids will get that message in college as they are prepped for a career.

College instructors feel the kids should have been exposed to creativity and innovation in high school — they have more important subject matter to deal with on the college/university level. Really? As a result, these college graduates suddenly find themselves in the workplace where they are expected to know how to be creative and innovative.

Today’s business owners and/or CEOs don’t have the time, desire, or sometimes the knowledge to teach new employees how to be creative and innovative. They fully expect them to have attained these skills prior to applying for work.

Creativity in Business Is a Competitive Strategy

I remember spending the day with 150 CEOs while speaking at a leadership conference. The subject of creativity came up as a potential competitive strategy.

I shared a quote from Tony Buzan’s book, Use Both Sides of Your Brain:

“The average business executive has spent between 1,000 and 10,000 hours formally learning economics, history, languages, literature, mathematics, and political science. Ironically, those same executives have spent less than 10 hours learning about creative thinking!”

During a table activity following that comment, a good number of those CEOs agreed that they hadn’t even experienced 10 hours learning about creative thinking!

So how do you gain that creative-thinking competitive edge if no one in the organization has been taught how to do so? Today, successful organizations in every industry recognize this challenge and are doing something about it by training their employees at every level. Call it what you want — creativity, innovation, or thinking out of the box — you’d better be focusing on how best to take advantage of the untapped potential of your current staff.

It doesn’t matter if you have 3 employees, 300 or 3000 … you can increase your productivity and profitability by providing your people with those critical creative-thinking skills.

Call us today at 1-800-886-2629 for further details on scheduling a creativity seminar that could be the decisive factor in attaining the success you seek.

About Harry K. Jones

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

It’s Time to Demand Leadership!

L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P! Ten simple letters … one word which can make the crucial difference between success and failure on so may levels for so many organizations in today’s challenging environment!

I’ve been involved with leadership concepts for as long as I can remember … Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, organized sports, educational involvement, the military, Big Brothers, local politics, international corporate involvement and now in my position of consulting with and training for a wide variety of businesses and organizations.

I’ve witnessed tremendous change in the area of leadership over the years, and that’s as it should be and hopefully always will be.

Leadership Is Disappearing

However, the most recent emerging trend is quite startling and must be dealt with before irreversible damage is done. Leadership is DISAPPEARING. Numerous studies debate the root causes and the degree of this critical demise, but they all agree that it’s very evident and sadly appears to be continuing.

Doubters need only analyze the current political situation as we approach the coming election. Caution must be taken to avoid the near-fatal mistake of placing the blame on one particular party. It’s blatantly obvious that both sides of the aisle have shown a tremendous lack of leadership at the federal, state, and local levels. Trust and respect levels for politicians are at an all-time low at a time when they should be setting the standard for the rest of the country!

The rest of the country is doing little better at demonstrating the leadership our country so desperately needs during these challenging times. Choose an industry today and you’ll note the obvious lack of leadership … healthcare, technology, energy, hospitality, retail, manufacturing, financial, transportation, media, etc.

One can only imagine the dramatic impact this growing trend can and will have on most every aspect of life as we know it if immediate action isn’t taken to reverse this crippling trend!

Demand Leadership

Considering the wide-spread challenge we face, it may seem overwhelming to visualize your role in facing this growing threat. However, consider the following facts and choose just one area in which you may have some influence or opportunity to make even a small difference. If enough of us make even a small effort, the end result can and will be amazing.

  • Leadership is seldom, if ever, even discussed or modeled in high schools today.
  • College level efforts aren’t much better.
  • Community efforts to educate in this area are practically non-existent.
  • Local churches could play a critical role in offering leadership training.
  • Associations, organizations, and clubs can also offer community leadership training.
  • Federal training grants are available to all of those noted above.
  • Leadership training is one of the first budget areas to be cut by most businesses.
  • People are often promoted to leadership positions based on their individual performance, longevity, or task experience. While helpful, these areas have little to do with the ability to lead others. Yet, needed leadership training is seldom offered.

Tackle the Leadership Challenge

We can all do something to tackle this challenge. It’s simply a matter of determining how you can make a difference. Who do you know? Who can you speak to? What action can you take? If something isn’t done about the continuous demise of leadership in this country, we’ll all suffer the consequences.

For more information about our leadership seminar series and keynote presentations, contact Dr. Jeffrey Drake at 1-800-886-2629 or fill out our form for more information.

About Harry K. Jones

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

Own or Manage a Business? It’s Time to Make a Decision about Training!

Yes, it’s true. Business owners and leaders across this country are facing a critical decision that could strongly impact their future success. In fact, their decision could mean the life or death of business as they know it.

Here’s the question that’s being debated almost daily in most every industry from coast to coast:

“In these competitive and very challenging times, dare we invest the time, energy, and dollars to train our employees in hopes of gaining a much-needed competitive edge?”

Why Companies Don’t Provide Training

I’ve heard numerous reasons why it might be better to wait to make such investments in training, and every one of them might be considered by many to be conventional wisdom (the ideas, opinions, or understanding that are considered to be generally accepted by the public):

  1. “Money is tight right now, and I simply can’t afford it.”
  2. “I may have to lay off or terminate some of those I trained.”
  3. “We’ve done fine without training in the past.”
  4. “I’m going to wait until the economy gets better.”
  5. “I really don’t think it would make much difference.”

I can understand the thinking behind every one of those statements. However, I can strongly refute (Prove a statement or theory to be wrong or false; disprove.) every one of them with facts from today’s business world.

Why Companies Should Provide Training

An obvious trend is emerging and it speaks for itself.

It’s becoming quite evident that those organizations that recognize the benefits and value of continuous training are prospering from their efforts to grow and succeed.

On the other hand, those who are putting training on the back burner are suffering the consequences as they lose their competitive edge, stifle their growth, and even disappear from the market place.

Think about it … do you seriously think you would NOT benefit from being able to:

This is what occurs when you train your staff.

Training Is an Investment in Your Business and Employees

Here’s one example:

A person making $50,000 per year who is wasting one hour per day is costing the company $6,250 in wasted salary alone. A group of 25 people wasting an hour a day is costing the company $156,250 a year!

What would you invest to fix that problem?

And this is just one of the many challenges you’re currently facing.

Smart companies view training as an investment rather than a cost.

How do you YOU view employee training?

Contact Dr. Jeffrey Drake at 1-800-886-2629 for further information on
investing in your future growth and success! Let us help you Achieve
the Maximum®!

About Harry K. Jones

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

Building Better Bridges: Networking for Personal Productivity

Please STOP. Prior to reading on, pause for just a minute re-read the title of  this article and truly think about what it might mean to you in the next  few years.

Do you think you’re going to need better bridges to overcome the ever-changing  barriers we’re going to be facing, to move on to unknown opportunities and take advantage of the great potential which awaits us?

I can’t think of a more appropriate time than right now to be Networking for Personal Productivity! That’s why we chose that title for our seminar … a training session that’s growing in popularity and demand as more and more people acknowledge the tremendous potential in People Power!

Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of speaking to a number of networking groups, some informal and some professional. I certainly expanded my own network by meeting a number of great people from which I learned a great deal.

Over that same time period, I’ve realized how many people in the business world know very little or nothing about the fine art of networking. They’ve never been exposed to the amazing benefits, the numerous and growing number of accessible strategies, or the process which will lead them on their journey to success.

Zig Ziglar, legendary author and speaker, has always shared the following wisdom: “You can get everything you want in life, if you just help enough other people get what they want.” That, of course, is the true value of successful networking.

Harvey MacKay, noted author and business guru says: “If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it’s the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts!”

That’s a powerful statement in today’s challenging times.

The following leaders all credit their phenomenal success to the networks they created during their careers:

In addition, study after study has determined:

  • A referral generates 80% more results than a cold call!
  • Approximately 85% of all jobs today are found through networking!
  • Most people you meet today have at least 250 contacts!

Now you can understand how crucial it is to take advantage of the many benefits of Building Better Bridges by Networking for Personal Productivity!

Contact us today at 800-886-2629 to learn more about scheduling a seminar or keynote presentation to enlighten your entire staff, enhance performance, and enjoy continued success!

About Harry K. Jones

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

Creativity for Success

A recent increase in contacts about our Creative Innovation seminar and keynote presentation from both Fortune 500 companies and Entrepreneurial start-ups illustrates the fact that the business world is finally recognizing the value of a creative mind.

In today’s very competitive, chaotic marketplace your product and/or service MUST stand out among your competitors if you hope to thrive and survive.

If you doubt this cruel reality, stroll through your local shopping mall and note the growing number of obvious vacancies. This same trend can be found in suburban plazas, strip malls, and downtown locales.

Today’s choice: Distinct or Extinct! Whether you know it or like it, you’re moving toward one of those destinations every day. The choice is yours!

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a rapid increase in the creative investment in automotive technology, food packaging, communication, home entertainment, travel, and many other areas.

According to IBM’s most recent global study, the majority of CEOs believe the key to navigating today’s volatile, uncertain and increasingly complex business environment is creativity. However, is this just business leaders talking the talk or are 21st-century businesses really committed to being creative?

As usual, you’re going to find leaders on both sides of that equation. However, those who invest the time, money, and energy in tapping the creative potential of their existing staff will soon find a decisive advantage in the marketplace.

Ultimately then, leaders will be faced to realize that it is people we must invest in before buildings, products and technology.

Are you focusing on the critical need to provide your people with the tips, tools, strategies, and training necessary to take advantage of their creative potential?

If not, call us at 800-886-2629 to learn more about the many options we offer to assist you in your pursuit of creative excellence.

About Harry K. Jones

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

Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee Beans?

I grew up hearing a number of phrases that today’s generation might find strange … probably based on the fact that they haven’t heard them at all. Some of those phrases might be “corny” by today’s standards and some are certainly outdated in our current chaotic environment.

However, there are a few classic phrases that I think we should resurrect, use regularly, and encourage today’s generation to do the same. One that comes to mind a great deal these days is: “Respect Your Elders.”

I was introduced to those words of wisdom at a very young age and practiced them all my life. Let me define the word “elders” as it was explained to me. An “elder” was anyone older than myself … be it a year older or decades older. There are a number of reasons for respecting elders.

  1. They are full of hard-earned wisdom. Listen to them and learn. They may not be computer-literate or very interested in technical gadgets, but they certainly did not make it to old age without picking up a little wisdom along the way.
  2. In most cases, life has given the elderly a broad scope of knowledge that they are more than willing to share. They have already experienced most things that the middle and younger generations are going through right now and could give valuable advice if only they were asked.
  3. Talk to the elderly; tap into that wisdom. Talk about love, life, human nature, children, finances, politics, dreams and family. They will be glad to impart some of their wisdom they worked so hard to obtain.

Many young people today scornfully tell the elderly that they don’t know anything or that their time has passed. People are heard talking down to the elderly as if their age has taken away their intelligence. Others are seen yelling out their car windows at older drivers who choose to drive at the speed limit rather than over the speed limit. Some folks even take advantage of older people financially by scamming them out of their life savings … a far cry from showing respect.

It is so sad that this is a world where a simple thing like respect is fading away.

Starting within, families should learn to say again “Respect your elders” and demand compliance until it becomes a part of who they are, and until showing respect is as natural as blinking or breathing. Respect or honor for elders is a value that should be passed on from generation to generation. It should be taught to all children beginning at an early age, and those children should be told to teach their children.

If given the time and opportunity, I could produce volumes sharing the wisdom my elders have provided to me over the years. I’m sure most everyone could do the same. While what we have learned may differ, the value certainly does not.

If YOU are an elder, please continue to share. We need your experience and wisdom more today than at any other time in our history. If YOU have exposure to elders, do yourself a favor — dedicate time, listen and learn, and benefit far beyond your wildest expectations.

View this short video for one of many examples of the wisdom we can garner from our elders.

About Harry K. Jones

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