Are You Prepared for the Inevitable Battle!

A recent study by Egon Zehnder International, one of the top five global executive search firms in the world today, conducted a recent study which revealed that the number of managers available to step into leadership roles will drop dramatically in the coming years! This critical study disclosed that the average company will be left with just half the talent it needs by 2015. Why? Demographics—there just aren’t that many people around with the right type of skills and experience today.

This means that companies are going to have to get a lot better at identifying and nurturing talent from within, as recruiting externally is going to get tougher and more expensive. Sadly, few organizations acknowledge this harsh reality and even fewer know the proper way to do it well.

Developing future leaders isn’t really that difficult. The problem lies in the fact that time, energy, and dollars invested today may not produce benefits for some time. Therefore, it doesn’t appear to be a value-adding investment. However, when the need for leadership does arrive, the benefits reign supreme in revealing that initial “cost” to actually have been a shrewd “investment”!

Developing future leaders is something that managers should be doing—especially now.

Belts are about as tight as they can be as we claw our way out of the great recession. However, it’s more important than ever to motivate employees. Taking an active interest in the development of top talent is a no-cost way to keep staff members engaged and happy to go above and beyond in their current role, because they see that as the quickest way to advance to their next step with the company.

Try this exercise with your top leadership team. Identify a key leader on your current staff and ask yourself:

  • What would happen if that person were to leave the company tomorrow?
  • Who would take on that persons’ role and responsibilities?
  • What challenges would they struggle with?
  • How long would it take the replacement to get up to speed?
  • What negative consequences may occur during the transition?

Answers to these questions will give you the starting point to identify potential candidates and their development needs. You might surprise yourself by coming up with a name that wouldn’t normally be the obvious choice.

An emerging trend of proactive talent development is sweeping the nation. A battle is brewing for potential leaders and those not preparing for it will suffer unmeasurable consequences which could mean the difference between success and failure.

We’ve experienced a notable increase in inquiries concerning our Future Leaders program. If you’ve recognized the need for and extreme benefits of such a program, contact our corporate office at 1-800-886-2629 for further details. It may just be one of the best investments you’ve ever made! Don’t delay, call today!

About Harry K. Jones

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

How Important Is Branding?

Branding has been around forever. You’ve seen their logos and mascots, heard their slogans, sang along with their jingles, and viewed their commercials. They come and go in today’s competitive business world at the whim of the general public. Or so it seems.

The truth concerning longevity actually lies in the hands of the organization creating and promoting a particular brand. The extent to which they endear themselves to consumers will determine the success and life span they’ll enjoy.

Billions of dollars are spent every year in the development, promotion and support of powerful brands worldwide. While many are shared globally, others target small regional markets. Regardless, they can mean life or death for the product and/or service they represent.

It’s truly amazing how many people will make a purchase based on their knowledge and comfort level with a “brand.” Many often feel as though they know the brand intimately while, in fact, they know little. That’s the power of the “brand.”

How much do you know about the following well-known brands?

Xerox

Headquartered in Norwalk, CT, and with 136,000 employees in 160 countries, the name “Xerox” has become synonymous with photocopiers and the act of photocopying. The century-old company invented the first electro-photography plain paper photocopier. Xerox is in the top 200 of the Fortune 500 and remains a well-known brand globally. The company’s revenue was $15.2 billion in 2010, with just over $7 billion (46%) coming in from outside of the United States.

Yahoo!

Founded in 1994, Yahoo! was one of the first major web portals. Surviving the burst of the dot-com bubble, Yahoo! is the second largest search engine in the U.S. behind Google. Yahoo!, as of 2010, had the largest market share of online display advertising in the world, according to JP Morgan.

Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California (in the Silicon Valley), Yahoo! provides services via the Internet worldwide. Last year Yahoo! boasted sales of $6.3 billion … 33% of those sales being international. Yahoo! has been one of the most visited websites on the Internet, with more than 130 million unique users per month in the United States alone. As of October 2007, the global network of Yahoo! receives 3.4 billion page views per day on average, making it one of the most visited U.S. websites.

MTV

The original idea for MTV was created by Mike Nesmith, one of the members of the created-for-TV rock group The Monkees in the 70s. He sold the concept of the 24-hour TV music channel to Time-Warner. It actually hit the airways in 1981 and has since grown into an international media giant.

According to current owner Viacom, the channel reached approximately 99 million television households within the United States last year, producing $13.4 billion in sales. On an international level, MTV Networks’ operations reached approximately 635 million households in more than 160 countries last year. MTV has also expanded into film with its MTV Films division, which has produced such popular films as Zoolander and Jackass.

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.

Internet – Good or Bad?

The Internet (aka World Wide Web) has made an enormous impact on the daily lives of people worldwide. It has changed the way many people communicate, learn and play.

Of course, like so many other things in today’s chaotic world, the Internet can be extremely complex. So, is the Internet a good thing or a bad thing? The obvious answer is a resounding “YES!”

Positive aspects would include the immediate transfer of information, business or collaborative research across continents, a method for families to keep in touch, the transfer of text, sound and video transferred worldwide instantly as well as sharing images and other data, networking, advertising, marketing, and a research and learning tool offering a vast library of data.

Negative aspects would, of course, include spyware, adware, Internet cookies, identity theft, viruses, online scams, and pornography.

If you want to enjoy the many benefits of using the Internet, you obviously must be willing and able to cope with the negative consequences as well.

It’s often been said that life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it. The same holds true for the Internet. Use it to your advantage. Educate yourself. Learn the pros and cons. Protect yourself. Broaden your horizons.

The Internet will undoubtedly grow at an increasingly rapid rate. Will you? 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.

Change – Change – Change

We’ve heard it for what seems to be forever, and the message will live on for decades. CHANGE! We don’t like it in most cases, and many simply struggle in dealing with it. However, it’s inevitable so you might want to focus on coping strategies to help you deal with it.

One simple strategy is to observe what’s going on around you. You’ll soon discover that successful organizations are constantly changing in an effort to become more productive and profitable. Many fail but continue their efforts. Others have enjoyed tremendous growth and success.

For instance, have you noticed the change in McDonalds across the nation? It has moved from tile floors and rickety plastic chairs to comfortable sofas, fireplaces, wide-screen TVs, WI-FI and speciality coffees and desserts in order to meet the needs of its ever-changing customers.

This past week Starbucks revealed that it is currently trying to reinvent itself as a place to hang out in the evenings. It is now serving regional wine and beer as well as an expansive plate of locally made cheeses served on china. The barista bars have been rebuilt to seat customers closer to the coffee. This 40-year-old, 16,000 unit, $15-billion coffee business fully understands that its future lies in changing to meet the ever-changing demands of those it serves, utilizes the latest technology, and out-performs its rapidly growing competitors.

The same holds true for you in your business—regardless of the products or services you may offer. Pause in your busy day to take note of how others are dealing with the challenge of constant change. You might even consider the consequences which may well result if you decide to play it safe and change only after everyone does so. That could easily spell disaster!

Read, research, benchmark and educate your staff on the many benefits of successfully dealing with CHANGE. Our change, creativity and innovation seminars are receiving more interest than ever before, suggesting that those seeking success know where they must focus.

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.

Are We Ever Going to Learn?

I’ve been presenting keynotes and seminars on the subject of CHANGE for as long as I remember. This is NOT a new subject to anyone … or at least it shouldn’t be. This subject has been addressed in the business world for decades before I was born. Why does everyone have such a hard time adjusting to change?

CHANGE is the one constant that has never changed!

Look at your home, your car, your technology, travel … what would those areas look like if there had been no changes over the last century? Would you be willing to go back to the way we used to do things? Doubtful.

I find it so interesting to look at the companies and organizations that have resisted change over the years … and those that are still doing so today. How many major names have disappeared from every industry because they resisted change? And yet we see it still in so many areas.

Here’s another major change you may have noticed. Years ago, creative employees were stifled and discouraged when they came up with new ideas or creative suggestions for enhancing performance, saving time and money, using new technology, etc. As a result, those employees simply retreated to the “old” way of doing things and contributed nothing to the growth or prosperity of the organization. I’m sure they felt very much like “Peacocks in the Land of Penguins.”

Today, that happens much less as a result of the evolvement of today’s creative minds. If a workplace culture doesn’t nurture these creative minds today, they simply move on to more receptive cultures. In many instances, these valuable employees move on to the competition where they are welcomed and supported. It happens every day!

Does your culture recruit, welcome, support and encourage those who are open to change, creativity and innovation? Does your culture demonstrate openness to new ideas, a willingness to learn, a desire to grow, and flexibility for change? Regardless of your answer, you may want to take a moment to ponder the consequences, both pro and con, of your current path.

Watch this short video to see how “Perry the Peacock” handles the penguins in his world. It’s certainly revealing and maybe even uncomfortably realistic!

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.

Would You Pass the Test?

This is Customer Appreciation Month in the U.S., and it shouldn’t be!

I say that because I’ll never understand why EVERY month shouldn’t be Customer Appreciation Month! Sadly, I see more and more evidence to the contrary every day! I can’t remember a time when service levels were as low as they are right now—in every industry. Ironically, the opposite should be true.

Oddly enough, today’s economically challenged environment has created somewhat of a level playing field. Think about it. Regardless of the product or service offered, most everyone has been forced to provide the lowest of prices, a variety of choices, constant sales, discounts, and promotions and the highest quality available. To do anything otherwise could lead to disaster. I don’t recall ever seeing so much price-matching in the marketplace as we see today.

While everyone seems willing to execute all of the above strategies in hopes of surviving and maybe even thriving, why does everyone seem to avoid the obvious strategy of providing that rare missing element in the marketplace today—good service? It’s so obvious, so inexpensive, so desired, and so game-breaking. And yet so difficult to find!

Let me challenge you to a simple exercise that will shock you upon completion.

For one week, pay close attention to how you’re treated as a customer. You might be surprised at the number of times you play that role in a single day. Consider the grocery store, restaurant, retail store, barber or beauty shop, taxi cab, airport, hotel, theater, and the list goes on and on. Keep track of the number of times you were treated as though you were appreciated versus the number of times you were taken for granted or even mistreated. You will certainly be disappointed as we have become immune to poor service and have even grown to expect it.

It takes so little to make a BIG difference in the eyes of those you serve. Watch the following video and then discuss it with your staff. Tap the creative juices within your organization to create strategies that will WOW your customers as the young man in this video did for his. You’ll reap fantastic benefits and feel better while doing it! And you’ll be unbelievably unique in today’s service-less culture!

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.

Wal-Mart Regains Fortune 500 Status

Yes, they’ve done it again! Wal-Mart knocked Exxon Mobile out of the top slot to once again rule the Fortune 500. Ironically, Wal-Mart surpassed Exxon Mobile by more than $120 billion in revenue while the retail industry suffered a harsh economic downturn which led to store closings, tremendous job loss, and bankruptcies from coast to coast.

While this may be interesting business news and a great achievement for the world’s largest retailer, there’s an even greater story behind the story. Wal-Mart has become a global “anomaly” (any occurrence or object that is strange, unusual, or unique. It can also mean a discrepancy or deviation from an established rule or trend.)

In my travels across this great nation, I have learned that Wal-Mart is loved and respected by half the population and hated and berated by the other half.

However, based on this year’s revenues, apparently the half that loves Wal-Mart has more money than the half that hates Wal-Mart!

The mammoth global retailer has been the target for “haters” for decades now. The reasons are numerous and constantly in the news. This has long been a consequence for leaders in most every industry. However, in most cases, those who love and/or hate the enormous retailer are sadly misinformed to one extreme or the other. People have a tendency to make a snap decision based on what little they may know. The danger in doing so can be critical.

The goal in benchmarking any organization should be to duplicate or take advantage of any and all positive assets and avoid and/or ignore anything negative. Let’s take a closer look at Wal-Mart for example.

Wal-Mart has made a lot of mistakes and poor choices in the past. That’s been documented and verified. That’s almost to be expected when you have more than 8,000 stores in 15 countries, as well as 2.1 million employees on the payroll. That certainly isn’t an excuse, but it is a major factor. On the other hand, Wal-Mart has accomplished a great deal in its journey to become the largest retailer in the world and its achievement of the #1 slot in the Fortune 500 for the 7th time.

Consider a few of its many accomplishments to understand how it has grown and prospered over the years:

  • 8,416 retail stores
  • 53 different banners
  • 15 countries
  • 2.1 million employees
  • Sales of $405 billion
  • 7,200 semi-tractor-trailer trucks
  • 900 million miles driven yearly
  • More than a half of a billion dollars donated to non-profit organizations
  • Support more than 100,000 charitable and community-focused organizations
  • Donated 126 million lbs. of food to food banks
  • Donated to earthquake support for both Haiti and Chile
  • Beefed up health care coverage for employees
  • Earned revenues greater than GM, Ford and Chrysler combined
  • Earned revenues greater than Sears, K-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Gap, Radio Shack, Staples, Rite Aid, and Toys R Us combined.

Wal-Mart’s great success has often been credited directly to its founder Sam Walton. Having studied the growth of Wal-Mart for many years, I have come to the conclusion that the unique CULTURE created by Walton actually deserves the credit. While Sam himself initiated the culture, it has grown and prospered under the leadership of three talented CEOs since his death in 1992. Each contributed a unique quality to the retailer’s phenomenal growth.

Thus, its current success!

Wal-Mart may someday very well follow the disastrous path of previous industry leaders such as Sears, General Motors, and Enron, leading to their eventual downfall. Until that happens, there is much to learn from its daily operations.

Every organization has strengths and weaknesses from which we can learn. You don’t have to like or approve of any particular organization to gain wisdom from its actions. Keep an open mind. Duplicate the positive and avoid the negative. Grow and prosper.

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.

Are You Sustaining Customer Loyalty?

International Customer Loyalty Month rolls around twice a year—April and again in October. That always somewhat baffled me that we would identify two months out of twelve in which we want to focus, celebrate, and create customer loyalty. Creating customer loyalty should be a continuous effort by every organization in today’s chaotic and competitive environment.

Times have changed drastically from the days when loyalty was dictated by habit and/or family tradition.

  • We drove a particular car because our folks had always driven that nameplate or maybe they manufactured that particular model nearby and this was our way of supporting a local job provider. Today, we must search for the very best value for our dollar considering longevity, gas mileage, and the possibility of that manufacturer even being in business in the future. No more loyalty.
  • We voted for one political party or the other because our parents and grandparents have always voted that way. It was family tradition or maybe even a regional situation. Today, you evaluate the beliefs and promises of both parties and both candidates in hopes of deciding which candidate will best benefit you and your family. Sadly, you may even consider which candidate may do the least harm. No more loyalty.
  • We used to send our children to the university we ourselves attended. Would you even consider an alternative? It was out of the question! Today, there are many factors to consider. Location, curriculum, cost, and quality are just a few of the many critical considerations which must be weighed before making a decision. No more loyalty.

Today, loyalty must be earned with each and every customer contact. It can no longer be taken for granted. Loyalty and confidence come from your customers experiencing consistent levels of great service—every time they have any contact with you—whether it’s on the phone, face to face, or via mail or online experience. Delivering great service once isn’t difficult. Doing it consistently is a much greater challenge.

Some think customer loyalty is about a lifetime of excellent service. To an extent, that may be true. However, the true key lies in how it’s delivered. Customer loyalty is about the next time—every time. Today, customers have more choices than ever before. You’d better be taking the time to evaluate exactly what you’re doing to insure that your customers will return next time or what you may or may not be doing that could possibly drive your customers to seek better service elsewhere.

April and October should NOT be Customer Loyalty Months. Customer service and loyalty should be our focus EVERY month! We must strive to exceed expectations twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year—and sometimes 366! 24/7/52! If a loyal customer makes a decision to go elsewhere for any reason at all—there’s a strong possibility they won’t return to give us a second chance. Can you take that chance?

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.

Horse Races, Slot Machines, and Flight Delays at the Airport?

Will Government ever cease to amaze us?

Not long ago, I told you about the strong possibility of soon seeing slot machines at the Miami International Airport in hopes of helping the county recoup some of the money that the airport is hemorrhaging. For some, that vision was difficult to accept as a possible reality. Totally understandable.

However, if that was difficult to embrace, you’d better have a seat. It appears that, in order to obtain a permit for slots, the airport, by law, has to run quarter-horse races. Yes, horse races—at the airport! What’s next?

The airport is hoping to turn an employee parking lot into a horse racing track if all goes well.

The sound of horse whinnies and jet engines is a possibility if the airport can obtain a quarter-horse racing permit.

The county’s preference is to never get directly involved with horse racing—the airport hopes to strike a deal with one of several local existing horse tracks to run the legally required races there.

The catch: There’s no guarantee the airport could strike a lease deal with a local track, so county administrators have offered the parking-lot race track idea to state regulators as an emergency backup option.

In order to have slots, the county would have to commit two years of 20 to 40 races a year. I wonder if the horse racing and slot machines will results in an increase in flight delays?

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.

Perplexing Economy Stimulates Action

Continuous chaos on so many levels in the U.S. has resulted in a variety of reactions by both businesses and individuals. It’s interesting to observe the vast differences in strategies as this country faces the most challenging economic environment in decades.

Difficult times lead many to innovate, others to take risks never before contemplated, and still others to lay low, do nothing, and focus on hope as a strategy.

Let’s take a look at some examples of innovation, change, risk-taking, and action which are currently taking place as a result of those who have chosen not to wait until the dust settles. These examples may be very successful or may fail miserably … time will reveal their fate. However, they evolve from the hearts and minds of those who refuse to wait for others to determine their fate.

Is It a Gamble to Land at Miami International Airport?

Knowing that I fly a great deal, people often comment on how exciting it must be to travel across the country from airport to airport. Well, they’re absolutely right—for your first few months of travel. After that, it becomes boring, frustrating, and often exhausting. Although the food has improved, it’s still far from ideal. The lines are long, the delays have become customary, the waiting areas are uncomfortable, and there is little, if anything, to do while you wait. That may all soon change.

USA Today has reported that the Miami-Dade County commissioners voted 8-3 to allow slot machines at the Miami International Airport. The devices will be located beyond security checkpoints and would potentially allow the county to recoup some of the money that the airport is hemorrhaging. At present, the operating cost of the airport is $600 million and could more than double in the next six years. The slots could provide a much-needed revenue stream.

The airport will realize a new, much-needed revenue stream, passengers will have something to do waiting for the typically delayed Miami flight, and a few people may even win a few dollars. However, if you’ve ever been to Vegas, Atlantic City, or one of your local casinos, you certainly know the annoying sound of a group of slot machines mocking, in unison, the fate of the losers. Airport sound tracks are bad enough with PA announcements, screaming children, and people yelling into their cell phones. Now we can add the sweet, soothing tones of dozens of slot machines!

One last thing … if this endeavor is successful, however that may be defined, you can bet it won’t take long before every major airport in the nation will be following suit. So hunker down, make earplugs a travel staple, figure out how to get rolls of quarters through security, and adapt to another change in our chaotic lives.

Are You Ready for a McSpark?

On this blog, we’ve discussed the innovative efforts of McDonald’s to maintain its leadership in a very competitive industry. (May I Take Your Order Please?; History in the Making – “Bites or Bytes”?) We’ve discussed its order-taking technology, its revolution to the breakfast market, the addition of sofas, fireplaces, WiFi, and large screen TVs, and its addition of boutique coffee offerings. To have watched McDonald’s evolve during difficult economic times can only make one ponder what may be next. You may be surprised!

Apparently, a new North Carolina McDonald’s will include, believe it or not, electric vehicle (EV) recharging stations, part of the ChargePoint network. Now you can enjoy your Extra Value Meal and Latte Macchiato while your car battery is being recharged. Consider the cross-marketing potential … it’s endless. Current EVs take a couple of hours to recharge, so McDonald’s has a captive audience to buy meals, desserts and boutique coffee drinks while they get comfy on a sofa, work on their computer and take in a ball game in front of a cozy fireplace while they wait for their recharge. Look for discounts on fill-ups with meals. Anything’s possible at Mickey D’s. And with more than 30,000 locations worldwide, what company is better placed to establish a recharging network? Before you know it, McDonald’s will be refueling those new green vehicles that have been retrofitted to run on french fry grease. Laugh today for the day will come when you look back on the good ole days of the simplistic Happy Meal.

Flying RyanAir – Better Get in Shape!

RyanAir is a combination of court jester and Scrooge McDuck in the airline industry. It cuts corners to save dollars like nobody else and yet its ideas challenge you to take RyanAir seriously. I told you about its “no frills” philosophy in a previous article (Boo Hoo – Can’t Afford the Loo!), which included charges for food, soft drinks and even water; it hawks bingo cards and duty-free goods during its flights; its seats do not recline, there are no seat back pockets and it offers no window shades; and it is considering charging to use the bathroom.

Now RyanAir has done it again. It has announced plans to cut costs even further by getting fliers to carry all their bags and suitcases through security departure lounges and directly to the plane rather than checking them in. They can carry aboard one piece of hand luggage, but leave any other baggage beside the aircraft to be loaded into the hold. They then pick it up the same way on arrival.

RyanAir chief executive Michael O’Leary said: “You can bring unlimited bags as long as you can get them through security. What it means is no more waiting at the carousel, no more losing your bags, no more wasting your life in over-priced airport terminals.” The move—scheduled for next spring—would mean a plane would need just one baggage handler, instead of five, he said. It is expected this will save RyanAir approximately $42 million a year (American currency).

But wait … it’s far from finished! Ireland’s RyanAir, along with Spring Airlines, a four-year-old carrier that calls itself China’s first low-cost airline, is seeking permission from their government aviation regulators to reconfigure their planes to allow some stand-up seats! Standing passengers would be safely strapped to stools or railings and would, of course, pay less than their conventionally seated fellow travelers. Talk about “Standing Room Only”!

Removing seats to accommodate standing passengers could increase capacity on domestic flights up to 50%. Even if standing passengers paid lower fares, the result would be an increase in revenue per flight. It would also let airlines lower costs by allowing them to offer fewer flights and employ fewer works.

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.