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.

Productive Chaos – Oxymoron or Success Strategy

Over the past few weeks, I’ve received a number of inquiries concerning our “Productive Chaos: Riding the Wave of Change” seminar. Apparently, our recent newsletter and Facebook reports on our many appearances across the country sharing this popular program have peaked the curiosity of many of our readers.

Of the dozens of programs we offer, “Productive Chaos” is, by far, the most requested and has been for the past 20 years. It applies to any organization in any industry because it focuses on the power, potential and productivity of PEOPLE — the foundation of any successful business.

While we’ve delivered this program, with great success, all over North America, for the past several decades, it’s interesting to note that no two clients have received the same program. That’s how it was originally designed in order to deliver the greatest impact for each client.

Each and every seminar has been customized, at no additional cost, to meet the need of the client as it pertains to their industry, product, service, staff and customers. Each program has also been updated to include the latest tips, tools, data and strategies derived from our on-going and in-depth research. Information is shared from media reports as recent as the day prior to the presentation.

The content of each program is determined after focused conversation with the client as to their current challenges and concerns, targeted outcomes, current status, and potential barriers.

In 1987, Tom Peters, noted author, speaker and business consultant, wrote a book titled Thriving on Chaos. In that bestseller, he shared a profound observation that is as relevant today as it was at that time. He pointed out the simple fact that chaos has been with us forever and, more than likely, always will be. There is little or nothing we can do to stop it as long as change continues to appear in our fast-paced environment. It always has and it always will.

However, there is a conscious choice we must consider.

  1. Do we become a victim of this chaos as so many others have over the decade? We’ve watched one-time leaders in every industry fade into oblivion as their relevance diminished as a result of the chaos they encountered.
    OR
  2. Do we adapt to the constant change in every aspect of our environment and harness the potential greatness which can be found amidst the chaos? In doing so, we find ourselves in the very unique position to be able to succeed by doing the same for others.

The choice is OURS! The outcomes phenomenal!

The winners of tomorrow must deal proactively with chaos and must view it as the source of market advantage, not as a challenge which must be overcome. Chaos and uncertainty are now and will be market opportunities for those who prepare today for future success.

There is much rhetoric today about “adaptive organizations,” as there well should be. In these perilous and fast-changing times, adaptivity is arguably skill/goal #1 and the bones of those, old and young, who fail to adapt will litter the landscape.

Our “Productive Chaos” seminar and/or boot camp shares not only tips, tools, and strategies for harnessing the power of chaos but also focuses on those organizations that have done so and many that failed in their efforts. Lessons abound in this fast-paced program.

Successful organizations in every field are those that constantly adapt, evolve, and create “Productive Chaos.” Are you prepared for the challenges which lie ahead? Contact Dr. Jeffrey Drake at our office at 800-886-2629 or fill out our form for further 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.

Goals for Glory

GOALS — A simple 5-letter word that genuinely strikes fear, trepidation and loathing in the hearts and minds of millions of people all over the world. The question is WHY?

Studies have forever verified the fact that goal-setting has enhanced levels of productivity, achievement, and profitability for both individuals and organizations alike. Plain and simple! No questions asked!

Why then do so many people fear this most productive process?

Why then don’t more businesses teach, encourage, and support a process that has proven to be so beneficial?

I’ve met CEOs, Ph.D.s, entrepreneurs, and time-tested leaders who, although familiar with the goal-setting process, choose not to take advantage of it.

In fact, extensive national studies all agree that:

  • Less than 5% of the population set goals!
  • The vast majority have no goals at all!
  • Less than 1% of those who do have goals, write them down!

Consider the value here. If you set goals, you have an definite advantage over 95% of the population!

If you write those goals down, programming your subconscious as a keyboard programs a computer, you have a major advantage over those few who do set goals!

The question remains: “Why don’t more people take advantage of the vast benefits provided as a result of utilizing such a simple but powerful strategy?”

Studies have revealed several reasons why people don’t set goals:

  • People simply don’t understand the importance of goal-setting.
  • People don’t know how to set goals.
  • People have a fear of failure.
  • People have a reluctance to meet expectations.

These reasons obviously outweigh the many benefits provided by the goal-setting process.

Pause for just a moment to take a look at the last year of any aspect of your life … business or personal. I think, if you’re honest, you’ll have to admit that you’ve experienced a great deal of change.

To cope and conquer the challenges of this constant change, successful goal-setting will be essential to both individuals and organizations.

Consider the simple process of strategic planning … in essence, fancy words for goal setting. Doesn’t it make sense to establish a big picture strategic plan for your organization and then follow through by having your middle management level do the same? This plan would reflect the chosen strategy for supporting the larger focus. The front-line staff should then create individual goals describing how they plan to support the corporate focus.

Organizations that have chosen this simplistic multi-level approach to strategic planning have enjoyed tremendous success! Ironically, this productive approach is based on the simple process of goal-setting.

Sadly, far too many businesses and organizations have yet to expose and involve their employees to this essential process. Our “On Your Mark, Get Set, Goal!” program does just that. Call us at 1-800-886-2629 for more information about this powerful program. In fact, set a goal to call us within the next 48 hours!

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.

Throw More Darts!

I find it both interesting and educational to watch how organizations react to a crisis of any kind. I don’t have to go into detail as to the many challenges we currently face in this country … especially in the business world.

However, upon close examination, there is an obvious pattern to how the business world reacts to these challenges. “Losers” and “also-rans” have a tendency to “play-it-safe,” “sit tight,” and “wait for business to return.” I see it every day.

Over the past year, I’ve also witnessed many of those companies cease to exist … falling victim to their own strategy. Some of the companies are well-known and have been around for some time.

On the other hand, you can witness the “winners” and “survivors” utilizing a different strategy. I like to call it “throwing more darts.” It’s actually very simple. When things stall and aren’t going well, they simply try new options. They add new products and services. They change the way they used to do things. They look for new opportunities or enhance existing strategies.

They often fail, but they keep trying until they discover a winning strategy. They feel that the more “darts” they throw at their target of success, the better chance they have of hitting it. They don’t feel that “sitting and waiting” is an option. It leads to destruction and death.

Don’t take my word for it. Watch the news. Note that leaders in every industry are constantly “throwing more darts” in their attempts to rebound, grow, and thrive in today’s challenging business environment. When they do hit a speed bump, it’s usually a temporary set-back because they continue to pursue their goals. They don’t dwell on set-backs … they continue their journey to success.

Ford and GM have enjoyed a tremendous comeback in recent months after experts predicted their demise. They did so by eliminating a herd of sacred cows in their efforts to discover successful alternatives to long-term challenges.

Starbucks is expanding its product line to grocery stores worldwide, recently established its first of many locations on cruise ships, and is now pursuing the challenge of bringing instant coffee to more than 500,000 hotel rooms across the country! Now that’s throwing darts!

McDonalds is investing more than a billion dollars to remodel its stores nationwide to include comfortable couches, fireplaces, big-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi to lure customers at a time when its competitors are merging, selling, or going out of business as they play it safe waiting for business to return.

Two weeks after Netflix announced major price increases, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, started streaming many movies the same day they come out on DVD. It now offers 20,000 titles that can be viewed on almost any device with Internet access, from computers to televisions to Sony’s PlayStation3 and other Blu-Ray disc players.

The strategy is obvious. The more darts you throw—the better your chance of hitting your target. Try new darts. Remodel your existing darts. Try a new method of propelling your darts. You may even want to change your target. Many will miss their mark. Throw more. I can promise you this—you’ll never hit the target with the darts you don’t throw! Think about it! Then take action!

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.

I Must Admit I Can’t Keep Up!

I finally have to throw in the towel. I’ve had it. I can no longer keep up with the unbelievably rapid change in my life today. Just about the time I master what I thought was a real challenge, five more appear in my life! I’m exhausted just thinking about the changes we’ll be facing in the next five years.

I lost my grandfather 35 years ago. I seriously cringe at the thought of having to explain to him, should he come back for a visit today, even a few of the many changes which have occurred over those years. I wouldn’t know where to start.

However, I know it’s not just me. I observe many others struggling as well. On the other hand, I’m amused and impressed at how many people adapt so quickly and comfortably to any change they may encounter. Maybe you’re one of those fortunate “adapters” and don’t even realize it. Check out the following list to discover your current status. Answer honestly.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE LIVING IN 2011 WHEN …

1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.

2. Your grandmother clogs up your e-mail inbox asking you to send her a JPEG file of your newborn so she can create a screen saver.

3. You didn’t give your valentine a card this year, but you posted one for your e-mail buddies via a web page.

4. Your daughter sells Girl Scout Cookies via her web site.

5. You text your son to let him know it’s time to eat. He returns a text back from his bedroom asking, “What’s for dinner?”

6. You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years!

7. You chat on-line regularly with strangers all over the country, but you haven’t spoken to your next-door-neighbor in over a year.

8. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 4.

9. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home.

10. You e-mail your colleague at the desk next to you to ask if they’re ready to go to lunch.

11. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends is that they do not have an e-mail address.

12. You hear most of your jokes via e-mail rather than in person.

13. Every commercial on television has a web-site address at the bottom of the screen.

15. You buy a computer and a week later it’s out of date and now sells for half the price you paid.

16. You consider second-day air delivery painfully slow.

17. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn’t even have the first 20, 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go back and get it.

18. You get up in the morning and go online before getting dressed for work.

19. You’re reading this and nodding and laughing.

20. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

21. You are too busy to notice there was no #14 on this list.

22. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn’t a #14 on this list.

How’d you do?

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.

Out of Sight – Out of Mind

Isn’t it odd how you can see “something” day after day and soon take it for granted as being part of your life? Even stranger is the fact that when that “something” suddenly goes away, we quickly forget it ever existed.

Consider, for example, the many places we spend money every day … hotels, restaurants, airlines, retail establishments, etc. These are place that we visit weekly, sometimes even daily. They often seem to be here today and gone tomorrow. Assisting our “instant amnesia” is the fact that new businesses spring up almost instantaneously to replace those that have disappeared. How many of the following do you remember?

HOWARD JOHNSON’S

Fondly known as “HoJo’s” by many loyal patrons, the first “orange-roofed” restaurant opened in 1929 and specialized in ice cream and fried clams. From there, Howard Johnson grew it to become one of the largest restaurant chains in the world. When the company went public in 1961, there were 605 Howard Johnson restaurants, and at one point, the count reached 800 coast to coast. When Marriott Corporation bought the chain in 1985, the lodging and dining operations were essentially divided. There are now only three original Howard Johnson restaurants left (one in Maine and two in New York).

TOWER RECORDS

The first Tower Records store was opened in 1960 in Sacramento, California. The location would be the start of a music megastore and become one of America’s largest music and video retailers. At its peak it had 200 stores in 21 states. But in 2004, it filed for bankruptcy claiming Internet piracy and discount stores were to blame. Although there are no more physical locations, you can still visit it virtually at Tower.com.

BURGER CHEF

Founded in Indiana in 1954, Burger Chef expanded throughout the U.S. At its peak, it was said to be second only to McDonald’s in the number of locations nationwide. By 1970, it had 2,400 locations. Burger Chef was known for its flame-broiled burgers, “works bar” and “value combo” meals. In 1982, many Burger Chef locations were converted to Hardee’s. In 1996, the last Burger Chef closed.

CHI-CHI’s

This popular Mexican eatery was a gathering place for family dining for close to 30 years. Founded in Minnesota in 1975, the chain grew to 210 locations, primarily in the Midwest and East, by 1995. However in 2003, Chi-Chi’s was struggling and had just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, when a large Hepatitis A outbreak was linked to green onions at one of its locations. The outbreak hit Chi-Chi’s hard and pretty much sealed its fate. Outback Steakhouse bought Chi-Chi’s North American properties, but not its brand name, recipes or operations. In 2004, Chi-Chi’s closed all of its remaining restaurants in North America. (Chi-Chi’s restaurants are still in operation in other countries and a line of Chi-Chi brand salsa is available in most American supermarkets.)

DISCOVERY ZONE

Similar to today’s Chuck E. Cheese, the Discovery Zone was a chain of entertainment facilities featuring ball pits, climbing structures and indoor mazes. Founded in 1989, it grew rapidly to become the nation’s largest operator of children’s indoor entertainment facilities, peaking at 347 locations in 1994. Stretched thin by expansion, Discovery Zone filed for bankruptcy in 1996. By the end of 1999, Chuck E. Cheese’s purchased Discovery Zone’s name, logo and remaining fun centers. It turned many of them into Chuck E. Cheese facilities while shutting down the rest.

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.

A Big Bite of Reality

I first heard the commercial on April 1st, so obviously I assumed it was simply an April Fool’s joke. However, apparently the joke’s on us. And it certainly will be if we don’t show restraint.

KFC, previously known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, has unleashed a menu monster that would shock even the Earl of Sandwich! Picture this if you can: a sandwich featuring two chicken fillets instead of bread slices. In between are two pieces of bacon, melted slices of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheese and a zesty sauce. KFC calls it the “Double Down.”

With this new coronary creation, KFC joins the ranks of Burger King, Wendy’s, Hardee’s and other fast-food outlets that have had success marketing enormous, unhealthy burgers.

In the past, KFC has made attempts to shake its greasy image by slimming down its mascot, the Colonel; dropping the word “fried” from its title; and adding grilled chicken options to the menu. The Double Down, then, is a dramatic break from that trend.

This is just another example of constant and rapid change in every aspect of our lives. Look back over the past year and consider the vast number of changes which have occurred in such areas as transportation, technology, communications, marketing, advertising, travel, entertainment, fashion, and now fast food. The list goes on and on. As this constant change takes place around us, we must also adapt by making the necessary personal changes in our lives. Failure to do so will certainly lead to major challenges in the very near future.

Take a moment to examine your current lifestyle and determine what, if any, changes might be beneficial to you in staying abreast with our ever-changing world!

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.

Do You Need to Push and/or Need to Be Pushed?

Having the privilege to be a father of three wonderful children and the grandfather of nine cherished grandchildren, I have witnessed an interesting phenomenon as it applies to the need to deal with growth. It holds true in your experiences with family, friends, loved ones and those we associate with in our workplace.

Everyone needs a PUSH!

As I look back on my personal life, I can easily remember many times in which I needed a PUSH to attempt a new challenge, accept a new technology, or realize the need for growth at a time when I may have felt I wasn’t ready. CHANGE doesn’t wait until you’re ready. I’m thankful to those who were placed in my life at the right time to enthusiastically provide that PUSH when I needed it most!

I then think back to each of my three children and warmly revisit those critical moments in their growth that required me to provide that PUSH. Many times I found it both difficult and challenging and actually questioned whether it was the right thing to do at the time. I was indeed fortunate that most of my decisions were correct.

I can make that statement because I now take great pride in what my children have accomplished and even greater satisfaction in watching them provide the PUSH for my grandchildren. There is little more gratifying that hearing your own words coming out of the mouths of your children decades later. Especially when you remember your children telling you how crazy you were at the time. Now I just smile and make eye contact with them as they pass on that “crazy” wisdom to my grandchildren.

You NEVER outgrow your need for a good PUSH. There is always a need to tackle new challenges in your pursuit of success and happiness. So whether you happen to need a PUSH or provide a PUSH … keep an open mind and do the right thing. You know it works!

Here’s a short but powerful video based on the book by David McNally, Even Eagles Need a Push. I think you’ll identify with the mixed feelings of that this concerned parent faced with the need to push the young eagles out of the nest.

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.