Author Archives: Harry K. Jones

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.

There’s Something about Airports …

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There’s an astronomical number of people in this world who have never entered the portals of a modern day airport … or ever will. There are millions of others, like myself, who qualify for the privilege and/or burden of claiming airports as a second home.

I personally long ago lost count of the number of hours I’ve spent in and around airports, arriving or departing from more flights than I can recall. Today’s typical airport can be a mind-boggling, high-tech, state-of-the-art marvel of wonder or, for many others, a simple necessary evil.

Experts claim that the challenges of operating a major airport such as those listed below rivals that of operating a major city!

  • Chicago O’Hara
  • Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson
  • New York’s LaGuardia & JFK
  • Washington’s Reagan & Dulles
  • Detroit’s Metro
  • Los Angeles LAX
  • Las Vegas McCarran
  • Orlando International
  • Pittsburgh International
  • Dallas/Fort Worth International
  • Miami International

Think about it … today’s major airports require a sophisticated focus on such critical areas as traffic control, energy generation, safety, security, parking, weather, law enforcement, food prep, maintenance, personnel, transportation (planes, fuel trucks, subways, limos, trams, taxis, shuttle buses, etc.), entertainment, communication, marketing, advertising, etc.

One can certainly see the similarities to operating a major city. However, there’s still another very obvious similarity that can’t be overlooked — the lack of common sense! Airport protocol has always astounded me. They do such a phenomenal job of successfully dealing with challenges in all of the areas mentioned above. At other times, common sense seems to have taken an earlier flight!

Consider a few examples:

If security finds you in possession of fingernail clippers, they will take them away from you. However, you can walk into most any gift shop after passing through security and purchase bigger and better fingernail clippers. Is this simply their effort to upgrade you to a better quality of nail clippers?

What’s the reasoning for scheduling an arrival and/or departure at such odd times such as 11:43, 3:14, or 6:52? They NEVER take off or land on time regardless of what it may be.

Why are pilots so proud of the fact that they managed to land 15 minutes early? Every time they do manage to do that, they can’t get you to the gate because there’s a plane sitting there preparing to depart. As a result, you end up sitting on the tarmac for an additional 20 minutes waiting for a gate to become vacant.

When connecting with another flight, there are always a few things you can count on. The gate at which you are scheduled to connect with your next flight will always be located in a different terminal and will usually be at least a 20-minute walk. In addition, they will usually allow you only ten minutes to make that connection.

Why does a Subway “$5.00 foot long” sandwich always cost $8.50 in an airport?

I recently saw a news report showing the transport of a shuttle craft from Florida to California. The 165,000 lb. shuttle was attached atop a typical 747 aircraft. Why is it that they charge you an additional $50 overweight baggage fee if your bag weighs ONE pound over the allotted 50 lb. limit? Are they afraid we may exceed that 165,000 limit?

Why does the TSA agent always ask me “if someone put anything in my carry-on without my knowledge?” How would I know?

Yes, common sense seems to have found a way to avoid major cities, all airports and Washington, D.C. Be sure it doesn’t do the same with your place of employment! It only takes a few seconds to stop and think!

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.

Top Ten Most Hated Companies in America Share Functional Blindness

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In my last blog article, I shared information based on research by 24/7 Wall St., which operates a financial news and opinion firm with content delivered over the Internet. I shared the first five companies of “The Ten Most Hated Companies in America” and then explained exactly why each company qualified for such a dubious title.

As expected, the various reasons were very fundamental, obvious, and apparently oblivious to the leadership of those organizations: J.C. Penney, Dish Network, T-Mobile USA, Facebook, Inc., and Citigroup.

Now let’s reveal the final five companies as we seek common threads with the first five.

6. Research In Motion Ltd. (Blackberry)

  • Once the preeminent smartphone in America and around most of the world, RIM Blackberry has lost much of its market share to competitors.
  • Several service outages further harmed its reputation and angered customers.
  • The company’s latest smartphone, the Blackberry 10, has been delayed for months.
  • The company has fired thousands of employees in an attempt to restore profits.
  • To top off these troubles, the BlackBerry lost 39% of its brand value last year.

7. American Airlines

  • Despite its recent merger with U.S. Air, American Airlines, has, in a remarkably short period of time, ruined its relationships with shareholders, bondholders, pilots, customers, suppliers, and most of its other employees.
  • In 2011, it filed for Chapter 11, virtually wiping out shareholders and crippling corporations to which it owed a great deal of money.
  • The company has been bickering with its pilots for months over compensation, and the mass layoffs that often accompany bankruptcy proceedings have added to the chaos.
  • American Airline’s image with passengers has also taken a beating. It was recently named the U.S. carrier with the rudest employees and was ranked the worst carrier in America based on customer service, according to the ACSI.
  • The recent merger with U.S.Air makes American Airlines the largest U.S. airline. Industry experts are divided in their opinions as to whether the merger will solve many of the above problems or simply add more turmoil to what currently exists. The past week it announced upcoming price increases as a result of the merger. Adding more planes and personnel may very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

8. Nokia

  • Nokia was once the largest handset company in the world but has now lost that spot to Samsung.
  • Its brand and distribution muscle should have given it some advantages in the smartphone market. However, Nokia instead experienced a tremendous disaster, losing its industry leadership to Apple and Samsung.
  • Nokia’s shareholders have had to contend with a sickening drop in the value of its shares. The stock is down 20% in the last year, and 60% in the last two years.

9. Sears Holding Corp.

  • For decades, Sears and Kmart were the #1 and #2 retailers in the nation. No one could even imagine anyone else being capable of surpassing their performance. Sears has now been around for 127 years and Kmart for 114. Combined they boast 241 years of experience in dealing with any and all aspects of the retail industry. Theoretically, they should have no equal.
  • However, Sears and Kmart continue to struggle. In the past seven years they have had five CEOs!
  • Over the past five years, Sears shares have dropped by roughly 60%. It lost more than $2.8 billion in the most recent reported 12 months. Meanwhile, main competitors Target Corp. and Walmart Stores Inc. have both handily outperformed them.
  • Employees of both Sears and Kmart stores rate their experience at the company as poor and customer service scores are even lower.

10. Hewlett-Packard

  • According to the ACSI, HP was the second worst-ranked personal computer brand in 2012.
  • HP may also be the most mismanaged major company in the U.S., which gives shareholders a reason to turn on it as well.
  • Five years ago, the company had annual net income of more than $8 billion. In the 12 months ending in October, HP lost $12.6 billion.
  • The company shares are down more than 40% in the past year.
  • Last year, in an attempt to restructure and stop the bleeding, the company laid off 27,000 employees, more than double any other company in 2012. Employee research firm Glassdoor reports HP is also disliked by its employees.

So let’s review our findings. The most naive observer can easily identify the many common threads shared by these well-known organizations. While each may be dealing with a few unique circumstances, most would benefit greatly from simply identifying their “functional blindness” and taking the necessary steps to correct the problem.

You and I, as customers, could easily offer legitimate advice and solutions to these challenges. If we can see it, why can’t they? Here are just a few of the common threads shared by “The Top Ten Most Hated Companies in America.” Note the obvious simplicity of each.

  • Customer service
  • Employee performance
  • Employee morale
  • Employee training
  • Listening to customers
  • Alienation of shareholders
  • Out of touch
  • Mismanagement

If the leadership of these companies aren’t dealing with these critical concerns which are key factors in the success or failure of their operation, what are they doing? Ironically, if you were to rate these same areas among the nation’s leading organizations, you would obviously find that great attention is shown to each. Isn’t there an obvious message here?

Take a look at your own organization from two different aspects.

  1. T.L.C. Think Like Customers. View every phase of your business as though you were a customer. If you’re honest in your review, you’ll be surprised at what you may discover. Then make necessary changes and/or educate your customers as to your decisions.
  2. Naive Observation. View your products, services, business plan, marketing, advertising, policies, etc., avoiding any and all justification and denial. While this may prove to be challenging, it certainly produces results.

Each of the those in the “Top Ten Most Hated Companies in America” have been around for a long time and have experienced tremendous success. They know how it’s done. Their future now lies in their own hands. They will become Distinct or Extinct! As 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.

Wake Up Before It’s Too Late!

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On my recent flight home from New York City, I read an interesting article that should be a real eye-opener to anyone in business today. It doesn’t matter what product and/or service you may offer. It was directed to any organization, regardless of size. It was certainly a powerful wake-up call for one and all.

Like most wake-up calls, it was simple, obvious, and right in front of us day in and day out. It was written by a well-known Delaware corporation, 24/7 Wall St., which operates a financial news and opinion firm with content delivered over the Internet. The company’s articles are republished by many of the largest news sites and portals, including Aol’s DailyFinance, MarketWatch, MSNBC, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, Comcast and The Huffington Post. The company publishes more than 50 articles per day and has readers throughout North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The article identified “The 10 Most Hated Companies in America” and then explained exactly why each company qualified for such a dubious title. In fact, the article went into great detail in doing so.

I’ll spare you the details, but I would like to share some very obvious common threads that could very well prove critical to your future success. These companies have been around awhile, they’re well known, and have enjoyed success in the past. However, they obviously suffer from a “functional blindness” which prevents them from recognizing obvious shortcomings that have led to the dismay, disappointment, and even hatred of those they chose to serve.

Look over the list as I’m certain you’ll immediately recognize the common threads that are bringing these organizations to their knees and possible extinction. Evaluate your own organization to make certain you haven’t allowed these shortcomings to take root. As you can see, that can be disastrous for even the best companies.

The 10 Most Hated Companies in America

  1. J.C. Penney
    • Identified as one of the great management disasters of the last few years.
    • The company decided to radically change the chain’s pricing policy and sales fell 20% in the first quarter and continued to lose sales at a rapid rate.
    • Customers defected in droves and have complained that J.C. Penney is out of touch with its customers based on radical in-store changes currently on the drawing board.
  2.  Dish Network Corp.
    • Dish’s remarkably poor customer service ratings show up in more than one national survey.
    • Dish further alienated itself from its customers last May when it dropped several channels, including AMC.
    • Employee ratings of their experiences at the company are as terrible of those of its customers.
    • In a recent BusinessWeek story titled “The Meanest Company in America,” former and current employees called the environment created by the company’s founder as a “culture of condescension and distrust.”
    • Employee ratings for Dish is among the worst in an entire Glassdoor survey that covers thousands of companies.
  3. T-Mobile USA
    • T-Mobile is becoming the black sheep of the big four U.S. carriers.
    • T-Mobile’s 4G network in the U.S. is tied with AT&T as the worst in customer service among wireless carriers.
    • The company had an extraordinary net loss of 1,558,000 subscribers in the first three quarters of last year, out of the roughly 33 million it had at the end of 2011. During the same time, AT&T and Verizon Wireless continued to gain customers.
  4. Facebook Inc.
    • Facebook alienated its investors in a particularly public fashion when its IPO dot-com public offering immediately collapsed despite great expectations. From its IPO price of $35, the stock fell to below $20 in less than three months.
    • Facebook has had customer satisfaction issues among its one billion plus members for some time. This comes in part from the company’s continuing user privacy concerns.
    • Facebook is one of the most strongly disliked American companies, beaten out only by three public utilities companies.
  5. Citigroup
    • Last year, Citigroup sacked its CEO, experienced a financial crisis and then fired thousands of workers.
    • That, of course, destroyed employee morale, but the bloodletting was not over. The new CEO said he would fire 11,000 more.
    • Its mishandling of the sale of its Smith Barney unit caused Citi to write down $2.9 billion, and the action triggered a cut in its credit ratings by Moody’s. Such actions did not endear Citi to investors.
    • It is one of the 10 worst companies in America based on customer service.

I’ll share the last five companies with you next week. I hope you noticed the obvious common threads emerging from these very well-known companies … out of touch with customers, poor treatment of employees, alienation of investors, inability to listen, low employee morale, unacceptable culture, etc.

Why is it that so many others have identified these behaviors and reacted to them with negative consequences for the organization? Yet the companies mentioned above can’t or won’t recognize the challenges and take action to correct or eliminate them?

Again, review the behaviors as they apply to your current culture and make the necessary adjustments before it’s too late! Next week, we’ll review RIM Blackberry, American Airlines, Nokia, Sears/Kmart, and Hewlett-Packard.

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.

Did You See the Farmer at the Super Bowl?

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Watching the Super Bowl this year was a somewhat unique for me. In the past, I’ve usually spent that special day at home in front of the fireplace, sharing the annual experience with friends and/or family. Of course, that day wouldn’t be complete without lots of good food and drinks, a roaring fire, cold weather, and great conversationalists.

Those who enjoy this annual classic tend to fall into one or more of several categories:

  • Those who love the game of football.
  • Those who are avid fans of one of the two teams.
  • Those who enjoy spectacles of any kind.
  • Those who wait breathlessly for the half time phenomenon in hopes of who knows what.
  • Those who appreciate any reason to party.
  • Those who look forward to the creativity of the astronomically priced commercials … this year costing $3.8 million dollars for a 30-second spot, a little over $7.5 million per minute!

This year, I found myself watching the game alone in a comfortable suite high above Times Square in the heart of New York City. I had to fly into the Big Apple on Super Bowl Sunday to prepare for the kick-off of a seminar series the following day for 300+ staff members.

While the environment was very strange for me this year, I found it strangely satisfying. Being along, I found it quite easy to focus more on the intricacies of the entire production. As a result, I must admit that I found myself a bit disappointed in the quality of the commercials this year. They’re usually very competitive and very little is spared in the production of what is hoped to be a fan favorite. Social media feedback revealed that several of this year’s entries were soundly criticized, the majority were mediocre, and a few were outstanding.

Budweiser may have had one of the worst ads of the big game, but they certainly redeemed themselves with an instant classic involving a beautiful Clydesdale. Unlike most commercials, not a single word was spoken in this spot. They simply focused on the images of a horse and the man who raised him, coupled with a perfectly matched Stevie Nicks song. Result? Instant bonding with the viewing audience and immediate acceptance by most!

Personally, I was most impressed by the “Farmer” commercial. It consisted of a simple slide show of photographs accompanied by a stirring tribute to America’s farmers by one of the greatest voices ever to cross our airways … Paul Harvey! The scratchy sounding audio actually came from a speech Paul gave at the 1978 National Future Farmers of America Convention.

The Ram commercial begins with a bleak photograph of a single cow in front of a snowy field, and Harvey’s voice says, “And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a caretaker.’ So God made a farmer.”

Paul Harvey was a broadcaster for ABC Radio for 51 years … perhaps best known for his segment “The Rest of the Story,” in which he would tell an unknown story about a famous person, leaving out who the story was about until the very end. Paul was often referred to as “the voice of middle America.” He died in 2009 to the dismay of millions of fans who listened to him regularly.

The content of this particular commercial touched the hearts, minds, and memories of many viewers as Paul reminded us of a time long ago when farmers were the backbone of this country. They demonstrated a strong work ethic coupled with formidable beliefs and values which led to our country commanding respect worldwide!

Times have certainly changed. Long gone are the iconic scenes of American landscapes dotted with family farms and red barns. Most of these have been replaced by industrialized facilities controlled by large corporations.

In the U.S., where the vast majority of people were farmers at the time of the American Revolution, less than 1% of the population can say they farm full-time today. As a result, we, as a society, have suffered dearly in a number of ways.

This is certainly difficult for many to comprehend as they have never come into contact with the many benefits of farm life. This holds true especially for our younger generation who would find life on a farm to be very alien to what they currently experience.

Are you open to a true challenge? Watch the following Super Bowl video once again in the company of a child or grandchild and try to explain how things used to be. Encourage them to ask questions about what they see and let them share their views on the content. I think you might be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of such a conversation and may even shed a tear as you focus on the content of the commercial.

For those of you who might be interested in learning more about the charismatic voice on the video, check out our previous article on the iconic Paul Harvey.

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.

Life Stops for No One: Go with the Flow or Get out of the Way

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I started writing about change 25 years ago and, to be honest, I thought I would have run out of material years ago. However, it’s been just the opposite. Today, I can’t write fast enough to keep up with the daily changes we encounter and our change program (Productive Chaos: Riding the Wave of Change) continues to be our most requested seminar and keynote.

Of course, some things never seem to change. For instance:

  • Very few people seem to like change.
  • Many simply refuse to change.
  • Most wait too long to change.
  • Many change only when forced.
  • Successful individuals and organizations encourage and support change and are usually the first to do so.
  • Finally, few seem to learn anything from the above information.

While changes happen all around us on a daily basis and often affect our lives in some way, many have neglected to notice them. For instance, were you aware of these recent changes?

  • McDonalds is seriously considering a dinner menu, breakfast all day, monthly specials, a $1 bratwurst and home delivery. Development in each of these areas is currently in progress.
  • Target, the nation’s second-largest discounter behind Walmart, plans to match prices that customers find on identical products at top online retailers, all the time. That would include Amazon.com, Walmart, Best Buy, and Toys R Us.
  • Major League baseball is planning a deal with T-Mobile to create an on-field communication system connecting managers in dugouts to coaches in bullpens, which should have replaced the very antiquated phone system long ago.
  • Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain, recently opened its first retail store — dubbed Evolution Fresh — focused not on selling coffee but on premium juices and vegan and veggie dishes. Starbucks bought Evolution Fresh, Inc. for $30 million! It is also enhancing its loyalty-rewards program, adding an interactive web site for customer input, adding drive-thru windows and to-go meals for breakfast and lunch. Starbucks is now selling its products off grocery shelves and recently developed a “short” $1 coffee offering as well as a new $7 cup of brew.

As you can plainly see, change favors no particular industry, organization, product or service. Change is happening faster and more often than ever before and shows no signs of letting up.

Everyone in your organization must be open and eager to embrace constant change if you are to compete in today’s chaotic business environment. A knowledgeable and well-trained staff is a key ingredient in your future success.

You can bet your competition is aware of this fact as well and may very well be taking the necessary action to insure their success. Can you say the same?

Contact Dr. Jeff Drake at 1-800-886-2629 for more information on our “Productive Chaos” change program. Make certain you’re prepared to “Ride the Wave of Change”!

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.

Mickey Needs Our Help!

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I don’t know about you, but I’ve been a Disney Devotee since the early days of The Mickey Mouse Club (Annette Funicello), Davy Crockett, Spin and Marty, and Old Yeller!

Like so many others, Disney has been part of my life in so many ways over the years. Most people have no idea how successful this organization has been since animator Walt Disney and his brother Roy joined forces in California in 1923 to create what would become a global entertainment conglomerate.

Those who deny the Disney influence are simply uniformed. For instance:

Like movies? Disney has produced well over 750 classic films, cartoons, and animated shorts. It owns LucasFilm, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Worldwide (toys, comics, movies, TV and music), Touchstone Pictures, The Muppets Studio, and several other movie studios.

Like theme parks? Disney owns 5 major theme parks and 38 various resorts around the world.

Vacation? Disney currently owns 10 vacation clubs, 2 water parks, and 5 of the most beautiful, state-of-the-art cruise lines currently sailing the seas and several others on the drawing board.

Watch TV? Disney owns the ABC Television Network, ABC News, ABC Family Cable Channel, Lifetime Network, A&E Network, ABC Sports, 26 Divisions of ESPN, and dozens of television stations and Disney Channels worldwide.

As though this weren’t enough, consider a few of its other assets: real estate, financial services, magazine and book publishing, apartment properties, consumer toys and products, retail stores, investment companies, Disney Learning, Disney Mobile, 12 Disney websites, Disney on Ice, and its own corporate airline.

In short, it has been doing pretty well. So, why do I say “Mickey Needs Our Help”? It’s actually very basic. Although it pains me to say this, the current Disney leadership team has simply lost their minds. They’re obviously delusional and totally out of control. They’ve lost their ability to think rationally.

Let me give you a simple example.

Heralded by the kind of fanfare only Disney can muster, Walt Disney World recently debuted its largest Magic Kingdom expansion ever. The “New Fantasyland” is touted as the largest expansion in the 41-year history of the Magic Kingdom, doubling the size of original Fantasyland from 10 to 21 acres.

By adding multiple rides, restaurants and gift shops in one massive swoop, the project budget is headed toward $400 million! This addition will increase the capacity of Disney’s most popular park, which draws 17 million visitors a year, from 66,000 people a day to 80,000!

Disney is expanding on the west coast as well by creating a $1 billion addition to its California Adventure, which is anchored by the Pixar-inspired Cars Land. In addition, a multi-attraction corner of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is being designed as a tribute to the film Avatar.

Herein lies the problem.

  • Disney obviously doesn’t realize that our economy is in dire straights!
  • It doesn’t understand that millions of its “guests” (customers) have lost their jobs.
  • It doesn’t seem to realize that families have less money to spend.
  • It doesn’t seem concerned about its growing global competition.
  • It seems to ignore the fact that prices are increasing everywhere.
  • It fails to understand that families are vacationing less.
  • The list goes on and on.

Instead of buckling down, playing it safe, and waiting for things to change for the better, Disney seems to have taken an opposite approach. For instance:

  • It continues to expand, enhance, and promote every aspect of its many products and services while its competitors downsize, merge or close their businesses.
  • It increases its creative and innovative efforts throughout the organization worldwide.
  • It continues to train, educate and enlighten its “cast members” (employees) while tapping the potential they offer the organization.
  • It continually invests in its people, properties, products and services to make certain it maintains its industry leadership.
  • It continues to advertise and market at a time when all others have ceased this strategy in the spirit of saving money.

DOESN’T DISNEY REALIZE THAT THIS STRATEGY WILL SOON LEAD IT TO DEATH AND DESTRUCTION?

We must all join forces to make Disney aware that this current path will most certainly lead to its demise. Call or write Disney immediately in hopes of making it see the light.

By now, I’m pretty sure that the majority of those reading this article realize that I’m being totally facetious (not meant to be taken seriously or literally) about the demise of Disney.

In fact, its strategy is genius, and its current growth and success should be proof positive that its game plan can and will work for anyone with the courage and determination to execute it! This will work for any business, regardless of size. In fact, the smaller the business, the easier it is. Are YOU willing to make the effort? Examples such as this one exist from coast to coast. We simply must seek them out.

When you settle on a plan that you feel is right for you and your organization, analyze it, create a strategy, and then execute that strategy with focus and determination! Thanks, MICKEY!

By the way, I understand that Starbucks is now offering a $7 cup of coffee! The next time you stop in at one of its thousands of locations, tell them that this will never work in this horrendous economy! I’m certain they’ll take it off the menu immediately!

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.

Your Dominant Thought Will Prevail in 2013

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It’s happening once again. Maybe it’s just me, but I have heard others mention it as well. We’re rapidly moving through the holidays as we approach the coming new year. Moving from Halloween activities through New Year’s Eve celebrations feels more like a few weeks than three months.

It’s been a very difficult year for so many, and things don’t look much better for the coming year. Sadly, many have made the personal decision to throw in the towel and place the blame on politicians, a tough economy, global competition, and a myriad of other convenient excuses.

I don’t think these people realize that they have become their own worst enemies. All my life, I’ve heard about the importance of having a positive mental attitude. I’ve seen hundreds of examples where positive thinking or the lack of it made the difference in the life of an individual and/or an organization.

It’s not hype. It’s not motivational voodoo though some present it as such. I’m a firm believer in the fact that we move toward our most dominant thought! If that thought happens to be negative, we stop trying, we blame circumstances, we lose our purpose, we give up. We suffer the negative consequences we predict for ourselves.

On the other hand, if we keep our most dominant thoughts positive, we experience the opposite. We become more creative, form new alliances, fine tune products and/or services, and refuse to give up. Such success is profiled in the media most every day.

The decision is yours! What will 2013 hold for you? You might want to review your dominant thoughts today in preparation what must be done in the near future.

We recently lost a fantastic speaker and author who has been motivating people for decades. Zig Ziglar has been using terrific stories to share his wisdom with audiences for close to 50 years. I’ve heard him share the following story many times and it certainly demonstrates the importance of self-confidence and positive thinking. What do you think?

The Kindness of John D. Rockefeller

A business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment.

He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly an old man appeared before him.

“I can see that something is troubling you,” he said.

After listening to the executive’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.”

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.”

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world! “I can erase my money worries in an instant!” he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the un-cashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the un-cashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared.

But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. “I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller. ” And she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he’d been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his new found self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he ever imagined.

What are your positive dominant thoughts for the coming year? Be they negative or positive … you WILL move toward your most dominant thought! Act accordingly!

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 Lost a Friend Today: Zig Ziglar

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I woke up this morning to the shocking news that I had lost a good friend. This was someone I’ve known for more than 40 years. His name is Zig Ziglar, and he died at age 86 in a Dallas Hospital from complications of pneumonia.

Zig wouldn’t know me from the man in the moon but, like so many others, I felt he was a good friend of mine for a number of reasons. I had the great pleasure of spending a little time with Zig on three different occasions over the years.

  • I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve attended his seminars.
  • I have every book he’s published and most of his videos, tapes and CDs.
  • He inspired me to pursue the career I currently enjoy. In short, the man changed my life.

Over the years, Zig has rubbed elbows with Presidents, Prime Ministers, sports elite, Hollywood stars and more importantly, millions of “everyday people.” Zig Ziglar was born in Alabama and was given his famous nickname “Zig” in elementary school. His real name is Hilary Hinton Ziglar.

To today’s audiences, Ziglar’s words might seem kitschy and a little bit corny, or involved wordplay. Among them: “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street” and “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

There is so much more to learn about this incredibly unique man. In 2009, I wrote an article about Zig to be included in our series highlighting renowned authors. That article will reveal why Zig Ziglar is going to be so missed by his fans all over the world and why there will never be another “Zig.” R.I.P. my friend!

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.

Never Underestimate the People of the U.S.

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I don’t know, maybe it’s an age thing. In fact, it might be seasonal or even political. Regardless, this time of the year I often find myself somewhat melancholy …. even more so as I grow older.

Could it be the way time flies from Halloween to New Year’s Eve? It seems to be one continuous blur of stress, food, decorations, people, and demands.

Due to the nature of the work I do, maybe it’s the constant chaos of airports, hotels, town cars, travel and constantly meeting new people. This year that chaos was magnified a hundred fold by the never-ending chaos of a presidential election and a major storm that crippled much of the East coast.

Regardless, it’s a lot to deal with and can lead to emotional challenges for many. In fact, it was recently leading me in that direction. However, when we least expect it, and often most need it, life, fate, karma, destiny, or God (your choice) seems to provide the “kick-in-the-pants” we need to rebound and face the fact that melancholy we feel is a choice we make.

Talk about coincidence. I was recently reading a captivating newspaper article while waiting for my plane connection at O’Hare. I glanced up at the large TV in the lounge to see a newsman sharing the same story with his viewing audience. As the story unfolded, I sat there mesmerized at this superb example of basic human kindness, empathy and healing.

Slidell, Louisiana, is a city of about 30,000 people located 34 miles northeast of New Orleans. As the images of Hurricane Sandy’s devastating blow to New Jersey dominated the media, two Slidell community leaders chatted on Facebook, brainstorming about how they might help the countless victims. Kim Bergeron, the Director of Cultural and Public Affairs, and Donna O’Daniels, St. Tammany Tourist and Convention Commission President and CEO, were reminded of the devastation and trauma they shared with family and friends after the life-altering impact of Katrina in August of 2005.

From that idea sprouted the Train of Hope, an effort to gather flashlights and batteries, cold weather clothes and other supplies and ship them on an Amtrak train, directly to the New Jersey communities in need.

The group quickly established a website, a Facebook page and several drop-off points around St. Tammany Parish.

Amtrak has a train which runs from New Orleans to Newark’s Penn Station. They volunteered their assistance in transporting five tons of food, supplies, diapers, baby wipes, formula, baby food, canned goods, cleaning products, blankets, cold weather clothing, batteries, flashlights and everything else volunteers in Slidell, many of them victims of Hurricane Katrina, could think of. Amtrak normally called this train “The Crescent” but for this special trip they dubbed it “The Train of Hope”!

A massive group of volunteers showed up to sort and load the train for its long journey north. Upon arrival in Newark, a team of more than 70 volunteers were waiting to load the goods onto trucks and ship them off to Bayonne and Hoboken, where Hurricane Sandy flooded out whole neighborhoods and where many are still without power.

Hoboken City Councilman Tim Occhipinti said, “It touches you in a way that it’s very difficult to not choke up on. The outpouring from people you’ve never met, who don’t even live in your area of the country, who have first-hand witnessed the situation that you’re going through, and that they’re willing to give so much back to other people. It’s awe-inspiring, and it makes you glad that you live in a country where a complete stranger is willing to donate their time, money and effort to others.”

When you see situations like this — which get little or no publicity — it makes you appreciate the privilege we all share to live in such a wonderful country. Residents of Slidell and St. Tammany Parish shared a bittersweet camaraderie with their northern counterparts. In fact, Slidell was one of the hardest hit cities when Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana. In addition, they just got hit again by Isaac. I think it’s also a touch of healing for victims of Katrina to be able to give back to victims elsewhere.

Knowing what the many victims of this disaster had to deal with certainly overshadows any melancholy I may have been dealing with. Witnessing the warm response from a group of compassionate strangers 1,300 miles away from the coastal chaos certainly renews one’s faith in this country and the good people who make it what it is. What better time of the year to give thanks for being an American! Every once in a while, I need that special “tap on the shoulder” to remind me to count my blessings!

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 for the Sake of Change Isn’t Always the Answer

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It wasn’t that many decades ago that Sears was the undisputed retail leader in the U.S. Kmart, known for its “blue light specials,” was #2, operating under such namesakes as S.S. Kresge, Jupiter Stores, The Sports Authority, Builders Square and Waldenbooks.

Montgomery Ward and J.C. Penney constantly battled for the #3 and #4 spots in the top ten.

Sears and Kmart have since joined forces, and both are struggling to meet expectations. Major change appears to be their only salvation. Montgomery Ward waited too long to initiate change and was forced to close its doors in 2000 after 128 years of service.

Today, J.C. Penney dominates headlines as it offers more confusing changes than politicians make promises. However, change for the sake of change is seldom, if ever, the solution to growing losses, plummeting sales, elite competition and fickle customers.

J.C. Penney has been changing everything from its merchandise and stores to its top leadership. CEO Ron Johnson, the former Apple executive who came on board a year ago, rolled out a new pricing plan in February 2012. Both vendors and customers were confused by the new pricing policy, and apparently all have suffered as a result of a 70% plunge in store sales. There is no shortage of competitors to make up that shortfall. Critics are questioning whether the chain will ever regain its footing.

The pricing strategy change appears to be just the tip of the iceberg. You might consider keeping an eye on your local J.C. Penney store in the coming months to witness a desperate attempt to bring J.C. Penney back to its former glory days.

It has already attempted an offer of free haircuts as children prepared to return to school in September. That was a nice touch but certainly tame compared to what lies ahead. Look for the these changes in the near future:

  • For the month of November, J.C. Penney is offering free photo sessions: free sittings, free 8×10, and free digital copy and greeting cards for 50 Cents each.
  • J.C. Penney ditched hundreds of coupons, discounts and annual sales in favor of everyday low pricing even though this move has clearly been a failure thus far.
  • It plans to add 100 mini-shops with various designers inside 700 of its 1,100 stores by late 2014.
  • Surrounding those shops will be 15-foot-wide aisles called “streets.” Along those pathways will be couches, ice cream and coffee bars, and wood tables with built-in iPad tablet computers shoppers can use. CEO Johnson calls these “places to engage.” In the middle of it all, a Town Square will offer seasonal merchandise and activities like yoga and Pilates classes.
  • In the near future, you may very well find it next to impossible to find a cash register or check out kiosk anywhere in a J.C. Penney store. It plans to incorporate RFID chips into every product in the store. This will allow any and all transactions to be performed anywhere, anytime, and by any employee in the store using devices like Apple’s iPhone or iPod. Personally, I’m not certain I’m comfortable with that. I wonder where they’ll keep the bags?

CEO Johnson said, “We are here to transform J.C. Penney, not to improve J.C. Penney. It will be just like an Apple store.” He went on to say that he plans to basically create a mall within a mall, with J.C. Penney’s 100 specialty shops.

This is just my personal opinion, but I truly get the feeling that J.C. Penney is simply grasping for straws at this point. While change is a wonderful, and often necessary strategy, it’s not always the “end all” for dealing with the many challenges we face in today’s chaotic world.

In this case, the radical strategies J.C. Penney has in mind may very well take it down the path that led to the demise of Montgomery Ward.

I would suggest that you embrace change wholeheartedly but do so with caution, research, benchmarking, and a well-planned strategy.

At the moment, I struggle to visualize a successful new J.C. Penney … a department store/Apple store/Starbuck’s/Pilates studio/juice bar/mall. We’ll see.

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.