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.

Do Goals Really Matter?

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The majority of the requests we receive for our goal-setting program, “On Your Mark, Get Set, Goal!” seems to come to us from high school and/or college audiences. Personally, I think that’s terrific because this is a critical subject area for young people who have their entire careers ahead of them. Goal setting abilities are crucial at this point and studies have shown that they certainly pay off in a very big way.

What amazes me is the fact that so many adults in today’s workplace have not been exposed to the goal setting process and therefore are not benefiting from this practice. Oh, we talk mission, vision, goals, targets, etc., but it seems to stop at talking. If more adults were familiar with a goal-setting strategy and actually practicing this powerful procedure, it’s somewhat certain that we wouldn’t see as many organizations falling short of their short- and long-range aspirations.

Some people today actually doubt the power of goal setting. Read today’s generational gem and see what you think.

The Catalina Island is 21 miles away from the coast of California, and many people have taken the challenge to swim across it. On July 4, 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the water off Catalina Island to swim across to the California coast. She started well and on course, but later fatigue set in, and the weather became cold. She persisted, but fifteen hours later, numb and cold, she asked to be taken out of the water.

After she recovered, she was told that she had been pulled out only half a mile away from the coast. She commented that she could have made it, if the fog had not affected her vision and she would have just seen the land. She promised that this would be the only time that she would ever quit.

She went back to her rigorous training. And two months later she swam that same channel. The same thing happened. The fatigue set in, and the fog obscured her view, but this time she swam with faith and vision of the land in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind the fog was land. She succeeded and became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. She even broke the men’s record by two hours. When you set your goal, keep pressing on even when you are tired, physically and mentally, and even though there are many challenges ahead. Keep the vision of your goal crystal clear before you and never, never, never give up!

See the vision, commit to it, and you will surely see your goal realized!

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 the Cookie Crumbles

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What is it about creativity that frightens some people? Maybe “frighten” isn’t the proper word. Could it be intimidate? Alienate? Unnerve? Stifle? There’s something about creativity that simply doesn’t sit well with a good number of people. I’ve observed a growing trend over the past year among those who have attended our “Creative Innovation” seminars and “Get Back in the Box” keynote presentations. We’ve delivered these programs from coast to coast so location isn’t a factor. The audiences have represented a wide variety of industries so occupation plays no part in this trend. We’ve addressed both men and women, young and old, tall and short, executives and students, all religions, and all nationalities … the trend shows no preferences. Large numbers of the populace today truly believe they simply aren’t creative. They can’t think in, out, or anywhere in the vicinity of the box. Some even doubt the existence of the box. They can’t perceive themselves doing anything at all that might be considered creative. It’s been my experience that the majority of them are absolutely wrong. They ARE indeed creative. They simply aren’t comfortable or familiar with that reality.

We inaugurated this “Out-of-the-Box Thinking” feature just a few weeks ago. We promised to share real-life examples from the business world that will encourage you to join this inevitable revolution of creative thinking. Through daily observation alone, I’ve already stockpiled more than a dozen examples over the last week. If you’ll simply focus on the many instances that appear in our daily routine, you’ll be amazed at the number of situations from which we can draw to enhance our own efforts. For instance …

Visit your local grocery store. Pick an aisle — let’s say the cookie aisle. That’s a pretty mundane area. Now let’s focus on a company. How about Nabisco? They’ve been around for what seems forever. Now zero in on a brand. Let’s say the ever-popular Oreo. This very popular sandwich cookie, consisting of a sweet, white creme between two circular chocolate cookies, has been gracing our cookie jars since 1912. More than 490 billion Oreo cookies have been sold since they were first introduced, making them the best-selling cookie of the 20th century.

Take a good look at this very basic, but scrumptious, snack delicacy as you ponder the following challenge. As the director of a creative team of associates, you have been charged with the task of developing a strategy to market this “classic” goody in such a way that it will dominate shelf space and entice additional sales in a very competitive market place. I’ve actually issued this challenge as a group activity in several seminars and was somewhat surprised at the lack of imagination, risk-taking, creativity, or resourcefulness I witnessed. I heard remarks such as “What can you do with a cookie?” and “There’s not much to work with!” along with “If it could be done, someone would have already done it!”

Well, someone has. I don’t know if you’ve noticed it as yet but the creative folks at Kraft/Nabisco have done a very impressive job of not only dominating grocery shelf space across the nation but also overshadowing their competition in most every aspect of the media. The simplistic little cookie pictured above has been altered and promoted in ways never considered by the average Oreo connoisseur. Take a look at some of what they now offer to accomplish their competitive challenge.

  • Double Stuf Oreo − twice the normal amount of white cream filling.
  • Double Delight Oreo − chocolate cookies with two fillings, notably peanut butter ‘n chocolate, mint ‘n creme, and coffee ‘n creme flavors.
  • Flavored Oreos containing a sole filling in a variety of creme flavors, including peanut butter, chocolate, mint, caramel, orange, and strawberry milkshake.
  • Springtime, Halloween, and Christmas special edition Double Stuf Oreos are produced with colored frosting depicting the current holiday (yellow, orange and red).
  • Mino Oreos are bite-sized versions of ordinary Oreos.
  • White Fudge Oreos and Milk Chocolate Oreos covered in either a layer of white fudge or chocolate respectively.
  • Shrek Oreos — limited edition Oreos released to promote the feature film.
  • Oreo Cakesters — 2 chocolate soft snack cakes with vanilla or chocolate cream in the middle.
  • Oreo Handi-Snacks — plastic holders with strips of Oreo Cookies and a small box of icing.
  • Deep Fried Oreos — Regular Or Double Stuf Oreos, dipped in batter, and deep friend for about 30 seconds — sometimes sold at carnivals and fairs.
  • Oreo Milkshakes containing Oreo cookies
  • Domino Pizza’s “Oreo Pizza.”
  • Oreo Pie Crust.
  • Jell-O Oreo Pudding — chocolate pudding on top and bottom, vanilla in the middle.
  • Post Cereal Oreo Os.
  • Organic Oreo − plain Oreo cookies made with organic flour and organic sugar.
  • Easy-Bake Oreo Mix − two easy-bake chocolate cakes with a marshmallow filling topped off with an Oreo cookie topping.
  • Oreo ice Cream (Blended Oreo cookies in vanilla ice cream).
  • Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich (Extra large Oreo wafers with ice cream in the middle).
  • Oreo Ice Cream Bar (Chocolate).
  • Mint Oreo Ice Cream (Blended Oreo cookies with mint ice cream).
  • Oreo Madness (a dessert offered at TGI Friday’s).
  • Ready-to-Spread Oreo Frosting.
  • KFC/Oreo Brownie.
  • Oreo chocolate hazelnut bar.
  • Oreo Megacookie.
  • Oreo Granola Bars.
  • White-Fudge-Covered Oreos.
  • Reduced-Fat Oreos.

This wasn’t intended to be an Oreo commercial. It was meant to prove a very obvious point. Glance again, if you will, at the simple little delicious cookie pictured above. Reflect on the challenge I issued to you and how you felt about the possibility of accomplishing it. Challenged? Disillusioned? Frustrated? Now review what the creative staff at Nabisco came up with and realize that what you see is just a sample of what can be accomplished.
Creativity doesn’t apply to product alone. If you watched the Super Bowl this year you saw a very creative Oreo commercial starring the two Manning brothers. Consider these facts:

  • Quarterback Peyton Manning was the MVP for last year’s Super Bowl winners.
  • Younger brother and quarterback Eli Manning was the MVP for this year’s Super Bowl Winner.
  • Cost of a 30-second Super Bowl commercial this year was $2.6 million!
  • The brothers introduced the DSRL (Double Stuf Racing League) … a fierce competition to see who’s fastest to twist, lick, and dunk their Oreo cookie.
  • Nabisco created an official DSRC website where you can register to compete and purchase Official League stuff such as T-shirts, head bands and mugs. The commercials continue to run on TV.

There’s obviously little chance that you have the opportunity and privilege to work with the best-selling cookie of the 20th century. That’s not the point. Creative efforts can do for your organization, product and/or service what it did for Nabisco’s cherished little cookie. It simply requires time, effort, patience, and the application of any combination of the many available creative tools and strategies available to us today. This is just one of the many examples of creativity in action that we can find in our everyday environment. Be alert, search for possibilities and don’t eliminate opportunities by excluding ideas because they don’t happen to relate to your business or challenge. Seek, observe, analyze, adapt and apply … again and again and again. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!

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.

Business Briefs – March 2008

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Need for Leadership Grows Daily

Flying cross-country recently, I had a chance to peruse, in depth, four major newspapers and the “big picture” was chilling to say the least! All four papers reported comments from President Bush which he made during an interview with American Urban Radio Networks.

“We’re not in a recession, and I don’t think we will go into a recession,” Bush said. “We’re in a slowdown, and there’s a difference.” Bush spoke as reports were released showing falling home prices, plunging consumer confidence and accelerating wholesale inflation.

All three Presidential hopefuls, McCain, Obama and Clinton, are attempting to convince us that they have a plan to save the economy. All three are Senators who are, indeed, familiar with Washington and the many challenges our country is currently facing. The President and the Senators, representing both major parties, have long been in a position to deal with this journey to recession and have yet done nothing to prevent it!

I must admit I was appreciative to learn that we’re just experiencing a “slowdown.” However, as I read further through the papers I discovered a good many contradicting reports. For instance:

Sharper Image: This 31-year-old company just filed for bankruptcy protection. They plan to close 90 of their 184 stores.

Rite Aid: The 40-year-old, Pennsylvania-based drugstore chain recently announced the closing of 28 stores.

Sprint Nextel Corp.: The nation’s third largest wireless carrier is apparently feeling the heat from opponents Verizon Wireless and AT&T. They recently announced that they will cut another 4,000 jobs and close 125 stores.

CompUSA: The computer and electronics retailer is winding down its retail operations after being acquired by an investment firm, which is looking to sell the company’s business and assets. They are currently planning to close at least 103 retail stores.

Movie Gallery: The video rental company said it plans to close 400 of their 3,500 Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video stores. This, of course, is in addition to the 520 locations the bankrupt video rental chain closed last fall.

Ethan Allen Interiors: The manufacturer and retailer of high-end home furnishings is closing 12 of its 300 retail centers.

Macy’s: The 150-year-old retailer, headquartered in New York City, has announced the closing of nine underperforming locations due to declining sales. The closing locations employ a total of about 900 people.

84 Lumber: Due to the decline in the nation’s housing market, the Pennsylvania-based building materials company recently closed 12 stores.

Krispy Kreme: In the first nine months of fiscal 2008, franchisees closed 25 stores and tumbling sales are expected to lead to even more franchised store closures ahead.

Starbucks: In order to optimize resources and potentially reduce cannibalization of existing stores, Starbucks plans on closing 100 stores and slowing expansion by 34%.

Home Depot: The nation’s second-largest retailer and home improvement company is closing three call centers, causing 950 employees to lose their jobs in Tampa, Dallas and Chicago as the collasping housing market has hurt the demand for bigger-ticket installed projects.

Pep Boys: The Philly-based auto parts store recently announced their plans to sell 100 Express Stores to Memphis-based competitor AutoZone. They also plan to close 33 other stores and lay off 860 employees. This will reduce the chain to 624 stores.

Rent-A-Center: The nation’s largest rent-to-own retail chain based in Texas recently announced they would close 280 of their 3,355 stores in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Kirkland’s: The national home-decor chain recently closed 30 under-performing stores and is considering closing up to 100 more in the next 18 months. They plan to focus on stores not based in malls.

Fashion Bug, Lane Bryant & Catherine’s: Parent company Charming Shoppes, Inc. is closing 150 stores, laying off 150 employees and reducing the number of stores they will open in 2009. Closing will reduce Fashion Bug stores to 900, Lane Bryant stores to 923, and Catherine’s stores to 471.

Sofa Express: The Ohio-based furniture retailer has announced that it is shuttering its headquarters, closing 44 stores and laying off workers.

Levitz Furniture: The 98-year-old Pennsylvania-based furniture company is liquidating its assets and closing all 76 of its stores.

PacSun ‘Demo’ Stores: Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. said it will close its 154 Demo stores as a result of a a review of strategic alternatives for the urban-apparel brand. This follows the closure of 74 under-performing Demo stores last May.

Talbot’s & Sigrid Olsen: Continuing poor sales has forced Talbot’s to close 78 children’s and men’s apparel stores to focus on its core middle-aged female customer. Sigrid Olsen recently announced the closing of 54 of their stores.

New York & Co.: The 38-year-old upscale women’s clothing chain known as Jasmine Sola will be closing all of their 23 locations.

I must assume all of the above organizations and those many others who are struggling to survive today’s turbulent times are greatly appreciative of the fact that our country is simply going through a bit of a “slowdown.” Can you imagine what may occur should we ever see another recession?

Today’s leaders, in every field of endeavor, must again focus on the fundamentals which once lead us to a place of world supremacy and global respect. We can accept no less for our future generations.

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.

History in the Making – “Bites or Bytes”?

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While current political news focuses on the rising cost of higher education, I marvel at those who neglect the obvious value of gaining priceless knowledge and experience from the “School of Hard Knocks.”

While “change” appears to be a leading buzz word in every aspect of the media today, very few organizations and individuals seem to acknowledge the need for it. Dissatisfied with their current situations, they do little, if anything to change it. They’re content to sit back and wait for circumstances to favor them. They balk at attempting new strategies. They refuse to benchmark. They reject new technology. They continue to do what they’ve always done. They disappear.

Why do you think that is? Could it be feasible that their fear of change is greater than their need to survive? Are they hiding behind the fact that they’ve been in business for years? Do they believe a title (Board Member / CEO / President / V.P. / Manager / Supervisor) will protect them from obscurity? Is it educational credentials? It’s been proven that those too are worthless unless there is evidence that you’ve applied what you learned. History slaps us in the face with the fact that none of the above make a difference in a rapidly changing world.

If the world around you is changing and you’re arrogant enough to believe you don’t have to adapt to it, your demise is inevitable. Every industry offers examples of once respected business leaders who have faded into oblivion simply because they refused to change in the face of chaos resulting from global competition, an economic slowdown, and increasing industry demands.

How many times have we heard the old adage: “If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”? Most everyone has heard it many times but most disregard it or simply don’t believe it.

Donald E. Wetmore, President of the Productivity Institute, says: “if you (and I) continue to do what we do, the way we have always done it, then, within the next five years, we will be obsolete.” That’s not a threat. That’s a pretty safe prediction. We see evidence of this theory everyday in the news.

Now let’s go to “school” by examining recent news releases by two proven business leaders who are facing obvious challenges by responding with creative strategies and an openness to change. What’s so intriguing about the choice of strategies embraced by these two marketing masters lies in the fact that each has chosen the previous path of the other. Interestingly enough, both tactics may very well be successful.

McDonalds, world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants, has decided to upscale.

Starbucks, the largest multinational coffee and coffeehouse chain in the world, has decided to begin reaching out to the on-the-go customer.

It’s almost as though they’ve decided to exchange strategies, philosophies, and identities to an extent. Look for the following changes in both locations in the very near future.

Starbucks:

  • Starbucks has more than 14,000 stores and opens an average of six new locations every day.
  • They are testing an 8-ounce “short” $1 coffee offering and free brewed coffee refills. The catch? You can only get the deal in Seattle-area outlets for now.
  • The company has outfitted many locations with drive-through windows and tried selling breakfast sandwiches to compete for morning sales with McDonald’s. They brought in significant revenue but were discontinued when employees complained the smell of egg-and-cheese sandwiches overpowered the aroma of coffee and cheapened the store experience. In addition, time spent on sandwiches took away from the focus on coffee. The move to eliminate the sandwiches, which bring in more than $140 million in annual revenue, was a tough decision but Schultz said that input from his baristas during the past three weeks influenced his decision. That fact in itself is rare isn’t it? … Leadership listening to staff—what a concept! The sandwiches will be replaced with “a breakfast menu that delivers what our customers are asking for.” This is a prime example of trying something different, realizing it didn’t work, and readily adapting.

McDonalds:

  • The fast-food giant plans to bring baristas and espresso machines to nearly 14,000 locations in the U.S. this year.
  • Customers will be able to order lattes, mochas, ice-blended coffees and other specialty drinks.
  • The company has already rolled out Wi-Fi wireless broadband technology in many of their locations. Want some WiFi with that Big Mac?
  • It’s all part of a company strategy to turn McDonald’s from a grab-and-go fast-food chain into an order-and-stay restaurant where customers can surf the Internet and linger over coffee.
  • McDonald’s doesn’t expect to earn money initially from its Wi-Fi service. It hopes instead to attract more customers and sell more burgers and fries.

Bottom line:

Will these bizarre strategies be productive for Starbucks and McDonalds or will their loyal customers rebel against such radical change? Who knows? It’s certainly going to be interesting to watch. The important thing, however, is the fact that neither is resting on their laurels at a time when both are striving to counter the housing market collapse and the stock market’s volatility, which has caused the nation’s consumers to keep a weary eye on any and all disposable income.
Both organizations are doing something. Time will tell whether they chose the right strategies. However, history tells us that something is better than nothing.

Homework: Keep an eye on Starbucks and McDonalds as they face the consequences and possible benefits of initialing change to insure survival.

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.

The Fountain of Wisdom – March 3, 2008

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Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

Over the ages, we have indeed been blessed with a bountiful gift of wisdom from some of the world’s greatest minds representing every walk of life. This new series will share some of that wisdom along with suggestions for application to many of today’s growing challenges. If you’d like to contribute a personal favorite, please do so by sending your offering to

e-mail

Let’s get started …

Start a “Stop-Doing” List

This one is so basic and makes so much sense that I’m shocked no one came up with it 100 years ago. A “To-Do” list has been a critical time management tool for a very long time and, of course, still provides tremendous value. However, if not prudent, you can allow that list to grow beyond reason. For that very reason, our “I Hate Time Management” program now explains the many benefits of a “Stop-Doing” list.

The renowned Peter Drucker focused on this concept in several of his early books and, more recently, research by Jim Collins (author of Good to Great and co-author of Built to Last) certainly solidifies this theory. Collins found that one of the commonalities of the companies that were able to propel themselves from being just good to being great is that they all looked at what they were currently doing that they needed to stop doing. Therefore, you can add those successful companies to the growing list of believers in this unique strategy.

A great place to begin is in sharing a basic definition of a “Stop-Doing” list. It’s nothing more than a simple inventory of bad habits or negative actions currently practiced by an individual, team or organization that would provide better results if they were discontinued.

I’d very much like to provide you with a list of those habits and/or actions which should appear on this list, but I’ve learned from our seminar break-out sessions that those lists differ considerably from person to person and group to group. Your list can be greatly impacted by a variety of factors such as culture, experience, education, product, service, competition, technology, team members, leadership, etc.

Once your list is compiled, evaluate each component by asking: “Does this task add value or generate positive results for me and/or my organization?” If the answer is no, it should go right on top of your “Stop-Doing” list. Should the answer be yes, then ask: “Am I the best person to do this task?” The first question tells you whether you can eliminate the task. The second question tells you whether you can delegate or empower that task to someone else.

Once you’ve successfully completed your “Stop-Doing” list and actually ceased doing those tasks on your list, you’ll quickly discover a great deal of additional time and energy which you can now divert to other challenges.

The obvious and very valuable lesson here is: Until you begin to stop doing some things, you will not make significant progress in your personal growth or the improvement of your organization.

Once you’ve recognized the tremendous value of this strategy, you should consider asking yourself:

  • “What else could and should I stop doing?”
  • “What should our organization stop doing?”
  • “What might others on our team stop doing?”

These questions should be routine in your organization from this day forward. This process is another example of Continuous And Never-Ending Improvement (CANI). We all seem to be very good at coming up with new things to add to our “To-Do” list. However, significant improvement will never come until we and our colleagues learn how to stop doing things and behaving in ways that are no longer effective. Now is the time to start.

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.

Stop – Look – Listen … While You Still Can!

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Very seldom does this subject not come up at some point during our “I Hate Time Management” or “Stress: The Ultimate Paradox” seminars. Someone in the audience always seems to experience that epiphany that seems to stop us in our tracks and causes us to ask: “Why am I working so many hours?” or “Why am I away from home so much?” or “Why am I focusing only on earning money for a family I never see?” Kind of ironic, isn’t it? We get so caught up in striving for a better life that we miss much of the life we have in the process.

Sometimes we merely need to pause for a moment to enjoy the more simplistic but rewarding moments in life. The benefits can’t be measured. They shouldn’t be. They should be enjoyed and treasured. That thought brings us to our next generational gem.

Magic Marbles

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

“Hello Barry, how are you today?”

“H’lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas. They sure look good.”

“They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma?”

“Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.”

“Good. Anything I can help you with?”

“No, Sir. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.”

“Would you like to take some home?” asked Mr. Miller.

“No, Sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ’em with.”

“Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?”

“All I got’s my prize marble here.”

“Is that right? Let me see it” said Miller.

“Here ’tis. She’s a dandy.”

“I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?” the store owner asked.

“Not zackley but almost.”

“Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble,” Mr. Miller told the boy.

“Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller.”

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, “There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.” I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.

A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community, and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts … all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. “Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size … they came to pay their debt.”

“We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,” she confided, “but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.” With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

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 Creative?

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It’s intriguing how easy it is to find examples of creativity in our everyday lives. We’re surrounded by evident situations which have evolved from creative thinking; however, we, for some reason, simply neglect to recognize and/or acknowledge them.

Consider the simple M&M. Yes, the candy. When most people hear “M&M,” they immediately visualize a very small round candy-coated piece of chocolate candy, available in a small variety of colors, in a small, somewhat bland, brown bag. M&Ms taste great, they’ve been around for what seems like forever, and the most creative thing about them seems to be their slogan informing us that they melt in our mouth—not in our hands. Can you imagine being given the task to be creative with something as simplistic as an M&M? Well, my friend, it’s been done, and done very well, proving that creative thinking can be applied to just about anything.

Now move with me from the visual of a single M&M in your hand to this picture of one of three, yes three, retail stores operating under the name “M&M’s World.” This is the storefront of the Las Vegas location situated right on the Strip next to the MGM Hotel and Casino. This is a 28,000-square-foot, 4-story monument to chocolate … a great family excursion featuring more than 4,000 one-of-a-kind gifts and souvenirs designed solely for M&M’s World.

They have another similar location located on Broadway in the center of Times Square in New York City. This is a 25,000-square-foot, 3-story sensory immersion into the world of chocolate, featuring an interactive kids area, full-size Ford Fusion NASCAR and a 17-foot Green M&M character of Lady Liberty.

The newest location can be found in the Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida, not too far from Disney World. This 16,000-square-foot spectacle features similar attractions to the first two and certainly fits into the magic of the Orlando area.

I’ve had the opportunity to visit the New York City and Las Vegas locations and I can attest to the fact that when you walk through the door your jaw will drop, your eyes will widen, your mind will wander, and you’ll feel as though you should be looking for Dorothy because you know you’ve somehow arrived in Oz.

You’re going to find M&M’s in every possible size, shape, form, color, price, and container you can imagine. You can actually create a multitude of color combinations of your choice and you can have personal names or slogans placed on each M&M. Corporate logos and slogans on each M&M are also available on site or you can also do this once you return home via their web site and have them shipped directly to your home or office.

In each of these mega stores, you can find just about everything. In the clothing area, you’ll find T-shirts, hats, jackets, shorts, socks, head wear, and a variety of sports wear available in Mens, Ladies, youth, and infants/toddlers sizes. The choice of logos, slogans, pictures, etc. is unlimited.

You’ll also find bags and luggage, greeting cards, key chains, jewelry, watches, pins, home decor, bed and bath products, kitchen gadgets, magnets, office accessories, keepsakes, dispensers of every size and shape, figurines, seasonal ornaments and snow globes, a variety of toys and games, a large assortment of plush, a full line of pet accessories, footballs, baseballs, basketballs, soccer balls, golf balls and golf accessories, glass wear, and even car accessories. In short, it would take less time to list the things you CAN’T find in these mega stores.

Now let’s go back to my request that you visualize a single M&M in the palm of your hand. Someone was charged with the challenge to get creative and come up with a number of ways to support and promote that single little piece of candy in such a way that millions of people worldwide will remember it. Mission accomplished. It is true that these creative souls belong to the larger MARS family … proud creators of such favorites as Snickers, Starburst, Skittles, Dove Bars, Twist, Mars Bars and Uncle Ben’s Rice. However, the thousands of products, ideas, promotions, packages, strategies, etc. came from  individuals … creative individuals.

The next time you’re facing a creative block, think back to that mental image of the single M&M in the palm of your hand. Then remember what’s evolved from something as basic as an individual piece of candy. If not for creative people with no-limit imaginations, open minds, and “get-er-done” attitudes, none of what I mentioned above would have become reality. As a result of these creative minds, millions of people have been pleased, surprised, entertained, and inspired beyond their wildest expectations. You can do the same. The choice is yours. Raise your own expectations, set goals, find mentors, benchmark, research, continuously challenge yourself, never stop learning and most importantly … enjoy your journey.

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.

The Fountain of Wisdom – February 25, 2008

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Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

This feature shares wisdom from some of the world’s greatest minds representing every walk of life … along with suggestions for application to many of today’s growing challenges. If you’d like to contribute a personal favorite, please do so by sending your offering to:

e-mail

Today’s Subject: Change

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

Charles Darwin shared that wise observation one hundred and thirty-nine years ago. It’s still very relevant today when applied to organizations as well as individuals. We can find evidence of its authenticity in the news almost daily.

You’ll probably hear more references to the necessary concept of change during this politically charged year than at any other time in our history. Take a moment to openly discuss Darwin’s assertion with your fellow staff members as it applies to your organization and employees.

  • Are we responsive to change throughout the organization?
  • Are we timely with our response?
  • Do we have pockets of change reluctance among our staff?
  • Do we initiate change or revert to it as a response?
  • What issues are ongoing that we have yet to manage?
  • What changes must be made to manage those issues?
  • Why haven’t we addressed these issues yet?

This exercise may very well provide you with some valuable insight as to the possibility of future success or the inevitable lack of it. Open discussion is the first step in a very value process.

  • Where are we now?
  • Where do we want and need to be?
  • How do we get there?

Try it. You may be amazed where it may lead you!

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.

Business Briefs – February 2008

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Most Expensive License Plate

A wealthy Abu Dhabi man shelled out $14 million for a vanity license plate with just one number on it − 1 − shattering the previous record of $6.8 million paid for a plate with 5 on it. In total, 90 license plates were auctioned off for $24 million.

Meg Whitman Steps down as CEO of eBay

Margaret C. “Meg” Whitman has announced that she is stepping down as CEO of eBay. Whitman, who has been the President and CEO of the online marketplace since 1998, will remain on the Board of Directors. When she joined eBay, it had 29 employees and operated solely in the United States; eBay is now a global organization with over 15,000 employees. She led the company from a few customers to nearly 50 million; revenue jumped from a few dollars to nearly $6 billion.

This charismatic leader has long been admired in business circles as her many accomplishments have distinguished her in many areas. To learn more about her exalted career, check out her profile right here on our blog at Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Leaders – Meg Whitman.

Largest Beef Recall in History

A California meat company, Westland/Hallmark based in Chino, California, recently issued the largest beef recall in history, 143 million pounds, some of which was used in school lunch programs.

The historic recall comes after a widening animal-abuse scandal that started after the U.S. Humane Society distributed an undercover video that showed workers kicking sick cows and using forklifts to force them to walk. The video raised questions about the safety of the meat, because cows that cannot walk, called downer cows, pose an added risk of diseases including mad cow disease. The federal government has banned downer cows from the food supply.

Sharper Image Files for Chapter 11

Struggling electronics and specialty gifts retailer Sharper Image Corp. recently filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. In a statement, San Francisco-based Sharper Image said it will continue to conduct business as usual while it develops a reorganization plan. Chief Financial Officer Rebecca L. Roedell said the company plans to close 90 of its 184 stores as soon as possible after it sells their inventories.

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.

Developing Employee Potential

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I think I’ve lost track of the number of organizations that have made the claim that their people are their greatest asset. That sounds noble. It could possibly be a monumental strategy. It has the potential for striking great pride into the hearts of every employee. It offers the probability of enhanced productivity. Of course, all of these benefits evolve only if the organization “walks their talk.” Sadly, for a variety of obvious reasons, far two few companies invest the time and effort to properly do so.

If you truly believe your employees are an asset, it’s best to treat them as though they are exactly that. Coach, mentor, train and develop them to their fullest potential. Sometimes that will mean allowing them to experiment, struggle and even fail to a certain extent. Those elements are critical to the evolution of a productive staff. This process is exemplified by today’s generational gem.

A man found a butterfly’s cocoon. He observed it regularly and one day noticed the appearance of a small opening. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared stuck.

The kind man decided to help the butterfly by cutting open the cocoon with a pair of scissors. The butterfly then emerged easily. However, something seemed strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man watched the butterfly expecting it to take on its correct proportions. Unfortunately, nothing changed.

The butterfly stayed the same. It was never able to fly. In his kindness and haste the man did not realize that the butterfly’s struggle to get through the small opening of the cocoon is nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight. Like the sapling which grows strong from being buffeted by the wind, in life we all need to struggle sometimes to make us strong. When we coach and teach others, be it children or employees, it is helpful to recognize that people sometimes need to do things for themselves.

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.