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.

Where’s My Pizza?

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When I created this new feature to share current real-life examples of Out-of-the-Box Thinking, I had no idea that I would discover so many examples so rapidly. I have a new-found faith in that old adage: “Seek and ye shall find.” It also proves the power of “focus.” Have you ever noticed that shortly after buying a new car, you see dozens of others just like it on the road every day? You didn’t see them yesterday. Did everyone buy their new car last night? I doubt it. It’s simply a case of our not focusing on that particular make and model before we got ours. So it is with the many obvious examples of creative thinking emerging around us every day. If you want to find them, simply begin to focus on that goal.

For instance, Domino’s, the pizza-delivery kingpin, recently unveiled a new technology and came up with a very adequate name of “Pizza Tracker.” Now customers can track their pizza from the moment they place their order until it leaves the store en route to their homes. In addition, Domino’s vows that its online tracking system—for phone or online orders—is accurate to within 40 seconds.

The system is now available at 3,400 Domino’s outlets and will be in all of their stores by June of this year. It even gives folks the first names of the workers who take their phone order and deliver their pizza—and asks customers to rate them. Domino’s promises to investigate any customer comments about inappropriate behavior by order takers or delivery staff.

Now, let’s see how creative Domino’s really is. They have over 9,000 stores in 54 countries. Can you imagine the price tag of installing this new technology chain wide? Do you really believe that they’re doing this because there are millions of customers who have nothing better to do with their time than sit in front of their computer as they keep tabs on their pizza for the 30 minutes it takes to arrive at their front door? Come on!

Consider the benefits of their recent announcement:

They introduced this unique headline-grabbing technology the week of the Super Bowl. According to the folks at Domino’s Pizza, Super Bowl Sunday is the largest sales day of the year for Domino’s and about 42 percent more than on a normal Sunday. The company’s drivers will cover 4 million miles delivering on that day. The press release is being reported on radio, television, the Internet, newspapers and magazines across the nation, if not world-wide. Pretty good timing, wouldn’t you say? By the way, an announcement such as this is considered news and is reported as such. Therefore, all of the publicity mentioned above comes with no price tag. Add that free publicity to Domino’s Super Bowl advertising strategy and they’re going to be getting a lot of coverage at the busiest time of their year. (Note: I put “Domino’s Pizza Tracker” into Google and discovered 16,100 references in less than one second!)

There are additional benefits as well. Even though most customers will never waste time shadowing their pizza purchase, they know they can if they want to. They know that Domino’s was the first to offer this technology. They’ll discuss the pros and cons around the water cooler (free word-of-mouth advertising regardless of public opinion). Domino’s appear to be cutting edge in the industry.

They’re also offering a new method of feedback for their customers … even though most will never use it.

They’re also sending a message to their own employees that customers now have a way of rating their performance.

In the event this technology doesn’t catch on, Domino’s can always change their strategy long before they expand it to their remaining stores. If that happens, I doubt whether there will be a major press release. In the meantime, they certainly seem to taking advantage of their initial press campaign!

Let’s face it, here’s another example of creativity evolving from a product that is somewhat of a staple to many of their customers. In addition, you have to admit that it’s somewhat of a challenge to creatively promote a product such as a pizza in a way which we have not seen in the past. Domino’s found a way to do just that. Let’s watch to see how successful it is.

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

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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. Sadly, far too many of us either take their words for granted, are too busy to recognize the wisdom, obviously ignore the valued messages, or clearly feel it doesn’t apply to today’s intense circumstances. Some of us simply have yet to be exposed to these insights.

For those very reasons, 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

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Let’s get started …

“When the student is ready, the teacher shall appear!”

This ancient Buddhist proverb has weathered the storms of time and progress to be as applicable today as it’s ever been. How many times have you heard veiled words of wisdom that simply never really clicked − just didn’t make sense at the moment? Then, all of a sudden − days, weeks, or even years later − you hear it again and experience one of those “Ah-Ha” moments. It suddenly clicks! The clouds part, the brilliance of reason shines through, and you wonder why you didn’t comprehend the obvious much sooner. The rationale is evident.

YOU weren’t ready until now! You are the student. Students never graduate as they’re open to continuous learning throughout their career. If you’re open-minded and eager to learn, the teacher can be anyone or anything. It may very well be a person but can also be a book, magazine, newspaper, TV or radio content, Google, a billboard, or just about anything at all.

As a life-long student … always be ready! Stay ready! Be open-minded and eager. Be the beneficiary of this ancient Buddhist wisdom. There’s a reason this advice has weathered the ages. 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.

Acres of Diamonds – Start Digging

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It appears as though we’re moving in the right direction with our “Generational Gems” category as I’ve received a number of comments from readers that appreciate the revival of some favorite “classics,” others have been reminded of “Gems” they had totally forgotten, and a few others are now making a concerted effort to pass some of their favorites on to the younger generation in hopes of keeping them alive.

In my opinion, today’s gem should be required reading in grade school. If I had been exposed to this captivating tale at that age, I feel quite certain I would have spent more time and energy evaluating my local environment for obvious advantages that offered potential value in my search for success.

This story was inspired by a true story with an ageless moral and was originally communicated as a lecture. If you’d like to learn more about the historical background of this narrative, the author, it’s remarkable popularity and growth over 165 years, and it’s similarity to two major movie paragons, visit our web site. Acres of Diamonds is one of the ten new book reviews we recently added to our suggested reading list … bring our total to 170 reviews.

ACRES OF DIAMONDS

This is the story about a farmer who lived in Africa on a good-sized plot of land. Over the years, the farmer learned that diamonds were being discovered in abundance all over the African continent. He got so excited about the idea of millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm and began his search for fame and fortune. Leaving his family behind, he wandered all over the continent, constantly searching for diamonds which he never found. Eventually he went completely broke and, in despair, threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual-looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went into terminal convulsions. He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, “Heck, the whole farm is covered with them” and sure enough it was. The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine … the richest the world has ever known. The original farmer was literally standing on “Acres of Diamonds” until he sold his farm.

Can the same be said of you? In your search for a better job, new home, fashionable friends, better education, additional experience, good employees, greater riches, peace of mind, contentment … consider looking much closer to home. Think about the possibility of finding the riches of life in one’s own back yard. For instance, are you searching for new employees rather than developing the potential of those currently on your payroll?

Discuss this classic with your team and consider the multitude of gems waiting to be mined within your own “Acres of Diamonds”… where the true riches of life may be found.

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.

Tapping Potential

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I must be honest here. I’m really not crazy about the title of this category: “Out-of-the-Box Thinking.” I feel that term is not only old—it’s been beaten to death. That’s why we promote one of our creativity keynote presentations as “Get Back in the Box” with a full explanation of why you should do this and how to go about it. However, conventional wisdom has proven time and time again that if we want to attract people using search engines, we must use that antiquated terminology. Kind of a Catch 22 if you will.

Anyway, we promised to share real-life examples from the business world which will encourage you to join this inevitable revolution of creative thinking. The following two illustrations prove the fact that some of your very best potentially creative ideas can be found among your own people. Simply express your openness to any and all suggestions from your staff, actively listen to the ideas as they begin to flow, respond accordingly, and recognize and reward those who share their creativity. It’ll cost you absolutely nothing but will be one of the best investments you will ever make! We see proof of it time and time again!

Ideas Abound!

It was the janitor’s idea. The famous El Cortez Hotel in San Diego provides an excellent example of the tremendous benefits and competitive advantage of listening to employees at every level in an organization. The hotel management decided to install an additional elevator to better serve their guests. Engineers drew up plans cutting holes through each floor of the hotel. A janitor, who was genuinely concerned about this approach, shared his concern that this would make a great deal of confusion and clutter. The janitor was told not to worry because the hotel would be closed to guests during the construction. The janitor asked, “Why not build the elevator on the outside of the hotel?” At the time, this architectural concept had never been done before, but after investigation by the engineers, it proved an idea that was worth developing and is now commonplace in buildings today worldwide. The janitor’s idea saved the El Cortez from lost revenue, employees from losing salary and major clean-up costs related to the construction of the new elevator. Here is another obvious example of taking advantage of the experience, pride, knowledge and creativity of existing staff members.

Use It or Lose It!

We often speak of the importance of tapping the full potential of your organization. So many companies regularly ignore this tremendous asset while others focus on it and reap the obvious benefits. We hear so much about Southwest Airlines and the fact that they lead the industry in so many categories. So many people struggle to figure out how Southwest succeeds at a time when so many of their competitors struggle simply to survive. The answer is obvious and Southwest does nothing to hide it. In fact, they proudly share this secret in books, magazines, interviews, and all over their web site. The secret—their people and the culture they so eagerly support. In February 2000, Southwest Airlines CEO Herb Kelleher sent a letter concerning the current fuel cost crisis to the home of every employee. “Jet fuel costs three times what it did one year ago. Southwest was using 19 million gallons a week at that time (Today they use closer to 31 million gallons per week!). Our profitability is in jeopardy,” he wrote. He asked each worker to help by identifying a way to save $5 a day. The response was immediate. A group of mechanics figured out how to reduce the cost of heating the aircraft. Another department offered to do its own janitorial work. Within six weeks of the letter being sent to the employees, this large organization found ways to save more than $2 million. So many other organizations have the same opportunity but clearly choose to ignore it.

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.

Even More Obvious Questions

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There are far too many questions out there in our everyday routines that need to be asked. I’m not talking about questions that will end wars, abolish poverty, cure all diseases, or eliminate the world’s problems. I’m talking about the questions that drive us crazy due to their simplicity and the questions that absolutely no one seems to be able to answer. It seems like there’s no end to these questions as I discover new ones constantly.

  • What if there were no hypothetical questions?
  • Why is it that when you’re driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?
  • If they wanted us to eat it, then why would they name it succotash?
  • Why is it if there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers?
  • What don’t we have a constitutional amendment that declares anything said in a campaign commercial to be under oath?
  • Why does a friend or family member say “Yuck! This is awful!!” and then tell you to try some?
  • Why is it that the chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpeting/rug?
  • What was the best thing before sliced bread?
  • Why do we say something is out of whack? What’s a whack?
  • When you open a bag of cotton balls, is the top one meant to be thrown away?
  • Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?
  • If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

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.

“TRUE GRIT” — A Winning Philosophy

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve wondered why every newspaper, magazine, and news cast contains only negative content. Think about it. No matter what you read, see or hear under the guise of NEWS, 99.9% of it refers to murder, death, crime, war, disease, scandal, etc. I’ve heard the universal answer many times: “Good news doesn’t sell. People simply aren’t interested in good news.” However, I’ve always doubted that observation and held out a little hope that others enjoyed good news as much as I did.

When I was a youngster, about 100 years ago, you could buy a colorful comic book for a mere 10¢. Today they cost anywhere from three to four dollars each. Almost every comic book contained want ads offering anything from ant farms and sea monkeys to job opportunities in the form of Christmas card sales and paper routes.

One of those ads resulted in my first “real job” other than mowing lawns at the ripe old age of 8. I considered myself a newspaper man of sorts by signing up to deliver a weekly newspaper door to door. I had to recruit my own customers from scratch using a sales pitch I developed myself. Little did I know at the time that I was one of approximately 30,000 boys collecting dimes from more than 700,000 American small town homes from coast to coast. I made 5¢ on every copy I sold, won a variety of “swell” prizes and built my route to include well over a hundred customers and several commercial partners who resold my papers in their establishment. I had no idea that what I thought was a little weekly newspaper was actually a national institution. The name of the paper was Grit and it was known as “America’s Greatest Family Newspaper.”

I share this fond learning experience as a result of a pleasant shock I received during a recent visit to my local Barnes and Noble. While browsing the magazine rack, I was astounded to discover a colorful publication with the bold title of Grit adorning its cover. My initial impulse was coincidence as cherished memories flooded my mind. However, upon close and immediate scrutiny, I discovered that this magazine was indeed the descendant of the weekly classic I delivered to so many loyal readers. I immediately purchased a copy, hurried home and thoroughly perused the content before researching Google for a refreshing update of this new found treasure.

I discovered that Grit was a pioneer in the introduction of offset printing and was one of the first newspapers in the U.S. to run color photographs. At its peak in 1969, Grit had a total circulation of 1.5 million weekly copies! In September of 2006, it converted to an all-glossy, perfect-bound magazine format and a bi-monthly schedule. It is now displayed and sold at general newsstand outlets, bookstores and specialty farm feed and supply stores.

Founded in 1882, Grit is one of the longest running publications in the country and is still enjoying popularity 126 years later. What’s really ironic about that is the fact that Grit publishes only “good news,” substantiating my initial observation that there are obviously many of us who do, in fact, enjoy a positive slant on recent events.

My research also reminded me why Grit achieved classic status on a national level. I came across the age-old philosophy that might very well explain the “magic” behind this treasured piece of American tapestry. Simplistic? No doubt. Successful? No question.

  • Always keep Grit from being pessimistic.
  • Avoid printing those things which distort the minds of readers or make them feel at odds with the world.
  • Avoid showing the wrong side of things, or making people feel discontented.
  • Do nothing that will encourage fear, worry, or temptation.
  • Whenever possible, suggest peace and good will toward men.
  • Give readers courage and strength for their daily tasks.
  • Put happy thoughts, cheer and contentment into their hearts.

Sounds almost corny by today’s standards, doesn’t it? On the other hand, corn is a money crop today. Maybe other publications should follow suit. I’m certain that philosophy contributes greatly to the longevity of this historic publication.

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.

Kindergarten Kandor

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My career choice of consulting and training has provided me with a variety of “perks” I may otherwise never have enjoyed. Among those is the privilege of observing, interacting, and contributing to an enormous variety of industries across North America. We’ve had the opportunity to work with leaders of every ilk at every level under most every circumstance.

To increase productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction and employee growth, we’ve shared the wisdom of such notables as de Bono, Deming, Crosby, Juran, Ishikawa, Drucker, Welch, Peters, Covey, Collins, Lencioni, Maxwell, Blanchard, Bennis, and many, many others. No one dares question the combined education, intellect, experience and intuition of these great minds. The many processes, strategies, tips and tools offered by these renowned gurus have changed individuals, organizations, and countries alike.

And yet, without reservation, I would submit the following generational gem as being just as effective, if not even more so, than anything offered by those mentioned here. The question lies not in the value of the content but in the simple application of these words of wisdom.

From what began as the creation of a personal statement of his belief, or Credo, in 1986, best-selling author Robert Fulghum published a volume of essays that reads like the original guidebook for Success #101 and continues to brighten the lives of readers everywhere to this day. One of those essays is extraordinarily elemental in its offering but quite possibly the most powerful strategy ever offered to any culture in today’s workplace. Visualize the organization of your choice and imagine the incredible results that might be achieved if the following strategy was practiced by everyone within that group of potential winners. I have a giant framed poster hanging in my office containing these words of wisdom, framing the photo of a large, red apple like those presented to special teachers. Fulghum’s famous essay, from the book by the same name, should be practiced worldwide. Please read, enjoy, practice and pass on this generational gem.

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup—they all die. So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned—the biggest word of all—LOOK! Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living. Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life and work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all—the whole world—had cookies and milk about 3 o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess. And it is still true, no matter how old you are—when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Why not give this strategy a try in the coming year? You might very well be pleasantly surprised.

We thank Robert Fulghum for allowing us to share his masterpiece. Visit his web site to learn more about the offerings of this insightful writer, speaker, painter, sculptor, and musician.

About Harry K. Jones

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

Out-of-the-Box Thinking

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I recently received a call from a long-time client who wanted to update me about a book he recently discovered on the subject of creativity. We discussed the content, format, author, exercises, examples, etc. at great length. Near the conclusion of our conversation he confessed that while he really enjoyed the essence of the book, he struggled to deal with the validity of the many examples offered by the author to substantiate his tips, tools, and strategies. He felt they weren’t realistic. In fact, he used the term “out there.” He didn’t feel the examples could ever be found in the “real world.”

I found it interesting that he readily admitted that every example had been documented. I therefore concluded that he was actually divulging his belief that his current culture didn’t support creative thinking, concepts, strategies, etc. After sharing my assumption, he conceded that to be true. He simply hadn’t recognized that reality until we discussed it.

His comments caused me to reminisce about similar comments I’ve heard from some attending our creativity seminars and keynote presentations. They truly want to believe in creative thinking and the tremendous benefits which can evolve … they just can’t see it occurring in their present situations. In reflection, I can see a connection between those making such comments and the culture in which they currently reside.

Why do we find it so difficult to attempt even a stutter-step outside the proverbial “box” we’ve heard so much about for decades? We know we should. We know, in many cases, we have to.  We know for certain that if we continue to do as we’ve always done that we’ll continue to get what we’ve always gotten. Then why the obvious struggle by so many?

Is it fear? Is it an unfamiliar behavior? Is it culture resistance? Is it doubt? Is it lack of encouragement and leadership? Is it lack of know-how? Is it lack of training? None of these things should be a barrier for us if we’ll simply pause long enough to open our eyes and survey the current state of affairs in today’s business world. We see successful examples every day that creative thinking can and will change the way we work, live, compete, grow and survive in today’s chaotic world.

Therefore, to accommodate those who struggle to find such examples, we’re going to initiate a new blog feature in which we’ll spotlight a wide variety of existing examples of successful creative thinking taken from our current business environment.

For example, can you imagine chatting with a friend 20 years ago and discussing the possibility of some day:

  • Taking a picture with your cell phone?
  • Having a live voice inside your car giving you step by step directions to your destination?
  • Downloading hit songs and full-length movies into your living room?
  • Editing and printing your own photographs in the comfort of your home?
  • Receiving TV signals from a satellite?
  • Taking a room-by-room virtual tour on your computer of houses for sale all over the country?
  • Browsing thousands of potential mates in minutes on your computer?
  • Using DVDs, CDs, HDTV, iPods, Blackberries, Wii, Hybrids, eBay, Google, My Space, Facebook, etc.?

We would have laughed aloud at such futuristic fantasies 20 years ago, and yet we take them for granted today. All of those examples exist as a result of those who dared to think creatively while others laughed at the thought of doing so. What does tomorrow hold for us and who will lead us to future fantasies which will become our reality?

Watch our blog feature, Out-of-the-Box Thinking, for upcoming examples from today’s business world which will encourage you to join this inevitable revolution of creative thinking. If you have personal examples you’d like to share with us, please send them to:

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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.

Sears/K-Mart Update

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Last week I commented on the Sears/K-Mart “Death Spiral” and suggested that you watch that situation closely. If you took my advice, you’re probably aware of the fact that Sears Holdings Corp. abruptly announced the departure of their President and CEO Aylwin Lewis, leaving a management void at the top of the organization as it tries a high-stakes restructuring to reconnect with customers and reinvigorate slumping sales.

Doing so is an enormous challenge, if not downright impossible, as the retailer has been bleeding customers since Sears and K-Mart joined forces back in 2005. For the first three quarters of the year, their profits have fallen more than 40%, and earlier this month, they posted 3rd quarter earnings at just $2 million—down 99% from last year.

These trends remind me of the last days of Montgomery Ward. When their declining course became evident to most everyone, the majority of retail shoppers still felt Ward would survive. After all, they had been around for what seemed forever. And yet they’re gone. And now we see Sears/K-Mart—at one time the number one and two retailers in the country—facing the same “Death Spiral.”

There’s a valuable lesson here for the entire business world regardless of your industry, product and/or service. You simply can’t afford to:

  • Lose your focus.
  • Lose touch with your customer’s wants and needs.
  • Lose touch with your internal customer’s wants and needs.
  • Lose touch with technological advances.
  • Lose touch with your competition and what they’re doing.
  • Lose the customer loyalty you’ve established.
  • Stop making the necessary changes in areas which demand those modifications.

Start LOSING these things and you begin to take on the characteristics of a LOSER. History teaches us that this label is very difficult to overcome. Some have done it successfully but most have failed and slipped into oblivion. Trying to restructure, to reconnect with customers and reinvigorate slumping sales is certainly a herculean task. Taking on such a venture in today’s challenging economic climate simply intensifies the challenge, making it near impossible to achieve.

This might be an excellent time to take inventory of your own organization while you still have an opportunity to pro-actively change course if needed. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Talk to your employees, customers, vendors and anyone who may enlighten you as to your current status in today’s very competitive marketplace.

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

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Fly the Chaotic Skies

Keep an eye on three stubborn, egotistical airline titans as they battle for survival, dominance, and your ticket dollars. None of the airlines have publicly confirmed merger talks, but industry insiders say a merger may be the only option for several of those involved, and it should happen sooner than later.

Delta, United, and Northwest would all benefit greatly from a merger with one of their competitors, and such an alliance may very well be their only saving grace as oil prices pass $100 a barrel, union problems continue to flourish, and customer service levels continue to plunge.

Here’s the problem with each and every merger option. Forgive me if this sounds like children on your local playground.

Northwest is open to reviewing any merger as long as the new airline will bear their name and the headquarters will remain in Minneapolis. Delta is open to reviewing any merger as long as the new airline will bear their name and the headquarters will remain in Atlanta. And, you guessed it, United is open to reviewing any merger as long as the new airline will bear their name and the headquarters will remain in Chicago.

Industry experts see a Delta-Northwest deal as most likely and feel that could prompt an alliance between United and Continental. It’s quite obvious that everyone but the airlines understands that somebody’s gotta give if this team-up project has a chance to work. Watch the news—this should be interesting due to the sense of urgency and obvious refusal to budge on the part of everyone involved.

Sears/K-Mart Continues Dismal Performance

Almost three years after these seasoned giants joined forces in hopes of regaining leadership among the nation’s retail forces, the opposite appears to be happening. The company earned just $2 million in the third quarter, prompting a double-digit sell off of its stock. Sales at both stores worsened, profit margins eroded badly and cost-cutting has lost its power to impact the bottom line. Industry critics are calling the 99% profit decline as the beginning of a “Death Spiral.”

The next time you drive by a Sears or a K-Mart, you might want to snap a picture with your cell phone so you can show it to your grandchildren some day in trying to describe these two one-time category killers.

Kohl’s to Open 90 Additional Stores in ’08

Sears and K-Mart can eliminate the poor economy, global competition, increased cost for goods, or the real estate downturn for their constant slide toward retail oblivion. While these factors certainly play a role, the struggling retail giants must look elsewhere for the true cause of their demise.

This becomes more evident in light of a recent announcement by Kohl’s that they plan to open 90 new stores in the coming year after opening 112 during the past year. The chain is making changes in hopes of finding their niche among those retailers which offer sophisticated, yet affordable, shopping experiences. Their new locations offer sleek interiors. They’ve recruited the clothing lines of Vera Wang and actress Daisy Fuentes. Their appliances have been featured on the Food Network and the Rachael Ray show. While some critics feel such expansion plans might seem risky at the moment, Kohl’s vision obviously includes change, continued high customer service levels and value to maintain their current customer base while attracting new consumers in search of a rare shopping experience. Should be interesting to watch.

About Harry K. Jones

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