Let’s Get “Back to the Basics”

“Back to Basics.” That short but compelling phrase means different things to different people. To many of us it actually has several meanings.

It takes me back to my days in the military when we were required to spend the first few months in Basic Training, or “Boot Camp” as some called it, to learn the necessary skills to become a soldier.

For sports fans, it can certainly mean something very different. Study any winning sports franchise from high school to college to the professional ranks and you’ll find an extreme focus on the “basics”! In the midst of the recent “March Madness,” I wrote an article on the NCAA basketball tourney focusing on how many games were decided by a single free throw … one of the game’s critical basics.

We, the AchieveMax® speakers, facilitate Leadership Boot Camps several times a year to assist organizations that are grooming potential leaders in the “basic” skills required to lead others. Many times these “rookies” are more eager and open to learn than many long-term supervisors who simply don’t buy into the need for “basics.”

To many of us tried and true football aficionados, the concept of “back to basics” evokes fond memories of one of football’s greatest coaches of all times. Vince Lombardi was virtually synonymous with the National Football League. He was legendary for his coaching philosophy and motivational skills. He spoke softly, slowly and seldom. But when he did speak, everyone listened and responded. He was loved, admired and respected by his players, fans and opponents alike.

Vince was an Assistant Coach for the New York Giants and Head Coach for the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins. He was the Coach of the Year in 1959, boasted a 9-1 playoff record, won five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls ever played! He ended his career with a winning percent of .738!

Lombardi’s players were wholeheartedly devoted to him, and his emphasis on hard work, dedication, focus on the basics and desire to succeed endeared him to millions who admired his values. Vince Lombardi knew what it takes to be number one, and he passed that on to millions of others as an author and professional speaker after his distinguished football career.

Watch this short clip to learn some of Vince’s powerful beliefs … or “basics.”

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 Butterfly Effect (Horror Movie, Scientific Study, Daily Application)

Every once in a while I’ll find myself getting knocked on my butt by a simple realization that’s not altogether foreign to me. It happens simply because the time is right … I was ready for a lesson … or I needed to hear a certain message in a certain way.

I learned long ago that when something like this happens, I should not question why. I now simply accept the lesson and start looking for ways to apply it in a positive way. I recently stopped by a friend’s home to drop off a book he had requested from my library. When I arrived he had just tuned in to an old movie on TV … The Butterfly Effect, a 2004 psychological thriller starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart and Eric Stolz.

I got caught up in the unusual plot and stayed to watch the entire film. Of course, this movie took things to the extreme for the sake of entertainment value and ticket sales. However, it led me to return home to Google additional insight.

Please forgive me for the following paragraph. Just read it and don’t worry about fully understanding it. It’s foundational, if nothing else.

In reality, the “Butterfly Effect” is a term used as a metaphor in Chaos Theory to describe how tiny variations can affect giant systems, and complex systems, like weather patterns. In short … how little things today can result in big things tomorrow.

Fear not, I understand very little of that myself. So let’s translate all of that gibberish into something meaningful to you and me in today’s world. It’s so simple, and yet, so very powerful.

Have you ever wondered if you make a difference? Well, you do! … in ways you may never realize … for generations to come. And, sadly, you may never know it. However, that doesn’t diminish your impact in any way! There are generations yet unborn, whose very lives will be impacted by one simple thing you share with someone this very day!

For instance, I can vividly recall sharing what I felt were words of wisdom with my three children when they were young. They may have very well disputed the term “wisdom” at that time. However, today I often experience warmth in my heart and a tear in my eye when I hear them imparting, with great sincerity, that same “wisdom” to my grandchildren … almost word for word!

If my grandchildren do the same to my great-grandchildren … well, I’m sure you get the picture here. A few words uttered by me in a moment of sharing could very well impact generations to come long after my demise.

The problem with this scenario is obvious but seldom contemplated. Do we get too caught up in our daily dog-eat-dog world of routine and repetition to pause for just a moment to share that possible wisdom with a child, friend, spouse, sibling, co-worker, neighbor or stranger?

What are we doing that’s more important than the impact our time and words might have for someone in the future? No one ever went to their grave leaving a tombstone which read: “I wish I would have spent more time at work!”

Take a moment from your busy schedule to share some family history. Watch and then discuss the morals of movies such as It’s a Wonderful World, Mary Poppins or The Wizard of Oz. Share old photos. Compare music of the generations. Walk and talk. Enjoy nature. There are so many things you can do today that will be remembered and cherished for decades to come.

You can make a difference but you must first put forth an effort. You and those you love will never regret it!

Take a look at this short video and make plans today to make a difference tomorrow! You’ll be glad you did!

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.

Give Government the Bird!

Let me begin by stating that this is not a political article in any way. We don’t do politics here. It’s a lost cause and alienates 50% of those who read it, regardless of what we say. No need for that. This is an article on CHANGE because even though we all talk about change constantly, we seldom actually realize how fast and how much change occurs in our daily lives.

Think about these shocking facts:

  • 100 years ago, none of the taxes listed below existed.
  • Our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
  • We had absolutely no national debt.
  • Today our national debt is 12 trillion, 890 billion, 837 million 190 thousand, eighty three dollars and 39 cents!
  • We add $4.16 billion per day to the above figure!
  • We had the largest middle class in the world.
  • Mom could stay home to raise the kids if she chose.

Do you think taxes are too high today? And I’m not talking about your payroll taxes alone. Don’t think your W-2—think what you’re actually paying. How many of these taxes apply to you? The Accounts Receivable Tax, Building Permit Tax, CDL License Tax, Cigarette Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Dog License Tax, Excise Taxes, Federal Income Tax, Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA), Fishing License Tax, Food License Tax, Fuel Permit Tax, Gasoline Tax, Gross Receipts Tax, Hunting License Tax, Inheritance Tax, Inventory Tax, IRS Interest Charges, IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax), Liquor Tax, Luxury Taxes, Marriage License Tax, Medicare Tax, Personal Property Tax, Property Tax, Real Estate Tax, Service Charge Tax, Social Security Tax, Road Usage Tax, Sales Tax, Recreational Vehicle Tax, School Tax, State Income Tax, State Unemployment Tax (SUTA), Telephone Federal Excise Tax, Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax, Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes, Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax, Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax, Telephone State and Local Tax, Telephone Usage Charge Tax, Utility Taxes, Vehicle License Registration Tax, Vehicle Sales Tax, Watercraft Registration Tax, Well Permit Tax, and Workers Compensation Tax … to name a few.

Well, if you’re complaining about all those taxes, you should be ashamed of yourself! You should be asking your politicians for even more taxes to pay! We seldom consider the wonderful benefits we enjoy as a result of those taxes. Let me share just one recent example before you call to thank your political representatives.

TWEETS FOREVER

The U.S. Library of Congress this week revealed it will archive every public tweet not flagged as private! According to a blog post from Twitter founder Biz Stone, more than 55 million tweets are broadcast each day by Twitter’s 105 million users, pushing the total of tweets tweeted into the billions.

That means every one of those tweets will be made available for all to see after six months. Twitter donated its entire archive to the Library of Congress. Careful what you tweet as those 140 character or less slices of life will now be around for eternity … cataloged at the oldest federal cultural institution and the country’s largest library.

Can you imagine the size and scope of this project? How many people will it take to establish and maintain an archive which grows by 55 million tweets a day? And who do you think is going to pay for that? That’s why we pay taxes. Remember that the next time you gather with friends, family and neighbors to browse the U.S. Library of Congress Tweet Archive.

Two closing thoughts:

  1. Be very careful what you tweet. It’s now a matter of record … complete with your name and possible photo.
  2. From time to time check out the following link to see how much our National Debt has grown since yesterday!

About Harry K. Jones

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

Wal-Mart Regains Fortune 500 Status

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thus, its current success!

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

On Your Mark, Get Set, Goal!

As a keynote speaker and seminar facilitator, I have to accept the harsh reality that my every attempt to reach every participant in every audience is a lost cause. In fact, I learned that very early in my career.

As a result, I now focus on clarifying my message in the hope that those who are truly interested can readily transfer the concept into actionable strategies. In doing so, I have achieved greater peace of mind, and I’ve reached a greater number of audience members over the years.

Occasionally, when and where I least expect it, I’m blessed with very rewarding consequences which remind me why I do what I do. In February of this year, I flew to Biloxi, Mississippi, to work with a very unique team of individuals who focus on the continued efforts to restore life to the Gulf area after the Katrina tragedy of 2005. Yes, it’s far from over. However, these dedicated individuals took time out of their busy schedules to spend a full day with me discussing Productive Chaos.

One of the requested themes of this particular presentation focused on the critical skill of goal setting. During one of the breaks, I was approached by a charming and dedicated mother who informed me that she was going to share our material with her children in hopes of prompting them to set goals for their future. While impressed with her enthusiasm and noble intentions, I couldn’t help but recall that I’d heard this pledge many times in the past. I congratulated her, encouraged her, and requested that she keep me posted as to their progress.

Since that Biloxi visit, I had pretty well relegated that experience to a back burner as I tackled a very diverse and challenging schedule. Then just recently, to my amazement and great pleasure, I received an e-mail and PowerPoint attachment from Anna, the proud mother of two lovely daughters. She had shared her program content with her daughters, Xaveryana (12) and Xaynna (14), and they, in turn, not only developed short- and long-range goals but created a beautiful PowerPoint presentation in which to illustrate them!

They eloquently stated their goals, why each goal was important to them, and the action steps they were going to take to achieve each goal! As if that weren’t enough, they identified goals to be accomplished in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years! I’ll refrain from sharing their actual goals here as they’re obviously very personal and I want to respect their privacy. However, I can say that they were very specific and well thought out. Both young ladies were obviously proud of their goals and indeed determined to achieve every one of them.

They did a fantastic job of creating the PowerPoint and I’m certain will some day look back at this experience with pride and appreciation for a loving mother who cared enough to share some critical information and invest her time in guiding her children through a very rewarding process.

If only more parents would do the same for their children, I’m certain our future would hold much greater promise for everyone involved. Give it some thought.

Thank you, Anna, for sharing your wonderful experience. You should be very proud of your daughters. They’re going to be very successful adults!

About Harry K. Jones

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

A Big Bite of Reality

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

Thank a Teacher Today!

I’ve had the phenomenal pleasure of working with teachers and school officials at every level for several decades. I’ve lost count of the number of in-service presentations I’ve made over the years, and I’ve always been impressed by the fact that teachers love to continue learning themselves!

We’ve all had at least one special teacher in our lives that in some way made a difference in our lives … it may have seemed small at the time but as we reflect back to those formative years we’ve discovered that difference has been crucial. For me it was a particular teacher who daily encouraged me to read. The emphasis was on developing the love and appreciation of reading as opposed to what I read. He pointed out that content would change over the years, but my desire to read would never wane and would always be an asset. He was certainly on target. Reading has been instrumental in my career path, and I’ve tried to pass that critical advice on to as many children as I possibly could. My nine grandchildren have grown up thinking everyone had an in-home library!

Here are a few shocking facts you might want to pause and ponder when you get a moment.

  1. There are close to 8 million teachers in the U.S. today educating our children from pre-kindergarten through high school levels!
  2. These teachers spend more time with our children in one school day than we’re able to spend in an entire week! I’m not talking about being in the same building with our children … I’m talking about actual face-to-face interaction with those cherished treasures.
  3. While educational costs continue to escalate tremendously, our teachers are grossly under-paid for the services they render today.

Have you considered the fact that you are placing the safety, well-being, education, and future of our children in the hands of these dedicated men and women? Today your child’s teacher is a hero:  a hero who pays for school supplies out of his/her own pocket … a hero who is building your child’s character and teaching him/her to make the right choices as he/she grows toward adulthood … a hero who is encouraging and preparing your child for a higher education.

We’re entrusting our most cherished possessions to our teacher’s today. Here’s an action plan that’s certainly worth pursuing: Simply take a moment to thank a teacher. Send an e-mail or hand-written letter expressing your appreciation for their dedicated efforts. Better yet, stop by the classroom and express your feelings face to face. They certainly deserve it and will whole-heartedly appreciate it!

Take a look at this short video and you may have a better understanding about the “Heart of a Teacher.”

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 Walking the Talk?

Let me share a few figures with you that should shock you if you’ll pause to think about them for just a moment!

  1. There are 4,146 colleges and universities in the U.S. alone.
  2. There are approximately 15.9 million students enrolled in the nation’s colleges and universities this year.
  3. Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at the nation’s four-year public colleges and universities for an entire academic year is $9,953. Remember, however, this is the average cost which means 50% are paying more than this figure.

If you’d like, you can grab a calculator and stun yourself as to the number of dollars being invested in higher education today, but that’s not really necessary. I think everyone knows the kind of money we’re talking about.

Isn’t it somewhat ironic that parents all across this great country are willing to mortgage their homes, cash in stocks and bonds, and save or make loan payments for what seems forever … and to what end?

Obviously, it’s to obtain a great education for their children to ready them for a career that will hopefully provide security and content.

And yet the majority of those parents who are ready to make these major sacrifices won’t sit down with their children and spend some time sharing their own experiences and life lessons and sharing simple values which could easily change the lives of their offspring.

There are so many simple values that can have an incredible impact on your children if imparted properly by loving and caring parents. Look at life in the U.S. today and consider how many leaders in business, politics, education, military, etc. say one thing and yet do another or, worse yet, nothing at all. At the moment, it’s crippling our country and stifling our progress! You read it in the papers every night or see it on television 24/7.

I wonder how many of those headline-grabbing leaders were ever told the importance of simply Walking the Talk? What a difference that might have had on today’s society and culture! Did YOU ever receive that message? Are you going to readily invest a little time and love to make certain your children understand the importance of this simple but powerful message. It can change the world! And this is just one of many very simple values we should be sharing.

If you’re uncertain as how to impart such a message, take a look at this short video on “Walking the Talk.” It’ll give you some expert talking points. In fact, better yet, share the video itself with your children followed by a interactive discussion on the subject. You’ll be glad you did!

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 = Chaos … Is Your Chaos Productive?

Sometimes I’m baffled by some of the most elementary trends I observe from day to day. It’s almost as though the more basic they become, the more difficult they are to understand. Ironically, some things seldom CHANGE.

For as long as I’ve been professionally keynoting and facilitating seminars, there has always been a demand for tips, tools, and strategies designed to assist both individuals and organizations to better adapt to the constant challenge of CHANGE.

As a result of that constant request, I created a seminar and keynote program that we’ve been sharing with clients all over North America, in a wide variety of industries, for the past 18 years now … “Productive Chaos: Riding the Wave of Change.”

Throughout those years, we have never delivered that program content twice in the same way. The reason for that fact is simple. We update the content every single time we deliver the program, utilizing research from radio, television, books, magazines, the Internet, and personal interviews and experiences. We do that, in short, to insure that we walk the talk of constant change.

What mystifies me is why most everyone finds it so difficult and challenging to deal with change when we’ve been doing exactly that all our lives! We’ve known nothing but CHANGE and yet continue to struggle with coping with its consequences.

Take a look at this short video, “Change Is Good—You Go First” to enjoy 21 tips for dealing with this on-going challenge and its many implications!

If that’s not enough to do the job, give me a call. I’d be happy to spend an hour, a day, or a week with you and your staff discussing Productive Chaos!

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 Focusing on Your Coffee or the Cup?

Some of life’s most powerful messages can be found in analogies which surround us as we go about our daily routines. Sadly, far too many people are focused elsewhere and therefore fail to learn a valuable lesson. Others simply prefer to avoid these lessons and are then destined to suffer the consequences time and time again.

Check out this short video for an interesting adage concerning the true meaning of life. A wise university professor serves coffee to a visiting group of successful alumni as he shares an obvious analogy comparing a cup of coffee to life itself. His point is obvious indeed and very difficult to challenge. And yet few will alter their actions or outlook after hearing it. Life would be so much more rewarding if only we would sometimes pause to recognize the obvious and act accordingly.

Take a moment to share this video with someone you truly care for. You’ll both benefit from the wisdom and appreciate the consequences of your effort.

Are YOU focusing on your coffee or the cup?

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.