Og Mandino

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I must admit that I was a little reluctant to draft this piece as part of our continuing series of “Meet the Authors.” To be perfectly honest, I was concerned that I may not be able to do justice to this particular man.

A very long time ago, a CEO gave me a copy of the best-selling book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, and asked me to summarize it at his annual meeting for a large group of sales managers. By the way, this particular book has been used by thousands of sales organizations in training their staffs. I hesitated as I have never really been that interested in the area of sales. I’ve heard all of the traditional spiels and shtick that are guaranteed to provide successful sales. I’ve attended the rallies and heard most of the motivational speakers sharing their wisdom. It just didn’t interest me as I’ve always been a firm believer that the best insurance of great sales is even better service! It always worked for me.

However, I took the assignment, read the book, and made the presentation. It was well accepted by all in attendance and the CEO was very pleased as a faithful follower of “Og” Mandino. End of this story—beginning of another.

I was so taken by the brilliance, clarity, enthusiasm, and spirit of this captivating author and the mystique he utilizes to lull readers into an aura of understanding that I became an immediate and eternal fan of this man and his work. He has written 19 books which have sold more than 50 million copies and been transferred into 25 different languages. He was the President of Success Unlimited magazine until 1976 and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association’s Hall of Fame. Although he died in 1996, he remains one of the most inspirational and best-selling authors today. While his work is admired and supported by many different faiths, those who simply enjoy an inspirational message are also very supportive fans.

A year after reading his bestseller, I had the opportunity of hearing Og speak in person at a day-long motivational rally. Although he shared the stage with six other well-known speakers, it was obvious that he had mesmerized the audience of several thousand in attendance. It was at this time that I realized Og offered more than a rare ability to tell a story. This man had a voice like none other I had ever heard. It was the voice of a story-teller … a voice which could demand and maintain the attention of thousands of people at the same time making each one of them feel as though they were the only one in the room with him. His unique cracker-barrel New England accent transports you to the heart of Massachusetts the moment you hear it.

In fact, if you’d like to hear it for yourself simply visit the following link and you can hear a short version of Og’s life in his own words as you read along or enjoy a variety of pictures from his past.

The mystique that I mentioned earlier evolves from a rare combination of several exceptional characteristics. 1.) enchanting parables 2.) a hypnotic voice and stage presence 3.) and the ability to draw on his own life experiences as he created memorable narratives which provide valuable learning opportunities. That’s quite a package. It was enough to encourage me to add his audio tapes to my collection of his enthralling books.

I have dedicated a special shelf in my library for Og’s works … they’ve had that much of an impact on me. Two of those books contain a personal note scrawled across the page in green ink … a habit he originated early in his career as green had always been his favorite color. Having his entire collection at your fingertips is similar to having access to a college education in your own home. In fact, one of his books is titled The University of Success, and its content certainly provides the promise of the title.

Offering a wide variety of subject matter, Og prepares you for a life of positive planning and positive thinking. He points out the path to success and motivates the spirit within to achieve its full potential. Pick up a Mandino classic and you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve completed it.

I had the privilege of meeting Og on three different occasions and can testify that he was a very humble, charismatic man who was eager to share his wisdom, experience, and insight with any and all who were willing to receive it.

I don’t intend to include any book reviews here. We do that on our web site. However, to demonstrate the variety of content and the power of his storytelling, let’s peek between a few covers.

The Greatest Salesman in the World
This is the book that launched his career and, in the process, transformed the lives of millions of his readers who put the information and learning in this slim volume into their daily lives. This is the legend of Hafid, a camel boy of two thousand years ago, and his burning desire to improve his lowly position in life, as told to his apprentice Erasmus. He attempts to learn how to be a great salesman. In the process of his learning, he makes a decision that will influence his life forever. The book includes the wisdom of “ten scrolls” of learning, which the reader is encouraged to follow.

The Greatest Miracle in the World
In this classic, readers are introduced to a mysterious, long-haired, giant old man, Simon Potter, who calls himself a Ragpicker because he’s spent his life rescuing humans who had ended up on life’s refuse pile. Simon befriends Mandino and reveals ageless wisdom and knowledge as they search for the greatest miracle in the world. These two strangers become the best of friends, only in the end to have never met at all. The chilling conclusion will leave you speechless and wanting more.

The Return of the Ragpicker
He’s back-k-k-k! The title tells it all.

The Twelfth Angel
This is a real tear-jerker about a company president who loses his wife and son in a tragic car accident, a hopelessly uncoordinated little boy, Timothy Nobel, and his baseball team, the Angels. In the end, little Timothy teaches us lessons that will live with us forever. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll share this story of love, courage, persistence and victory.

The Choice
This book focuses on a concept that many people have obviously forgotten … this is the fact that we do, in fact, have choices! We must, of course, choose wisely. We must also correct the choices we’ve made and are not happy with. Most importantly, we must take responsibility for whatever our choices are—and where they lead us. At one point in this revealing parable, the main character is faced with a decision he has to make: his son will die in two months unless he is willing to give up his own life in order for his son to live.

Books written by Og Mandino:
















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.

Is Your Echo Positive?

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Here’s a Generational Gem that should be shared with young people as early as possible. If they understand the message and begin practicing this philosophy, they will certainly experience greater success early and often. They can apply it in school, church, community, and later as they enter the work force. This would certainly be a much better world if it were practiced by everyone.

You’ll note that it was written by quite possibility the most prolific poet and writer of all time … Anonymous.

Read, enjoy, practice, and benefit immediately!

“Echo – This Rule of Nature”

A man and his son were walking in the forest. Suddenly the boy trips and feeling a sharp pain he screams, “Ahhhhh.”

Surprised, he hears a voice coming from the mountain; “Ahhhhh.”

Filled with curiosity, he screams, “Who are you?”, but the only answer he receives is: “Who are you?” This makes him angry, so he screams, “You are a coward!” and the voice answers, “You are a coward!”

He looks at his father asking, “Dad, what is going on?”

“Son,” he replies, “pay attention!” Then he screams, “I admire you!” The voice answers, “I admire you!” The father shouts, “You are wonderful!” and the voice answers, “You are wonderful!”

The boy is surprised, but still can’t understand what is going on.

Then the father explains, “People call this an ‘ECHO’, but truly it is ‘LIFE!’ Life always gives you back what you give out! Life is a mirror of your actions. If you want more love, give more love! If you want more kindness, give more kindness! If you want understanding and respect, give understanding and respect. If you want people to be patient and respectful to you, give patience and respect! This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives.”

Like the ECHO, LIFE always gives you back what you give out. Your life is not a coincidence, but a mirror of your own self.

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.

MBWA (Management By Wandering Around) Still Proves to Be a Strong Strategy

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Last month, I shared an experience I had with an old business associate in which we visited several of his customers. He wanted me to see what had resulted from a book we both read and enjoyed very much decades earlier. It was a Tom Peters’ classic, In Search of Excellence, in which he encouraged MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). My friend applied this strategy within his organization and was so pleased with the results that he decided to extend his execution to his own client base. That’s what he wanted me to see.

Well, it appears that my friend was right on the money and maybe even got a bit of a jump on what may soon become a critical strategy. A recent survey revealed some shocking results which SHOULD act as a wake-up call for any and all organizations trying to deal with the many negative ramifications of today’s chaotic business environment.

24/7 Wall St., LLC is a Delaware corporation set up to run a financial news and opinion operation with content delivered over the Internet. The company publishes about 35 pieces of content a day and has readers throughout North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The company currently has its content picked up at websites including TheStreet.com, AOL Finance and BloggingStocks, The Wall Street Journal online, MarketWatch, and StockHouse.

Looking back over the past 50 years, you’ll discover that some of the most successful companies were led by CEOs that spent a great deal of their time with customers and at company locations around the world. In short, MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). Two of the most famous supporters of this strategy were Willard Marriott and Sam Walton. At one point, Walton visited hundreds of stores a year. If these CEOs wanted to know how they were doing with the consumers who spent money with them, they did not have to check with anyone else in management.

Along these same lines, 24/7 was apparently interested in how this philosophy is viewed by today’s business icons and what impact, if any, those views correlated with the current success of the organizations involved. What they discovered in this latest study is not new. In fact, it’s been known and well-documented for decades. Obviously, few leaders give credence to this powerful strategy at a time when all should do so.

In this article, they examine a good number of companies that are currently making headlines in the media … some good, some not so good. They name the company, give a quick run-down of why they’re in the news, and then compare their current status to the CEO’s philosophy on MBWA. It’s amazing that those leaders who get out to their locations and keep in touch with their employees and customers are doing much better than those who don’t. The majority of these leaders encourage their staff to practice MBWA as well. In short, it becomes part of the culture. This strategy has been proven time and time again over the years regardless of the product, service, or industry. Bottom line—it works. Why then, don’t more leaders, at every level, practice this concept? The excuses are numerous. The results remain the same.

Want the proof? 24/7’s quick review of the following companies will open your eyes: Sears, K-Mart, Ford Motor, Radio Shack, Dell, TDAmeritrade, Sprint, Palm, Target, Wal-Mart, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, McDonalds, Schwab, & CostCo. What you do about it is up to you.

Want to hear more about MBWA? Click and share: Does MBWA (Management By Wandering Around) Still Work?

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.

Andy Andrews

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For the next issue of the Top 10 Books, I’m reviewing two engaging books by this author: The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success and Mastering The Seven Decisions … that Determine Personal Success.

Based on conversations with a number of friends and associates, I found that few were actually familiar with this author’s previous work even though his talent is known world-wide. I found this somewhat baffling due to the research I conducted.

In the spirit of introduction, let me provide you with a number of reasons why you should become familiar with not only this author but also his body of work. I assure you that you’ll be delighted you did.

  • Andy Andrews is an internationally-known speaker and novelist whose combined works have sold millions of copies worldwide. In fact, a book by Andy Andrews is sold every single minute somewhere in the world!
  • He’s been hailed by a New York Times writer as a “modern day Will Rogers who has quietly become one of the most influential people in America.”
  • His work has appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com.
  • His work has appeared on these lists as fiction, nonfiction, business, religion, self-help, and literature!
  • His work has been translated into nearly 20 languages including Braille.
  • He has produced a home study audio program, Timeless Wisdom from the Traveler, and life-study curriculums in high schools, mental-health organizations, and prisons nationwide.
  • His books have been required reading for some of America’s high schools, as an aid to “principled rehabilitation” by the Supreme Court of Tennessee, and a “life skills” tool for the members of several franchises of Major League Baseball and the National Football League. The Traveler’s Gift is also used extensively in corporate climates all over the world by such companies as Microsoft, General Motors, AIG, Legg Mason, and KFC.
  • He has been received at the White House and has spoken at the request of four different United States presidents.
  • His two-hour PBS special is entitled Andy Andrews: The Seven Decisions and is now airing nationally to incredible reviews.
  • Every senior leader the United States Air Force has in Europe and the Middle East recently assemble in one room—at one time—to hear him speak.
  • He would walk the golf course with Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez as she played her last tournament as a touring professional.
  • He was invited to spend an afternoon with General Norman Schwarzkopf and his son, who was about to depart for college.
  • In the twilight of his life, 91-year-old Bob Hope invited him to chat alone by the swimming pool in the entertainer’s back yard.

Any one of the above accomplishments would be very significant on its own. Together they reflect evidence of why people are drawn to this author and professional speaker. He knows how to connect to his audience regardless of their age, race, religion, political beliefs, education or experience. He speaks in such a way that those who hear his words (in books, audio programs, or in person) are captivated and inspired to listen, learn and apply the lessons, tips, tools, and strategies he provides.

Andrews lived a relatively normal life until the age of nineteen, when both his parents died—his mother from cancer, his father in an automobile accident. “I took a bad situation and made it much worse,” Andrews says with a rueful smile, referring to choices he made during this tragic period of his life. Within a span of several years, the young man found himself literally homeless, sleeping occasionally under a pier on the gulf coast or in someone’s garage. It was at that time when Andrews asked the question that would focus his search for what would ultimately affect millions of people. The question? “Is life just a lottery ticket, or are there choices one can make to direct his future?” To find the answer, he first went to the library. There, over time, he read more than two hundred biographies of great men and women. How did they become the people they were? he wondered. Were they simply born this way? Or were there decisions made at critical junctures in their lives that led to such success? The young Andrews finally determined that there were seven characteristics that each person had in common. “What will happen,” he mused, “if I study these seven common denominators and harness them in my own life?”

The rest is history. “The Seven Decisions,” as he calls them, were the engines used to carry Andrews’ life in a different direction. And 20-plus years later, these same Seven Decisions became the outline around which he built the story of The Traveler’s Gift and the basis of his PBS Special.

Perhaps the most astounding fact about The Traveler’s Gift might be that, for all its success, the manuscript was turned down by 51 publishers before it was finally accepted after more than three years by Thomas Nelson Publishers. Now, of course, Andrews can laugh. “The seventh decision,” he says, “is ‘I will persist without exception.’ If anyone knew how many times I locked myself in my office and read my own book—they’d be amazed.”














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.

Adjust Your Focus

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It’s hard to argue with the fact that you get what you focus on. It’s not only conventional wisdom, but it’s been proven time and time again. Most everyone has heard of the Pareto Principle … known to most as the 80/20 Rule. Let’s add another formula to your repertoire. It’s the 95/5
Principle.

The most productive people will focus on their challenges, limitations, barriers, and problems only 5% of the time. And when they do so, that time is focused on overcoming these negative restraints. They invest 95% of their time and energy on identifying and creating resources to pursue responses and solutions to removing those restraints.

Ross Perot (computer billionaire, philanthropist, and independent Reform Party candidate for U.S. president in 1992 and 1996) was a man who lived by this principle, practiced it in every aspect of his life, and taught those he mentored to do the same. In the book, Irreconcilable Differences: Ross Perot Versus General Motors, we learn that he was the founder of Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in Dallas, Texas. Perot was refused 77 times before he got his first contract. The company ultimately became a multibillion dollar corporation employing more than 70,000 people.

Perot sold EDS in 1984 to General Motors for $2.5 billion. He retained ownership in the company, which made him GM’s largest individual stockholder and a member of the board of directors. Perot applied his 95/5 focus at GM, butting heads with GM head Roger Smith almost daily.

The all-talk, no-action philosophy of GM at that time in history looked much like the reverse of the 95/5 Principle. Perot simply couldn’t tolerate such ignorance. He was best known for this observation of the GM culture:

“When someone sees a snake at EDS, we kill it! When someone sees a snake at GM, the first thing they do is form a committee on snakes. Then they bring in a team of outside consultants on snakes. They write a strategic plan for getting rid of snakes. Then six layers of managers delegate someone to kill the snake.”

Perot knew that if you don’t kill the snake when it’s small, you might be dealing with a monster later.

Perot was so insistent on this strategy that he became a thorn in GM’s side. In 1986, GM bought out Perot’s stock for $700 million! Two years later, he started a new computer service company, Perot Systems, which operates in the United States and Europe. Historians claim GM would be much better off today had they heeded the suggestions of Perot at that time rather than buying him out.

To be successful, focus much less (5%) on the challenges, limitations, barriers, and problems and much more (95%) identifying and creating resources to pursue responses and solutions to removing those restraints. You’ll find the results phenomenal!

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.

Who Would Have Ever Dreamed?

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Let me begin by assuring you that this is not a joke. In fact, I’m going to fore go any of the many humorous remarks I could make on this subject. I’m not even sure where to start with this one, but it’s certainly worth mentioning in the spirit of Out-of-the-Box Thinking.

Let’s start with the old axiom that to be truly successful you simply need to: “Find a need and fill it.” With that in mind, consider this fact: Water is very heavy to carry into space. Next year, the number of residents on NASA’s space station will double from three to six … intensifying the magnitude of this challenge of water supply.

A system was developed in Russia in the 1980s to deal with this problem, but it was never used because of concerns over crew squeamishness. Today, we don’t have the luxury to shelf potential solutions to this growing challenge. Astronauts living on the International Space Station will soon take recycling to new extremes. They’ll get their drinking water from the toilet!

NASA has spent decades perfecting a system to transform urine into water that can be used in space for drinking, food preparation, and washing! Agency officials say the water from this system will be clearer than U.S. tap water.

The $250 million machine should be fully operational in six months. Recycling waste water is also gaining popularity on Earth. A dozen or so U.S. communities have plants that cleanse sewage so it can be added to aquifers that supply drinking water. The biggest plant, which can serve 500,000 people, opened this year in Orange County, California.

Officials admit that the recycled water poses “psychological issue to get past” but also point out that after tasting it many, many times, they can’t tell it apart from any other water. It’s no longer urine, it’s water.

I share this real-life example of thinking-out-of-the-box to illustrate the fact that there are no limits to what open, creative minds, focused determination, and a true challenge can produce. With our growing economic and environmental needs, I’m sure we’ll be witnessing more and more innovations such as this one.

It is indeed a prime example of the age-old adage uttered by Napoleon Hill: “What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Don’t allow current boundaries and beliefs to stifle your creativity. There was a time when air travel, cell phones, and heart transplants were thought to be impossible!

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.

Middle-Management Crisis Escalates

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As if we didn’t have enough to deal with in today’s chaotic U.S. business environment, another obvious crisis is quickly rearing its head and must be seriously dealt with before it gets out of hand. Unfortunately, many organizations have not or are not able to recognize this challenge as the crisis it is.

It’s interesting to note a growing concern by many of our clients in refocusing their efforts on the development of their mid-management levels. Most are not doing this because of an interest in developing their future leaders … it’s being done, wisely, as a survival strategy!

Media at every level is reporting the increased stress levels and challenges facing businesses today for an alarming number of reasons, which include global competition, rising prices, expensive technical enhancements, decline of the dollar, consumer fears, political turmoil, and threats of a recession that many say has already arrived.

At a time when most organizations are therefore required to do more with less, recent reports from staffing professionals indicate that the attrition rate among middle-level managers has risen to 20 to 25 percent. And, if measures are not taken, this situation could worsen profoundly in the next two to three years.

The role of the middle manager has become all the more crucial simply because they are the liaison between the frontline staff and senior management. If top management is described as “thinkers,” then middle management represents the “doers.” They have the capability to make or break the company as they harness the potential of the entire staff in their effort to achieve organizational goals.

While experts agree that there is a scarcity of middle-management talent today, many feel that the organization itself is to be blamed for this development. This condition has emerged and continues to grow because leadership had ceased or minimized investments in training at this level and no longer develop their future leaders as thoroughly as they once did.

We’ve been fortunate over the years to consult and train in a wide variety of industries and organizations of every size all over North America. While diversity is apparent, we’ve witnessed countless similarities in both leadership and middle-management behavior in the last few years.

As we’ve worked with newly appointed managers and supervisors, several identical concerns have been voiced again and again. See if they sound familiar. From middle-management, we’ve heard:

  • “I was outstanding in my individual performance and, as a result, was promoted to a position of leadership or supervising others. However, I knew nothing of the skill set required to lead and develop others. I felt that, overnight, I was expected to produce immediate results with little or no training or development.”
  • “I feel as though I was simply thrown into the fire and expected to learn through experience alone.”
  • “After my promotion, I heard nothing in the way of expectations or goals. I was just told to get to work. That’s very difficult to do with no training or preparation. I’m considering a return to my old position where I knew what I was doing.”

From leadership we hear comments such as:

  • “Time, budget, and current challenges simply don’t allow us the luxury of developing our middle-management staff to the degree we’d like to.”
  • “While we’d like to see more training and development of our mid-managers, they seem to be handling things as well as can be expected at the moment.”
  • “Fortunately we’ve had few, if any, complaints from middle-management staff thus far and we plan to focus more on their development as soon as things get back to normal.”

First, of course, reality tells us that we shouldn’t expect to return to “normal” anytime soon, if ever.

Second, how would you know if they couldn’t be doing an even better job if they had the proper training, development, mentoring, and expectations?

Developing this critical group of employees should be viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury.

We must realize that until reaching this level, these employees have been doing what they’ve been told. NOW … we’re asking them to think, problem-solve, and make decisions, as well as lead and develop others to do the same.

Top leadership today must realize that it is indeed crucial to mentor, nurture, and grow productive middle-management talent.

We congratulate those who have recognized this challenge and opportunity and have taken the necessary action to deal with it successfully. They will enjoy a substantial return on their investment in the future.

Those that refuse, for whatever reason, to acknowledge the seriousness of this issue or delay action in dealing with it, will pay a price which could prove to be extremely costly in a number of ways.

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.

Project Effort Creep

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Professional Speaker Jeffrey W. Drake has made presentations on subjects such as communication styles, creative problem solving, goal setting, leadership, project management, stress management, teamwork, and time management.Our custom-designed “Project Management: From Concept to Completion” seminar contains many basic tools for project managers. Project managers have many challenges to deal with. One area of challenges frequently addressed is that of project creep.

There are many excellent books on project management available in the marketplace. One particular book, Effective Project Management by Wysocki, Beck, and Crane, very clearly addresses the project creep area and focuses on the topic of effort creep.

If you have managed any projects, you probably have experienced effort creep. This is the project that is 95 percent complete. Yet, the project seems to attract delays just like a magnet. The project continues to be incomplete no matter how much effort and resources are expended.

Every status report records progress but the amount remaining doesn’t seem to decrease proportionately. The law of diminishing returns has surely set in. A project team meeting may be an effective strategy in dealing with effort creep. The project manager and project team members need to get creative in their problem solving to bring the project to completion.

About Jeffrey W. Drake

Jeffrey W. Drake, Ph.D., is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a firm specializing in custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Jeff has made presentations ranging from leadership to empowered teams and project management to communication styles for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, and manufacturing. For more information on Jeff's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Pass the Torch

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I’m currently preparing a commencement address for one of many graduating classes who are about to enter the next phase of their lives. This group happens to be in Florida, but consider, for a moment, how many young people from coast to coast are approaching this milestone.

The U.S. Census Bureau tells us that 3.3 million high school diplomas will be awarded this year and just over 3 million college degrees will be conferred on campuses all over the nation. Add that to the 1.2 million projected high school drop-outs, and we’re looking at close to 8 million young people who are about to embark upon what must be an exciting, but frightening, journey.

Some will go on to the next level of education, some into the work force, and some into military service. While a good education is a wonderful thing, it’s only a spoke in the wheel of what they need to face the challenges which await them. Other elements might include experience, street smarts, luck, common sense, support, role models, good advice and the wisdom which only a mentor can provide.

I consider this assignment to be a rare privilege as well as an awe-inspiring responsibility. At this moment, I really don’t know what I’m going to say to these students. However, in researching many possibilities, I know what I’d like to share with every adult in the nation as these young people prepare to enter society at a time in which they must face a great number of daunting challenges.

In reviewing those elements I mentioned earlier which may be of assistance to these graduates, you’ll quickly see that many of them can be provided by US — you and I … as mentors. And it doesn’t have to stop with students. We can pave the way and make the journey a little less ominous by sharing whatever knowledge and experience we may have gained over the years with anyone who has not yet had that opportunity.

I can best summarize the power and importance of mentoring by sharing another Generational Gem that was written by an acclaimed author who was born in 1860. I mention this date as I find it amazing that this short poem is as applicable today as it was at that time. Maybe even more so. “The Bridge Builder” was written by Will Allen Dromgoole in 1900. She also wrote over 7,500 poems, 5,000 essays, and published 13 books. This particular poem remains quite popular to this day and has even graced plaques on real bridges across the country. It is also used by many fraternities to promote the idea of building links for the future and passing the torch along to the next generation.

Read it over and consider the importance of your role in passing this critical torch to those facing the many growing challenges we see today. Then do something about it!

THE BRIDGE BUILDER
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim, near,
“You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again will pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide-
Why build you this bridge at the evening tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head:
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followeth after me today,
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”

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.

Take Me out to the Ball Game

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As I’ve so often mentioned, I’m always on the look out for examples of creative thinking. I like to share them during keynote presentations and seminars with those who claim:

  • “I am not creative.”
  • “Creativity requires an extensive education.”
  • “I don’t have the experience to be innovative.”
  • “Creativity is reserved for our R & D Department.”

And the list goes on. Over the years, I’ve heard just about every excuse in the book. And they’ve all been proven to be false — by those who have no time for excuses. They’re too busy being creative!

Well, I’ve found another unique example. Most people go out to the ball park to relax, have a beer and a hot dog, spend time with friends and/or family, and enjoy the age-old ambiance that inhabits any stadium that plays host to American’s favorite past time. Some even watch the game as they pay allegiance to their favorite team!

However, some creative souls grab a fish net, tie their kayak to the top of the car, apply sun tan lotion, grab a transistor radio and an ice chest of sandwiches and beer and head to the ball park.

This particular ball park happens to be in San Francisco. Once known as Candlestick Park, it is now AT&T Park. Just beyond the right field wall is a tranquil section of San Francisco Bay called McCovey Cove, named after famed Giants first baseman Willie McCovey.

During the heydays of Willie McCovey and more recently Barry Bonds, as many as 50 kayaks used to float in McCovey Cove just outside the park, with individuals poised to fish out a home-run ball hit into the water by the super sluggers. Last year, as Bonds seemed to be in the spotlight constantly, a large number of advertisers paid as much as $20,000 to have their brands put on the kayaks in hopes of appearing on TV!

Now that’s creative! Can you imagine being paid 20 grand to float in the serenity of McCovey Cove, taking in the sun, feasting on your favorite sandwich, quenching your thirst by sipping your brew of choice, listening to the game on the radio while you listen for that distinctive “crack” of the bat that means a valuable collector’s item may very well be on its way to your fishing net? Nab the right baseball at the right time and you just might be adding to that figure of $20,000! Kind of sheds a whole new light to “Take Me out to the Ball Game,” doesn’t it?

True, the economy has impacted attendance, fewer home run balls are reaching the Cove, Barry Bonds has left the building and advertising revenues are more than likely on a downward trend. That’s not the point. The idea was creative. It’s proven to be successful. Its time will return, and it’s another example of an idea which was conceived, believed and achieved! Now it’s your turn. Do your thing!

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.