Dr. Denis Waitley

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I must admit that I’m a little biased about this particular author as I’ve read everything he’s written, attended numerous seminars at which he was a keynote speaker, and have been strongly influenced during my career by his work.

Early in my career, as a regional manager for an international firm, I was charged with the task of finding a keynote speaker for our annual award’s banquet. Having read several of his books and having attended one his seminars, I contacted his organization to learn more about scheduling him for our special event. We chatted several times in preparation for his appearance and I must admit he made me feel as though I had known him for quite some time.

We had dinner together the evening before his presentation, and I shared the fact that I’d give anything to be able to impact people the way he does. His simple reply was: “Why don’t you?” I explained that public speaking scared me to death, and I would be indeed fortunate to survive his introduction the next day as that task also fell to me. He spent the rest of the evening sharing his wisdom on the importance of self esteem, self confidence, and risk taking. He obviously didn’t have to do that, but I certainly appreciated it and it was a turning point in my career! That’s the kind of man he is.

I managed to survive his introduction the following day, and he congratulated me after the program, suggesting that I pursue my aspiration to become a speaker. That was 25 years ago, and since that time I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to speak professionally to national and international audiences in a wide variety of industries … none of which would have happened without his encouraging words. I’m certain he wouldn’t recognize me if we bumped into each other face to face in an airport today. However, he’s been an inspiration to me for decades.

Allow me to explain why. The day after our dinner meeting, I watched this man stroll to the center of the stage and, within moments, captivate an audience of close to 1,200 people! Using no podium, no notes, no slides, no PowerPoint, he stared into the eyes of his audience and delivered his message of inspiration in a very quiet, precise, and informative way. You could have heard a pin drop. At the end of his presentation, the entire room stood as one and applauded for what seemed forever. I’ll never forget that presentation and the inspiration he provided to me and the other 1,199 people in that auditorium that snowy night in Fort Wayne.

Let me share with you some of the many reasons why this man can mesmerize an audience with what appears to be a great deal of ease.

Denis Waitley is much more than a best-selling author, speaker, poet and lyricist … he’s the world’s foremost producer of personal development and motivational audio programs. He is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world. His program “The Psychology of Winning” is the all-time, best-selling audio cassette program on personal and professional excellence based on his studies and consults in the following areas:

  • Apollo astronauts pre and post their illustrious flights into space.
  • Fortune 500 top executives from every walk of life.
  • World-renowned Olympic gold medalists from many countries.
  • Super Bowl champions from a variety of teams.
  • Returning POWs from several conflicts.
  • Heads of state from all over the world.
  • Boardrooms of top multinational corporations.
  • Classrooms of students of all ages and cultures.

From years of interviewing “winners” from every walk of life, he created The Psychology of Winning in which he shares a remarkable set of strategies that can change your life dramatically. He found there is often only a small difference between the top leaders in every field and those who merely “do well.” In The Psychology of Winning, Denis Waitley offers simple, yet profound principles of thought and healthy behavior that guide men and women to the top in every field of endeavor … principles that give you the winning edge in every situation.

This very popular theme lead to additional international best sellers such as Seeds of Greatness, Being the Best, The Winner’s Edge, The Joy of Working, and Empires of the Mind. With over 10 million audio programs and many non-fiction books sold in 14 languages, Denis Waitley is the most listened-to voice on personal and career success.

For the past 40 years, he has inspired, informed, and enlightened millions of individuals with his 15 non-fiction books, hundreds of audio programs, and entertaining, penetrating live keynote lectures, seminars and television appearances.

Denis Waitley has painted word pictures of optimism, core values, motivation and resiliency that have become indelible and legendary in their positive impact on society.

Denis has been described by his peers as “the poet laureate” of modern-day philosophers. Career highlights include:

  • B.S., U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis
  • Ph.D. in Human Behavioral Psychology
  • Simulation Trainer for the Apollo Astronaut Program
  • Rehabilitation coordinator for Vietnam POWs and Iranian hostages
  • Former Visiting Scholar at the University of Southern California
  • President of La Jolla Clinic Research Foundation
  • President of the International Society for Advanced Education
  • President’s Council on Vocational Education
  • Author of “The Winning Generation,” a student-oriented video workshop used in over 1,000 schools nationwide
  • Founding Director of National Council on Self-Esteem
  • Associated with Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Science
  • Former Chairman of Psychology, Sports Medicine Council, U.S. Olympic Committee
  • Received the National Youth Award for outstanding work with young people

If you’re interested in learning more about the concept of winning, check out some of the following titles:









Check Amazon.com for a list of his many audio cassette programs.

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.

Caffeine in the Shower

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It was bound to happen soon or later! Whether your chosen delivery device is a White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks or the ever-popular liter of Mountain Dew, nothing beats the gentle jolt into full wakefulness provided by the humble C8H10N4O2 molecule (caffeine). Apparently there are many who simply can’t wait until they shower, dress, and drive to their local coffee shop or 7-11. And someone responded to that lack of patience.

Someone has added caffeine to soap. That way, all you need to do is to stumble out of bed and into the shower, wash with a bar of caffeine-infused soap, and you’re well on your way to full wakefulness. Engraved with a glorious “C” for caffeine, scented with peppermint oil and infused with caffeine anhydrous, each caffeine soap bar contains approximately 12 servings/showers per 4-ounce bar with 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving. No, we’re not kidding and no you don’t eat it. The caffeinated soap is absorbed through the skin.

CNN says the world’s first caffeinated soap is called Shower Shock and comes to us from the good folks at ThinkGeek. At $6.99 per bar that’s only 58 cents per serving. Not bad! And if you spill it, it doesn’t matter!

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.

Napoleon Hill

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Napoleon Hill passed away 38 years ago in 1970. However, you’d have to look long and hard to find a leader in today’s business environment that wasn’t strongly influenced by his work. This American author is considered to have influenced more people to become successful than any other person in history. He has been perhaps the most influential author in the area of personal success technique development, primarily through his classic book Think and Grow Rich, one of the best-selling books of all time.

In his many bestsellers, Hill taught people how achievement actually occurs, created a formula for the process, and made the average person feel as though they could achieve success. He summed up the process with a simple statement that will live on forever:

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe … it can achieve!”

What a powerful statement! One that continues to be proven valid each and every day! Think about it.

If you can come up with an idea, strategy, concept, product, service, innovation, etc. …

If you believe in your heart and mind that it can be accomplished …

You’ll find a way to make it happen!

That simple but powerful declaration has served as a battle cry for many individuals, teams, organizations etc. for decades!

Napoleon Hill’s many works examined the power of personal beliefs and the critical role they play in your personal success. Many leaders in a wide variety of organizations credit their success to information they assimilated from his books, audio tapes, and personal appearance across the country.

Napoleon Hill was born into poverty in a one-room cabin in Wise County, Virginia. He began his writing career at age 13 as a “mountain reporter” for small town newspapers and went on to become America’s most beloved motivational author. His early career as a reporter helped finance his way through law school.

He was given an assignment to write a series of success stories of famous men, and his big break came when he was asked to interview steel-magnate Andrew Carnegie, one of the world’s wealthiest businessman and philanthropist.

Mr. Carnegie commissioned Hill to interview over 500 millionaires to find a success formula that could be used by the average person. These included Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Charles M. Schwab, Theodore Roosevelt, William Wrigley Jr, WIlliam Jennings Bryan, George Eastman, Woodrow Wilson, William H. Taft, John D. Rockefeller, and F. W. Woolworth among others.

He became an adviser to Andrew Carnegie, and with Carnegie’s help he formulated a philosophy of success, drawing on the thoughts and experience of a multitude of rags-to-riches tycoons. It took Hill over 20 years to produce his Personal Development classic Think and Grow Rich. As you read it, you must remember that you’re receiving advice from some of the greatest minds in the world!

This particular masterpiece has sold over 7 million copies and has helped thousands achieve success. He has also inspired many other authors and success gurus to follow in his footsteps.

Napoleon Hill enjoyed a long and successful career writing, teaching, and lecturing about the principles of success. His work stands as a monument to individual achievement and is the cornerstone of modern motivation.

Here are some interesting observations by one of our greatest gurus on achieving success, Napoleon Hill:

  • “Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements!”
  • “You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee!”
  • “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.”
  • “Hold a picture of yourself long and steadily enough in your mind’s eye, and you will be drawn toward it.”
  • “The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.”
  • “Until you have learned to be tolerant with those who do not always agree with you; until you have cultivated the habit of saying some kind word of those whom you do not admire; until you have formed the habit of looking for the good instead of the bad there is in others, you will be neither successful nor happy.”

To insure a complete and authentic corporate or personal business library, make certain it contains as many of the following titles as possible:












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.

Obvious Questions – The List Grows

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Thus far we’ve provided questions that could be categorized as “obvious questions that simply aren’t asked or answered.” Every time we add some, we discover another multitude of questions that certainly should qualify for this growing list.

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.

If you’re interested in reviewing any of the previous questions, simply click on Is It Just Me? and you’ll find them listed under articles titled “Obvious Questions.” Here are a few more.

  • Why do we spend thousands of dollars on a school bus to haul our children one mile and then build a million-dollar gymnasium for them to get exercise?
  • Why is it that most nudists are people you don’t want to see naked?
  • Why is there a permanent press setting on most irons?
  • Why is it when you put the two words “The” and “IRS” together it spells “Theirs.”
  • Why is it that our children can’t read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?
  • Does that screwdriver belong to Phillip?
  • Why aren’t there ever any guilty bystanders?
  • Why do they place non-removable stickers on the lens of new sunglasses?
  • Why do they put that stupid little hanging plastic tag between the lenses so you can’t try them on without looking stupid, and why are there always 20 people standing around when you do try them on?
  • Why is it that when the power goes out, you discover every flashlight you have has dead batteries?
  • Why is it that when the power goes out, you can find 100 candles and no matches?
  • Why do we sing “Take me out to the ball game” when we are already there?
  • If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?
  • Why do you have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed outside?

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.

Create a Breakthrough

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I’ve been around long enough to remember that any organization in the know was proud to boast the existence of an R & D (Research and Development) department.

This department consisted of a chosen few who concentrated on creating breakthroughs, innovations, and new products and services. These unique individuals had the education, experience, talent, creativity and mind-set to come up with ideas that could change the future of the organization.

You don’t see many R & D departments these days and for good reason. We’ve learned the very valuable lesson that breakthroughs can evolve from any person in any area of the organization. Why limit this opportunity to a chosen few?

What is a breakthrough?

  1. It’s simply a productive insight making an important discovery.
  2. It’s the development of new, radical approaches to traditional constraints, as opposed to incremental or minor changes in thought that build on the original approach.
  3. It’s an unconventionally fresh, more exciting way of doing something.
  4. It’s a dramatic improvement in each area that makes you more powerful, efficient, effective, productive and more valuable or inspiring to those you serve.

Major breakthroughs come from the correct mind-set — one which must be nurtured within your culture. It’s an attitude — an opportunistic attitude. Those who make breakthroughs are always opportunistic … constantly searching for that moment and situation which will make a difference.

A recent study revealed that out of 85 breakthroughs, only 21 were discovered in large organizations. Most of the best ideas come from people just like you who are encouraged and supported in their efforts to excel. For instance:

  • The dial telephone was invented by an undertaker and the ball point pen by a sculptor.
  • The founder of Nike, an avid runner, sat at his kitchen table and poured rubber into a waffle iron to create Nike’s unique sole for their running shoe.
  • William Wrigley Jr., a young soap salesman, started selling baking soda in Chicago in 1891. To entice new customers, he threw in two packages of chewing gum with every sale. Guess what the customers were more excited about? He listened and built an empire.
  • Michael Dell started selling computer components from his dorm room in 1983. When his sales reached $80,000 a month, he dropped out and put all his energy into the business. Dell currently employs over 65,000 people and earned revenues of $61.1 billion last year.
  • Warren Avis founded Avis Rent A Car in 1946 with 3 cars at Willow Run Airport in Detroit to address one of his chief frustrations — finding an available cab at the airport! His company quickly became the nation’s second largest car rental business in terms of market share, a position it maintained for decades.
  • Clarence Birdseye, a fur trader in Labrador, made an interesting discovery while ice fishing at 40 degrees below zero. When you pull a fish up through the ice, the fish freezes, fast and hard. He also discovered that when thawed, the fish were tender, flaky, and moist — almost as good as fresh caught. The same was true for frozen caribou, geese, and the heads of cabbage that he stored outside his cabin during the long Canadian winter. The quick-freezing process he pioneered produced frozen foods that created a multibillion dollar industry and gave farmers the incentive to grow crops for a year-round market.
  • In 1972 the Democratic convention nominated George McGovern to run for President against Richard Nixon. During the convention, Senator McGovern dumped his vice-presidential running mate Senator Eagleton because he had been hospitalized three times for nervous exhaustion in the 1960s, and twice had undergone electroshock therapy. A young, 16-year-old entrepreneur saw a one-time opportunity and bought up 5,000 suddenly obsolete McGovern-Eagleton buttons and bumper stickers. He paid about 5 cents a piece for them. He soon resold them as historical and rare political memorabilia for as much as $25 per item. This is an excellent example of an opportunistic mind-set. True, this young man’s one-time windfall profit did not change the world. However, his opportunity-focused attitude saw an opportunity where no one else did. This focus became part of his psyche. By the way, that young man was Bill Gates!

Most major breakthroughs are a result of looking at things with a common sense degree of open-mindedness, added to the ability and willingness to take action on what you see. They don’t require advanced education, a high IQ, or vast amounts of money.

A major breakthrough is merely:

  1. A fresh new way of doing something.
  2. Applying old things in new ways.
  3. Applying new things in new ways.
  4. Applying old things in new combinations.
  5. Applying new things to old or new markets.
  6. Applying old things to old or new markets.

The most dramatic breakthroughs frequently center, pure and simple, on better ways to do things — faster, easier, or more effectively or logically. Strive for breakthroughs. Expect breakthroughs. Create breakthroughs. Benefit from breakthroughs.

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 – A Learning Experience

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In an effort to keep our seminar, keynote and website content current, we often examine people and organizations that are currently in the news. It seems easier to relate to strategies and concepts when we can connect them to something we’ve recently seen on TV or read in a newspaper. This media connection seems to enhance the learning experience.

Some of what we learn is very positive.

Some of what we learn is often negative.

Both situations can be very advantageous if we keep an open mind.

Don’t allow your personal preferences about people or organizations to cause you to miss a valuable learning experience.

There’s always something to learn.

Often we learn something we should emulate.

Other times we learn what NOT to do.

For instance, in my travels across North America, I have learned that half the population hates Wal-Mart while the other half loves Wal-Mart. Both groups feel fully justified. Obviously, the half that loves Wal-Mart must have more money than the half that hates Wal-Mart. Of course, I say that in jest, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that Wal-Mart has once again emerged in the number one position in the Fortune 500 with revenues of $378 BILLION dollars!

To put that figure in perspective for you … if you were to combine the revenues of the following Wal-Mart competitors, you would arrive at a total of $376 billion.

Home Depot, Target, Sears, K-Mart, J.C. Penney, Lowe’s, Macy’s,
Nordstrom, Gap, Kohl’s, Toys “R” Us, Office Max, Staples

Not a bad year for the giant Smiley Face!

The on-going love-hate relationship we share with Wal-Mart actually provides us with a tremendous learning opportunity. However, many people dislike this retailer so much that they simply refuse to acknowledge them as a source of learning.

History tells us that Wal-Mart has made many poor decisions. They’ve tried many things that simply didn’t work. In fact, they’ve suffered some classic debacles that made headlines world-wide. However, they continue to top the Fortune 500, they continue to experience rapid growth, and they produce breakthrough in many areas.

The reasons are obvious:

  • They acknowledge challenges.
  • They embrace change.
  • They encourage creativity and innovation.
  • They advocate calculated risk taking.
  • They don’t fear failure.
  • They learn from their mistakes.
  • They keep on keeping on.

Regardless of that admirable performance, Wal-Mart has blundered time and time again. Study the mistakes in detail and learn as much as you can at their expense. Then take the time to study their successes and choose those you wish to emulate.

Take a look at a short list of what Wal-Mart hopes to be future successes. Some will pan out and result in news-making advances. Others may fall by the wayside and soon be forgotten as another poor choice. The important thing is they keep trying something new in the hopes of coping with an environment that is certainly challenging for them as well as their customers. Can you say the same?

Wayne Gretzky once said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” Think about that as you browse the shots Wal-Mart is currently focusing on.

Dr. Sam?
The first of the new Clinic at Wal-Mart walk-in centers, as they will be called, is to open in Little Rock, Arkansas, in April and be run by nurse practitioners. Wal-Mart said it plans to brand 200 of the new clinics with RediClinics. RediClinic, which already operates 13 clinics in Wal-Mart stores, plans to open one of the new units in Atlanta in April and another in Dallas next summer.

“Toy Safety Net”
Last fall, Wal-Mart implemented a “Toy Safety Net” program after the slew of toy recalls and toy safety concerns that plagued parents and retailers. These new toy safety guidelines include more independent lab tests, new standards on heavy metals (including lead), new guidelines on Phthalates and encouragement of date codes.

Check-cashing Expansion?
Aiming for consumers who don’t have bank accounts, Wal-Mart still wants a piece of the bank biz. Last year Wal-Mart cashed 45 million paychecks collectively worth $17 billion! It promotes the MoneyCard, which can accept direct deposits, when customers cash paychecks. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart is expanding the number of stores with “Money Center” areas near the front of the store. Some 494 stores had them at the end of fiscal 2008, and 15 more opened in March.

Gourmet Grounds?
On April 1, Wal-Mart announced the launch of six coffees under its exclusive Sam’s Choice brand. Three of the brands are Fair Trade Certified, while the other three are certified by the Rainforest Alliance and USDA Organic. Wal-Mart’s aim was to appeal to consumers with an affordable line of gourmet coffee that has a positive environmental and social impact.

Energy Focus Continues
Wal-Mart Stores has announced the introduction of its most energy efficient U.S. store, the HE.5 prototype that will use up to 45% less energy than the baseline Supercenter. The HE.5 begins a new series of prototypes designed for specific climates, the company said.

Wrangling Profits
In March, Wal-Mart announced plans that it would begin selling milk under its own private label brand (“Great Value”) that is not sourced from cows that have been treated with growth hormones.

Another Shot at Furniture
Wal-Mart recently announced it is rolling out a new home furnishings brand, “Canopy,” as it tries to get lagging sales in that division back on track. The line will include bedding, furniture, bath accessories and dinnerware. Wal-Mart said the brand is designed “with a budget-wise customer in mind.” It said prices will be up to 40% below those of competitors.

Keep an eye on Wal-Mart and discover what works and what doesn’t in hopes of finding something you can apply to your own business … not their products or services but the way they search for ways of solving problems for their customers.

You don’t have to shop there.

You don’t have to buy their stock.

You don’t have to like them.

However, you can certainly learn a great deal from both their failures and successes.

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.

New Feature Offers Insights on Accomplished Authors

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Having written 170 book reviews for our website, I’ve had an opportunity to chat with a number of readers and clients about a wide variety of books and authors over the years. We’ve assisted many clients in their efforts to establish libraries within their organizations to provide resources for their employees.

Leaders in every field boast often about the benefits they’ve derived from reading the classic works of talented authors. Today it’s even easier to gain such knowledge through the advent of cassette tapes, CDs, PDF, MP3, IPOD, Executive Book Summaries, etc. Lack of time in no longer a viable excuse. I’m amazed at the vast number of readers who are unfamiliar with so many of the celebrated works and authors available to readers today. For that reason, we’ve decided to create a feature to provide a short bio on some of those great writers and acquaint our readers with some of the titles they might want to add to their personal and/or business libraries.

If you’d like to recommend a particular author to be spotlighted, drop me a note at: e-mail

Dr. Kenneth Hartley Blanchard

You may not recognize the formal moniker if you’re not an avid reader. Most of his fans know him simply as Ken Blanchard, and he’s known around the world simply as “Ken.” He’s probably best known for his phenomenal best-selling book, The One Minute Manager®, coauthored with Spencer Johnson and the popular series that followed under the umbrella of the One Minute series. The One Minute Manager® has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide in 27 languages, 10,000 copies still sell every month. making it one of the best-selling management books in history, and it still regularly appears on best-seller lists more than 20 years since it was first released! He has coauthored over 30 other best-selling books.

Ken earned his bachelor’s degree in government and philosophy from Cornell University, his master’s degree in sociology and counseling from Colgate University, and his Ph.D. in educational administration and leadership from Cornell University.

The 69-year-old Blanchard is an American author and a prominent, gregarious, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant known as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate men in business today. Few people have created more of a positive impact on the day-to-day management of people and companies than Dr. Kenneth Blanchard.

Ken’s impact as a writer is far reaching. If you’ve had the opportunity to see him in person or view any of his many videos, you’d think you were listening to your favorite uncle or a trusted neighbor. His many books are very insightful, easily understood, and filled with traditional wisdom which is effortlessly transferred to real life situations.

Ken is Chairman and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies®—a family-owned global leader in workplace learning, employee productivity, and leadership and team effectiveness. Founded in 1979 by Ken and his wife, Dr. Marjorie Blanchard, their goal—and those of their 28 international offices around the world today remain much the same—to provide leadership and performance solutions that unleash human potential, create engaged employees and customers, and drive organizational results and profitability.

Now, more than 29 years later, their concepts and processes have been successfully tested by individuals and organizations around the world. Their concepts resonate with people—they make sense—and they work!

Ken is a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees and throughout the years has received many awards and honors for his contributions in the field of management and leadership.

He has been a guest on a number of national television programs, including “Good Morning America” and “The Today Show,” and has been featured in Time, People, U.S. News & World Report, and a host of other popular publications.

His admirable list of best sellers includes:


One Minute Manager








































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 Taste of Stark Reality

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I find myself once again in the silent peace of my office a few hours after midnight on a beautiful spring evening. I can see soft lights from homes across the lake reflecting on the still surface of the water as my office fills with soft music. This is the most productive time of my day (or night).

With no phone calls or interruptions to disrupt my focus, I can reflect on the day’s activities and prepare for my upcoming schedule. In doing so, I sometimes come across interesting tidbits worth sharing.

Today I was reviewing some material on the ever-informative website of Tom Peters. If you’re not familiar with Tom’s work, he’s an American writer, management consultant, and professional speaker best known for his best-selling In Search of Excellence, which he co-authored with Robert H. Waterman, Jr. in 1982.

Since that time, he’s authored a number of best-selling books and videos, consulted for many Fortune 500 companies, and spoken to audiences all over the world sharing his many provocative ideas. Tom is a passionate communicator and doesn’t hesitate to share his insights with clients, fans, and readers through his many books, magazine articles, personal appearances and a very unique web-site.

I just finished an article on that website that I felt was a real eye-opener for any leader striving to guide his/her organization to success in a very competitive, challenging global environment. I’d like to share a portion of that composition in hopes of enticing you to visit Tom’s website, read the entire article and take advantage of the great wealth of additional information you’ll find there.

It’s interesting to note that Tom is more concerned about getting his message out to those who can benefit from it than he is from protecting his copyrighted and licensed products from those who might use them for personal purposes in hopes of gaining financially.

You’ll find a paragraph on his website telling you what you can do with any articles and PowerPoint slides you may find of interest there. He urges you to: “disseminate it, print it, dissect it, ruminate on, use pieces of it or the whole thing.” All he asks is that you don’t alter it, claim it as your own, or charge others for its use. Above all, he wants you to learn from it and enjoy it. That paragraph speaks volumes about this unique individual. I think you’ll find your visit to Tom’s website very beneficial and will more than likely return often.

In his article, “TOP 50 HAVE YOUS,” he challenges readers to attempt some very basic actions which, if done, will absolutely improve your “competitive position” in today’s challenging atmosphere.

I’ve chosen a few of Tom’s TOP 50 for your consideration. Read them over. Share them with your staff. Discuss them in depth. Determine what it would take to execute each. Speculate as to what benefits might evolve. Identify and eliminate any barriers to execution. Take action.

If you’ll follow the simple steps above, you’ll definitely experience success and benefits greatly surpassing your expectations. You’ll also wonder why you didn’t attempt these basic strategies long ago and will, more than likely, visit Tom’s website for even more productive insights. Here we go …

  1. HAVE YOU, in the last 10 days, … visited a customer?
  2. HAVE YOU called a customer … TODAY?
  3. HAVE YOU, in the last 60 – 90 days … had a seminar in which several folks from the customer’s operation (different levels, different functions, different divisions) interacted, via facilitator, with various of your folks?
  4. HAVE YOU thanked a frontline employee for a small act of helpfulness … in the last three days?
  5. HAVE YOU, in the last week, recognized — publicly — one of “their” folks (another function) for a small act of cross-functional cooperation?
  6. HAVE YOU invited, in the last month, a leader of another function to your weekly team priorities meeting?
  7. HAVE YOU, in the last 60 days, had a general meeting to discuss “things we do wrong”… that we can fix in the next fourteen days?
  8. HAVE YOU, in the last three days, discussed something interesting, beyond your industry, that you ran across in a meeting, reading, etc.?
  9. HAVE YOU, in the last two weeks, asked someone to report on something, anything, that constitutes an act of brilliant service rendered in a “trivial” situation — restaurant, car wash, etc. (and then discussed the relevance to your work.)
  10. HAVE YOU, in the last week, discussed the idea of Excellence? (What it means, how to get there.)
  11. HAVE YOU, in the last two months, had a presentation to the group by a “weird” outsider?
  12. HAVE YOU, in the last 45 days, assessed some major process in terms of the details of the “experience,” as well as results it provides to its external or internal customers?
  13. HAVE YOU, in the last 60 (30?) days sat with a trusted friend or “coach” to discuss your “management style” — and its long-and short-term impact on the group?
  14. HAVE YOU, in the last three days, considered a professional relationship that was a little rocky and made a call to the person involved to discuss issues and smooth the waters? (Taking the “blame”, fully deserved or not, for letting the thing-issue fester.)

Don’t try to do all of the above at once.

Invest a little time and energy and enjoy the tremendous results.

Upon successful completion, revisit the list and choose a few more strategies.

Even more importantly, visit Tom’s website and take advantage of the remaining 36 actions for continued success and achievement.

While these “HAVE YOUS” appear to be simple and basic … the STARK REALITY is that few of them are utilized to their fullest potential.

We KNOW these things … We seldom DO these things. Close the Knowing-Doing Gap!

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.

Time to Flip Flop?

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I’m afraid I’m changing my mind about the importance of thinking out of the box. In this very political year, many would call my decision flip-flopping. That may very well be true, but I’m not certain that’s a bad thing. Is it better to stand firm on a particular issue, opinion or position and refuse to change your mind for any reason whatsoever, OR is it best to keep an open mind and if and when presented with new information which convinces you there might be a better way or a more productive outcome, you change your opinion or position? I feel the second choice leads to continuous improvement and future success.

Anyway, back to the Proverbial Box. In today’s chaotic information-laden world, most everyone has heard about the importance of thinking out of the box and most are open-minded enough to give it a shot. Herein lies my change of heart. I feel thinking out of the box is still a key strategy but, in itself, is no longer enough. It is now imperative to not only think out of the box but to also ACT out of the box.

Knowing-Doing GapToday everyone thinks … however, very few actually ACT which brings us back to the importance of striving to close the ever-challenging Knowing-Doing Gap. We see evidence daily in the media of organizations who obviously know what to do but fail to act on the right thing and, as a result, suffer a swift demise … Bear Sterns, Hallmark/Westland, Linens & Things, XM Satellite Radio, Northwest Airlines who was taken over by Delta and five other airlines who claimed bankruptcy within a week (Aloha, ATA, Skybus, Skyway, and Frontier).

Our focus must now move to the urgency of taking action on our thinking, research, creative revelations, and innovative options. Our goal must now evolve from merely thinking out of the box to acting out of the box in an effort to close that all-important Knowing-Doing Gap!

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.

Shock Your Customers

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I received a pleasant surprise recently that led to a very unique opportunity. I was asked to speak at a local athletic awards banquet which is always a special treat. After the banquet, I unexpectedly ran into a previous client who I haven’t seen for almost 20 years. At that time I was working as a consultant for a local community college and was assigned to a national client for a two-month project that required travel from coast to coast. Much of my time was spent with this particular gentleman.

Long story short, our after-banquet chat led to an informal offer I simply couldn’t afford to pass up. I was invited to spend a half-day with my old friend as he wanted me to witness something he thought I’d enjoy. I accepted his offer, and we agreed on a mutually convenient date.

When I worked with him years ago, he was a prominent supervisor with his company. Today, after several promotions, he’s a vice president of what is now an international organization. It didn’t take long for me to understand why he’s been so successful.

We met for breakfast and then I joined him for a half-day of visiting clients. Yep, it was that simple. This is something he has placed on his calendar every month for years. He said he wished he could do it even more often but his travel schedule currently prohibits any more than a day a month.

In Search of ExcellenceHe wanted me to see what has 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 client base. That’s what he wanted me to see.

Once a month, he unexpectedly drops in on a number of his clients to do nothing more than say “Hi,” ask how things are going, and inquire as to what he can do to make his client’s life a little easier. His questions and comments are very informal and conversational. His visit is short and pleasant. He claims to walk away from every client feeling he has learned, through casual feedback, something new about the client, his product and service, and/or their relationship.

During our half-day adventure, we chatted with five clients, and I couldn’t help but recognize the fact that each of the five seemed pleasantly surprised to see him. One even mentioned the fact that my friend was the first vendor that had ever taken the time to stop by, much less inquire as to how they might be helpful.

After each visit, he jotted down several notes on a legal pad … all of which I was certain would be put to good use with disciplined follow-up. After lunch I thanked him for the experience and told him how much I appreciated the opportunity to see someone actually applying, with enthusiasm and obvious success, something he had learned. He informed me that he thought I might find it interesting because we shared a respect of both the author and the concept.

He said he makes these visits religiously when he’s in town as well as while on the road throughout the country. He swears his ROI (Return On Investment) is incalculable and encourages everyone to make such activity a critical part of their schedule.

Situations such as this one are indeed rewarding and even more so when totally serendipitous. Why not “Shock a Customer” by calling or stopping by for a visit? You may be pleasantly surprised as well.

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.