The Fountain of Wisdom – March 3, 2008

Posted on by
Reply

Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

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

e-mail

Let’s get started …

Start a “Stop-Doing” List

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

Stop – Look – Listen … While You Still Can!

Posted on by
Reply

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

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

Magic Marbles

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

“Hello Barry, how are you today?”

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

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

“Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.”

“Good. Anything I can help you with?”

“No, Sir. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.”

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

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

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

“All I got’s my prize marble here.”

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

“Here ’tis. She’s a dandy.”

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

“Not zackley but almost.”

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

“Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

Are You Creative?

Posted on by
Reply

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

The Fountain of Wisdom – February 25, 2008

Posted on by
2

Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

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

e-mail

Today’s Subject: Change

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

Business Briefs – February 2008

Posted on by
Reply

Most Expensive License Plate

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

Meg Whitman Steps down as CEO of eBay

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

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

Largest Beef Recall in History

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

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

Sharper Image Files for Chapter 11

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

Developing Employee Potential

Posted on by
Reply

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

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

Where’s My Pizza?

Posted on by
Reply

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

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

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

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

Consider the benefits of their recent announcement:

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

The Fountain of Wisdom

Posted on by
Reply

Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

Over the ages, we have indeed been blessed with a bountiful gift of wisdom from some of the world’s greatest minds representing every walk of life. Sadly, far too many of us either take their words for granted, are too busy to recognize the wisdom, obviously ignore the valued messages, or clearly feel it doesn’t apply to today’s intense circumstances. Some of us simply have yet to be exposed to these insights.

For those very reasons, this new series will share some of that wisdom along with suggestions for application to many of today’s growing challenges. If you’d like to contribute a personal favorite, please do so by sending your offering to

e-mail

Let’s get started …

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

Acres of Diamonds – Start Digging

Posted on by
Reply

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

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

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

ACRES OF DIAMONDS

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

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

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

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

About Harry K. Jones

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

Tapping Potential

Posted on by
Reply

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

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

Ideas Abound!

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

Use It or Lose It!

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

About Harry K. Jones

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