When you do something 200 times you learn a little.  When you do something 200 times you have an experience set and some frame of reference. When you do something 200 times you start to understand why you are doing it and how to do it better (Writing: Why & How).

Writing isn’t my job but has served as a catalyst to connect me to others in ways I simply could not have imagined 200 posts ago.  Yesterday I received this note from an old college friend who just so happens to be the current VP of Sales for Madison Square Garden:

“Hope you’re well. Feel like we talk more often than we do because I read the blog and know what’s on your mind. Really, really impactful stuff.  Thank you.”

The opportunity associated with this kind of connectedness is powerful.  It requires a bit of transparency and effort but the impact can far outweigh the input.

200 blog posts improved my relationships.  Professionally and perhaps more importantly, with the people I care about the most.

200 blog posts accelerated growth in my business:  The 2012 Speaking Tour

200 blog posts helps me make so many new, meaningful connections.

Looking forward to the next 200!

 

 

Posted in Performance, Sales, Social Media, Uncategorized

Tags: Blog, Keynote Speaking, Speaking, Writing

I will be back up in the air and on the move!  If you are in the AC or the Bahama’s I hope we connect!

I’ll be speaking:

GSCSHRM
Atlantic City, NJ
Monday, 10/24

United States Marines Corps MCCS
Orlando, FL
Wednesday, 10/26

Bahama’s HRD Association
Nassau, Bahama’s
Friday, 10/28
*it is winter in MN and this is good strategic planning

My friends from the Work/Life Expo were kind enough to Flip and forward the enclosed feedback following my keynote last week.  Muchas Gracias! Yes, I did pick up a little bit of Spanish while speaking in Venezuela this week.  A bit of commentary and perspective on my adventure in Caracas forthcoming.

We also added the annual SHRM Leadership Conference to our event calendar and are excited to start working with  AT&T, Giant Eagle and Wakefield. Welcome.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Posted in News, Uncategorized

Tags: AT&T, Caracas, Giant Eagle, Speaking, Training, Wakefield, Work/Life

I always feel especially good about any opportunity to work in the hometown.

The shots are from my keynote last week at the annual MNSHRM State Conference.

Tomorrow I have the priviledge of opening the 2011 Work/Life & Flexibility Expo.

If you are in the Twin Cities it isn’t too late to join us!

Hope to see you in the morning!

 

Posted in News

Tags: Flexibility, Keynote Speaking, SHRM, Speaking

I usually get 60 minutes.

This morning I had 75.

A short time to inspire action.  Initiate change.  Make a moment memorable enough to make a difference.

I am a keynote speaker.  That is my job.  I aspire to make a difference. That is my purpose.

There is resistance.  There always is.  Not everyone is going to like what I have to say.  Not everyone believes you can create enough momentum for meaningful change in 60 minutes.

I am good with that.  You should be also.  I don’t need to appeal to everyone.  I never will.  Neither will you.  We just need to make a difference with those that matter the most.

For me, that means a successful morning can look just like this:

One person inspired.  One purpose solidified.

That is often how change happens.  One conversation.  One connection.  One meaningful moment that inspires action.

We all have the power to make a difference.  Especially among the people that matter the most to us.

Each moment matters. Every conversation counts.

Thank you Minnesota SHRM for having me keynote this morning (you can follow the event at #MNSHRM).

Today was important to me.  This is my hometown.  This is my community.

Did I make a difference?

I suppose that isn’t for me or any of us to decide for that matter.  What is seemingly important is that we try.

That seems like work worth doing.

Posted in Communications, Leadership, Performance

Tags: Keynote Speaking, Passion, Purpose, SHRM, Speaking

At least over the last 90 days.  Q2. What a fun ride it has been.  I am reflecting early.

The last two stops of the quarter are South Beach and Vegas.  A little celebration may be in order.

Q1 was a tough stretch. Life.  Lessons.

Q2 was a great stretch.  Life.  Lessons.

A team of people helped me cross that bridge.  I won’t ever forget.  Thank you.

I keep reminding myself to occasionally look back and enjoy the view.

Here is what it look liked in Q2. At least a few highlights anyway.

Almost halftime.  Feeling ready.

Posted in Brand, Communications, News

Tags: Keynote Speaker, Keynote Speaking, Motivational Speaking, Speaking, Training

I checked into the Hotel Del Coronado last night.  Exhausted from a wonderful 48 whirlwind that included keynotes for CUPA and SHRM and so many new, meaningful connections.  On my pillow was a placard with the hotel’s daily affirmation (nice touch) that read:  “Somewhere on your journey don’t forget to turn around and enjoy the view.”  How fitting.

Ten years ago (or perhaps a little longer) I made my first trip to San Diego. I was a Sales Manger who just got the big promotion to Vice President attending my first SHRM National event as a vendor/exhibitor (part of my new role and responsibility).

I was awestruck by the SHRM experience. The size and scale. The programming, people and parties.  The speakers.  The keynote speakers.

During the evening we made our way over to Coronado Island for a reception at the very same Hotel Del. Gathering around, watching the sunset, casually initiating new relationships with potential customers over cocktails.  I am not sure if I was inspired by the sunset or the cerveza but among our small group I casually blurted out, “someday I am going to keynote this conference.”  A moment of uncomfortable silence was followed by laughter and another round.  A brazen comment made by a kid buzzing from his new promotion.  Speak?  “Stick to the sales” was the prevailing thought.

Not in my mind.

This week I followed Dan Pink (someone whom I have admired for years) as the Day 2 Keynote Speaker at the SHRM National Talent & Staffing Conference.  After nearly 10 years of National breakout/mega sessions it was nice to step up.  I hope my message resonated.   I hope to check another box on the list very soon.

I suppose I checked in to the Hotel Del to look back and remember that night here 10 years ago.  To reflect.  To write.  To enjoy the view.  The many ups and downs.  Highs and lows.  Wins and losses.  Big dreams.  What I see most prominently are the people.  The people I love.  The people I miss. The people I met this week.  The people that matter.   The good news is there is always room for more of those people.

I have come to realize that how you do something and who you are doing it with are just as important what you are doing.

Looking back to enjoy the view is such sage advice.  It helps you see forward more clearly.  More passionately.  More purposefully.  This time around I am 100% certain it isn’t the cerveza.

Take a moment.  Look back and enjoy the view. Embrace the present.  Think forward.

What a journey!

Posted in Leadership, News, Recruiting, Uncategorized

Tags: CUPA, Keynote Speaker, SHRM, Speaking

Leadership.

Yesterday I had the great privilege of providing the keynote address for a Medtronic Global Leadership Summit.

With executives assembled from around the globe we focused on the unique opportunity today’s leader has to cultivate culture as a competitive advantage.  With a jam packed 3 day agenda filled with content central to the challenge of running a complex, global Fortune 500 organization amid such a time of challenge and change  the moment was right to reinforce the awesome responsibility bestowed upon today’s leader.

Challenge and change require clarity and confidence and the leadership mandate is simple:  Put people first…Performance and profit follow….

While an effective manager will often expressly focus on systems and process (and those are necessary qualities to organizational excellence) a leader understands that people are the priority…It’s people that drive the process and deliver the plan….

What do people want?  What accelerates engagement and performance?

1.  Leadership demonstrating care and concern for their people

2.  The opportunity to do meaningful work and continue to develop skills and competency

Put the right people in the right job and provide an environment where they can fulfill their potential.  Focus on getting the culture piece right…..and you’ll be heading in the right direction. Passion at work can occur when the right person, in the right job is supported by the very intentional and strategic action of the organization and it’s leadership.  It doesn’t manifest on auto pilot.

What are the leadership competencies that contribute most significantly to culture as a competitive advantage?  You can see the photo above – our list of what constitutes Rockstar Leadership from yesterday’s keynote.

What’s on your leadership list?  Is your corporate culture a competitive advantage?

Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership

Tags: Keynote, Speaking, Training

Then I’d like to recommend considering the portfolio of talent made available through Elan Speakers Agency.  Owner Devie Hagen has taken great care in assembling a roster inclusive of the very best speakers/trainers in the Midwest.  As a Meeting Planner or Corporate Education Director you’ll find a comprehensive range of business performance and personal development content represented among this elite group of experts.  In planning your next event you will benefit tremendously from Devie’s experience and relentless commitment to service excellence.  And you’ll be afforded the opportunity to select from a deep library of content and variety delivery options that fit your specific business objectives.  Give Devie a call to power up your next event!

Posted in Communications

Tags: Speaking, Training

I am putting the finishing touches on my preso for Mega Session Monday – where I’ll have an opportunity to speak about the trend line and evolution in HR Communications and branding for talent  (Employment Branding 2.0) at the Garden State SHRM Annual Conference.  It should a great event.

The conference is appropriately titled Blueprint for a Changing Reality.  They nailed it.  The business of Human Resources is in the midst of transformation and will need to look very different coming out of this recession than it did going in.  While products, services and technology evolve at a pace that minimizes differentiation and signals more commoditization in the marketplace TALENT moves to the forefront as the key competitive business advantage.  Its heavy on the mind of any C suite exec that has his/her eye on the prize and whose vision exists beyond the next quarterly earnings report.  You can shed until your dead or game plan to win with a TALENT first strategy.  The future of HR will be about building readiness and responsiveness to meet the evolving TALENT needs of the organization.  And I look forward to hitting this topic hard Monday afternoon with the tremendous HR talent in New Jersey.

My hats off to GSCSHRM for organizing a Conference 2.0 style event.  They did it right with a strong web presence, linked in group and twitter hashtag (#gsc09) to build community around their lineup of first class content.  For the Practitioners that opt in they will have a more robust conference experience and build stronger networks faster that aid in the sharing of best practices and cultivation of relationships across industries and disciplines.   For a speaker like me it’s provided an awesome opportunity to share some of my relevant content/articles etc. in advance of the event in an effort to create some expectation around the experience I intend to deliver on Monday.    And I likely won’t have to wait for the conference evaluations to know if my experience met with audience favor.  We’ll live tweet the session and I will know real time if my message resonates.  That’s a changing reality for certain.

SHRM President & CEO Lon O’Neil kicks us off Monday morning and the legendary Simon Bailey is the closer.  It’s a privilege to serve as the middle reliever for this event.  I better bring the A game!

Posted in Brand, Communications

Tags: Human Resources, Speaking