New Year, New Ways of Working

HR Houston speaker

 

As a motivational speaker always looking to improve my keynotes and stay booked, I’ve had to embrace changing times and learn new things. The old ways of giving a canned speech with stats, facts and power point are SO seventies! (unless, of course, you’re Zig Ziglar)

 

Guess what? We all have to learn new ways of working or get left behind.

 

Left behind = unemployed.

 

Last month/last year I spoke to a great group of Human Resource professionals from diverse companies  all around Houston. Pictured here with John Greer the President of HR Houston it was a fascinating  insight into today’s workplace.

 

To customize my presentations on high performance I interview several people from the audience prior to the event. For this group I specifically asked three HR directors from three major companies what new practices they’ve implemented in the past year……

 

While one interview said her organization is making more use of Linked In to hire people the other said she’s ‘getting back to basics’  using face-to-face communications and less emails. Why? To clarify communications.  Emails  can easily be misinterpreted causing unnecessary problems that results in wasted time and loss of productivity.

 

What are YOU doing differently in 2012? Are you willing to stay teachable?

 

If not, how’s that working for ya?

 

 

 

 

 

Xmas 2011 – Made in the USA!

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods – merchandise that has stripped America of its labor productivity.

This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for  other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands.

Yes there is!

It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a  shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Everyone – yes –  EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?
Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement. Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small American-owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamins on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, lawn mowed for the summer, driveway plowed all winter or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants  all offering gift certificates. And if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort  what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint?  Remember, folks this isn’t about big national chains – this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car done at a shop run by the American working guy? Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day. My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit scarves. They make jewelry, pottery and beautiful wooden boxes. Plan your holiday outings at local owner-operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre?
Musicians need love too so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn  leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see  Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about the US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine.

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

Forward this to everyone on your mailing list,  post it to discussion groups, throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in your city, send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other.
And isn’t that what Christmas is about?

Are you aging or ageless?

No need to grab your glasses…it’s really THE Carol Channing!    

With Carol Channing & Patricia Horgan, Huffington Center on Aging

We professional speakers get to live a charmed life with an occasional dose of glitz ‘n’ glam mixed with Eeeeks! I-have-to-do-what???

Last week I received a call from Patricia Horgan at the Huffington Center on Aging/Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. It was Wednesday morning 11 a.m. and one of the speakers for their 2011 Women’s Health Summit had just canceled.

The event was the next day. 

Patricia said I would be the last speaker of the morning and the lunchtime keynote was Carol Channing. Could I step in to save the day and possibly tweak my presentation to fit?

This was where No worries! & Eeeeks! meets with a heavy dose of I-don’t-have-time-to-customize panic. Thankfully the outcome was a standing ovation.  But here’s the thing: Carol Channing got a standing ovation before she even opened her mouth.

That’s a living legend.

Star of stage & screen for several decades Carol says she’s ”91.2 years old and never felt better.”  Best known for her leading Broadway  roles in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes‘, ‘Hello Dolly‘ & film ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie‘ she’s won three Tony Awards, a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. As if that’s not enough she’s recorded ten gold albums, written her best selling memoirs ‘Just Lucky I Guess’ and has been inducted into the Smithsonian Institute in D.C. 

Can you spell a-m-a-z-i-n-g??? Carol Channing had us at hello. Her quick wit and fascinating life story was both entertaining and inspirational as she proudly told us of her 5,000+ performances of Hello Dolly and she never missed one – even when she was sick. She sang a little for us delighting everyone with her polished stage presence, endearing humor and enthusiastic energy. She is amazing!

  

Ms. Channing travels the country teaching, performing and gathering support for scholarships to place the arts in public schools through her and hubby’s Harry Kullijian Foundation for the Arts. In answer to the final question: “What’s the secret that keeps you youthful?” Ms. Channing replied: “Keep on dancing!”

 

What excites YOU? Do you have a passion for fixing things, playing music, collecting beer cans? Or are you one of those ‘Gonna’ people? (gonna do that soon)

 

Age is just a number when you exude energy & enthusiasm. How young are you?

 

Gotta go. Have to register for a Zumba class….

Guilty by Association

  

                                                                                                                                             

Last Friday I was the lunchtime keynote speaker for one of the largest and oldest women’s associations in the country: The American Business Women’s Association (ABWA). The Katy chapter in Houston organized a one day conference with a great line up of speakers pictured here from left: Eleese Lester, Michelle Scism, chapter President Francie

Lockwood, Tina Gandy national ABWA President, guess who in blue? and Stephanie DeWagoneer.

Having spoken to numerous ABWA chapters over the years, it was a delightful surprise to be recognized by numerous attendees and in particular, Tina Gandy. Tina was in the audience ten years ago when I spoke at an ABWA symposium in Bryan, College Station. Tina and her twin sister Lina have a very successful marketing & graphics design company called TwinzCo. Ten years ago Tina was a self-described shy violet who ran from attention and was terrified of speaking in public.

Fast forward to now…

Tina Gandy just stepped into the role of National President of ABWA with thousands of members across the country. She gave an impassioned 40 minute presentation on how membership in this association has boosted her self confidence and contributed greatly to her success as a business woman through networking opportunities and educational programs. Powerful testimonial from a former wallflower!

As a professional speaker I am a member of the  National Speakers Association -Houston chapter (www.nsaHouston.org)  It was the smartest thing I ever did when I began speaking in the 90′s as it cut at least five years off my learning curve through its educational and mentoring programs. The second smartest thing I ever did was to form a mastermind group of peers within NSA. We met once a month to brainstorm challenges, speech topics, marketing ideas and trends in the speaking industry. Priceless!

By associating with more experienced colleagues, my level of competence on the platform improved dramatically. They challenged me, they encouraged me, they held me accountable.  

Who are YOU aligning with for professional or personal development?

Be careful. Be picky. Remember: you’re guilty by association.

Meetings Matter

                                                                                                                                              

Ever since the AIG meetings scandal motivational speakers, event planners and the hospitality industry have had a tough time of it. Along with the scrutiny of money spent on face-to-face meetings came increased use of webinars, teleseminars and virtual conferences.

So what’s the problem?

Impact.

As the kickoff convention speaker for the Georgia Association of Healthcare Underwriters recently (GAHU) I arrived the night before my keynote was scheduled. This group has been through the mill the past three years dealing with the Health Care Reform Bill (ya’ think?) and other major industry changes. If anyone needed uplifting it was definitely this group!

Having dinner with several attendees was priceless. During the course of conversation one of the convention sponsors happened to mention a new product they had available that perked much interest from agents at the table. Several fried shrimp later there was an atmosphere of renewed hope that seemed to permeate the whole group.

The next morning during my presentation it was a hoot to see my dinner companions’ faces as I quoted fun scoop ‘n’ stuff from the night before. Using interactive exercises, live piano music and a heavy dose of humor, the energy level raised the roof as GAHU members laughed & learned more about each other, gained ideas to boost their business, sang along to Piano Man and kicked it up in a chorus line that ended in a standing ovation!

Connection. Communication. Impact.

Face-to-face meetings are essential to maximize impact. Marcus Buckingham, one of the leading management gurus, says the biggest challenges for managers today is they don’t know their people. They don’t know what motivates and engages them because there are too many virtual employees and virtual meetings. Managers think they can lead through technology but it doesn’t work.

Meetings matter.

When are you meeting with your old client/new employee/difficult colleague?

                                               

 

 

All that Glitters is not Gold

Junior League Charlotte, NC

As the keynote speaker for 550 members of the Junior League in Charlotte, NC  recently the experience was  a real eye opener…

Surprise #1: Most of them were Gen Y between the ages of 23 – 27 years old.

 

Surprise #2: Seventy five percent of them were working mothers.

 

What happened to the image of the middle aged wealthy matron sitting at home with proverbial pearls on wondering where to volunteer that would most benefit her social status?

 

Times have changed and so has voluntarism. The delightful, dedicated, savvy membership of the Junior League Charlotte is  2,000 members strong and just celebrated their 85th anniversary with over 1 million hours of service. The impact on the community is both amazing and admirable.

 

The real pearl of this audience was the diversity of cultures and walks of life connected by a genuine passion to help others in a community they love. Current President Katie Zeok has successfully instigated new ways of fundraising in the chapter while working full time at Bank of America and juggling family life.  Time management is a challenge for these volunteers yet they are SO doing everything  right ‘coz they’re one of the biggest leagues in the country. Where there’s a will there’s a way. As I say in my speeches: “passion is the beginning of all success”.

 

How are you perceived by others? What image are you projecting?

 

Make sure it’s the real thing ‘coz people don’t buy fool’s gold. 

 

 

From Success to Significance

Sharing the stage with John Maxwell

As a motivational speaker with wacky humor and an Aussie accent I’m often asked to emcee special events in Houston but none was more special than last Friday night on stage at the Wortham Center.

The Texas Women’s Empowerment Foundation (TWEF)  hosted the 5th Annual International Financial & Leadership Summit featuring four days of workshops, seminars,  a  Million Dollar Roundtable, top keynote speakers including Les Brown and Paula White with attendees from around the world. The summit ended with a black tie leadership awards banquet with yours truly as mistress of ceremonies together with Dr. Bennie Lambert from Lone Star College who had an equally wacky sense of humor.  Together we made the good times roll into the evening of honorees, awards and good people doing great things.

And then HE walked in…

An icon in the speaking industry and a world renowned expert on leadership,  John Maxwell entered the room to a standing ovation that lasted three minutes.  Have you ever stood in the presence of greatness? Did you feel the power that gives you goose bumps? It’s awesome. And so is he.

After being introduced by Pastor Joel Osteen‘s mother Dodi, John spoke  on how success is about helping yourself but significance is about helping others. He talked about the power of  ’we’ as a team and what a difference one person can make referring to TWEF’s founder Dr. Deavra Daughtry.  John Maxwell was all about connecting with the audience of 600 and leveling the playing ground between us and his celebrity status. He SO succeeded with his personal stories, down to earth humor and words of wisdom relevant to all.

I got to visit with my new BFF John in the green room  and for ten minutes he asked questions about my speaking business, commented on how much he loved Australia (where he’s spoken many times) and made me feel like I was the only person in the world he wanted to talk to. He was humble, gracious and charming despite the fact he had just flown in from Palm Beach on his private plane with an entourage of staff and had to leave immediately after his speech.  

His success as a speaker/author with 19 million books sold worldwide is obvious.  His significance as a human being is beyond great because he’s all about helping others.

John Maxwell is a giant of a man who walks his talk and genuinely cares about people.

Are you successful or significant? Reach for the stars - go for both.

Winners at Work

Speaking on Peak Performance

As a high performance speaker and professional pianist I’m supposed to walk my talk or I lose credibility. If you’re an executive assistant, real estate agent, banker or project manager you need to be efficient, organized and professional or you could be replaced.

So what do you do when things don’t go your way?

Recently I was hired to play piano for a wedding ceremony in one of Houston’s most exclusive venues. To compliment the elegant decor the piano was an antique cherry wood instrument with curved legs and a high polish. There was no piano bench. Instead there was an old chair that sat so low I had to raise my hands six inches to reach the keyboard. To add salt to the tacky wound the piano hadn’t been tuned since the earth was cooling.

What would a top performer do?

Unbeknownst to the wedding party, I consulted the catering director and asked for folded tablecloths to be placed on the chair that raised me up to the level of the piano keyboard. Since there was nothing to do about the tuning I began playing promptly in time as guests were arriving. Bride and groom were happily married and rode off into the sunset.

The point? When you don’t have the right tools to do the job –  compensate without complaint. Complaining breeds distrust and spreads negativity in the workplace. It’s totally counter-productive and  destroys a good team. In the end, YOU”RE the one that looks bad.

Extraordinary performance is what it takes to thrive in today’s economy and stand out from the crowded competition.

Ignore Charlie Sheen‘s idea of winning (not!)  Pay attention to your words at work.

It’s SO All About Me

Are you a small business owner? Would you like more web exposure to attract clients? Can you make changes on your web site without paying your IT geek?

Listen up for the latest on cool ‘n’ cheap marketing…

There’s a new site around and it’s the next big thing to promote your stuff. It’s called About Me and the idea is to create a ‘splash page’ for your business. You can change text, photos and colors any time and best of all, it’s free. It’s so easy even a technically challenged Aussie like me did it – check it out! http://about.me/TheresaBehenna

My friend and colleague generations speaker Karen McCullough got me onto this and said she heard from the digital gurus this site may replace traditional web sites some day. Now THAT’S big.

What are you waiting for? Get busy, get creative, get noticed!

See? It really is all about me…………and you.

Bank on Better Times at Meetings

Speaking for Sterling Bank

As the keynoter for Sterling Bank’s Women’s Business Initiative luncheon with subsequent raves (woo hoo!),  I realized a wake up call for the meetings industry: people are ready to be uplifted by motivational speakers once again.

Audiences are tired of the doom ‘n’ gloom from the past three years.

They want hope for the future and  ideas on how they can thrive in this economy. They want to be motivated to action and have fun learning.

 

No worries!

 

My topic “Extraordinary Performance: the New Norm for Tough Times” hit the spot for this group of bankers and small business owners. Some points covered:

 

1.  Be persistent in your efforts to provide more value and outstanding customer service.  Successful people have the discipline to do what they don’t want to and perseverance pays off.

 

2.  Have the right attitude. Be willing to learn new ways of working from each generation in the workplace. Stay likeable, humble and teachable.

 

3.  Build great relationships with  colleagues and clients.  Develop a strong team culture that results in excellent customer service (Sterling Bank has SO got this!) Form a mastermind group of  peers to brainstorm solutions and creative ideas.

 

Mixing the message with music, humor and customized content energized this audience to a standing ovation and comments:

“Your relevant customization, great energy, beautiful music and well-placed humor made a perfect presentation that created a high impact, memorable event!…You truly made a difference in my life and motivated me to confront my fears and go after my dream…. Informative, fun, passionate, inspiring….You made my week!…We were honored to have our company philosophy included in your program…Great tips for today’s marketplace…Your stories are great!”

 

Sterling Bank is about to merge with Comerica to be bigger and better.

Bigger bank, better times, more meetings that rock!