| To all our highly valued clients and acquaintances:
In June, the Franklin Covey Company concluded its 12th Series of Symposiums. A leader in effectiveness training, they declare the following as their mission statement. “We Enable Greatness in People and Organizations Everywhere”
In recent years, Franklin Covey has conducted exceptional symposiums in multiple locations throughout the US. In addition to dozens of excellent break-out workshops sessions, they usually travel with outstanding business leaders, such as Ram Charan (co-author of the best selling book, “Execution – The Discipline of Getting Things Done”) or Jim Collins, (author of must-read “Good to Great” and co-author of “Built to Last”).
In 2006, they traveled with the well-known Jack Welch, former CEO and exemplary manager of GE. This year′s theme is Sustained Superior Performance: Lead, Focus, Win!
Below are select excerpts (captured by my best ability to furiously take notes and transcribe them accurately)
from which you may draw additional inspiration and perspective.
Bob Whitman, CEO of Franklin Covey:
“There is no epidemic of greatness sweeping the nation. Chronic inconsistency in execution is the enemy of greatness. Customer loyalty drives higher levels of financial performance. True greatness means winning
the loyalty of every major stakeholder, buying loyalty forever. Consider Nordstrom’s example.”
4 keys are always present whenever Greatness occurs:
1. Absolute clarity about, and commitment to, the outcomes which define success
2. A penetrating understanding about the factors on which success depends
3. Established mechanisms that propel people toward the goals
4. Establish a regular cadence of engagements and accountability around the goals
Jim Duffy, VP/General Manager for global sales:
How do you achieve sustained superior performance?
1. focus on results
2. build capabilities
discipline, focus and unity of purposes towards one goal – repeatedly, consistently, over time
Go from respectability to a position of market leadership
Core effectiveness – flawless execution in everything we do
Know our core business and build on it relentlessly, with personal buy in
We’re counting on you just as much as you are counting on us at the top
Introducing Jack Welch
Set the bar – grew GE from $13 Billion to $400 Billion
Applied 6 sigma to customer loyalty – made long term, premier commitments to developing his people
Jack Welch himself:
“people, in most companies, don’t follow the slogan ‘people are our most important resource’”
Regarding the HR department – demand that good people be recruited
- you can find out more about an organization by who leaves
great admirer of the military
whether we like it or not, a reward system is a very important part
- money rewards beat the hell out of plaques
next big business initiative? complete elimination of the command and control structure
information is everywhere – think globally
- think value propositions for your customers/end-users – what is your edge?
De-commoditize your business – move away from competitors – don’t have 1 off sales –
sell services that makes you more competitive profitable over the life of the relationship
get stuck to each other
3 old war horses – cost – quality – service – no ship and fix mentality – find ways to attach yourself to your customer
Ask yourself and your team – what else can we do to service that sector most effectively with a breakthrough idea?
Biggest thing we ever did at GE – changed our whole mind set – re-examined market share parameters –
can’t believe the thinking you will get – new market definition – huge thought process
constantly raise standards – here’s what I like – here’s what to improve
go for open , candid fashion – everyone who worked for me knew where they stood
business is all about leadership development – company that builds the best teams wins
work day and night to do this it – HR person is the person right in the middle of the game
#2 person at GE is their HR person – believe it in your toes – belief in your cause
Stephen R. Covey:
Being with the end in mind – be a trimtabber
Find the pain, the cause and the solution - this is a trimtabber
Fundamentally, people have lost their voice – profound disempowerment – put a major focus on culture
How hard it is to change embedded paradigms and assumptions – most not aware
Inspiration is an emotional connection with the cause, the purpose, the vision, conscience
When man found the mirror, he began to lose his soul
People of conscience are honest in all their dealings with other people
Ask yourself, “What should my contribution be?”
For the first time in history, we have to manage ourselves
90% of all the problems in organizations are systemic – not people problems
US Constitution - 90% of others constitutions are modeled after it
Fortune Magazine cover page article March 6th 2006 – Why is GE still the best company in the world?
Core competency is Leadership Development – results are the fruits of their Leadership Development capabilities
what do you love doing that you do well? It’s important to know your weaknesses – we need complementary teams
My recommendations about how to best use The 8 th Habit book as a resource
Watch the 16 dvd film clips - teach it 2 times – read it over a 1 year period, slowly, in order to have a profound impact and to help you in your efforts to institutionalize its principles. Suggest you visit us at www.the8thhabit.com
Recommend that you live your life in crescendo – ask yourself:
“What is it that I can trimtab in my organization? What is it that I am passionate about and want to change?”
Have “talking stick” conversations – seek first to understand – make your speaker’s point to their satisfaction
move from defensiveness to creativeness to 3rd alternatives
light is the greatest disinfectant & growth agent – involve people in the problem & come up with the solutions together
do all the good that you can do for other people in the world that is in deep pain
let your results convert the cynics – as TS Elliot says – “we must never cease from ceasing…”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you listening this morning – thank you.”
That’s it for now, from my Franklin Covey Symposium unofficial notes
– if you think this kind of program might be a resource for your best work, please consider attending.
www.franklincovey.com/symposium - from their website:
FranklinCovey Symposium, hailed as "...the gravitational center of the management universe."
–The Washington Times
Learn the foundations of superior long-term organizational performance and growth from world renowned presenters such as Jack Welch and Stephen Covey. Leave the conference ready to implement key practices within your department, division and organization that will help you create lasting winning streaks.)
May you finish the second half of the year well, as we all move further into the 2006.
Always looking to serve you with productive and revenue generating ideas. Enthusiastically
yours, 
Coach Don
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