Is Your Organization Prepared for a Crisis?

In the event of a workplace crisis involving a sudden death, a serious illness, an accident, a threat of violence, a criminal act, a swine flu epidemic or other tragedy, what will you do to keep people functioning?

In businesses that range from a dozen employees to several hundred-which represents 98% of the employers in the U.S.-people generally turn to trusted friends and colleagues for support. During a crisis, it's easier to talk to those we know, members of the organizational family, than strangers. Notwithstanding these caregivers' efforts, the magnitude of traumatic events often overwhelms individuals and their families, and eventually adversely impact their ability to effectively perform their job.

Dr. Mark Lerner can empower your organization to develop its own Crisis Management Team. Having such a team and being fully prepared to appropriate respond in time of crisis has significant benefits:

• ease emotional pain
• keep people functioning
• mitigate ongoing suffering, and
• restore "human stability" for the business.

The same effective principles being utilized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the United Nations Department of Safety and Security can be available to your organization-taught by Dr. Mark Lerner, who provided training for these organizations.

You can be prepared, so you can be responsive, when a traumatic event impacts your organization. First, Mark can help you develop a repertoire of skills for peer caregivers, so that your organization has resources to draw upon immediately.

Do Corporations Really Need to Address This Topic?

Because the insights and information that Mark offers can ensure stability within your organization. Because you want to ensure that people continue to function effectively and with minimal stress after a crisis.

Research affirms that the best help early on is rendered by trained and empowered peers, not by strangers. So by creating a crisis management strategy for your business and developing a team to implement that strategy, you are protecting your organization's greatest asset-its people. Dr. Lerner's program can be the first, vital step in saving your business thousands of dollars in lost productivity per employee, and minimizing psychological damage or feelings of isolation in the aftermath of a trauma.

If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Lerner just out his speaker page on this website. And to check his availability, just call or email us at Esparza Speakers today.

Thanks!

Yes, I know that Thanksgiving was last week (and I'm acutely aware of the fact that the Thanksgiving post I had planned didn't make it online). In fact, I'm red-faced over the last several months of infrequent posts, but that's a separate message. It's true this post is a tad tardy, but if I didn't know it before, this year has taught me that there is never a wrong time or inopportune time to express gratitude.

We are moving from Fall into Winter . . . from the season of thanksgiving to the season of gift-giving.

We have recently marked the completion of Esparza Speakers' first year in business. This is exactly the right time for thank-yous. Thank you to the outstanding speakers with whom I am honored to work. Thank you to many partners who help us do what we do everyday. And, of course, a special thank-you to our terrific clients for whom we do what we do.

On a personal note, to all the wonderful friends and colleagues who have been supportive this year during family health crises which changed priorities and sometimes derailed plans, I send my biggest most heartfelt thank-you of all. I could say that I just don't know how to express my gratitude, or I could just keep it simple: Gracias, Merci, Mahalo, Danke, ???????, Thank You!

As a footnote, let me reassure you that despite all of the health scares of the past year, everyone is doing remarkable well as we approach the end of 2009! We are so very mindful of the blessings that are ours today, and we looking forward to a wonderful 2010.

Three Rules to Keep Your Company in its "Super Sweet Spot"

Following three simple rules will help make sure you've staying on track as you build your Super Sweet Spot. By following these rules, you'll be able to create sustained, profitable growth in a recovering economy.

Rule 1: Learn how to say "No". Lots of business people, especially those who are just starting out, don't like to say "No" to an order. So when a customer asks for something that's out of your Super Sweet Spot range, management does everything it can to give the customer what he wants. Satisfying your customers is generally an excellent idea. However, if it ends up getting in the way of your laser-like focus on your Super Sweet Spot, you will probably lose your competitive advantage. Saying "No, we can't do that" every once in a while can actually help your business succeed.

Rule 2: Don't be a copycat. The worst possible strategy is to attempt to duplicate the success of the industry leader. Remember several years ago when Kmart tried to compete directly with Wal-Mart? Unfortunately, then CEO Chuck Conaway saw Wal-Mart as a model for where he wanted to go with Kmart. He didn't conduct any relevant customer research to determine the needs of the company's Core and Must-Have customers. As a result, he couldn't create a viable Super Sweet Spot that would have kept Kmart from slamming up against the Wal-Mart fortress and ending up in bankruptcy court.

Rule 3: Be realistic about your company's strengths. While many business attributes can be changed with time, patience and money, some are very difficult to transform. A high-cost company, for example, can't easily become a low-cost one. A bureaucratic company can't easily become quick and agile. A process-driven company can't easily become fertile ground for creativity.

The magic for a company happens when business owners, executives, and managers match the realities of the business with a meaningful customer-relevant Super Sweet Spot. If you can't find one, you're not looking hard enough.

To learn the rules and secrets to creating a Super Sweet Spot for your company, hire Bob Gordman to share his expertise in creating and sustaining profitable growth, just give ES a call to check his availability.

Economic Impact

Has has your organization's meeting planning and the hiring of professional speakers been impacted by the economy of the past year? Recently respondents to an online survey by SuccessfulMeetings.com had these answers to that question:

32% - Budgets have been reduced
20% - Meetings have been canceled due to uncertainty
17% - Suffered reduced attendance
16% - No change
10% - Meetings have been postponed due to uncertainty
4% - Other

Esparza Speakers can't change the economy, but we can help you weather the impact that continues to challenge today's marketplace. How?

Well, for those of you with reduced budgets, we focus on reasonably priced speakers . . . of course, if you're looking for "star-power" we can't work miracles securing big-ticket speakers for bargain-basement fees.  But when you need proven speakers and trainers with the skill and expertise to deliver quality programming, we can help-and do so within your budget.

And if you meet your programming goals despite financial constraints, not only can you avoid canceling or postponing events, but you might even be able to lower attendee costs and keep those audience seats are filled.

So remember, in this tough economy, your programs and events are more important that ever! Sharing ideas, generating new business, staying abreast of the latest trends, improving processes, streamlining operations are all critical, and keeping your motivated are critical . . . the professional speakers you'll find at ES will you help you achieve those vital objectives despite the economy!

A Key to Great Facilitation

Once again, we're sharing some of the valuable insights offered by communications expert, Jane Praeger.the founder/president of Ovid, Inc.  Jane provides strategic communications services, and helps individuals and organizations with speech, presentation, and media training.

Moderating a panel is easy, right? You just come up with a list of questions and let everyone else do the talking.

Well, no, as anyone who has ever sat through a deadly boring panel knows only too well.

As moderator, your most important job is "Surrogate for the Audience." You are the voice of the people in the room, their sole representative on the panel. As such, you need to make sure you understand-and clearly articulate-their unspoken questions, expectations, and concerns.

You need to do this from the moment you start to plan the panel, to the moment you ask your final question. You are always thinking, "What does the audience want to know not?" not "What am I going to say next?" In fact, the litmus test for an effective panel is if an audience members comes up to you afterwards and says, "Every time I had a question, you asked it!"

Since no audience wants to be bored, make sure you ask the audience's questions in a way that elicits clear, passionate, responses-not long, rambling recitations of information. Questions that ask about 'best' or 'worst' experiences and force panelists to focus on one specific moment in time generally work best; i.e., "What accomplishments were you most proud of this year?" "What quality is most important in a new hire?"

Feed your audience well, and they'll leave energized and inspired and wanting more.