Industrial Distribution

Steve Epner

A great opportunity for learning
April 22, 2008

It is not very often that a whole organization can take advantage of trade show education. Normally, only the top executives get to go and listen. This time it is different. Every company can attend the education sessions at the Virtual Technology Show for free, right from your own office. Here is the chance to spread the education around your whole organization.

On April 30 and May 1, the Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group will host the third Distribution Virtual Tech Fair. It grows each year and while the booths are worth seeing and the environment worth exploring, it is the education I want to focus on.

My suggestion is to review the programs and schedule a time for you and your staff to listen to the speaker. You might bring in lunch and then have a discussion of what you heard. This is a wonderful opportunity that does not come along that often.

Let me highlight the two keynote speakers. All of the other programs are listed on the Web site, but these two are special.

First is Richard Hadden, who will focus on “Employee Relations and Creating a Great Place to Work.” Hadden is the co-author of “Contented Cows Give Better Milk: The Plain Truth About Employee Relations and Your Bottom Line.” His live presentation will be held Wednesday, April 30 at 12 p.m. Central; followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

Hadden will discuss why creating a great place to work is one of the best things a company can do for its bottom line. It's no accident that the organizations consistently identified as winners also happen to be some of the best places to work. This occurs not as an afterthought, but as a vital, premeditated element of business strategy.

For any company about to enter (or considering) a conversion, our experience is that contented employees have the easiest conversions. Whatever change is coming to your place of business, this is an important program.

Next we have Ed Oakley of Enlightened Leadership Solutions, who is widely known for his work on quickly turning managers into more effective leaders. If you are planning on taking your company through a major change, you and your staff need strong leadership skills and capabilities . Ed’s live Presentation and chat session will be held Thursday, May 1, at 12 p.m. Central.

This presentation will put the challenges of a changing organizational environment into an enlightening perspective, differentiating between management and leadership. Oakley clarifies why we must bridge the gap from management to leadership when the environment is changing rapidly. His presentation provides an empowering perspective of personal leadership and guides us through a definition of a model leader.

Remember to register in advance. You will receive a reminder the day of the show. And don’t forget to check out the other education sessions. They are full of valuable information that will help you succeed.

Posted by Steve Epner on April 22, 2008 | Comments (0)