"Our attendees gave you a 4.9 on a 5 point scale-the highest score for any of our Keynote Speakers! You really kept us on the edge of our seats. One moment we were laughing at a 'Bless your heart' experience, and the next moment we were deep in thought. Your motivation and encouragement were an inspiration to the hundreds in attendance."
Judi Lindsey, Conference Chair, South Carolina Healthcare Managers Association

I Already Took a Pain Pill, So Why Are You Still Here?
This session focuses on dealing with difficult people - with a lighter touch! As you know, difficult people can have a major impact on your organization when they undermine your efforts to build a strong and cohesive team. While you may not have the power to change a difficult person, you can learn how they manipulate you and others to get what they want, and how to deal effectively with them. Jean blends humor with practical strategies you can implement throughout your department and your entire organization to deal with difficult people, reduce conflict and improve both morale and productivity.

"Thank you for opening our Institute in such a grand way! You made us laugh, but you also taught us much about managing conflict. Thanks for sharing your energy, experience and humor with our Association Executives!"
Helen Carter, RCE, CAE, Dean, Association Executives Institute, National Association of REALTORS®

How to Be an Effective Leader When Your Magic Wand is Broken
Wouldn't it be helpful to wave your magic leadership wand and transform everyone else into "perfect" followers? We all know that magic wands don't work, and that effective leadership is serious business. It starts with modeling the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors you expect - and need - from those you lead. Good employees don't leave organizations. They leave poor leadership in those organizations. Jean delivers proven strategies to help your leaders impact your customers, your people and the bottom line. She shares the skills leaders must master to be positive role models, consummate teachers, change agents, relationship builders and effective communicators who are personally accountable and who lead with integrity at all times. She shows them how leadership skills and life skills go hand in hand.

"It's refreshing to hear a speaker who speaks from the heart and not just from theory. Our members were truly captivated by your presentation."
Andy Waldo IV, President, Louisiana Medical Group Managers Association

Managing Change for Maximum Impact with Minimum Stress
Whether you're leading change within your department or taking your organization from local to global presence, managing change can be an overwhelming task. While team members are struggling with their insecurities, you've got your own list - and it seems to grow longer every day! How will you have to think and act differently to facilitate change? What new attitudes and behaviors will you have to model? How will you address expectations and handle questions, fears and concerns? How will you deliver results? In this highly customized session, you will develop your PLAN to manage the dynamics of change along with the various components of the change process.

"The standing ovation from 2500 women shows they were thrilled with you. And the word most often used to describe you was 'Awesome!' Thank you for doing such a fabulous job and for being so wonderfully easy to work with. You're a PRO, and as our closing keynoter you were truly the FROSTING ON THE CAKE!"
Susan Forrester, CMP, Central California Women's Conference

Planning “the Trip” of Your Life
We can't be in charge of everything that happens to us, but we can make choices every day that dramatically impact our careers, our relationships and our lives. Jean blends humor and motivation with life management strategies that work. First, she helps participants focus on how they planned and prepared for a trip that would be as safe, enjoyable and stress free as possible. Then she shows them how to apply those same skills to gain credibility while handling detours (change) and roadblocks (people) in the workplace. She helps them develop the map - the plan they need to get more satisfaction, pride and joy from their work. With wit and wisdom, Jean applies these principles to leadership, teamwork, customer service and dealing with difficult “passengers” (customers, coworkers, colleagues, family and friends). In this lively and interactive session participants look at the road they've traveled, where they've been, and where they want to go - in their careers and their lives. Jean shows them how to make sure they enjoy the ride!

"Your enthusiasm, professionalism and guidance, along with your fun-filled keynote, made you the Shining Star of our conference. You made our planning team's job much easier."
Charlotte Dutton, Conference Chair, McDonald's Women Operators Network

Clean Out the "Junk Drawer" of Your Life
Most of us would admit to having at least one junk drawer somewhere, at work or at home, crowded with stuff we don't need any more. We hang onto that junk, even though we know it needs to go. We hang on to "junk drawer thinking" too - those attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that keep us from reaching our personal and professional best. In this lively and fun filled session, Jean shares life lessons to help you get rid of "junk drawer thinking" as you develop a plan to handle circumstances and people in your life. Jean blends original humor and stories with practical, down to earth strategies to help you create a "less stressed" life - no matter who you are and what you do.

"The standing ovation from 2500 women shows they were thrilled with you. And the word most often used to describe you was 'Awesome!' Thank you for doing such a fabulous job and for being so wonderfully easy to work with. You're a PRO, and as our closing keynoter you were truly the FROSTING ON THE CAKE!"
Susan Forrester, CMP, Central California Women's Conference

How to Be the Person Successful Companies Fight to Keep
(Based on Jean's book with Simon & Schuster)

What do the terms downsizing, restructuring and budget constraints mean to you and your career? Jean will help you look at your future and understand what today's organizations are asking - and even demanding - of management and support staff at every level. In research for her book, Jean interviewed hundreds of decision makers and asked one question: "Suppose you have two employees who are both technically competent. But you can only keep one of them. How do you decide which one stays and which one goes? Which one would you fight to keep?"

All of these decision-makers were in remarkable agreement on the high performance behaviors employees must demonstrate to bring added value to the organization. Jean shows attendees how to demonstrate that their jobs - and the way they DO their jobs - are linked to their organization's Number One Goal. She shares strategies professionals need to remain employable and marketable in these challenging times.

"We know we can always rely on Jean to deliver a powerful and relevant message to our audience. Our participants have never been disappointed because they leave Jean's sessions with something that adds value to what they do and that they can apply right away in the workplace. She is consistently one of the top-rated speakers at SHRM's annual conference."
Nancy A. Woolever, Manager of Education, Society for Human Resource Management

Positive Impact! Connecting with Customers, Coworkers and the Bottom Line
You spend a great deal of time and money trying to teach and coach your employees how to have a positive impact on their customers, their coworkers and your bottom line. Blending humor and motivation with a common sense approach, Jean reinforces your message with a unique program customized for members of your management team and your support staff. Participants will develop skills and competencies to improve performance and add value; bring a positive and proactive attitude to work; deal with dissatisfied customers and handle their complaints; increase productivity without compromising quality and service; accept change without resorting to complaints, anger, apathy or fear; cope with difficult people including gossips and tattletales, whiners and complainers; communicate more effectively to build trust; and maintain personal accountability for their contribution to the bottom line.

"Jean is a true professional who knows her craft and knows how to make the most out of the little details to present a polished yet comfortable session. She did a great deal of research to learn about what's happening in our organization so she could personalize separate sessions for management and support staff to meet our needs. She interjected humor so everyone came away refreshed with new ideas. Jean's positive attitude and professionalism make her a joy to work with."
Connie Avey, HR Training Coordinator, Royal Neighbors of America

Presenting Yourself and Your Ideas to Get Results
Whether you're presenting to one person, a small group or a large audience, effective presentation skills can play an integral part in your career success. Jean delivers specific strategies to strengthen and enhance your presentation skills at every level. You will develop a detailed approach to plan, prepare, organize, develop and deliver outstanding presentations so necessary for the success of your organization and your career. Participants will develop skills to prepare and organize themselves and their material; research their audience to make sure their message connects; develop a central theme and organize their ideas for greatest impact; handle nervousness and anxiety before they speak to groups of any size; incorporate eight proven strategies to deliver their message with confidence; involve the audience so they will "buy into" the message; and capitalize on their presentation strengths to get the results they want!

"What a refreshing, rejuvenating message! You gave us much more than your contract stipulated. You were all we expected - and more."
Vickie Kelly, Vice President, National Association of Developmental Education

How to Discover, Develop and Deliver Powerful Stories
Using stories can help you create a more powerful impact when you speak, as you share memorable lessons from your own life experiences. If you're not a natural-born storyteller, there is good news! While storytelling is an art, it's also a learned skill. This means that professionals at every level of your organization can learn how to find, develop and deliver powerful stories that connect with your customers, your mission, and your message. In this entertaining and content rich session, Jean helps attendees find a universal theme for their stories and develop a plan to create "AHA" moments for every audience every time they speak. This session can also be incorporated into Presenting Yourself and Your Ideas to Get Results.

"You can always gauge the 'enjoyability' of a speaker by the number of times you check your watch. When Jean Gatz is speaking, you don't even realize you're wearing a watch!"
Conference participant

Articles by Jean Gatz:

• Would Your "Audience" Call You a STAR?
  
• How to Be a Permanent Leader in a Temporary World
  
• The View from my Window...
  

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* Please note that while this speaker's specific fee falls within the range posted at the top of this page (for Continental U.S. based events), fees are subject to change without notice. Also note that most celebrity keynotes begin in the $25,000 and up range (most list "Contact for Fee Schedule"). For current fee information or international event fees, please contact your Speakers Platform representative.