I can write all sorts of descriptive prose about this program, but no matter how skillful my literary skills, I am still trying to use words to paint the picture of an experience, something that is essentially impossible. As the old saying goes, "The proof is in the pudding," so I thought you might like the option of learning about this program by hearing some of our early graduates talk about what they got from it.
The CEO Project presents "Give Us Three Days and We'll Give You Back Your Life!"
Can you take all the time off you want ... without feeling guilty? Is your business running better and better ... with less direct personal involvement from you? Can you be away for extended periods and never worry if the shop is running to your standards? If you answered “No” to any of these questions ... and wish that it didn’t have to be that way ... you should consider joining 39 of your peers for a one-of-a kind event. We call it the CEO Foundation Program ... and it can change your business ... and your life ... in ways you can hardly imagine. Recently a client told me, "For my business to grow the way I want, I must get my managers to a level of understanding where I can talk with them and have them grasp what I am getting at. They know how to handle the mechanics of their jobs but the people skills and a sense of the “bigger picture” are missing. I don't have the time, the inclination or the ability to teach these skills to them myself, but they are critical to our long term success. Can you help?" I hear this lament frequently and until now there was little you could do to “clone” attitude. But thanks to an amazing new management development program that I have created in cooperation with human relations consultant Robert Kausen, it is not only possible, it is probable. In less than three days we can help you see how to get twice as much accomplished with half the hours, put the fun back in your work ... and make your operation run like it had an auto-pilot for excellence. This Is The Program I Always Wanted to Offer If you have ever thought that your managers needed to see a bigger picture, that your business (as well as yourself) had a potential far greater than what has been demonstrated to date, or if you generally think that “there HAS to be an easier way to do this,” please take a few minutes to read this letter -- all of it -- carefully. It will take you some time ... but the approach it attempts to describe will change everything ... and how can you describe something that powerful in 25 words or less? Of course, if the notions raised in the letter do not stir your imagination, you may not be ready for this information anyway. There is no question that foodservice is a labor-intensive, service-oriented industry with a reputation for demanding long hours from its managers. I graduated from one of the country's premier hospitality degree programs, yet even at Cornell -- as in every foodservice job I held after graduation -- the management model I learned was definitely one of 80+ hour weeks. I was told if I was not willing to make that kind of time commitment, I should pursue another line of work. I realize now that this way of thinking is just a myth passed down from one manager to the next, but I never questioned it. You may have bought into an idea like this, too. This Misunderstanding Could Kill You ... and Your Business The price we pay for this lack of understanding is staggering. It is measured in lower profits, reduced productivity, burnout, turnover, broken marriages, substance abuse and an impossible level of stress. A few years ago, I recall a client who told me a chilling story. "By any standard you can name," he said, "we have been successful. We are the leading restaurants in the markets we serve, we have a great reputation and we have been profitable from Day One. But the price we have paid for this has been staggering. Our wake is littered with bodies! There HAS to be another way to run my business, but I don't have a clue as to what it might be." Perhaps you can see some similarities in your own history. The majority of the problems most restaurant managers deal with day after day are not inherent problems of the foodservice industry. Rather, they are very predictable symptoms of their level of understanding and their idea of what constitutes effective management. Even as I was working myself to death (120 hours a week in one job!), I couldn’t help but feel there just had to be an easier way to do what I was doing. I am definitely a hard worker but I am not a masochist, so I started looking for other approaches that might be more effective. Finally, A Powerful New Management Model Perhaps because I was actively looking for a better way, I crossed paths with some folks who were doing breakthrough work in understanding how individuals and organizations really function. One of them was human relations expert, Robert Kausen. Robert helped me understand what I was doing in a totally different way. Once I grasped what he was pointing toward, I was suddenly off the old management merry-go-round. The human part of my work became effortless and the difference in my effectiveness as a leader was earthshaking!
In less than five years, my staff was totally running the show ... to the extent that my level of talent was no longer needed. When I decided to move on, everyone on the staff just moved up a position and the operation sailed on smoothly without me. Learn the Secrets That Make the “Impossible” Seem Obvious Your first reaction may be to think, “In your dreams. I have been in this business for X years and it just isn’t that easy.” If you feel that way, let me remind you that in 1491, the world was flat! It was just a fact of life. People couldn’t even get their minds around any other possibility. Yet when Columbus returned from his first voyage just a year later, the entire frame of reference changed forever. Suddenly it was impossible to hold the old view. Here is the interesting part: Once people grasped that the earth was round, there were things that were suddenly possible -- perhaps even intuitively obvious -- that were unthinkable under the old model. The earth didn’t change, only the way people thought about it. So that little voice in your head that says, “There’s GOT to be an easier way to run my business,” is right. Once your understanding shifts, your life -- professionally and personally -- will change forever. The shift is permanent and painless ... and you deserve it. Are you working harder and falling farther behind? If what you are doing was going to give you an effortless life, you would already have an effortless life! The simple truth is that if you want your business to expand, your thinking has to expand first. You cannot be successful in the future using the management models of the past. The competitive climate (and your guests' expectations) have changed. Not too long ago, it was enough to just get the job done. But the name of the game is service and true service is a state of mind, not a checklist. In the age of service, how you do the job determines how well you will prosper. The key to success in this new era lies in deepening your understanding of people and how they work together to create a climate where the guest feels well-served, the staff and managers are happy and the needs of the company are also satisfied. Hospitality is clearly a "people business," yet few operators get any real education about what makes people tick. In fact, there was no such training ... until now.
You are Working Harder Than You Need To ... and Getting Less Accomplished Than You Could It doesn't matter who you are or how long you have been in the hospitality business, I personally guarantee that you will make more money, improve your service levels, reduce your turnover -- and actually have time for a fulfilling personal life -- when you come to a new, deeper understanding of the dynamics of what makes people and organizations function the way they do. Better yet, armed with this understanding you will see how to develop your own highly effective organization -- one that consistently produces exceptional service and high quality results with a minimal amount of management attention. The First Step in Creating the Effortless Organization
On June 23-25, 2008, the CEO Foundation Program will help bring company leaders -- owners, managers, chefs and other key players -- to a more productive level of understanding and personal effectiveness. You will learn the “whys” behind the “whats” and lift a tremendous weight from the shoulders of the people who contribute to the success of your business. The result will be a new frame of personal reference where your natural leadership skills and innate intelligence will lead to the proper actions at the proper times for the proper reasons, even when faced with totally new situations, demanding guests, difficult staff, or just your own natural human ups and downs. Best of all, this will all happen in a way that enhances the productivity and morale of your staff and improves the well-being of your guests. In short, you will be able to get more done with less work in a manner that will seem effortless ... and have a life in the process! A Graduate's View of an Effortless Organization One CEO took to heart the common-sense principles that we will present in this program and turned his entire organization around from the inside out. Here is how he describes his "new" company:
If this were an accurate description of the way your company operated ...
Can You Envision Your Company Functioning Like This? These descriptions may sound too good to be true, but from my own experience I can tell you that this picture is extremely accurate ... and it is the way things are supposed to be. All organizations are capable of functioning in this way -- it is hard-wired into human nature. In working with hundreds of managers, Robert and I have found that the extent to which their companies did NOT function like this was just a reflection of the leadership’s level of understanding. To Be the Best, You Have to Seek Out The Best People, Listen to What They Say and Understand How They Think
A little background if I may: Since 2002 I have sponsored a high-level conference called the Super Summit. In past years, the Summit has brought together half a dozen or so of the best marketing and management minds in the country to share the inside secrets they spent years learning and refining. The response to past faculties was overwhelmingly positive. The only problem -- if "problem" is the right word -- was that attendees said the ideas were coming faster than they could absorb them. “Like drinking from a fire hose,” was a typical comment. When I asked how we could make the Summit even better, they suggested that we offer fewer, longer presentations with more time devoted to explore each idea in depth. So in 2005 I took a different approach. The faculty for the Super Summit that year was only two people -- Robert Kausen and myself. Our sole focus was to help the attendees see how to evolve their thinking so they could re-invent their businesses and create their own Effortless Organizations. As is the custom, the Super Summit covers new topics every year ... but the 2005 program was so successful that 1) we had to offer it twice, and 2) we decided to make it an annual event -- now called the CEO Foundation Program. It created that much impact. We held the 2006 Foundation Program in Nashville and included an experimental Alumni Intensive which has now an integral part of the CEO Project. Demand from the attendees also led to the creation of a year-long Coaching Program to help graduates deepen their understanding of the principles. In 2007 we made the Coaching Program part of the Foundation Program follow-up for everyone. What started as an event has become a powerful process. With that said, let me introduce the faculty for the CEO Foundation Program:
I work with good restaurants that want to be great ... and with managers who want to get their lives back! I am an advisor to foodservice operators around the world. In my spare time, I am also President of Effortless, Inc., founder of Prototype Restaurants, a consulting and management group and managing editor of Hospitality Masters Press. I began my foodservice career washing dishes (by hand!) when I was 14. I have had the keys in my hand, my name on the loans and the payrolls to meet. My hands-on management experience includes hotels, restaurants, clubs and institutions. I have earned the designation of Certified Speaking Professional from the National Speakers Association. I am a lifetime member of the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers and was one of the first to be certified as a Foodservice Management Professional by the National Restaurant Association. I am a prolific author, a thought-provoking speaker and a sought-after advisor in areas of concept development and operational effectiveness. In addition to my private consulting practice, I facilitate high level coaching programs and conduct on-going management and staff training seminars in North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim.
Robert is a personal friend and mentor who has been instrumental in setting me on the path of human understanding that resulted in a quantum leap in my effectiveness as a manager. Over the past twenty years, Robert has contributed to the development of an emerging new common sense understanding about how to get people back in touch with their innate wisdom and psychological health. Grasping this understanding improves communications, simplifies relationships and increases the effectiveness of employees and managers. Robert designs and delivers innovative programs based on this understanding to clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small entrepreneurs to foreign governments. He teaches individual executives and senior level teams how to bring the best out in people by showing them how to access their innate high performance, creative thought process. This new understanding results in highly effective business relationships, impactful communication, creative approaches to business challenges and the virtual elimination of stress. He also works with couples who want to enrich their marriages. Three Days to Totally Focus on Your Business ... and Your Life There will be no phone calls, no meetings, no salespeople to distract you from exploring possibilities that most other entrepreneurs wouldn't even understand! Just this “quiet time” would be valuable enough, but you will discover how to leverage the quiet moments to your advantage as well.
At the Foundation Program you will connect with the brightest, most innovative, creative, open-minded men and women in the business today. Nowhere else can you "rub minds" with such an elite group of restaurateurs in such an open and interactive environment. You will meet and talk with restaurant owners from big cities and small towns all over the world. Getting inside these closed doors and being with this group for three stimulating days will have a lasting impact. You will form friendships, share strategies and experience "mastermind" alliances that will last a lifetime. The mastermind principle alone can make all the difference in the world to your business. You Will Be Part of a True "Insider" Event The CEO Project is not offered to the general public, so unless you are connected to me in some way, the odds are that you would never even know about it ... and even then, attendance is only by invitation. If you ever wanted an unfair advantage in the marketplace, this is definitely it! Nobody has ever presented material like this anywhere in the hospitality business ... and nobody else is likely to ever do it. Most people in the industry would think the results we will show you how to achieve are ... well ... impossible. The program is far longer than is possible in any other industry forum, giving that precious extra time to develop the points, take questions and generally do justice to the ideas being presented. In the Foundation Program we go deep ... and make the event totally interactive to give more opportunity to learn from each other. Attendees pre-qualify themselves just by seeing the value of attending this event -- plus nobody will be there unless Robert and I believe they are ready to hear what we have to say. We will do our best to see that you are surrounded by a peer group worth exchanging ideas and information with. Insights Are Yours for Life! This program is very different from anything you have ever attended. We are not teaching content. Rather, we are introducing principles which will lead to individual insights -- those "Aha" moments that result in lasting personal change. Leaders are always looking for ways to increase employee productivity and quality. Most have tried many approaches including motivational speakers, behavior modification, rewards and consequences, teaming, and values training. For many, the results are short-lived, leaving leaders in search of the “silver bullet.” Those leaders who do gain lasting value from some programs do so for reasons that seem puzzling or mysterious. The “mysterious” variable in human performance is the level of mental well-being. It’s mental toughness, mental health, and “getting your mind right.” We call this variable “state of mind” -- the quality of thinking that is available to someone at any given moment. In organizations, we call the collective states of mind the “climate” or “tone.” When you permanently improve your level of performance -- whether from a book, tape, program or personal insigh -- it is the result of a shift in your state of mind. When insight causes that shift to occur, you will immediately have a wiser view of virtually every business situation and personal interaction you encounter. You will instinctively know what to do ... and it will work. For example, you may know that trusting your staff will build a better working relationship, but you cannot trust people as a technique. You will trust people when you see them as worthy of your trust. It takes a shift of perspective on your part to bring about a true change, not just an intellectual grasp of the concept. The Foundation Program will not load you down with more things to remember. It is about fundamentally changing the way you see your business, your staff, your relationships ... and your life. In fact, you will realize how to accomplish everything you want ... and more ... without the need for any “management techniques.”
The Proof is In the Numbers
The shift that occurs when the power of these notions really hits home for the first time is the most critical element in creating a positive work climate ... and it is the climate on the job that determines how long your staff will stay with you, how productive they will be while they are there, what sort of service they will deliver, how much (or little) trouble they will be, how much of a magnet you will be for current and future customers ... and on and on ... When we see permanent shifts in state of mind with our client organizations, results always follow. It is not unusual for productivity to increase by 15-20%. This makes perfect sense. When people are healthier and enjoying work more, the energy that was diverted to empire building, complaining, self-interest, and politics, focuses on productive work instead. As one CEO put it, “Every dollar we have invested in gaining this understanding has returned ten to the bottom line.” How Much Would YOU Invest At a 10-1 Return? You may be wondering about the tuition for the CEO Foundation Program. As a first time attendee, tuition is $2497 and there are substantial scholarships available. Others from your organization can attend for $1297 ... but at this point, this particular discussion is premature. First we need to see if you and the program material are a good fit. If so, then we can discuss tuition. The Foundation Program is not inexpensive. It is, however, a bargain when you consider the unique nature of the program, the intimate climate for personal discovery ... and the potential return on investment. So if what I have attempted to describe in this letter strikes a chord with you, there are two things I would like you to do. First, please listen to a brief (20-minute) recorded message where Robert and I address the most commonly-asked questions about the Foundation Program. Then click the "Register" button below and it will tell you how to tell us of your interest. There is no obligation, of course, and we will contact you to discuss the program. Attendance at the Foundation Program is by invitation only ... and this is how you get invited. Oh, and don't worry -- the recorded message is not a "sales pitch." It is actually part of the program content. It should answer most of your questions and allow you to become comfortable (or not) with what we have in mind, but it should also give you a hint of how you will feel as a result of spending three days with us and seeing a simpler path for yourself. If you still have questions after listening to the recording, please call me at (800) 767-1055 or Robert at (530) 266-3235 and we will talk things over with you. So the ball is back in your court. If you feel there is a good fit between what you are looking for and what we have to offer, we encourage you to take the next step. Perhaps you are ready to join us in June for the 2008 CEO Foundation Program.
If You Are Ready to Create Your Own Effortless Organization, You Must Act Now This brings us to three important facts you need to know about: First of all, attendance at the Foundation Program is limited to 40 people and many of those seats have already been claimed by returning graduates who are re-auditing the program (It is created from scratch every year so it is never the same twice in a row). We have purposefully limited the class size because we cannot provide the quality of experience we demand with a large group. If you would like to join us, you must register while there is still space available. Once the 40 spots are filled, we will put you on a waiting list in the event of a cancellation. Second, not everyone is ready for this information. To keep from wasting your time (and ours), we will ask you to complete a short online survey to identify your strengths, goals and areas where you would like to be more effective. These provide valuable insight to us as we determine how best to shape the program to provide the maximum benefit to all. We review these surveys carefully and may contact you to clarify your expectations and intentions. Finally, we will have some essential pre-work for you which includes CDs, a short book and one or two teleconferences. The sooner we identify the 2008 Foundation Program class, the more work can be done in advance and the more you will gain from the experience. BUT HURRY. Time Is Short! The 2008 Foundation Program is coming up sooner than you think. To qualify for a $500 EARLY REGISTRATION SCHOLARHIP and avoid being shut out, you must submit your registration request before May 1. Listen to the recorded message today and get the process started.
Why Should You Be There? Here are the top ten reasons why you might want to be part of the 2008 CEO Foundation Program: 10. We only hold one Foundation session a year ... and your next opportunity will not be until the summer of 2009.
9. As Gandhi once said, “There is more to life than just increasing its pace." The Foundation Program will be held at the Wooded Glen Retreat and Conference Center, a fully equuipped conference facility set on 600 wooded acres in the hills of southeast Indiana, about 30 minutes north of Louisville, Kentucky. It is a perfect place for personal reflection ... and a great spot to recharge your batteries. 8. The results attendees see following the Foundation Program could easily justify a higher tuition ... and at some point we will make such an adjustment. For example, when I applied these principles and understandings to my operation at the US Olympic Training Center, volume nearly doubled, food cost dropped 22.9%, labor cost dropped 16.7% and turnover went from 300% to 25%. What would results like that be worth to YOU? 7. The skills and insights you develop in the Foundation Program will help you release the emergency brake and accomplish your goals with astounding speed and ease. 6. If you have been searching for an easier way to run your business, how much longer do you want to wait to get started? The Effortless Organization is not wishful thinking, it is the way things were meant to be ... and it is available to you as soon as you see a larger picture. 5. You will absorb many valuable ideas on how to strengthen your own business practices just by “rubbing minds” with the other attendees. As you might imagine, the operators who are attracted to the promise of the CEO Project are your kind of people. 4. People who live in higher states of mind are more successful in business and live happier lives. Most people have had the experience of operating in the realm of "magic" from time to time but think of it as a lucky accident. The Foundation Program will help you see how to function from there more of the time. 3. True entrepreneurs are impatient and tend to grasp opportunities as soon as they present themselves. With attendance in the Foundation Program limited to 40 people -- several of whom are returning alumni -- you have to grasp the opportunity of a lifetime during the lifetime of the opportunity. The Universe rewards action. Take some. 2. Robert Kausen is not a "restaurant guy" and does very little public speaking. This means that you will not find him on the seminar schedule at your next restaurant show. To gain the benefit of his wisdom, experience and insight, you would have to retain him as your personal consultant. This would be an excellent idea, but it would certainly cost far more than your tuition for the Foundation Program! And the best reason to join us in June? 1. If you don't, you will miss out on the 2008 CEO Foundation Program, your first step toward Creating the Effortless Organization. This is truly a unique opportunity to change your personal and professional fortunes ... forever. We promise that you will kick yourself if you are not there! Why take a chance of missing out? Listen to the recording ... and register while you still can!
I am SO looking forward to sharing this experience with you. PS #1: To qualify for a $500 EARLY REGISTRATION scholarship, you must submit your application before May 1. If past experience is any indication, the few available seats may even be gone by then. Do not wait and be disappointed. PS #2: Only 40 people will be able to attend the Foundation Program. Once we reach that limit you will be closed out and have to take your chances on the waiting list. Don't be disappointed. Listen to the recording and register ... today!
© 2008 Effortless, Inc. |
Do you typically work less than 40 hours a week?
Bill Marvin
Robert C. Kausen
