Dr. Gary Penn’s Leadership Seminars

In the last twenty years Gary Penn has given over a hundred seminars to corporations and conventions throughout the world. Below is an outline of two of his most popular seminars:

Psyched for Leadership
Excellence in an Instant
Past Seminar Locations

 Seminar: PSYCHED FOR LEADERSHIP!

Managing “outside the box” in the pressure-filled, results-oriented, competitive environment of today’s workplace, be it an individually run company or a major corporation is never easy to do. Employees are more complex than ever… they are insightful, educated, street-wise, and oft times difficult to reach and motivate. Those who lead must not only understand the tasks at hand, but must also have the ability to understand human behavior on a very deep level. In addition, the effective leader must possess a high degree of self-awareness so that they are not blind-sighted by their own issues. For example the insecure manager often responds to pressure or conflict with micro and crisis management. They find themselves constantly putting out fires, exasperated that “no one can get anything done right around here!” Too often they resort to intimidation to achieve their goals. While this may work in the moment, over time it can lead to a decrease in employee morale, rigid, uninspired performance, and high turnover. The challenge for the true leader is to inspire and motivate so that their co-workers want, and are able to perform at peak levels. 

Enlightened leadership is an integral component of effective management. Leading takes different skills than those required to do the actual work that will ultimately be performed by the front-line staff. A manager in harmony with himself and his environment will be able to create a symphony of joy, professionalism, and creativity within the entire staff.  This seminar focuses on:

• Leadership 2000: Understanding the mind and heart of those you lead.
• Motivating 101 and Beyond: Getting inside the head of your employees.  People are more than just the jobs that they do. The leader that can appreciate and tap into this will reap tremendous rewards because employees will begin to want to do the job they heretofore felt that they had to do.
• Interpersonal Communication: Communication is a two-way process. The best way to be understood is first to understand. A free flow of ideas is essential. When the “power card” is put aside, understanding, teamwork, innovation and motivation will invariably ascend. Attendees will be challenged to learn enlightened skills of listening, dialogue, and persuasion.  The goal is to attain direct communication. When this is not present, passive aggressive behaviors that invariably lead to dysfunction come to the fore. The employee who doesn’t feel heard will probably be unable (unwilling) to hear the customers as well.
• Conflict Resolution: Working through conflicts in a healthy manner is essential for growth and corporate evolution. Construction, not destruction is the goal. Getting past power and ego while using advanced communication skills will lead to peak performance. 
• Employee Meetings/Training Workshops: Exciting! Engaging! Stimulating! Affirming! Creative! Enlightening! These are the adjectives that should describe staff meetings. A manager must lead. He or she must inspire and motivate. Managers will be challenged to find creative ways to reach inside the soul of their employees so that all will crave and expect excellence.
• Employee Reviews: Very often the “problem employee” pushes internal buttons of all those around him or her. This has the affect of exacerbating the problem. Solution generation is the key to achieve a win-win outcome. Both parties must be willing to move in to new and untried territories.
• The Productive Environment: Creating safety, respect, dignity, and excellence in the workplace. How to make “work” a word that has a meaning of joy. 

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Seminar: EXCELLENCE IN AN INSTANT!

• Great Service As a Passion: Before great service can be expected it must be understood on a three-dimensional basis. Good service caters to the obvious, great service to the unexpected.  It means pushing the envelope… not necessarily for a particular result but rather because in is something that the individual wants to do and feels compelled to give.
• Excellence in an instant: Every interaction with a customer presents as an opportunity to shine.  This may take the form of a simple smile or it may be a true commitment to understanding and problem solving.  Attendees will never look at a customer asking: “Can you please tell me where the restroom is?” in the same way again. 
• Giving them “WOW”: Too often employees claim their power by withholding from the customer… “You’re not the boss of me.”  Exerting power in these ways hurts everyone. When the commitment to please comes from internal values rather than external edicts, the results can be awesome.  Generating an internal commitment to excellence while processing advanced communication and skills can insure memorable experiences
• Dealing With the Difficult Customer: It’s not easy when a fast talking, Rolex wearing, angry looking customer is not happy and decides to reflect his or her displeasure on the hourly employee. From a psychological perspective, images of mom or dad or a painful adult experience can easily become triggered. Identifying psychological triggers is the first step. The second step is advanced communication skills. Attendees will be given tools that will allow them to turn a customer around. When a customer complains or has a problem, they are really giving the employee an opportunity to fix it.  The enlightened employee will recognize this and use specific techniques to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome. The worst thing a company can have is a silent, unhappy customer. This person leaves, never to return.
• The Psychology of Service:Great service is not only great technique, it is an attitude that the server brings to the job. It is committing to give the customer that “WOW!” experience, where they feel like they are the most important person to that person at that particular time. The individual who fully commits to generating a great customer experience; psychologically, professionally and technically, is the one who consistently achieves this standard.  

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Past Seminar Locations:

Some places that Dr. Penn has conducted his workshops / seminars:

• The Disney Institute
• The World Gaming Conference, Las Vegas
• The Westin Maui
• U.C.L.A. Medical Center
• Sandals Resorts International, Jamaica
• Eateries, Inc.
• Harvey’s Casino’s and Resorts
• The Sandy Lane Resort Hotel, Barbados
• Black Butte Ranch, Oregon
• Snowbird Ski Resort, Utah
• Best Western Hotels
• Piceses Inc., Barbados

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