Keynotes and Seminars

Want solutions to your

management and employee problems?

We have solutions for you: keynote programs, seminars, customized training, workbooks, CDs, albums, and more!

We have worked throughout the world with corporations, governmental agencies, associations, universities and small businesses to create custom solutions to specific problems and we can do it for you.
Here are just a few of the topics we have developed into training programs, keynote speeches and consulting projects. Click for more information on each topic or scroll to the bottom of this page to learn more about all topics:

Change -- "Thriving on Change in a World of Constant Change"

Communication Skills -- "Is Anybody Listening?"

Crisis Management -- "Smart Plans, Quick Actions, Great Outcomes"

Customer Service "Thrill 'em to Death Customer Service"

Ethical Decision making -- "Is It Illegal, Immoral or Fattening?"

Leadership -- "Leading Your Organization to Excellence"

Personal Responsibility -- Not My Job?

Productivity Improvement -- "Boost Productivity through Better Processes"

Project Management --"Managing Projects Masterfully"

Team Building -- "Create Your Own Dream Team"

Thriving on Change

in a World of Constant Change

Every organization and every person experience it every day. Yet, most act surprised when it happens. Some deny it is happening, some shudder at what it means, some even pretend it is not occurring. But it is. Change surrounds us constantly. Organizations and people are in constant states of change of one type or another. This program will help you recognize the incremental changes that occur (since the large ones are pretty obvious) and what they mean. More importantly, this program will help you understand the value in encouraging and embracing change and how you can help others thrive on it.

You will lean about Change how to:
1. Teach and model behavior that is change-embracing
2. Use measurements to gauge and direct change
3. Turn inevitable change into the seeds for success
4. Understand why paradigms blind us to new approaches
5. Calm the fears that accompany change
6. Communicate with others during times of change
7. Connect thinking creatively with adopting change

Why Listen to Kathy Loveless about Change:
Change is Kathy’s single most frequently requested topic. Regardless of industry or location, all organizations are experiencing change, some at accelerated rates, some at a glacier’s pace, but all are facing it. She has done extensive research and consulting on change forces outside and within each organization. She has helped organizations create corporate cultures that encourage employees to embrace change by celebrating innovation, new ideas and creativity. She helps each organization discover the unique ways to make change work best for them.

What Others Say about Kathy Loveless on Change:
"Wow! What a 'magical' presentation! You did a wonderful job of setting the tone for our entire Energy/Customer Service & Communications Workshop, and for dealing with all the changes occurring in our industry."
—Madalyn B. Cafruny, Director of Communications, American Public Power Association, Washington, D.C.

"Thanks for an outstanding and dynamic presentation...The information you imparted about the global changes and trends has tremendous value...The best measurement of success is 'word of mouth' advertising and the whole office was 'a-buzz' about the content of your presentation."
—Dan Batista and Shirley Hollingsworth, DuPont, Houston, Texas

"Thank you for giving us solid tools for change."
—Travis Maston, TEAM IID, Imperial Irrigation District, El Centro, California

Return to Top

Communication Skills --Is Anybody Listening? Communicating for Increased Effectiveness

Have you ever wondered if anybody really hears what you say? Do you want to speak more persuasively? Time and time again, managers and employees wish everyone else communicated better. (But, who’s pointing fingers?) Repeatedly, poor communication, not money, has been identified as the root of all evil in professional and personal relationships. In this program you will learn how to make people want to listen to you in small gatherings or in large assemblies. You will see why both “active listening” and “congruent sending” together make for better communications under all circumstances. You will be given a set of situations in which a variety of communicating responses are possible. How will you score? And what about body language? Is it sending messages you don’t want sent? All this and more is waiting for you in this program.

For improved communication skills, you will learn from this program how to:
1. Speak to co-workers, subordinates, supervisors and your spouse more effectively
2. Listen with such effectiveness that your relationships will improve
3. Give oral presentations that leave your audience assured that you know what you are talking about
4. Practice the LISTEN™ model of compassionate listening
5. Use the eight principles of powerful presentations
6. Understand the short circuits in the communication process

Why listen to Kathy Loveless on Communication:
Kathy has taught public speaking and communication skills for more than three decades to the nation’s highest government officials in Washington, D.C., to corporate executives from many industries throughout the U.S., and has spoken numerous times before the National Speakers Association in the U.S., the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, and the National Speakers Association of New Zealand. Her presentation coaching has helped clients win multimillion dollar contracts and she received the “Gold Screen Award” by the National Association of Government Communicators in Washington, D.C. She earned the professional speaking industry’s highest earned designation, the “Certified Speaking Professional”(CSP) and the Utah Chapter of the National Speakers Association created the “Loveless Award” in recognition of her excellence in the professional speaking industry. Presentation of the award aired on national television in 2002.

What others say about Kathy Loveless on Communication Skills:
"Your extensive preparation, proven experience, and ability to persuasively share your ideas have impacted both the personal and professional lives of our members."
—James F. Hennig, PhD, CSP, CPAE, Past President, National Speakers Association, Orlando, Florida

"I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your thoughtfulness and all the effort you put into your presentation. I can tell you we have heard nothing but rave reviews. You really connected with our audience. As you know, much of what we do is based on the concept of teaching by example. We could not have asked for a better example of how to prepare for and make a presentation than you provided."-Bill Halamandaris, President, The Heart of America, Washington, D.C.

Return to Top

Crisis Management -- Smart Plans, Quick Actions, Great Outcomes

When the crisis strikes, it’s too late to think about what should have been done. This program will help public power managers think, plan and act before the emergency hits. Whether it’s a terrorist attack, a system outage or a rate increase that causes great political fallout, knowing what to do and say can improve the outcome. What should be said to the media, staff, and to the public is discussed. The way your utility’s spokesperson responds under difficult circumstances can determine how the public will react to your utility. Don’t be caught without a plan. Learn what should be included in the plan and how that plan should be communicated and implemented.

You will learn from this program on Crisis Management:
1. The significance of communicating during a crisis
2. The three phases of crisis management
3. How to create a crisis management plan that addresses issues relevant to staff, the public and the media
4. The five factors of working as a team during a crisis
5. Specific principles learned from public power and other industries on crisis management
6. The 10 most common mistakes made by utility managers during a crisis

Why listen to Kathy Loveless on Crisis Management:
During a career that spans more than three decades, Kathy has dealt with the public, the media and employees during significant crises. As a public affairs officer for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. she addressed such crises as the failure of Teton Dam in Idaho that resulted in the loss of 11 lives and millions of dollars of personal and public property. Then, while serving as the Upper Colorado Regional Public Affairs Officer for Reclamation, she dealt with the flooding of the Colorado River and many of its tributaries, and the resulting damage to Glen Canyon Dam and other facilities. Daily, she received calls from places as distant as Australia and Japan regarding the handling of these crises. All national network news programs sought continual updates from Kathy.

As an invited keynote speaker for the Central Intelligence Agency, she coincidentally landed in Washington, D.C. minutes before the attack on America, September 11, 2001. The ensuing events caused the CIA to request Kathy to develop and
present programs on coping with change during times of crisis.

What others say about Kathy Loveless on Crisis Management:
"Your course on dealing with a crisis in the public power industry was the best I have ever attended. Your stories about how you have dealt with various crises showed me that you really know what you were talking about."
—Seminar participant, American Public Power Association course, Dallas, Texas

Other participants said:
"The seven crisis management strategies you presented were excellent."

"Your program was so informative. I learned what our organization needs to do be more prepared and how we can be more helpful to our 56 member utilities in times of crisis."

Return to Top

Thrill 'em to Death Customer Service

Have you heard that some people think that thrilled customers and profitability are mutually exclusive? This program will teach you how you can guarantee they are not. Helping your employees grasp the customer service vision in every action they take can be one of your most important accomplishments as a leader. Deregulation, in its various stages and possibilities, suggests that utilities may have to compete vigorously for customers in the future. Learn how to make your customers so loyal that they would never consider picking another service provider over you. Learn how to measure opinions, results and attitude shifts. Learn how to go to school on the winners and why poorly designed processes and red-tape tie up everyone.

You will learn from this program on Customer Service how to:

1. Create a organization-wide vision of how to keep customers during difficult times
2. Understand how red-tape can be replaced with more customer friendly procedures
3. Listen to customers in creative ways to determine what is important to them
4. Investigate other organizations for excellent customer service practices and how to use them
5. Identify the customer champions within your organization and let them teach others their ways
6. Smash the barriers to customer-keeping performance
7. Measure everything and track progress
8. Walk the talk by modeling customer-keeping behavior at all times

Why Listen to Kathy Loveless on Customer Service:
Kathy conducts extensive survey research into the needs and desires of residential, commercial, and industrial customers for many organizations throughout the Nation. By reviewing tens of thousands of responses, she recommends how organizations can improve service in ways that are meaningful to customers. Additionally, she was selected to serve on the team to write, develop and present the first nation-wide customer service week-long training for the U.S. Federal Government. She has presented this programs repeatedly since 1995. She teaches customer service to universities, governmental agencies, corporations such as AT&T, 3M, and DuPont.

What others say about Kathy Loveless on Customer Service:
Your speaking to [the CIA’s customer service organization] .... was an overwhelming success and we would like to request you to speak to our group again on the same subject, “The Magic in Scintillating CIA Customer Service.” Please feel free to publicize CIA as one of your HAPPY HAPPY customers!
—Cindy Rountree, Executive Officer, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Virginia

"She has won over our audiences with messages that are both enlightening and entertaining. I am impressed with the breadth of experience Kathy brings to her presentations .... At a recent meeting of our CEO Roundtable, Kathy brought new life to the critical topic of customer service."
—Robert C. Ligget, Director of Small Business Development, Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

Return to Top

Ethical Decision Making:

Is it Illegal, Immoral or Fattening?

We all make decisions daily that reflect our character, determine the course of our organization, and impact others. Are these decisions right? Will they build or destroy our organization? This program helps managers and employees address the wide range of ethical questions and their impacts on performance, morale and productivity. Research has shown that organizations that demonstrate ethical behavior have higher employee morale and less turnover, pay fewer fines and penalties, and stay in business longer. Learn why running an ethical operation is simply smart business.

In this program on Ethical Decision Making you will learn how to:
1. Understand the costs and benefits of ethical behavior
2. Create an ethical corporate culture
3. Dissect a dilemma into its component parts
4. Identify the core issues of ethical dilemmas
5. Know how to find and define an ethical problem
6. Distinguish between ethical optimists versus ethical pessimists
7. Keep ethics on every employee’s radar screen
8. Protect whistle blowers
9. Create an “ethics-friendly” organization

Why listen to Kathy Loveless on Ethical Decision Making:
In addition to teaching ethical decision making at the American Public Power Association’s national conference and the Association of Government Accountants, Kathy has researched and taught the subject to a wide range of corporations, government agencies, and universities. Additionally, as an employee, she personally experienced two international corporations go bankrupt because of unethical and illegal decisions made by top officials and she watched those officials go to prison. In contrast, she also worked for a federal government agency in which every action of every employee was expected to be beyond reproach. Listen to what she witnessed and learned from both sides of the ethics spectrum.

What others say about Kathy's seminars:
The members and board for the NCHEA were so impressed with the seminar you provided us at our Winter Management Conference, they demanded that I attempt to schedule you for our next meeting .... I received nothing but major compliments in regard to the manner in which your seminar was presented, the information that was provided, and the usefulness of what we obtained for the future.
—Landon Wyatt, Program Chairman, North Carolina Hospital Engineers Association, Inc.,
Greensboro, North Carolina

Thank you for the fantastic seminar that you presented .... If you had had a year to prepare for these presentations, we could not have expected better evaluations. What a pro!
—Helena C. Douglas, Assistant Director, College of Commerce and Industry, Clemson University, South Carolina

Return to Top

Leadership Excellence

When times are prosperous and easy, leading an organization can be a breeze compared to when the economy is bad, terrorists are lurking, and markets are uncertain. But those difficult times also present an opportunity for great leaders to shine. Learn how to encourage employees, board members, city councils, and the public to support your organization's projects and programs through masterful leadership. Learn how to help those you lead overcome doubt, complacency, and discouragement by giving them a meaningful role in decision making. Based on recent leadership research, this program can help top executives, mid-level managers, and frontline supervisors lead with confidence and direction.

You will learn from this program on Leadership how to:
1. Understand the value of and be able to create a vision
2. Understand the key elements of leading others
3. Create and model a productive corporate culture
4. Focus and prioritize
5. Evaluate age-old wisdom versus the latest and greatest
6. Avoid the quicksand of micro-managing
7. Distinguish between ”command and control” versus “partnering and collaborating”
8. Mentoring as a way of leading
9. Avoid the ten mistakes poor leaders make
10. Apply leadership to teamwork, crisis management and staying competitive

Why Listen to Kathy Loveless on Leadership:
For decades, Kathy has researched and taught leadership principles to corporations, government agencies, universities and nonprofit organizations. She has practiced these leadership lessons while serving in numerous leadership positions throughout the U.S., including president of her own consulting firm, chair-elect of the Independent Energy Producers of California, president of the Utah Chapters of the Federal Executives Association, American Society for Public Administration, and the National Speakers Association; chair of the College of Social and Behavioral Science Advisory Board at the University of Utah.

What Others Say about Kathy Loveless on Leadership:
“Thanks for a job well done. The Leadership Development Program graduates were really thrilled to have you as their guest speaker. Co-workers, managers, and, of course, the graduates are still talking about it.”
—LaVerne Bailey and Lisa Douek, Program Coordinators, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Rockville, Maryland

“Kathy has been one of our “premier” speakers. She has been instrumental in .... developing two of our most popular new seminars .... one dealing with team leadership skill and the other with customer service skills. Her ratings by our participants are consistently among the very highest achieved by our distinguished adjunct faculty. She is one of our most diversified and talented speakers.”
—Michael M. Durbin, Associate Director, Western Management Development Center, Denver, Colorado

Return to Top

Not My Job!

Taking Personal Responsibility at Work

Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey, believes that if we really want to improve our behavior, we must change the way we perceive our roles. Too often, employees fail to recognize the significance of their jobs to their organization. Some think that if their job is done poorly, it won’t matter because the job is so insignificant. Those who believe this should live through a garbage handlers strike to understand that every job has value to the organization. Consequently, any job done poorly, incompletely, or too slowly affects the entire organization.

This program helps employees look at their own attitudes, assumptions, and behaviors regarding their work. It explores characteristics of familiar behavior styles found in many organizations. It helps the employee understand why his or her attitude matters; why behavior reflects attitude; and why attitude and behavior impact organizational profitability, successful service, and longevity.

You will learn about Personal Responsibility how to:
1. Be certain you are living the basics of personal responsibility on the job daily.
2. See what your job looks like from the eyes of the manager, customer, and coworker.
3. Understand that attitude determines work environment.
4. Recognize the styles of the seven attitude monsters and learn of their impacts on others.
5. Ask for feedback from your supervisor, subordinate, coworkers, and customers on how your performance reflects your taking personal responsibility for your job.

Why Listen to Kathy Loveless on Personal Responsibility:
Repeatedly, a wide variety of organizations as diverse as municipal utilities to Native American Tribes have hired Kathy to train employees in both the basic and advanced principles of taking personal responsibility for how well the organization is running. Through frank self-evaluation, workers can assess areas for improvement and they can better understand why their every action matters every day. These actions matter to co-workers, to superiors, to subordinates, and to customers.

What others say about Kathy Loveless on Personal Responsibility:
"I’d like to express our deep appreciation for the excellent training you recently provided to our organization. 'The Magic of Personal Responsibility at Murray City Power' was an upbeat, thought-provoking seminar that pleasantly surprised virtually everyone. Our employees came to the training because they had to, but, by the end of the half-day session, they left the training wishing they could stay for more .... For weeks afterward, employees in every corner of our operations have continued to talk about the lessons taught and learned .... [It] was one of the best investments we have ever made.
—Gary O. Merrill, General Manager, Murray City Power, Utah

"I just wanted to .... let you know how much I enjoyed the class, how much I think everyone enjoyed the class. I really didn’t expect that."
—Jerry Dalton, graveyard-shift dispatcher, Murray City Power, Utah

Return to Top

Productivity Boosters

Through Improved Processes and Systems

Most employees don’t show up to work on Monday morning thinking, “This is the day I am really going to mess up! I am going to make my boss, coworkers, and customers really angry!” When that actually does happen, however, it usually is not because employees intended it to, but often because so many processes are poorly designed, resulting in disappointing outcomes. This program teaches you how to select processes that need to be improved, how to analyze and understand those processes, how to measure them and how to implement an improved process. This model applies to processes as simple as filling out a time sheet to those as complex as building a co-generation power plant.

You will learn from this program on Boosting Productivity:
1. Select the best process for improvement
2. Understand the actual workings of the process
3. Measure the process
4. Implement a new, improved process
5. Use multiple charts, graphs and other measurement tools
6. Structure and implement a survey
7. Communicate your improved processes to others

Why Listen to Kathy Loveless on Process Improvement:
In addition to teaching process improvement to the public power industry, she has taught it to such corporations as 3M, DuPont, and AT&T; to such military organizations as the 7th Army Command, U.S. Army, Grafenwoehr, Germany; the 190th Refueling Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard, U.S. Department of Defense, Frankfurt, Germany; and to more than 100 federal and state agencies. Her doctoral studies were in quantitative data analysis at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and for a decade, she taught survey research, statistics, and quantitative data analysis in the Masters of Public Administration Program at the University of Utah.

What others say about Kathy Loveless on Productivity Improvement:
" What a wonderful learning experience you provided for us .... Thank you for the competence, enthusiasm, patience, and humor you brought to the “[Process Measurement] and Problem-Solving Skills.” I am delighted with [how much better I can use] data in creating value in the work I do."
—Diana Black, Statewide Coordinator, Human Resource Development Institute, Princeton, New Jersey

"Thank you for the outstanding performance you gave.... I have participated in the conference for the past seven years and I have never observed a more enthusiastic response to our keynote speaker."
—V. McPhie, President, Utah Math/Science Network

"Thank you for your very comprehensive, very outstanding keynote address .... [thank you for your] effort to reach, teach and inspire...in the math-science-technical field."
—D. Carlson, Utah Technical College, Salt Lake City, Utah

Return to Top

Project Management

Managing Projects Masterfully

You’ve just been given an enormous new assignment—build a co-generation plant, completely overhaul your organization's financial management procedures, or survey all of your repeat customers. Or maybe it’s a smaller assignment. Large or small, any project can be a challenge. This program discusses how you can tackle any type of project. It teaches how to analyze the project, create a plan, work the plan, establish a budget and schedule, and how to communicate what you are doing to whomever needs to know about it. You will learn ways to manage project costs, schedules and resources to a successful completion.

You will learn from this program on Project Management how to:
1. Define a project and its characteristics
2. Create a project plan
3. Identify the elements of a project budget
4. Establish a project schedule
5. Apply the rules of flowcharting and sequencing of tasks 10. Make more effective decisions
6. Select project team members
7. Evaluate project resources and constraints
8. Communicate the project to others
9. Evaluate the project

Why Listen to Kathy Loveless on Project Management:
Kathy has taught project management in such diverse locations as Dallas, Texas and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for utility managers and engineers working on a wide range of projects. Whether the project is the building of a substation or the implementation of a new financial management system, the core principles are the same. All require careful definition of the project parameters; a clear plan; wisely conceived budget and schedule; and more. Kathy personally has managed a variety of projects from conceptualizing co-generation power projects in California to executing environmental impact projects in Utah and Colorado, to creating public programs in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland.

What others say about Kathy Loveless on Project Management::
"Once again you were a tremendous hit with our seminar attendees. I love it when you teach for us because you are such a professional and are so well received that we never have any doubts about the success. Our only concern is whether or not we’ll have enough seats in the meeting room to accommodate everyone who wants to attend. Thank you again, Kathy. You’re definitely one of our Superstars."
—Cynthia J. Magill, Education Manager, American Public Power Association, Washington, D.C.

More participant comments from Kathy’s courses on Project Management:
"This was the best APPA (American Public Power Association) workshop I have ever attended. Thanks to Kathy."
"Kathy was very enthusiastic, entertaining and knowledgeable."
"She mixed content with humor and magic in the right proportions."

Return to Top

Team Building:

Create Your Own Dream Team

The old adage, “None of us is as smart as all of us” applies directly to team building. Well-functioning teams create solutions that benefit more people, troubleshoot more problems and address more perspectives than when teams are not in place or are not functioning well. Simply having teams in place, of course, does not guarantee that tasks will be accomplished, because employees are not born with innate knowledge about how to make teams work. It takes training, practice and assessing personal skills and attitudes.

This program presents the basic concepts for successful team building that every team member should know and master. Workbook exercises help the listener practice the principles discussed and provide benchmarks for individual progress.

You will learn from this program on Team Building how to:
1. Identify the main roles played by team members and what the critical tasks are for each
2. Understand why each role is important and why it is necessary to honor the boundaries of each role
3. Explore your own team members’ communication styles and learn why they aid or detract in the smooth functioning of a team
4. Identify the four phases of team development
5. Use consensus-building techniques
6. Recognize dysfunctional team behaviors

Why Listen to Kathy Loveless on Team Building:
For decades, organizations have hired Kathy to help them function smoother as teams. In some organizations, she has trained as many as 2500 employees in how to be successful team members, leaders and facilitators. She has incorporated teamwork principles to help organizations serve customers better, create more efficient processes, and become great places to work.

What others say about Kathy Loveless on Team Building:

"[Your seminar] was greatly appreciated and one which the participants rated as exceptional!! There are not enough THANK YOUs to give, so I give the infinite."
—Dimitria D. Pope, Director, Research, Evaluation and Development Unit, Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice

"Just a note of thanks for all that you’ve done for TEAM IID....[Kathy’s] skill and ability have allowed us to see the tools, learn how they work, and taught us how to apply them in doing our job. You were so important to TEAM IID."
—Signed by all members of the Imperial Irrigation District’s First Leadership Team, El Centro, California.

"From the beginning, Kathy sought to make the seminar a unique and valuable experience for our organization. She dug below the surface to find the values that were most important to us and incorporated them into her presentation." —Ray Child, Public Relations Manager, AT&T

"We received only positive feedback...You reinforced the teamwork concept beautifully and were able to achieve group involvement despite the large audience."
—Mountain America Credit Union, Annual Employee Meeting Committee

Hire Kathy Loveless