More features from Kim:
Phobia List
(You've GOT to check this out!)
Music CDs
Gift books from fathers to their children ...
To contact Kim:
866.KIM.RATZ(toll free)
952.938.4472
3665 Woody Lane
Minnetonka, MN 55305 USA
kimratz@aol.com
Kim is listed in the
Who's Who in Professional Speaking
and aspires to the highest ethics and standards as a professional speaker.
Privacy Policy:
Out of respect for you, I don't distribute your address or other information about you to ANYONE. Ever. Period. My web server does NOT recognize information regarding your domain or e-mail address, and I don't set cookies. (And even if my computer does, I would not know what to do to get the info or how to use it! :) I collect only the e-mail addresses of those I communicate with directly.
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Program Titles & Descriptions
Three Tunes & Three Tips for Thrivers
"It's not so much what happens, it's more what you do." Easier said than done when you are facing a big change or challenge about something thats important to you, because then its about choosing to do more than "just get by," you need to choose to "thrive!" At the end of the day, when you look back on your choices - what you do and how you do it - you will feel either content, or regrets. When you are Congruent, you align your Attitudes (and values), with your Aptitudes (and improve your abilities) and your Actions (choices of words and behaviors) and you are at your strongest. Incongruence is when your actions / choices are not aligned with your attitudes and/or aptitudes, and you'll likely regret something that you did or said, or did not do or say ... This program is designed to give participants:
- An opportunity to consider several techniques to help you reframe a situation so that you feel more confident about what you CAN do,
- Tips to help you pick yourself up when you get knocked down, ways to deal with difficult people or tense situations involving a change and "the unknown,"
- Develop a goal for personal development that integrates or strengthens one or more of these tips to help you thrive even more in your important life roles and goals.
How to Thrive in a Radically Changing World
They used to say that only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. While those two are still true, there's now a 3rd thing that is certain in life, and that thing is - Change. "It's not so much what happens, but more what you do." Easier said than done, but doable. So if you want to do more than "just get by" in a radically changing world, come and look at ways you can not only "cope" with change, but even "Thrive." Discover what is said, that - "Nothing great has been achieved that wasn't preceded by diversity." Use change in your life to show you new opportunities, and apply the discipline of good attitude and choices to be resilient and thrive. This workshop helps you to:
- Identify the three phases of the transition process, the predictable dynamics and stereotypes we have about "change," and understand why some changes are harder to respond to than others ... Better understand what drives change, why you respond to change the way you do, and why some changes are harder to respond to than others.
- Apply eight techniques to help you navigate through future changes by better managing your transitions, and feeling more happy and successful - not regretful ... Even if you make a mistake, or fail, you'll minimize regrets by practicing good attitudes and making good choices and ACTING on those choices.
- Focus on one of the techniques / disciplines presented and leave with a personal plan to integrate that technique into your skill set. This is a chance to push yourself to a higher level of effectiveness in managing your own morale - including when you create the change you want to see - as change "happens" again, and again, and again ...
Playing Nice in the Sandbox
Since we were children we've been learning how to deal with people who "don't play nice." Even as adults, when this happens at work it still has an impact. You can make good choices - even when challenged by a "difficult person" or someone who "doesn't play nice" - that are professional, respectful, effective, and regret-free ... and can make for a safer, and more productive, and fun "sandbox" to be a part of. This program is a hybrid of information and skills from programs on topics of - Communication & Relationship Skills, Teamwork, Leadership, & Customer Service ... We'll explore some practical, professional and proven things you can do when someone at work "isn't playing nice in the sandbox." In this program you'll learn:
- How to influence others in positive ways in individual relationships, as well as your team.
- How to anticipate predictable, normal and survivable scenarios when "someone might not play nice" - before that happens - so you can be somewhat prepared.
- What you CAN do when someone isn't playing nice in the workplace - or anywhere, so you can make good choices you can live and work with and not regret later...
Success is Liking What You Do
(Note: So many meeting planners have told me they couldn't choose between the first three - they wanted them all - that I've designed a full-day program that does just that:)
Even in a job you love, the quickening pace of daily life and rapid rate of change around us can create stress. Occasionally we have to deal with difficult people. Routine and repitition begin to take the lustre off the shine of things we enjoy doing. Interspersed with tips and tools for improving skills in the areas of communication, relationships, team building, leadership and customer service, this full-day program imparts an important message: the degree to which you feel happy and successful is largely determined by your ability to translate attitude and aptitude into action through positive choices, good decision making and managing your own morale. In this workshop you will learn
- How to anticipate and prepare for challenging situations and changes.
- How to call on your discipline to exercise specific atttitudes and actions to do your best.
- How to be a positve influence on others in your workplace and in other relationships.
Making Children Top Priority
It's been said, "Societies are often judged by how they treat their children." Sadly, we cannot assume that every child in the wealthiest country in the world is being treated well enough ... way too many children are overlooked and underserved. Now the research is becoming more and more clear of the benefits of investing in children - especially the early years. Not just the "soft" social benefits, but some hard-core economic benefits, as well as the increased costs we will have to pay later if we don't take good care of children when they are young ... We shouldn't need to proclaim this message -- but we do. And YOU, in your important role of (your job role), are most definitely on the front lines! You understand the "why" of this message, so today's keynote will explore some of the "whats" and "hows" - ACTIONS - to explore key ways you can help make children top priority in (your state), and encourage others to do so too! As a result of being at this program, you will be able to:
- Be more mindful of the scope of change children and families are having to deal with now, and how some of today's issues will require new approaches, especially when families are hit by crisis or become otherwise economically disadvantaged...
- Directly connect how what you are currently doing helps or in some way benefits children...
- Identify other groups or organizations you can get involved with, or help to connect in some helpful way with another group you are already involved with...
- Identify what "your story" is about children, and ways you can share it with others, be an advocate, or otherwise work to make a difference for children.
- Make children a personal priority in your own life.
People Don't Leave Jobs - They Leave Bosses
Are you retaining your best and brightest, or chasing them out the door? You've heard about the pending shortage of workers in many fields as baby boomers retire, and the growing trend of people working many jobs in their working years rather than just 1-2. At a time when employee retention is increasingly important, organizations must now address the latest dilemma - recent studies suggest that in many cases people don't leave jobs - they leave bosses. The questions for you are - is this happening in your organization, are you generating good decisions that foster a productive and rewarding workplace, and what else can you do about this growing trend? An important bottom line in addition to employee retention: satisfied employees will positively impact your customers, much more so than unhappy or disgruntled employees ... Participants in this workshop will learn:
- Some of the predictable ways this issue manifests itself in organizations, and what you can do to improve how you make decisions that increase employee satisfaction, morale and retention, and reduce the costly turnover, recruitment and retraining.
- Strategies to overcome the "generation divide" among varied-age staff and volunteers.
- How to be a good role model for other decision makers, who also influence employee decisions about, "should I stay or should I go?"
The Value of Good Service - it Isn't JUST for the Customer Anymore
Most people understand the importance of serving their "external" customers well. But many organizations are finding that when you serve your "internal" customers - the employees - well, and help staff and volunteers feel good about what they are doing, that they are important and involved - "knock your socks off" customer service naturally follows. Learn Kim's 10 point plan to better ensure that employees are informed, involved and supported to do their best to serve your "internal" and "external" so well it will "knock their socks off!" As a result of attending this program you will be better able to:
- How have customer expectations and the philosophy of service evolved?
- How to manage your "Moments of Truth" with people as a "Director of First Impressions."
- 10 Ways to ensure you will knock not only others people's, but also your own socks - off.
PR is Not a Bad Word
There are four basic rules to good public relations (PR). Most organizations earn an "A" at the first three rules; it's the 4th rule that most professionals have trouble with. Come to this session if you want to learn practical ideas and actions to help you create and sustain a continuous, two-way flow of information and interaction with all your publics. When we're done you'll be able to:
- List the four rules for good PR.
- Present to your own leadership team a proposal/outline to develop a PR Plan for your organization, including the benefits of PR as it relates to helping you better serve your customers / constituents.
- Identify at least five ways you can improve relations with your identified internal and external publics, from a list of many other strategies that can be added to your plan later based on identified needs.
Collaboration and Community Involvement Strategies for the 21st Century
No longer a buzzword, these days it's an assumed norm within the public and non-profit sector. The challenges that confront society today are bigger and more complex than any one agency or organization can address. We all understand that, and the concept of "synergy" - that the sum of many is greater than any one part ... Unfortunately, it's also often easier said than done.
The good news is - collaboratives do work when the people involved are deliberate about how they get started, and adjust as necessary as you go. It's about acknowledging some very predictable challenges that will occur to some degree or other, and some predictable skills and group norms that will help deal with those challenges. It's the "process" aspect of teamwork, and it's often neglected in the haste to create "product," i.e., results. The workshop starts with an overview of what can be presented and discussed, and then goes right to questions, requests and other interests of the participants. By design, questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the program. The responses to questions, and other prepared information, will review tips, techniques and strategies that will help participants:
- Start a collaborative - or make time to discuss if you haven't yet - how to convey a purpose (a vision, mission or goal) to identified individuals who will represent their organization and work together in forming a new network and structure to accomplish a new common goal...
- Understand how to present the shared risks, gains and other trade-offs; make sure everyone understands the difference between cooperating with each other and really collaborating to achieve a higher and more difficult goal and outcome. Anticipation is half the battle - answer the many predictable questions, suggest a structure and agenda to get started that relies on shared leadership and responsibility and that will be fair to everyone, learn how to set group norms, and review a process to let the group create it's own structure step-by-step so people feel ownership and commitment.
- Deal with predictable problems, issues and challenges that will come up due to the nature of collaboratives (i.e., interpersonal conflicts, interagency conflicts, funding roles and authority, leadership, membership, decision making, members are actively involved and engaged.) They will happen, so be ready to deal with them when they arise.
- Become more confident and competent about collaborating with others to do even more than you might have thought possible ...
"Open Space Technology."
This one-half day (or longer) workshop has a dual purpose and will be a unique experience for participants. First, this is a "Train the Trainers" opportunity to learn "Open Space Technology" (OST) - a unique, non-traditional method used to involve lots of people and get a lot done in a short period of time. Additionally, participants will identify and address their own learning needs re: a topic we would ahead of time as they go through and become familiar with the OST process. As a result of attending this workshop, participants will:
- Better understand possible uses and adaptations for OST within their workplace or organization.
- Be able to facilitate the basic OST four step process (Opening, Agenda Setting, Open Space and Conclusion) within their organization for almost any issue or opportunity.
- Have a checklist of reminders for things to do, such as: clarifying purpose, time needed, space needs, target audience, invitations, basic supply list, suggestions to determine next steps, etc.
- Have the opportunity to address at least one specific learning need regarding the prearranged topic and relative to their specific needs while going through the OST process.
Rx for Members of Boards & Committees
Why is it that when you take several skilled individuals and put them together into a group and call them a board or committee, otherwise routine tasks become complicated, the time it takes to get work done can increase, and the same talented and capable people feel confused or uncertain? Welcome to the weird world of "committee work," where some unique and subtle dynamics can be tricky...
The good news is that with a nominal investment of time upfront, and short but regular focus on the "process" of how people work together, board or committee work doesn't need to be frustrating - it can be productive and rewarding. By attending this program you will be better able to:
- Understand the basic roles, responsibilities and relationships involved in almost any type of work on a board or committee...
- Anticipate the basic, predictable kinds of issues, challenges and "developmental needs" that come up when people work together on a committee, and tips, techniques and strategies to address them when they arise...
- Identify the ways you can be a more effective, contributing member of the team, and exert a positive influence on the dynamics of the group.
Songwriting workshop
In this unique workshop I share some of the basic techniques I use to take a phrase or feeling and stretch it into a three verse song, with chorus. The participants then practice these techniques by composing lyrics of their own on a topic related to your conference and your mission, or whatever else is determined ahead of time.
In addition - If time and interest allow, I help come up with music, we rehearse the song and then perform it live at an event where it would add value by lending the learners thoughts and voices through the medium of music. This option makes for a very upbeat ending to a conference, or a nice touch after a meal, awards banquet or other activities within the conference. FURTHER - I've even had clients request to have it recorded and burned into a CD, which was then sold as a fundraiser. Arrangements can be made for this too if you're interested.
The Fun & Frenzy of Fatherhood
As a father, is it more frenzy than fun? Get frustrated sometimes over the different ways you and mom approach parenting and interact with your child? Since being a parent is one of the most important roles and goals you will ever assume, you need to think about what you do and how you do it as a dad. This workshop explores the unique contributions fathers bring to their children, some of the challenges, barriers and other reasons why many dads don't get more involved with their children, and helps dads find ways to work better with mom to raise kids with positive self esteem, improve communication with the child, and strategies to help kids succeed in school. People attending this workshop will:
- Be more aware of the subtle and significant differences in the ways fathers interact with their children and the value and impact of those differences.
- See more ways to encourage dads to get more involved with their children.
- See more ways to help dads and moms improve communication and teamwork re: parenting.
Bridging the Gender Gap - Issues in Communication
Research on gender differences has increased dramatically in the last 35 years. Despite the fact that men and women are equal and may speak the same language, there are very basic differences in communication styles, which can lead to a "GENDER GAP." A gender gap can cause confusion, misunderstanding, intolerance and sometimes conflict. This popular, dynamic and interactive presentation is designed to help women and men chose ways to "flex" your own style to reduce the gender gap and communicate more effectively, and is a great discussion for parent conferences.
Customized Programs and Services - Just for Your Group
Each year roughly 20% of the keynotes I give are customized just for a specific group and a specific event. This includes Emceeing or keynoting at award ceremonies, after dinner programs, employee recognitions, graduations, facilitating a planning session or retreat, or leading a celebration at a church. Determining a good fit is key to the program being on track, another reason I listen first to understand the meeting planner's goals and then suggest what I can do to help. In every case where I accepted the invitation to deliver such a customized keynote, the planning has always resulted in a program very well received!
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