Kim Ratz

To contact Kim:

Toll free: 866.KIM.RATZ
(866.546.7289)

952.938.4472
(Central Time Zone)

E-mail Kim at: kimratz@aol.com

3665 Woody Lane
Minnetonka, MN 55305

Kim is listed in the Who's Who in Professional Speaking, and aspires to the highest ethics and standards as a professional speaker.

A comment from a client:

Kim Ratz added a unique spin to our Region II Head Start Conference, referred to by many as the "best ever!" He started with a song he custom wrote for our group's theme plus some other songs he's written, all of which were very well received by the audience and gave us all a lift at the end of a long evening. He followed up the next morning in the opening general session with an inspirational keynote described repeatedly as "educational, refreshing, fun, encouraging, and fantastic!" He also shared a half-day workshop on "Open Space Technology," and a full-day institute - "Playing Nice in the Sandbox" - both were hits with attendees. Knowing that people who attended hired him within a week after the conference to work with their local programs in New York is a real testament to the value he brought to Region II! Thanks, Kim, your services to conferees are outstanding and the partnering relationship you develop with meeting planners is invaluable. - Pat Hall, Training Contractor for Region II Head Start Association (serving NJ, NY, PR, VI).

Kim is proud to sponsor:

July is
National Make a Difference to Children month.
Click for more info.

Music CDs & gift books
to help fathers connect with their children ...
Click for more info.

PHOBIAS
Review this amazing list of 100+ common and not-so-common phobias ...
Click to read them all.

Privacy Policy:

I hate spam too, so out of respect for you I don't share your address or other information about you to ANYONE, EVER, and I collect only the e-mail addresses of those I communicate with directly. Period.

October 2010, from Kim Ratz, Speaker-Trainer-Singer-Songwriter

A free, fast, and fun read to inspire hope, improve skills to cope, and induce a chuckle along the way. Feel free to forward this to others who might find it useful!

The Law of the Garbage Truck

A man was riding a taxi to the airport when suddenly a parked car pulled out right in front of them, causing the taxi driver to slam on the breaks and resulting in the narrowest "margin of miss." The other driver then turned and started yelling at the taxi driver! The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the other driver, almost as if they were friends. Astonished, the rider asked the taxi driver why he had been so nice to someone who had almost hit his car and almost certainly sent them to the hospital? This is when the taxi driver taught the rider and author of this story - David Pollay, what Polley now calls, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." The taxi driver explained that many people are like garbage trucks - full of frustration, anger and regrets. As their garbage piles up they need a place to dump it and sometimes they dump on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile and wave, wish them well, and move on.

The bottom line: Don't let garbage trucks stink up your day. And don't dump your garbage on others at home, work and other places along the way. We've all got our "stuff" to deal with, so don't make things worse for yourself and others. Lighten your own load in ways that remove stress and frustration without dumping on anyone else, and be a role model for those who haven't learned yet how to do this. This can make the roads we all travel on our life journeys much cleaner, safer and enjoyable for everyone.

I enjoyed hearing from many of you intrigued by the last issue's premise from author Dan Pink that there's a serious mismatch between what science knows and what organizations do to motivate people, and that the 20th century notion of "carrots & sticks" to incentivize people needs to be replaced with opportunities for "Autonomy, Mastery & Purpose." I know this works - I watch it happen whenever I facilitate a client group through the process called, "Open Space Technology" (OST). OST is based on two key premises: (1) "Passion" - people engage best on things they care about, & (2) "Responsibility" - people are more likely to follow through and care about results. OST brings people together around a focused question or theme -- which in my clients' cases was an invitation to all staff to talk about those things they need to talk about. By letting them focus and shape the discussion they exercise "Autonomy" and contribute towards "Purpose," and it also helps clarify what is needed for continuous improvement - i.e., "Mastery." Most people will engage in this opportunity, and you can deal with those few who can't or won't get it as you reap the rewards of all the forward movement you've achieved. Some additional outcomes can include increased trust, a sense of ownership and responsibility, and emerging leaders.

The bottom line: Don't worry about "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" when it comes to allowing people more autonomy in their work. I love hearing a manager say: "You probably have a really good idea - I ought to get out of your way and let you do it." I especially enjoy watching what happens when people are allowed the autonomy to focus on what they want/need to, the opportunity to help shape "purpose," and to practice "mastery" along the way ... Consistently clients tell me not only was this a productive and valuable way to end a workshop -- people were already engaged in the next steps for continuous improvement before we even concluded the current workshop! (Don't just take my word for it -- See comments below from two recent clients who went through this exercise after a workshop.)

Quotes related to "Autonomy" for the days ahead ...

• "After a great day in Kim's workshop, the last part was spent learning about, and putting into practice, the Open Space Technology. This was a great way to start conversations regarding concerns of our organization moving into the future. It has been awhile since I have seen this type of energy and excitement in a working session. There is no doubt that all of the participants wanted the day to last longer. We hope to bring Kim back to Nebraska for Part 2!" - Mary Guest, Univ. of NE Office Professionals Assoc.
  
  
• "The Open Space Technology activity was so worthwhile. It was a great team building activity, it gave staff a chance to have a voice about something they felt strongly about, to work with people they normally don't work with, and provided us with pertinent topics to continue discussing throughout the year. Thanks Kim for helping us think and work outside the box." - Pat Riebau, Extended Day Coordinator, White Bear Lake Area Schools
  
  
• And I remember as a second or third grader having some autonomy to go to the store if I felt like it, walk home, take my time, kick the can. We were on our own schedule after school, so that was cool. - Stone Gossard
  
  
• As an actor there's no autonomy, unless you're prepared to risk the possibility of starving. - Ben Kingsley
  
  
• I think there's great potential for autonomy, but we have to remember that we live in a world where people may have free will but have not invented their circumstances. - Thomas Frank
  
  
• I've learned that in order to achieve what I wanted, it made more sense to negotiate than to defend the autonomy of my work by pounding my fist on the table. - Thom Mayne
  
  
• It is only the impossible that is possible for God. He has given over the possible to the mechanics of matter and the autonomy of his creatures. - Simone Weil
  
  
• Listen to the desires of your children. Encourage them and then give them the autonomy to make their own decision. - Denis Waitley
  
  
• You can't always wait for the guys at the top. Every manager at every level in the organization has an opportunity, big or small, to do something. Every manager's got some sphere of autonomy. Don't pass the buck up the line. - Bob Anderson

Positively yours,

Kim Ratz - "the Speaker who Sings"

Back to top of page