Stop Flapping Your Gums and Listen by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

Sometimes silence is golden! (Just like watching a movie at the local theater!)

 

When was the last time you discovered that your perception of a situation or person was not exactly as it seemed? It is easy to make a quick read of people and situations, but often times, there is great benefit to digging deeper to get a better understanding of the situation. 

 

Instead of flapping your lips, stop talking and just listen!

 

I was picking vegetables at the local grocery store recently when older man with sleeves of tattoos stood beside me and started talking to me. The wrinkles on his face and the fatigue in his eyes made me think that this gentleman had been all over the world. Whether he was greeting memories or regrets, the mileage of his life’s experiences fit him like a glove. 

 

Instead of walking away, I listened!

 

He shared that he was a retired Military officer with an ill wife. He just needed to talk and share what was on his mind. I just quietly listened for a few minutes. As we concluded the conversation, I could tell that he was more relaxed. We smiled and wished each other a good day. He just needed someone to listen. I nodded while listening to him!

 

If you want to connect with others, you have to listen to them, care about them, and be concerned about their welfare. Zig Zigler said it best; “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

 

Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, said “Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, ‘Make me feel important.’ Never forget this message when working with people.” Think of a young child who insists that their parent proudly display their latest coloring masterpiece on the refrigerator. That need for recognition never goes away. 

 

Mike Robbins, speaker and author says, “By listening to others, you show them respect. You let them know that you care about what they’re saying and that you value their perspective.” 

 

Dale Carnegie’s second principle is “Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You’re wrong.”

 

 Drs. Ken Blanchart and Spencer Johnson, authors of The One Minute Manager Knows, “Catch them in the act of doing something right.”

 

Bob Burg, “Verbally acknowledge it and them. Make sure everyone knows about the recognition.” (The Art of Persuasion, p118, by Bob Burg)

 

By acknowledging positive behavior, it gets repeated.

 

It’s about the beginning of building relationships. 

 

Bob Burg’s father, Mike Burg defined “Tact as the language of Strength.” 

 

 We have all experienced people who have rolled their eyes at a simple request, making us feel unimportant. On the flip side; Bob Burg shares a story of how a little bit of empathy can go a long way. 

 

“It was several years ago while I was in the fantastic city of St. Louis, Missouri. After being seated for lunch, the waiter made his initial approach to our table with a bit of an…attitude. He was coldly polite and acted as if he’d rather not be there at all. One could say he literally looked “pained” to even be there.”

 

“And, indeed, he literally was, as indicated by his pronounced limp as he walked away. So, when he came back, my friend and colleague Dixie Gillaspie — kind and thoughtful as she always is — acknowledged his obvious discomfort and asked what happened.”

“He explained that he’d been hit by a car and was in fact in extremely significant pain. We didn’t ask him why he was there at work or in any other way pry; we just let him know how badly we felt for him and that we’d try not to bother him too much with needless trips back and forth.”

 

“You wouldn’t believe (or, maybe you would) how polite, solicitous, and friendly he then became. In fact, he made so many trips over to check up on us that we had to try and keep from getting his attention.”    

                 

“Dixie simply verbalized her concern and showed him she cared. Not only was she not offended by his attitude, but instead valued him enough as a human being to focus on *his* situation. Consequently, he went above and beyond in trying to please us.”

 

Burg’s “Key Point: As human beings, we have a need to know that people care about us. And, when people show us they do, even — perhaps especially — with no obligatory reason to, we will go out of our way to make them happy.”

 

“It’s just another of those “Laws of Life.” as reflected on by leadership guru, John Maxwell. Maxwell recommends asking 3 questions every time you interact with someone:

 

1. “Do you care about me?”  

“Think back to when someone has done that for you. Did you feel yourself change in your thoughts and feelings toward them? When you’ve done that for others, what were the results you noticed? I’m guessing it changed them, and that you felt pretty darned good yourself.”

 

The world does not revolve around you. Challenge yourself to be more empathetic when encountering someone and see what happens. 

 

2) “Can you help me?”

 

Everyone desires to have an experience they can rave about. 

Since the dawn of time, people have been writing about solving problems rather than listing the features of their products or services. 

  

Who would you rather do business with?

 

·       The broker who tells you about how long his company has been in business, or the broker who assures you that he will help guide you through life to create a comfortable retirement.

·       The dentist who tries to upsell you on every additional service they offer at every visit, or the dentist whose office calls you the evening after a procedure to check in and see how you are doing. 

·       The carpet salesman who just sells you the flooring and installation, or the salesman who stops by on his way home from work to drop off some spot cleaner because he recognized you had a pet and wanted to make sure you were prepared “just in case”.

No one cares what you do. They only care about how you can help them.

 

3)“Can I trust you?” 

 

This is the biggest element. We have all been burned by someone who we thought we could trust and that often times makes us shy away from new relationships and opportunities. 

 

Heartbreaks happen

Disappointments happen

Failures happen

 

You can either assign blame to the person who you feel harmed you and never expand your circle of influence, or you can realize that challenges are part of the game of life, and adding and trimming from your circle is essential to continuous growth. 

 

Are you ready to stop flapping your gums and start listening?

 

 

 

Madeline Frank, Ph.D., is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, concert artist, and parent. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. Contact Madeline Frank for your next live or zoom speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Management Techniques for Your Business Success by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

What are 5 management techniques that would instantly improve your business? How do you solve your problems at your company?

 

Maxey Jarman was a red headed, shy young man who was intrigued by science and raised to be a devout Baptist. He enjoyed working with radios and cars while attending a public high school in Nashville, Tennessee that had a program in engineering and technology. Maxey also helped start the first radio station in Nashville, WSM. After high school he became a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, in electrical engineering. As he was finishing his junior year at MIT, Maxey’s father, James Franklin Jarman, asked him to come home to Tennessee and help start a new shoe store, eliminating his previous partner who had done unethical things.

 

His father had Maxey work, for a year as a laborer, in the Nashville plant to learn the shoe business from the ground up. Later Maxey worked in the shoe store of the new Jarman Shoe Company. After 9 years learning the shoe business, Maxey Jarman became President and his father became the Chairman of the company.

 

Maxey saw an opportunity for expanding their shoe business and decided on a logical step-by-step plan of how to do it. He changed the Jarman Shoe Company name to General Shoe Company during the depression and moved into retail. In Michigan, Maxey, “bought a tanning plant”, produced shoeboxes, and supplied his manufacturing plants with chemicals, cement, and finishes. He purchased other companies increasing his shoe line to include children’s and women’s shoes and apparel. He increased profits by selling his products through retail stores General Shoe Company purchased.

In 1959, General Shoe Company changed its name to Genesco, Inc. By 1968, Maxey’s Jarman’s Genesco, Inc. had reached a billion dollars in sales with 83,000 employees worldwide.

Maxey Jarman, President and CEO of Genesco was a devout Baptist who pursued many philanthropic Christian causes. For many years Mr. Jarman taught Sunday School Classes at his Baptist Church.

 

Fred Smith, Sr. came to work for Maxey Jarman at his General Shoe Company when he was 20 years old. Maxey became his mentor and friend for over 43 years. Fred Smith, Sr. became the mentor of Zig Ziglar and Dr. John Maxwell.

 

What are 5 of Maxey Jarman’s leadership lessons that you will want to remember?

1) Maxey Jarman “listened respectfully” and “stressed” clarifying ideas by putting them down on paper. When a problem comes up, write the problem down, and write a solution for solving it! When Fred Smith had been working for Mr. Jarman for 3 months, he came in with a list of problems that he saw at the company. Mr. Jarman said after listening to Fred’s list, “Fred, I want you to take the next three weeks and write out solutions for each and every thing you found wrong.” When Fred returned to see Mr. Jarman, 3 weeks later, he had no solutions to the problems. Fred Smith said, “Mr. Jarman stuck his long finger in my face and said, “We want you here and we want your suggestions, even criticisms, but don’t you ever criticize anything until you have a better way worked out on paper to prove what you say and improve the condition.” Bacon said, “Writing makes an exact man.” Mr. Jarman worked on his personal development by making a list of the things he wanted to work on each year. He would put it in writing so it was specific and clear. In his company he said, “Emergencies were the evidence of poor planning.” He had few emergencies. He was reading to gain new knowledge every day and developing his mind.

 

2)    Mr. Jarman was driven by responsibility, discipline and for getting results. You could always count on him. Mr. Jarman’s ” favorite story was how Jeb Stuart would sign his reports to General Robert E. Lee, “Yours to count on”, (YTCO). When Jeb Stuart wrote it he meant it and so did Maxey Jarman.

3)    Mr. Jarman was always looked for opportunities for the future. He said, “Be grateful for all things.” He told Fred Smith, Sr. “It’s not the plants we have built, but the people we have helped develop that makes me the proudest.” Mr. Jarman was always helping others. He said, “Don’t try to strengthen people in their weaknesses; it’s less productive than utilizing their strengths.”

When someone said something about another executive saying, “He acts like he owns the place.” Maxey responded, “I’m glad he believes that, and I wish everybody here believed it and acted that way.” Fred Smith said, “He wanted everybody to have a genuine sense of ownership because he knew the motivation that develop”.

4)    Before he made a decision he was open-minded. Once he made a decision he was decisive. Fred Smith said, “Mr. Jarman would quickly review a decision when he thought it involved a moral mistake. Once he had the books opened just to give an employee a $2.85 refund because “The question isn’t how much trouble, but do we owe it?” Mr. Jarman was honest, filled with character, and integrity.

5)    Mr. Jarman did not believe in wasting time. He always stayed on the topic at hand and liked people to get to the point and be clear and decisive. His conversations were always business like and stayed on the topic.

What was Maxey Jarman’s mission statement for his company?

“Genesco’s mission is to become the most customer-focused company in the footwear industry, with consistent performance in the top quartile as measured by market share, sales growth, return on assets employed and operating income.”

By following Maxey Jarman’s 5 lessons on leadership you will have a stronger company with happier employees. (C) 2025, 2015 Madeline Frank. 

If you need a speaker/ video speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

Building Your Solid Foundation for Success by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

Many years ago, my husband and I purchased a beautiful 2 story home with white shutters, and 4 colonial columns adorned the front of the house.This home was built in 1974 had lush greenery surrounding the drive, and was accented with a lake off the backyard. It was in one of the most sought after neighborhoods in Virginia. 

 

This home was not only aesthetically beautiful, but it was going to be the place where we were going to raise our children and create fantastic memories. My family owned a construction company for years, and my husband and I realized that we needed to take care of several issues with the home, but it was going to suit us well. 

 

We bid accordingly, and the sellers accepted our offer. 

 

The outside looked lovely and well maintained. As we walked down the hall, we noticed the floor of the house was not level. As we continued through the kitchen we noticed the floor shifting down slightly. If you dropped a ping pong ball at the refrigerator, the ball would accelerate until it came to rest in the corner of the kitchen. 

 

On the second floor, the closet and bedroom doors didn’t work smoothly. There were also several cracks in the walls and doorways. I knew this all pointed to one problem…the foundation.

 

As we were descending into the damp crawlspace under the home with one of the contractors we were interviewing to repair our foundation, with flashlights in hand and sweat dripping under our hard hats, we recognized the severity of the issues. Many of the posts that were under the support beams were too short and rotted. 

 

Essentially, our house didn’t have the strong bones necessary to hold itself up. If we didn’t take action quickly, our house would be degraded beyond repair. The work that needed to be done wasn’t a beautiful new mantle we could show off to visitors…it was in the bowels of the home. 

 

The company we hired let us know that the repair process would include a bit of short term pain. It would be messy, loud, and expensive…but in the end, our home would be able to withstand the test of time. The company cleaned out all of the bad items that had been there for decades. 

 

One crisp October morning, four strapping young men who looked like body builders worked for five full days rebuilding the foundation. All with the goal of creating the right support necessary to last long after we are gone. 

 

Every day as we walked across floors we felt them becoming more level.

 

     Each step of the way we checked the work with our outside expert to see if we could feel the changes in the structure by walking across the floors and checking under the house each day. You could feel the floor rising and evening out. The doors to the closets and bedroom were now easy to open.

 

It took 5 days to replace the foundation of our 45-year-old house. The parallel between our broken foundation and the foundation of American government is striking. The work reminds me of our sagging government.

 On April 30, 2025 it was President Trump 100th day of office. He gave the Commencement speech for the graduating students at the University of Alabama

 

President Trump said, “that the University of Alabama’s spring graduating class is the first of “the Golden Age of America,”  .. the students could become “the greatest generation” of Americans.”

 

 “You’ve done a lot of winning. Winning is a good thing to do,” Trump told the class of 2025 at the university known for its powerhouse athletic programs. “But today I’m also asking you to look forward to something very, very bright and more promising.”

 

President Trump shared with graduates what he and his team have accomplished in 100 days. Whether it was closing the invasion at our Southern border, protecting women’s sports, rebuilding the military, or repairing the morale of various law enforcement organizations which had been prevented from keeping their communities safe; America was back. 

 

The president was introduced by legendary former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban. Trump’s address marks the first time in 18 years that the University of Alabama has brought in a commencement speaker for graduation festivities.

 

The commencement address was not a mere campaign speech. He shared stories, life lessons, and wisdom from others. He spoke about the importance of Common sense.

"President Trump offered almost a dozen pieces of life advice during his Thursday evening commencement speech to graduating students at the University of Alabama.” He inspired and motivated his audience to build and develop themselves and others to help develop and strengthen their country!

 

 President Trump “ suggested to the students not to waste their youth, because success can come at a very young age. “I was 28 when I took my first big gamble to develop a hotel in midtown Manhattan, the Grand Hyatt, and it worked out incredibly well. But I was very young at the time. I was like a very young person in sort of an old-person business.” He also recounted other successful people in business and politics, including Steve Jobs, who founded Apple at age 21, and Walt Disney who founded Disney at age 21.

 

“James Madison, James Monroe, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, they were no older than 25 when they began the journeys that etched their names into the history books for all time,” he said. “So, to everyone here today, don’t waste your youth. Go out and fight right from the beginning from the day you leave this incredible university.”

 

 “I know a lot of people that thought small. They’re very smart. I know others that weren’t nearly as smart, but they had a better picture of the big picture, because it’s just as hard to solve a small problem as a big problem, and it’s just as much energy and everything else except the result is going to be a smaller one.”

 

However, Mr. Trump cautioned the 2025 graduating class not to lose their momentum. 

He told the sad tale of a fellow real estate developer, William Levitt, who became successful and decided to retire too early, sell his business, but later went bankrupt.

 

He recounted talking to Mr. Levitt at a party about what had happened to him.

“I went over and talked to him, and I said, How are you? He goes, ‘Donald, I’m not well.’”

 

“I said, ‘so can you come back?’ He said, ‘No, son, I lost my momentum. I shouldn’t have done it. I lost my momentum.’ And I never forgot that expression. He lost his momentum. If he would have kept going instead of selling and relaxing, he probably would have been three times bigger than he was, but he lost his momentum,” the President concluded.

 

“Other pieces of advice Mr. Trump gave the class of 2025 University of Alabama students were: have the courage to be an outsider, trust your instincts, think of yourself as a winner, be an original, and never give up.”

President Trump shared life lessons through true stories, common sense, doing the right thing, asking questions, and learning from others. He also said be a builder and developer.

 

If you could talk to the 23 year old version of you, what would you say?

Have you let the doldrums of life snuff out the sparks of passions and ideas in your world? You are never too old to reignite them. Embrace the uncomfortable, and get in touch with the 23 year old version of you with their whole lives ahead of them. You do have your whole life ahead. Make it count. 

 

 

 

 

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, concert artist, and parent. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold.  Contact Madeline Frank for your next live or zoom speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com

 

 

WHEN A COUNTRY’S WALLET IS EMPTY…. by Madeline Frank. Ph.D.

Great Britain in 1979 was on the brink of disaster, nearly bankrupt, and the populace was suffering from high unemployment, rising inflation, and crippling labor strikes. The citizenry had enough of the direction their nation was heading and they elected a new Prime Minister named Margaret Thatcher. 

 

 Thatcher ran on a principled belief that private citizens are usually more efficient than bureaucracy.  She also believed that the size of government was bloated and that the socialist-lite attitude toward business and regulation would cripple the United Kingdom into nothing-ness. 

 

She immediately began privatizing all nationalized industries such as aerospace, telephone companies, utilities, shipping, and public housing. The mandate she was elected on was to reduce government power, and to promote the rights of individuals.  Her public housing initiative encouraged tenants to purchase their homes at favorable terms if they had lived there at least 3 years. Home ownership rates rose from 55% in 1980 to 71% in 2003.

 

Labor unions in Great Britain were crippling industry with their intimidation tactics and strikes. While unions served a valuable purpose in the early part of the 20th century by setting standards for safety and a decent workplace, they had begun to crush industry with their desires to maintain control. Prime Minister Thatcher stood firm against the unions bringing the coal industries and the steel industries under control. Employers and their workforce had achieved the proper balance. It was no longer necessary for men to join the unions. 

 

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher believed in putting her “faith in freedom, free markets, limited government and a strong national defense.”

 

During Thatcher’s 3 terms (11 ½ years), she realized the transformation of her country. When she became Prime Minister, her country was on the brink of financial disaster, lawlessness, and violence. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said at the time “Unless we change our ways and our direction, our greatness as a nation will soon be a footnote in the history books, a distant memory of an offshore island, lost in the mist of time like Camelot, remembered kindly for its noble past.”

 

The parallels between Margret Thatcher and Donald Trump are striking. America had become a shadow of its once great self. Mired in issues of addiction, lawlessness, a 2-tiered justice system, and political corruption running rampant. Not to mention soaring inflation and high unemployment. 

 

President Trump immediately went to work to solve America’s problems! He hired Elon Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency, (DOGE), “a White House team tasked with cutting federal spending”. As the CEO of Tesla, Space X, and other companies he has streamed line waste and brought efficiency to his companies.

 

Most Americans want their government to run like a business. If they can’t relate to running a business, perhaps they can relate to running their own household budget. 

If you had household expenses that exceeded your income by $50,000 each year, would you take out a credit card to keep up your creature comforts? 

 

No. You would hopefully tighten your budget and/or find a way to earn more money to prevent financial disaster.

 Yet, this is what the federal government is facing, the same challenge. It buries it’s head in the sand and kicks the budgetary can down the road. 

 

Overall, a large cross section of people were polled and said they wanted the following:

1.     Run the government efficiently and spend our tax dollars responsibly. 

2.     Provide the best service as possible. 

3.     Keep government employees accountable to accomplish their work objectives. 

 

When the Trump administration started scratching the surface of corruption and waste, organized protesters began chanting and destroying property in support of waste and abuse. 

 

When Musk began Space X, the NASA Space program was going broke. Musk streamlined his company. His Space X company was paid “only” when they were successful. If his mission failed he received no money. Accountability is the name of the game!! 

 

Musk also risked personal fortune to accomplish his vision. There were plenty of failures. Yet as of 2024, SpaceX logged 90% of all space flights in the US, NASA 5%, and all others 5%. Progress and innovation are messy and at times painful, but those things are necessary. 

 

One of Elon Musk’s favorite interview questions that he asks all job applicants is,  “Tell me about some of the most difficult problems you worked on and how you solved them.” (New York Post August 14, 2024: Elon Musk’s Favorite Interview Question…..)

 

This weeds out “professional interviewers” from people who have actually developed the skillset to embrace adversity, change accordingly, and move forward. 

 

The behavior of the Dems acting like spoiled disrespectful children at President Trump’s speech on March 4, 2025 to the Joint Sessions of Congress reminded me of the 1971 movie “A New Leaf”. The film was written, acted in, and directed by Elaine May, based on a story by Jack Ritchie called “Green Heart”. Walter Matthau is Henry Graham, a former wealthy playboy who has squandered his inheritance. His valet Harold, played by George Rose, suggests he look into marrying a wealthy woman to support him. Elaine May, is the wealthy Henrietta Lowell, a botany professor whose family has passed away. Her crooked lawyer, Andy McPherson played by Jack Weston had been bilking her through bloated salaries and outrageous expenses of the 17 household servants he has hired to work for her at her home. 

 

When Henry and Henrietta arrived from the airport from their honeymoon, they waited for Henrietta’s chauffeur to pick them up. He never arrived and they took a taxi to Henrietta’s house.  They arrive at the house and Henry finds the chauffeur drunk and amorous with another employee. He meets the other 16 employees having a fine time on Henrietta’s money. No one is working. Henry asks his valet, Harold, to find the household account books. Mrs. Taggert, the housekeeper, is hiding them under her mattress. Harold is asked by Henry to gather the employees and to keep Mrs. Graham away from the meeting with the employees. Henry begins with Mrs. Taggert, the house keeper. In the “house hold accounts” it says for 5 years, at $130 a day for food with no receipts, $6,000 a month for miscellaneous expenses, and $800 a week for your salary.  In the past 5 years you have taken $35,000 a year plus $800 a week. You are fired. You are a thief based on the household accounts. It is 7 minutes past 9 o’clock. If you are not out by 10pm. I will call the police!”

 

Henry says to John, the chauffeur. “should we scrap our cars? It says 15 miles a day per car, 1 mile parked in the garage. (Chauffer receives $600 a week.) John do you have a suitcase?” 

 

 John says with a smile, “I have 5 suitcases and could always use another one.” 

Henry says, “Pack all 5 and be out of the house in 45 minutes or I will shoot you on sight for trespassing. I am an excellent shot!” 

 

John says, “I don’t get it!”  Henry, “You are fired, you are a crook. You have 45 minutes to leave or I will shoot you. I’m an excellent shot! Get all your belongings and leave. The rest of you have 2 hours to get out!” 

 

The 17 fired employees go over to Henrietta’s lawyer, Andy McPherson law office and complain to him. He says, “We have been together for a long time, had bad years, good years, laughed, cried, nothing we can do. You have had a good run!”

 

Dave Sheffield, “When conservatives do not get their way it’s time to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”

 

“One crucial mark of maturity is taking responsibility for oneself. On the other hand, immaturity involves blame-shifting and excuse -making.” (Joe Rigney, “Leadership And Emotional Sabotage”, 2024, Canon Press, p.20)  

 

History repeats itself!  

 “The fall of ancient Rome offers striking parallels to modern economic and political challenges, particularly in terms of government spending and fiscal policy. Both ancient Rome and the U.S. have struggled with excessive government spending and mounting debt.” (Perplexty.ai)

 

We want elected officials to treasure and protect America not to pilfer its treasury! 

Thomas Sowell, economist, said, “The real goal should be reduced government spending, rather than balanced budgets achieved by ever rising tax rates to cover ever rising spending.”

 

What 4 secrets have we learned throughout history?

1) Instead of electing entitled, spoiled politicians- elect officials that are disciplined, honest, respectful, trustworthy, accountable, builders, and developers of America, its citizens and its resources.  These elected officials must love, cherish, protect, defend, and care about America’s future!

2)    Vote for and elect officials that are builders and developers of people, who have a proven track record of success at their business, understand the value of every dollar they earn and spend, and are accountable for their actions. 

 3)   If you don’t protect and defend your country, America, you will lose it! Build a strong military with limited government!

4) Vote for elect officials that will treasure and protect America, not pilfer its treasury! 

 

Remember what President Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said: 

     

President Ronald Reagan, “America has always stood for: strong defenses; low taxes and limited government; compassion and fair play, like that embodied in the fair housing bill; faith in our future; and an openness to the rest of the world, as demonstrated in our trade legislation.” 

 

President Ronald Reagan, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

 

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher believed in putting her “faith in freedom, free markets, limited government, and a strong national defense.”  

 

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, “Unless we change our ways and our direction, our greatness as a nation will soon be a footnote in the history books, a distant memory of an offshore island, lost in the mist of time like Camelot, remembered kindly for its noble past.”

 

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, conductor, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Business”. Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker/ video speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Thinking Hat Are You Wearing? by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

Have you ever considered wearing different colored hats to solve your problem?

Hear is evidence that this works.

Norwegian energy company, Statoil (now Norsk Hydro) “had a problem with an oil rig that was costing his company about $100,000 a day. A certified trainer, Jens Arup, introduced the Six Hats Method and within 12 minutes the problem was solved-and the $100,000 per day expenditure was reduced to nil.”

 In law cases “the jury took more than 3 hours to reach a decision. In the second case, one juror introduced the Six Hats Method. A decision was reached in fifteen minutes.”

Siemens, one of the largest corporations in Europe, has 312,000 employees in 2024 and revenue of €75.9 billion. (U.S. $79,180,018,500.00.)

Siemens “has found De Bono’s 6 Hat Method so successful that they have 37 internal trainers.” 

 IBM told De Bono “that the six hats method had reduced meeting times to one quarter of what they had been.”

What is this “6 Hats Method” that is helping companies and organizations streamline their decision-making process?

The facilitator of the session begins with using a particular hat for a certain type of thinking.” *Starting with wearing the “The blue Hat” the facilitator: (To begin and end the session like book ends. Overview.) “Control of thinking.”

De Bono says, “The blue hat is like a conductor of the orchestra. The conductor gets the best out of the orchestra by seeking that what should be done is done at the right time. Organization of thinking and process control. The purpose of thinking and what is to be achieved. The blue hat sets the strategy, keeps the discipline, keeps to the relevant hat and announces a change of hats.” (Edward De Bono’s "Six Thinking Hats”, 1985)

*Blue hat thinking: “Why we are we here? What are we thinking about?  Define the situation or problem, alternative definitions, what we want to achieve, where we want to end up, the background of the thinking, and a plan for the sequence of hats to be used. Blue sky above.”

* The White Hat:  Think of Facts, information. Focused question. Each person has one minute to give their thoughts.

*The Red Hat: “Think of Fire, warmth”. (Feelings, emotion, intuition.) each person has one minute to “express their feelings". “For example: the group is deciding if this person is the right one for the job.” Each person, wearing the red hat, is allowed to say this is how I feel about hiring J…….

*The Black Hat: Think of “Caution and Careful. Survival.” The “most used hat”. (Negative hat.)  “The black hat stops us doing things that are illegal, dangerous, unprofitable, polluting…” What could go wrong? 

 *The Yellow Hat: “Sunshine, brightness, and Optimism. Positive assessment.” The benefits of the suggestion/idea and how it can be put into practice. (p.144) “The yellow hat has a high value because it focuses people to spend time seeking out value.” (p. 89.)

*The Green Hat “Energy, creativity, new ideas. Think of vegetation, growth, new leaves and branches.” Each person wearing the Green hat, gives a creative idea. “When the Green hat is in use everyone is expected to make a creative effort -or else to keep quiet.” (p.115)

*Final Blue Hat: “At the end of the session the blue hat asks “What have we achieved? What is the outcome, conclusion, design, solution, and next steps?”

Dr. De Bono says, “The biggest enemy of thinking is complexity, for that leads to confusion. When thinking is clear and simple it becomes enjoyable and more effective.” (Edward De Bono’s "Six Thinking Hats”, 1985, p.172)

 Example:

Facilitator wears Blue Hat: What are we thinking about today? 

Should we promote Langston as our new customer service banker/leadership trainee?

Fred Smith: “A leader’s first question should be: “Will this person help the organization to fulfill the mission?” Is he/she competent, experienced, knowledgeable, and a leader?

(Each team member has one minute to speak.)

Let’s put on our White Hats and ask each of our committee to give us facts about Langston's education and work record, his performance reviews every 6 months, and his connecting to his customers. Each member will have one minute. Each of the group has done their homework on Langston.

Team member 1: Langston graduated high school at the top of his class and began at the bank as a Teller. He was eager to learn and take the training as a Teller and enjoyed interacting with his customers. He has worked as a Teller for three years and is a loyal, honest, and trustworthy employee.  His 6-month reviews were very good.

Team member 2: He immediately enrolled at night, after work hours, at an on-line accredited college to earn his Bachelors in Finance degree. He is currently completing his third year of College with top grades. I have seen his academic records.

Team member 3: He also works well helping to train new Tellers and he enjoys helping his customers. He smiles, he is courteous, and polite. His co- workers and customers like and trust him.

Facilitator: Let us put on our The Red Hat: “(Feelings, emotion, intuition.) “

Would Langston be a good fit to be our new Customer Service Representative? Your feelings on this. (Team member has one minute.) 

Team member 1: I feel that Langston would be an excellent Customer Services Representative. 

 Team Member 2: I agree Langston would do well as a Customer Services Representative.

 Team member 3: I also agree Langston would do well as a Customer Services Representative.

Would it be possible for him to continue working with new Tellers once a week? He is such an excellent trainer and teacher.

Facilitator let’s put our Black Hats on. *Black hat thinking: (Think of “Caution and Careful. Survival.” The “most used hat”. (Negative hat.)   “The black hat stops us doing things that are illegal, dangerous, unprofitable, polluting…”

Do any of our Team Members have any negative things to say about Langston?

Each team member said No.

Facilitator says let’s put on our Yellow Hat: “Sunshine, brightness, and Optimism. Positive assessment.” The benefits of the suggestion/idea and how it can be put into practice. (p.144) “The yellow hat has a high value because it focuses people to spend time seeking out value.” (p. 89.)

 Team Member 1: Langston is an optimistic, bright leader. He builds people up and helps them to be their best self.

  He is a credit to this Bank.

Team Member 2: He is a people person and connects with them.

Team Member 3:  He helps others and cares about them. He is a ray of hope in a storm.

 He works with others well and is a good team member. When there is a problem he is there to lend his support with positive clear insight as he is always thinking, and learning to be better at the work he is doing for the Bank.

Facilitator let’s put on our Green Hat: “Energy, creativity, new ideas.” “Think of growth, new leaves and branches.” Each person wearing the Green hat, gives a creative idea. “When the Green hat is in use everyone is expected to make a creative effort -or else to keep quiet.” (p.115)

Team Member 1: Langston creates a positive energy with his co-workers by encouraging and motivating them. He has a good relationship with his customers, knows them by name, asks about their family members and they like him and trust him. He is a connector.

Team Member 2: He creates order and stability as a Teller. 

Team Member 3: When there is a problem, Langston thinks clearly to find a solution and comes up with new creative ideas at our bank.

Facilitator let’s put on our Blue Hat for our conclusions. Final Blue Hat: “At the end of the session the blue hat asks “What have we have achieved, what is the outcome, conclusion, design, solution, and next step.”

All team members agree Langston will be promoted to Customer Service Representative and he will continue to train new Tellers once a week for one hour. Langston will begin his training as a Customer Service Representative next Monday.

For the next 10 days, which of the Six Hats will you wear and use in combination to solve your problems? 

Let me know which hats you have used and if it helped your organization reach a decision faster!



Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, concert artist, and parent. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold.  Contact Madeline Frank for your next live or zoom speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com