Lon Roberts - Keynote Speeches

Mastering The Art of Multitasking™
Despite the call by some to ban it, multitasking is here to stay-which may be good or bad, depending on our understanding of what works and what doesn't. In this compelling presentation, Dr. Roberts will share insights from recent research as well as suggestions on how to get the most out of multitasking as a management strategy-drawing on a measure of humor to get his point across. If you are an executive or manager who is responsible for fostering “attention management” in an ADD work environment, you will want to hear this timely presentation. Note: The executive version of this presentation is titled Harnessing Chaos: Your Role as Chief Sanity Officer!™

Leading Accelerated Projects™
It takes more than "lean thinking" and thinking outside the box to make fast-track project a reality. This presentation addresses the opportunities and challenges of such projects, emphasizing the role of managers and executives. Also challenges the participants to examine practices and beliefs that may actually hinder the delivery of projects on a compressed timeline. If rapid delivery is important to you, this presentation is a must-hear! (Watch for Lon's forthcoming book on this topic.)

Malice in Numberland™
Numbers can have a powerful effect in gaining support for a certain position. In this eye-opening presentation, Dr. Lon Roberts presents compelling evidence that the use of "creative statistics" is on the rise. Laced with examples—some humorous, some outrageous—his insights on how, why, and where this is happening will help you guard against being unwittingly manipulated by quantitative data and statistical razzle-dazzle. The intent is to sharpen skills at being cautious and curious without becoming critical and cynical.

Stress Management = Profit Management™
Take control over your circumstances. Expose the factors that diminish physical and intellectual capacity. Discover the difference between good stress and bad stress and how the latter robs your organization of critical resources by diminishing the vitality and intellectual capacity of your knowledge workers . . . and what you can do about it, proactively. Also discover why military and sports analogies are passé in the information age - an age in which knowledge workers face complex cerebral tasks rather than physical challenges.

Mind Over Murphy: Outsmarting Failure™
Challenges conventional wisdom that assumes Murphy's Law is inevitable in a project environment. Demonstrates that it's not a matter of positive thinking, but rather a matter of outsmarting failure. Profiles humorous and not-so-humorous catastrophes, highlighting important lessons learned on how disaster could have been avoided.

Leading Without a Safety Net™
In this executive presentation, Dr. Lon Roberts will share insights gleaned from research and practice on leading in the uncertain times ahead. Emphasis is placed on practical skills needed to function effectively as an "agile leader"-skills that today's leaders need to shift from steady-state to change, with little in the way of precedence to guide them. In addition to honing their skills at making decisions under uncertainty, the participants will learn how to distill information from quantitative and qualitative data - information beyond "the financials" needed to inform decisions and explore opportunities.

The 30 Percent Principle™
The 30 Percent Principle™ emerged from a proof-of-concept that demonstrates how service-minded organizations can focus on 3 key areas to significantly improve profits and competitive advantage. The message is especially relevant to organizations who know that transformational change cannot be obtained focusing on defect reduction . . . the domain of Six-Sigma. By contrast, The 30 Percent Principle™ is a paradigm for fostering innovation without relying on an elitist cadre of "black belts" to spearhead projects. If you want to go to a level where Six-Sigma, can't take you, this presentation is a must-hear!

The Art of Anticipation™
It may be impossible to predict the future, but it's entirely possible to hone your skills at anticipating the future. Learn how "master visionaries" excel at what they do in this inspiring and insightful presentation. Also learn what the exemplars do to improve their success at anticipating unintended consequences of their decisions and actions, making them less vulnerable to "surprises" and factors beyond their control.

Lessons in Leading a Revolution from Pancho Villa™
A light-hearted examination of front-line leadership in turbulent times based on the revolutionary style of the Mexican folk hero, Pancho Villa. Discover what Pancho Villa knew instinctively about leadership and human nature. Discover why and how leading a revolution is fundamentally different from an leading evolutionary or incremental change initiative.

The People in the Process™
The notion of "empowering" employees to make point-of-impact decisions was somewhat unconventional when it was first introduced. But, like many innovative ideas, the bigger challenge was in how to make it work in practice. In this presentation decision makers will not only benefit from lessons learned about what does and doesn't work, they will also be challenged to fulfill the promise of empowerment by learning how to enable and engage the people within the process.

- High-Impact Speeches -

Speeches by Dr. Lon Roberts