. He may have been the first person to hit the speaking circuit. Some 2,500 years ago, Confucius walked ancient China, imparting wisdom to all who would listen. As an experienced educator, he knew what worked. And he summed it up in 15 timeless words: I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. With these words in mind, I nurture active participation in all my talks and workshops. I bring meaningful activities, exercises, and dialogue -- action that engages people's hearts and minds. As my sessions unfold, people learn by doing. Einstein also offered important advice: Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. Physicists tell us that the entire universe is regulated by a handful of laws. We should strive for the same in understanding and managing the workplace. In my sessions, I stay away from buzzwords and flavor-of-the-month concepts. I talk straight about what works in the real world. Then there is Gandhi, who described accountability in such elegant terms: We must be the change we wish to see in the world. It's a profound observation, easy to understand yet challenging to practice. And it underlies all of my sessions. Every participant leaves with at least one action that he or she can take to create a better workplace. It's natural to want to change other people. But the surest change emerges from the inside out, starting with self. So are my sessions motivating? You bet they are, but not in a fast-talking, cliché-ridden, sit-back-and-listen kind of way. I've heard plenty of traditional "motivational speakers" whose content is a lot like cotton candy -- great going down but with no lasting nutritional value! My talks and workshops provide a lot more. They're fun, engaging, and inspiring. And best of all, they deliver ideas and tools that people can put to work for the good of themselves, their colleagues, and their workplaces. Click here to download my related article: Putting the "Work" Back in Workshop (PDF format, 1,800 words) HOME | About Tom Terez | Getting Personal | Talks and Workshops | Motivating? Yes, BUT... | Working with Tom | Success Stories | Contact Tom Terez | Sign Up for Tom Tracker Copyright 2004 by Tom Terez and Tom Terez Workplace Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. P.O. Box 21444, Columbus, Ohio USA 43221-0444. Tel. 614-571-9529 Write to webmail@TomTerez.com, or use this site's online contact form. TomTerez.com, BetterWorkplaceNow.com, and Better Workplace Now are trademarks of Tom Terez Workplace Solutions, Inc.