Asia Talent Trends – The Next Decade

Our HR expert, Emma Reynolds, shared her insights on the big trends of the Asia Talent Market of 2011 earlier this month. The full-house event was attended by HR professionals and senior managements from prestigious organisations including KPMG, RBS, ipec financial and many more.

Below please find the presentation of Emma:

Asia Talent Trends: The Next Decade

View more presentations from e3 Reloaded.

Emma Reynolds is a speaker of Speakers Connect, Asia’s leading speakers bureau. Connect us at info@speakersconnect.com or +852 2165 4126 to book Emma to inspire your team at your next event / conference!

January 3, 2011 Tags: Emma Reynolds, Gen X, Gen Y, International spekaers, Leadership, Leadership speaker, Motivational Speaker, perfomance, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Connect Posted in: Gen X, Gen Y, International Speakers, Leadership, Motivational Speaker, Performance, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect No Comments

Robin Sharma: How to Make This New Year Your Best Year Yet (Video Post)

Robin Sharma, one of the world’s top leadership gurus, shares his 5 secrets that will make this new year your best year yet!!

Listen closely and follow his suggestions, you will be glad that you do…

Robin Sharma is a speaker of Speakers Connect . Contact us at info@speakersconnect.com for more information or to book Robin to inspire your team / audience on leadership.

Flicker album of Robin speaking in Hong Kong.

December 29, 2010 Tags: Leadership, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Connect, The Greatness Guide, The Leader Who Had No Title, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Posted in: International Speakers, Leadership, Motivational Speaker, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect No Comments

5 Tips in Finding the Professional Speakers / Trainers That Best Suit Your Needs

Appointing professional speakers to speak at conferences and events is a great way to gain insights and inspirations. Finding the right speaker that best fit your needs, nevertheless, is both science and art. Below are 5 tips to make your meeting a success:

1. Be clear what your audiences need

The first crucial step of finding the right speaker for your event is to clarify what your audience need. Having worked with clients from different industries and background, we found that many of them were indeed not very clear about what they expect. One most common enquiry we get is, “We need a leadership speaker…” When dig deeper, nevertheless, we found that mostly what the client need is not a “leadership speaker”, but rather a speaker who can advise on change management, or whom can help identify the business trend etc. A better starting point in clarifying your expectations, is asking yourself, or your audiences what challenges you are facing. Working with experienced professional speakers bureau can also help clarify your needs.

2. Decide on date, time and book early

Good professional speakers are always in hot demand with hectic travel schedules. Therefore, determining your event date early and booking in advance can help ascertain you get the speaker you want and best fit your needs. Working with professional speakers bureau, especially the one in your region can also help you identify the speakers who will be around and are appropriate for your event, and as a result help save in traveling expenses, or even get a discount for en-routed arrangements in some cases.

3. Decide on budget

Fees for engaging celebrity speakers, especially ex-politicians, authors of international best sellers and prestigious businessmen, could be rocket high. No doubt their experiences, stories and fame worth the dollar. Having said that, it does not mean that speakers charging a more modest fee are necessarily not as good as the high-charging ones – many of these speakers actually have extremely good contents to share. Therefore, be clear about your budget and communicate with your speaker agent openly can help them to find you the appropriate speaker within your expected fee range.

4. Identifying the right speakers

If you visit the homepage of any speakers, or that of the agencies, you will find that all speakers look extremely good on paper. How can you identify the speaker who is truly good and suitable for your event? Below are a few indicators:

Speaking video – Most speakers nowadays put up videos / YouTube links of them speaking. Make sure you have watched them and like their style. You may also wish to observe the audience size, responses from the live audiences and event scale from the video.
Direct conversation – Whether you are dealing directly with the speaker, or through an agency, do not just rely on email or other written communication – in stead, do request to talk, or meet (if possible) with the speaker directly, before confirming the engagement. Ask a few questions related to the topic you want the speaker to present to see how he responses – look for unique insights, industry specific knowledge, relevant stories and experiences from the answers, and also get a feel of how well prepared the speaker is for the conversation, and whether his / her style fits your organization / audience.
Repeated bookings – Whether a speaker gets repeated bookings from the same client are always a good indicator of his quality. We have, for instance, a company booking the same speaker for 3 times consecutively in one year – starting from engaging the speaker for the Exco meeting, to the senior management meeting, to the high-potential leadership training. We also have another example with different business units of the same company booking the same speaker, for they have been referring the speaker internally. Therefore, do ask the speaker whether he / she gets repeated booking from any of his / her existing clients.
Expert advice – The advantage of working with a professional speakers bureau is that it is our job to identify the most appropriate speakers for the clients, and the quality of the speakers they represent directly impact on their reputation. Responsible speakers agencies are selective of their speaker intake. Do ask the bureau you are working with on their speaker selection criteria.
Customization – One size never fits all. Look for speakers whom customize their presentation contents for individual clients, based on their research of the industry and specifically the client.

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5. Candid Communication

To ensure the presentation of the speaker best fit your needs, make sure that you communicate candidly with the speaker the followings:

Company information, background
Specific expectation of the event
Current challenges faced (if any)
Size and demographic of the audience

Hope the above list proves useful in your future speaker search. Please feel free to contact us at info@speakersconnect.com if need further information, or speaker recommendation of your upcoming event.

December 22, 2010 Tags: international speaker, Motivational Speaker, professional speaker, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Connect Posted in: International Speakers, Leadership, Motivational Speaker, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect No Comments

The Office of the Future

Technology is allowing managers to oversee production remotely, completely changing the models of management.

Leading Futurist and author of best-seller, Mike Walsh, was quoted in an article in the December 2010 edition of Virgin’s inflight magazine, Voyeur on the office of the future.

In the piece Mike discusses the rise of ‘immersion rooms’ capable of modular virtual stacking, equipped with pressure mats, motion sensors and full screen wall projections.

Below are some more interesting predictions:

The idea of being stuck in an office in a high-rise all day will seem old-fashioned and amusingly absurd.
You won’t just see a screen projection of your colleague, their hologram will walk into your room.
Offices will be places that facilitate interaction between staff, where you can drop in to catch up with colleageus.

Indeed, techonological advances have been changing the way we work. Below are some of the key inventions:

1943: Ballpoint pen

1966: Pocket calculator

1973: Typewriter

1973: Telecommuting

1974: Desktop Computer

1981: Laptop

1983: Mobile phones

Late 1980s: Hot-desking

Read the full article on the Office of the Future here.

A recent TV Interview of Mike (by Polish TV) in English:

Mike Walsh is one of the most sough-after speakers of Speakers Connect. Contact us at info@speakersconnect.com for more information or to book Mike to inspire your team / audience on what’s next in business.

December 16, 2010 Tags: Futuretainment, Futurist, Gen X, Gen Y, Mike Walsh, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Connect Posted in: Future, Gen X, Gen Y, International Speakers, Productivity, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect No Comments

Vision And Mission – Are They On The Wall Or Lived In The Hall?

Almost every organisation has its own Vision and Mission Statment.

Is it just a piece of paper hang on the wall, or the values that are truly lived in the hall?

Business strategist, Ian Berry talks about what is more important than the Vision and Mission Statment:

Does your organiation has a compelling story to tell in the hallway?

Contact us at Speakers Connect at info@speakersconnect or +852 21654126 if you would like to engage Ian for your next event, or viist us for more top-notch Asia Pacific Speakers from us.

December 9, 2010 Tags: International spekaers, Leadership, Leadership speaker, Motivational Speaker, perfomance, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Connect Posted in: International Speakers, Leadership, Motivational Speaker, Performance, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect No Comments

Robin Sharma: The 8 Faces of Exceptionally Creative Leaders [Video Post]

Robin Sharma, who has been named one of the top 10 leadership gurus in the world, is the author of 10 major international bestsellers including The Greatness Guide Series and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, his books have been published in over 40 countries – helping millions of people and organizations create extraordinary results.

Below is his interview on what is the four creative forces – precise and insightful…

Below is Robin’s take on The 8 Faces of Exceptionally Creative Leaders:

If you’ve been following my work for a while, you know that my core belief is that the old model of leadership is dead and now, anyone in any organization on any part of the planet can show leadership. I’ve seen taxi drivers who display rare-air leadership along with school teachers + breakfast servers + construction workers. Work is changing. And we all can provoke impact and influence if we Lead Without a Title. But here’s the point of this piece: not only do each of us have the potential to be leaders – we each have the potential to be creative. Massively.

Who sold us on the lie that only artists and poets and musicians are Creatives? When we were kids, we all expressed our Inner Rembrandt as effortlessly as we would breathe. We colored outside of the lines, ideated at the slightest chances and were essentially idea factories on two short legs. But then, as we aged, we stifled our creativity as the mortgages, deadlines and the stuff of life took over our days. Sad.

You and I do no favor to the world in withholding our creativity. So, in my sincere effort to help you work + play at your best, I invite you to consider The 8 Faces of the most creative people I’ve observed. These are the qualities that the brightest of the best have. And you can develop them too. Here we go:

The Madonna. The Face of Madonna will serve to remind you that nearly every great Creative was a perfectionist. Yes, I know perfectionism may not be the most healthy attribute in the world. But facts are facts and when I study the superstars of creativity, the fact is almost every one of them stood for nothing less than ideal work. A while ago I watched Madonna’s documentary “I’m Going to Tell You a Secret”, which deeply inspired me. At every touch point, Madonna sweat the small stuff and demanded that every element of every performance was perfect. Why work on a project if not to get it as close to perfect as possible?

The Picasso. The face of Picasso will reinforce the notion of devotion. Great creatives don’t do what they do just for the applause and accolades. They do it because they love it. Picasso used to leave beautiful dinners with his friends to return to his studio to advance his craft. His art was his passion. And like every fantastically creative person, he worked with utter devotion.

The Thoreau. The face of Henry David Thoreau will remind you of the need to create space for your creative talent to flow. We live in a world where too many people have too little time away from the noise of ringing smart phones, constant email and the dumbing hum of the television. One of my all-time favorite books is “Walden” by Thoreau. He wrote it over a period living by a pond, away from the world. Living in quiet solitude with nature as his daily companion. We don’t get our best ideas at work. We get them on beaches or in bathtubs. Create spaces for your your inner artist to present itself.

The Hemingway. The face of Ernest Hemingway will reinforce the idea that hugely creative people are extremely disciplined. It’s pure myth that the best artists achieved what they did without structure and organization. Hemingway, the famed author, wrote at the same time every day – whether he felt inspired or de-inspired. Yes, spark a steady flow of great ideas. But great ideas that are not executed upon and converted into real results are a waste of time. The world is littered with geniuses who did zero with their big ideas.

The Branson. Richard Branson’s face will remind you to have fun. Creativity often occurs in the heat of play. Branson’s a billionaire. But he really seems to have fun at all he does. Look – no, hunt – for ways to make whatever it is you do fun. That will open up that part of your brain that drives your best ideas.

The Edison. The face of Edison will remind you that creative mastery is a numbers game. Yes, we all know the cliche that Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he got the light bulb right. But the story’s worth remembering. Study any genius – in the arts or in business, and you’ll discover the same thing: they succeeded because they outfailed everyone around them. Come up with a thousand ideas and one’s bound to be brilliant.

The Starck. Philippe Starck is awesome. And part of his awesomeness stems from his love of minimalism. Here’s where I’m going with this one: genius resides in simplicity. The best inventions were the simplest inventions. Further, de-clutter your workspace + your home + your mind. Breathtakingly beautiful ideas can’t flow when your energy’s being taken up by the messes around you.

The Ford. Ok. Last one. The face of Henry Ford will remind you to trust yourself. I’ve made my biggest mistakes when I’ve listened to the chattering voices around me vs. trusted my own instincts. Self-belief is a powerful leadership quality. Nearly everyone laughed at Ford’s concept for a car. His reply: “If I’d listened to the people around me, I would have built a faster horse carriage.” Nice.

Keep Leading Without a Title. And Stay Awesome.

Robin

Article from Robin’s adopted from Robin’s enews.

Robin Sharma is a speaker of Speakers Connect . Contact us at info@speakersconnect.com for more information or to book Robin to inspire your team / audience on leadership.

Flicker albums of Robin speaking in Hong Kong.

December 2, 2010 Tags: Leadership, Leadership speaker, Motivational Speaker, Robin Sharma, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Connect, The Greatness Guide, The Leader Who Had No Title, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Posted in: International Speakers, Leadership, Motivational Speaker, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect, Uncategorized No Comments

Get Creative with “The Developing World” Mindset [Video Post]

Innovation guru and international speaker, Fredrik Haran talks about the danger of defining yourself as “developed”, versus the advantages of looking at yourself as “developing”.

The Developing World Manifesto

You are the developed world.
I am the developing world.

You think that most things have been devloped.
I look for new opportunities.

You look to your own part of the world for good ideas.
I look everywhere for the best ideas.

You know all about your world.
I know all about my world. And yours.

You are stuck in the old infrastructure.
I absorb and adopt the latest technology.

You teach.
I learn.

… …

Fredrik Haren is the author of The Idea Book, which was recently included in the book “The 100 Best Business Books of All Time”.

His book “The Developing World” has just been published. For the book Fredrik interviewed more than 200 people in 15 developing countries.

Fredrik has been invited to speak in more than 40 countries and done more than 1000 speeches.

Contact us at Speakers Connect at info@speakersconnect or +852 21654126 if you would like to engage Fredirk for your next event, or viist us for more top-notch International Speakers from us.

November 26, 2010 Tags: Creativity, Fredrik Haren, Futurist, Motivational Speaker, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Connect, The Developing World, The Idea Book Posted in: Future, International Speakers, Leadership, Motivational Speaker, Performance, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect One Comment

It Is The Small Things That Count [Video Post]

In the above video, David Goldsmith argues why it is the small things that count. Great tips on success strategies.

Leadership and management expert David Goldsmith is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and NYU professor on strategy, innovation, and forecasting, just to name a few. David’s solid experience includes co-founding and operating nine successful business in a wide range of industries, and receiving a number of prestigious awards such as The Citizens Foundation Central New York Entrepreneur of the Year, the Central New York 40 under 40 Leadership Award and the Outstanding Professor of the Year Award from NYU.

Named by Successful Meetings Magazine as one of the speaking industry’s Top 26 Hottest Speakers, David is known for delivering industry-customized and content-rich presentations using a proprietary approach he calls Consulting from the Stage. – Each presentation is built by combining pre-program research with David’s experience so that audiences receive practical and transferrable solutions through inspiring and engaging presentations.

David’s accomplishments have appeared in media around the world, including Bloomberg Media, The New York Times, and the Financial Times of London. His expertise has been sought by clients such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Harley Davidson, Johnson and Johnson, the Wharton School of Business, Lufthansa, Infosys Technologies, the US government and many more.

David will be in Hong Kong in mid January 2011. Contact us at Speakers Connect at info@speakersconnect or +852 21654126 if you would like to engage David for your next event, or viist us for more top-notch International Speakers from us.

November 18, 2010 Tags: Leadership, Leadership speaker, Motivational Speaker, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Connect Posted in: International Speakers, Leadership, Motivational Speaker, Performance, Productivity, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect, Winner psychology No Comments

Inspire Your Team to Acheive Their Best (Video Post)

Wonder how can you coach your team in a better way? International sport coach and sought after speaker, John Shackleton, shares that there are proven techniques we can learn from the sports world in inspiring our team in an efficient way.

A sports coach understands that their athletes will always know more about the task they perform every day than the coach does. That is why a top level sports coach will never “tell” their charges what to do unless specifically asked. Most managers find this approach difficult to follow because the traditional manager/subordinate structure suggests that they are supposed to be the expert and therefore they should be training their staff in what to do.

The truth is that we all learn from our own experience and often have to go through successes and failures ourselves before we can fully understand a new concept. A good manager encourages us to create our own path whilst ensuring it fits into the company’s strategies and targets.

Learn from John the tools to start coaching staff immediately:

* The difference between teaching and coaching

* The drawbacks of the traditional ‘business coaching’ model

* Self esteem determines performance

* How to raise self esteem in staff * Recognising the need for coaching rather than training

* The difference between inspiration and motivation

* Six essential practical coaching tips

* How to apply the coaching model immediately.actical coaching tips

* How to apply the coaching model immediately.

Contact us at Speakers Connect at info@speakersconnect or +852 21654126 if you would like to engage John for your next event, or viist us for more top-notch International Speakers from us.

November 10, 2010 Tags: Coaching, John Shackleton, Leadership, Leadership Guru, Leadership speaker, perfomance, speaker bureau asia, speaker bureau hong kong, Speakers Connect Posted in: Coaching, International Speakers, Leadership, Motivational Speaker, Performance, Speakers Bureau Asia, Speakers Bureau Hong Kong,, Speakers Connect No Comments

Sam Silverstein: Make Accountability Your Competitive Advantage [Video Post]

Why do some succeed while others fail? It starts with eliminating excuses, eradicating justifications and taking personal accountability for choices, actions and results. It starts with accountability.

Sam Silverstein is the author of best-seller “No More Excuses – The Five Accountabilities for Personal and Organizational Growth“ For over 30 years, Sam Silverstein has led thriving companies, selling upwards of $100 million in products and services. He has witnessed successful people fail, and seen underdogs triumph. He has distilled his invaluable experiences and observations into a message companies need now more than ever.

Below is Sam’s take of the five accountabilities that when applied proactively can turn accountability from a consequence into your competitive advantage.

Right things:
Be accountable for doing the right things. This means ethical execution of the activities that will actually support the goals you have chosen for yourself. If you are managing a team, you must model this skill by doing the right things yourself; you must then empower each member of your team to identify his or her own right things, and you must be willing to communicate about what’s working and what isn’t in an open, transparent way at all times.

New space:
Be accountable for managing your space for new opportunities. This means being willing to step away from things that are working, even though they may be familiar, to make room for something that may work better. Yes, this is a risk, but it’s one that successful people take—because the return can be positive for the whole enterprise.

Process:
Be accountable for managing the process when you hit an obstacle. It is inevitable that you will encounter adversities and setbacks when you pursue your goals. The question is, how will the adversities and setbacks affect you? Will they keep you from making creative new approaches to attain your goal?

Expectations:
Be accountable for establishing the right expectations. The targets you set for yourself will have a huge impact on your actual achievement. How will you set the targets for yourself and your team? Will you set them based on what is familiar or what is possible? Will you set them too high, too low, or in that ideal zone where the goal is a healthy stretch?

Relationships:
Be accountable for your relationships and your contributions to them. The human touch in any relationship is the “lubricant” that makes communication possible and empowers individuals, groups, and organizations to accomplish great things. Without accountability for supporting and contributing to the relationship, there can be no true leadership, and no effective implementation, at the group or organizational level, of any of the other accountabilities.

Appling the five accountabilities in your life and in your organization will allow you to create an accountability zone in which you are the center and creates a culture of accountability within your organization. Make accountability your competitive advantage.

Sam will be speaking in Hong Kong for the first time at the AmCham luncheon talk on 10 Nov 2010 (Wed) at the Bankers Club. Click here for further information and register.

Sam Silverstein is a speaker of Speakers Connect, Asia’s leading speakers bureau. Connect us at info@speakersconnect.com or +852 2165 4126 to book Sam to inspire your team at your next event / conference!

November 4, 2010 Posted in: Uncategorized No Comments

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