Produced by High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc.

 
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Full Conference Agenda
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
7:30 - 8:00 Registration
8:00 - 8:30

Welcome & Opening Remarks
Dave Stockwell, Event Chairman
8:30 - 10:00

Workshop 1: How to Create & Sustain a Service Culture
Brad Worthley,  Brad Worthley, Inc.
 
Are you the kind of leader that asks: “Did my employees do what they were supposed to do today?” or are you the kind of leader that asks: “Did I do what I was supposed to do today, so that my employees could do what they were supposed to do?”  Most organizations train managers, not leaders. Brad offers thoughts on how we can change our behavior just slightly, in order to greatly impact the people we lead. This session is a must for a strong company culture. 
 
This session is targeted to anyone, from any industry who supervises people.  Some of the topics covered include:
 
    • The Profit Chain
    • All Eyes Are On The Leader
    • Rethinking Your Role as Manager
    • Managers vs. Leaders
    • Reactive vs. Proactive Leadership
    • People Don’t Fail as Much as Systems

Meet the Speaker

Brad Worthley is an internationally acclaimed expert in customer service, leadership and motivation, and he is invited to travel throughout the world speaking on those subjects. He has owned a business consulting firm in Bellevue, Washington for the last 22 years, written three books, produced numerous training DVDs and CDs in conjunction with experts like Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, John Maxwell and others (available in stores throughout the U.S. like Sam's Club, Costco, Borders Books, Fry's and Best Buy, plus online at Amazon.com, iTunes.com, Audible.com, Emusic.com, iAmplify.com, LearnOutLoud.com, SimplyAudio.com and Napster.com). 


You can also type Brad’s name into any search engine and you will find hundreds of articles and links from all over the world about him and his firm. His client list contains some of the largest corporations in the world such as Bank of America, Key Bank , Bank One, Macys, Nordstrom, McDonalds, Alaska Airlines and Western Union, along with small and medium sized organizations from all different industries. His firm’s mission is to help organizations create service cultures: A place where employees love to work and customers love to do business.

Brad is always the highest rated speaker at any event he presents at and his best known for his signature session titled “Exceeding Customer Expectations” which is also the title of his first book. This session was voted as one of the top four keynotes in the world by the Meeting Professionals International in 2011. Brad was also President of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association in 2002 where he was given the industries highest honor, the Hall of Fame award. 
 
10:00 - 10:15 Refreshment Break
10:15 - 11:45

Workshop 2: How to Increase Employee Productivity by 300%
Brad Worthley,  Brad Worthley, Inc.
 
Coaching is a respectful form of communication that can get employees to do the things you want them to do and help them gain respect for you in the process. Coaching is about self-discovery and allowing employees to come up with their own answers to questions and solutions to problems (it builds confidence in people). A great leader does not have all the answers, instead, they have great questions and that is what coaching is all about. This session is targeted to anyone, from any industry, who is in a supervisory role.
 
Some of the topics covered will include:


    • Coaching vs. Teaching
    • Coaching vs. Counseling
    • What Coaching is and is Not
    • Five Powerful Coaching Tips
    • Six Most Common Pitfalls to Coaching
11:45 - 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 - 2:30

Understanding what Makes the Generations Tick, and What Ticks Them Off
Anna Liotta, Resultance
 
For the first time in history six generations are colliding in family rooms and board rooms across the country. Each generation’s unique perspectives, values and approaches impact leadership dynamics, purchasing habits and the clients decision making processes.
 
Successful companies are expanding their capacities to understand and leverage their knowledge of the specific attitudes, values and beliefs that drive the decisions and influences the choices of each generation.
 
In Anna's program:

  • Leaders and managers learn new core tools and front-line techniques for leading and managing across generations.
  • Emerging leaders gain a nuanced understanding of the paths, protocols and politics they will need to navigate to thrive in the workplace and have the results and outcomes they desire.
  • Participants leave with specific actions they can apply immediate in their inter-generational communication, teamwork interactions and collaborative connections.
  • Managers, partners and team members learn how to work together more efficiently and profitably because they have a new understanding of how generational differences can be turned into opportunities not obstacles.
  • Business-owners understand how they can decrease the costly impact of turnover and lost productivity due to generational differences that are plaguing their bottom-line.
  • Audience members discover the growth opportunity in the multi-generational workplace mix and leave with ready-to-use actions that maximize each generations contributions.


Meet the Speaker

Anna Liotta, creator of Generationally Savvy™ Communication Solutions, is an award-winning speaker, consultant and author who engages and energizes national audiences with her practical strategies for attracting, growing and retaining top talent and loyal clients from every generation.

Her unique inter-disciplinary approach integrates the crucial elements of communications, sociology, business psychology, and demography. Her expertise and approach have helped such companies as Pike Place Fish, Intel, Wells Fargo, Office Max, United Way and Merrill Lynch.

Anna is also one of nineteen children, and grew up in a household of six generations, making her daily life an “insider’s view” into realities generational communication.

Anna’s highly anticipated new book “Unlocking Generational CODES” is available at your favorite bookstore.
2:30 - 2:45 BREAK
2:45 - 4:00
 Leading for Full Engagement: A Leader's Role in Highly Engaged Individuals and Teams
 Rachel Dexheimer, Dexheimer Consulting

In today’s competitive market, leadership is the deciding factor between success and failure.  That is particularly true when it comes to engaging and retaining talent.  The data consistently reinforces the idea that  people leave managers, not companies.  In the same way, employees offer discretionary effort to managers, not to companies. 
 
It is that discretionary effort we see in highly engaged individuals and teams.  And, it is the extra productivity engagement often creates that can make the difference between success and failure. 

In this session, we will look at:

  • What is engagement
  • The role of engagement in productivity
  • What the research says about a leader's role in engagement
  • The three most important things you can do as a leader to foster engagement
  • Resources for more information for when you get stuck


Meet the Speaker

Rachel is a powerful and dynamic trainer, speaker, and coach who spent 18 years thriving in the cultural and technical complexities of Fortune 500 companies including Lucent, AT&T, and McCaw Cellular. 

While she reveled in building strong business relationships, creating high performing teams, and leading global implementation projects, there was something missing - a contribution to the greater good.

She now combines that experience with her entrepreneurial expertise to propel business professionals to new levels of success.

 Rachel is passionately committed to continuous learning.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Workforce Training and Development as well as a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University.  She is a Certified Professional Coach, through Antioch University and invite CHANGE.  She is also credentialed through the International Coach Federation. 
4:00 - 5:00




 Call Center & Help Desk Talk Show
Get the answers to your most challenging problems, in a powerfully engaging session format. You will leave with ideas that will get results on the issue you share on the Talk Show.

These popular sessions deliver solutions, valuable discussions and a whole lot of fun.

            "Love these interviews!"

            "I get loads of valuable information from these sessions."
           
            "Shop talk is one of my favorite sessions."


SPEND YOUR EVENING IN PORTLAND, TOP 10 BEST CITY NATIONWIDE

See beautiful Portland, Oregon at it’s finest. The Pearl District is one of the more unique places to visit. They have exclusive food selections, and a wonderful area to walk around.  You'll want to be sure to stop by the world famous - Powell's Books - you'll be amazed at the size of the world's largest book store.

 

 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013
8:00 - 8:30 Coffee and Tea Service
8:30 - 10:15


 The Technology Behind the Business:
How to Increase Proficiencies and Decrease Work Effort through Innovation
Ivy Meadors, High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc.

Have you considered that your next co-worker or seat-mate could be a robot that is run by your smartphone put into its “face”? Or that you'll be trained by a robot how to perform specific tasks, use new technology, or learn new languages? Did you know a robot could be answering the phones in your call center and logging the calls, and you may be their manager? Man and robot as collaborative coworkers is already here in corporations nationwide.
 
Ivy’s delivery of a potpourri of advanced technological solutions will excite you to embrace fresh innovative and revolutionary technologies, as a means to empower the service and support team. You will gain ideas how to increase proficiencies and decrease work effort through Innovation plus hear some new things coming your way. 

In this session, we will look at:

  • Video emails that cost nothing to deliver, are quick and easy, and get significantly higher response/read rates.
  • Building stronger relationships - Communicating with numerous remote workers simultaneously via video for no cost.
  • How to build content for your knowledge bases using creative resources, most for no cost.
  • “Free” push technology to reduce calls – are you using it?
  • Anthropomorphic robots could be the call center representative of the future. Don’t believe it? What until you hear how realistic it is becoming.
  • Is technology getting in the way of learning because of multi-tasking?
  • Are you using infographics for self-service, training, and improved communications? You should and you’ll see how to do it in this session.

  • Use Twitter to build an Active/Personal Learning Network (APN/PLN)

Meet the Speaker

Ivy Meadors, founder and CEO of High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc., a thought leader and futurists, shares her knowledge through speaking, consulting, coaching and mentoring, contributing to people’s growth. personally and professionally. Her dynamic and charismatic imprint has been felt among Fortune 50 to Fortune 1000 corporations, U.S. Government agencies, Universities and non-profit agencies worldwide.

With over thirty-five years in customer service and technical support, Ivy has developed a platform of excellence upon four pillars; psychology of leadership, customer service as the lifeblood of the business, multi-faceted communication techniques, and progressive deployment of specialized technologies with her own occasional non-traditional twist to the pillars.

Ivy is an active member and professional speaker designated by the National Speakers Association and the Global Speakers Federation.  Ivy co-authored “Success is a State of Mind”, along with Deepak Chopra, Les Brown, Mark Victor Hansen, and numerous other brilliant authors.
10:15 - 10:30 REFRESHMENT BREAK
10:30 - 11:45



 How to Improve Employee Training Effectiveness
Kim Leverich, PacifiCorp

Have you ever facilitated a class and found that participants were not paying attention?  Did the participants nod their heads as if they were paying attention but had the glossy look in their eyes? Or did you catch them writing out a grocery list when you provided them time to take notes?  If this has happened to you than this session is for you!

What you will learn:   

·    Understanding the difference between visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles

·    How to incorporate different techniques into your training program to cater to the different learning styles

·    How to keep participants engaged 

Take Away: Sample training curriculum incorporating different learning styles

Meet the Speaker

Kim has been a part of a call center team for over sixteen years.  During her career she has held several roles including being part of an implementation team that opened up a brand new call center for a utility in Oregon, Team Manager where she supervised call center agents, Operations Analyst where she monitored daily call center performance and ensured service levels were met, Technical Trainer where she delivered training to call center agents, and most recently a Training Manager where she is responsible for the development and implementation of training programs in customer service and facilitating of leadership development seminars.

Kimberly’s breath of knowledge about call centers coupled with her formal training (Masters in Organizational Management) and passion for learning has allowed her to develop, motivate and build leaders within the call center. Her area of expertise is in employee morale, communication, and leadership development.
11:45 - 1:00 LUNCH

1:00 - 2:15

 Looking  Back … Looking Ahead … to Thrive & Lead
 Brenda Iniguez, IT Executive in Service and Support

Brenda will highlight the skills Senior Executives seek when looking to promote the next strategic leaders.   Though your current job might be in the customer support or technical arena, when it comes to moving up, you’re going to need to pair your Service expertise with some business savvy skills. She’ll give you tips to successfully lead in a Service and Support arena and will also review specific traits and leadership skills necessary to lead and champion change within an organization. 

In her current role, she provides guidance to IT executives on their Service Management initiatives.   Moving from line level to middle or executive leadership is a whole new league and this session will help prepare and equip you with the skills you’ll need to Thrive and Lead.  

Highlights from our rich Service & Support industry history, along with the dynamic and challenging aspects of our current support centers, present clues on how you can Thrive and Lead in the Support Centers of the Future.  What’s on your Leap List anyway? 

  • Learn 5 Key executive business skills needed to move up.
  • Glimpse into the support center demands of the future
  • What it takes to be an influencer
  • How to thrive and lead in the support centers of the future


Meet the Speaker

Brenda Iniguez is ITIL Expert certified and a highly experienced IT practitioner with firsthand experience overseeing major IT projects and Service Management initiatives and leading high performance teams in Fortune 100 companies.   She is seasoned in the Service Management disciplines and has spent major parts of her career using Service Management to deliver effective business results.   Her management experience includes Executive Consultant and Strategic Business Development with Pink Elephant, VP at Bank of America, Sr Director at Providian Financial, Service Management Strategy Director for FrontRange Solutions, and she is currently doing Strategic Business Development work with SDI.   
 
She is active in several professional industry groups, including President of HDI One Association Board, Chairman Emeritus of the HDI-National Member Advisory Board, Board of Directors for the HDI Strategic Advisory Board, Officer Board of the San Francisco HDI Chapter (Help Desk Institute), Board of Directors of the SF & AZ itSMF LIGs, founding member Board of Directors for HDP (Help Desk Professionals), and has served on the HDI, ITSM, HDP, PINK and itSMF National Conference Committees.  She is an active speaker at national Support Conferences, association meetings, and frequently writes for leading industry trade journals.   She is a lover of music and animals and openly promotes the richness of the different generations in today’s workforce … she is full of energy and passion!
     
2:15 - 2:30 REFRESHMENT BREAK
2:30 - 3:30

How to Deliver Expert Customer Service
Corina Stretch, Puget Sound Energy
 
Identifying the key reasons for poor customer service can often be one of the more challenging undertakings in which a contact center or help desk faces.  Whether you are a large or a small group, customer service is the foundation to the success of the organization.  Identifying strengths, trends, training curriculum, and employee retention are just a few topics that will be discussed during this lively, interactive workshop.

What you will learn:

  • The best practices used by numerous companies (i.e. How often should training be refreshed?)
  • The difference, or if there is one, between Help Desk and Contact Center customer service and how to address
  • What it takes to be an influencer
  • How to thrive and lead in the support centers of the future

Take Away:  Sample Best Practice coaching reports

Meet the Speaker
 
Corina Stretch is a front line supervisor for Puget Sound Energy in Washington State.   Her 25 years experience in the Customer Service and New Customer Construction department has gained her valuable insight and in depth knowledge in the utility and customer service business. Corina is also involved in process improvement and in keeping abreast of the many new technologies the Company has adopted.  She is an instrumental member in the day to day operations including PSE’s Service Level guidelines and department goals.
 
Corina is also a certified speaker and trainer.  She has conducted numerous engaging training workshops and presentations.  She will certainly delight and entertain you through meaningful group discussions and best practices for all types of businesses.

3:30 - 3:45 BREAK
3:45 - 4:15 Special Guest
4:15 - 4:30 Wrap-up Session

Reach us at solutions4U@hthts.com or call 425-398-9292.
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