Today's Program - Jeff Sutherlin
Jeff is from a small town in Indiana...a Hoosier fan.  He moved here in 1987 during his senior year in high school.  He attended Mountain View High School.  It was a big change.  He then went to UofA and got his Political Science degree.  He realized that wouldn't get him far.  He started a night job at Intel while working on his MBA during the day.  He was with Intel for 7 hard years.  One day he decided he was done with corporate America. 

He left in 2002 and went to work for KB Homes.  It was a big change, different environment.  He loves real estate agents.  They are entrepreneurs that love their country.  He was very successful in growing the real estate companies he worked with. 

He is now with United Brokers Group.  He tries to focus on adding value to the lives of his agents.  He really does care about their families and their lives.  It is about creating relationships. 

His group has been profitable since day one.  They are not the biggest but he believes they are the best.  He has actually turned away a lot of agents because he sets high standards.  His agents mean what they say. 

His partner Heidi is probably the best thing about the company.  She is the technical, legal go-to person. 

Jeff teaches a class called Fierce Conversations.  It based on a Susan Scott book.  The idea behind the class is that the missing conversation is worse than a conversation gone bad.  That missing conversation that you have been avoiding is holding that relationship from moving forward. 

The Four Steps to a Fierce Conversation...

• Interrogate Reality

• Provoke Learning

• Tackle Tough Challenges

• Enrich Relationships

Our business and our lives will fail gradually and then suddenly if we avoid having these conversations. 

99% of conversations are with yourself.  Is that conversation positive or negative?  Visualize what you want.

Seek to understand before you can expect to be understood.

Some key points to remember...

• Master the courage to interrogate reality.

• Come out from behind yourself

• Be here prepared to be no where else.

• Tackle your toughest challenge today - don't put it off.

The things we say can have a huge impact on others.  Words are powerful so we need to be careful about what we say to our employees.

Many people struggle to be quiet during a conversation.  Silence gives both sides to process what is being said.

A good leader is not popular.  They are truthful. 

If you have your employees read the book you will be profitable.  Jeff guarantees it!

Today's handout had a lot more information.  Of course to really get the most out of this concept you should attend Jeff's class.