 Speech Topics
It’s Your Ship
The story of how the USS Benfold was transformed into the best ship in the Navy rekindles audiences with enthusiasm to work together and make a difference at work. More than that, people take away real tools they can put to use right away. Since the readiness of a ship is a matter of life and death in conflict situations, every crewmember’s contribution matters. Mike Abrashoff’s It’s Your Ship philosophy empowered his crew to take charge and use ingenuity and initiative to improve every aspect of the way things were done – all in the interest of improving efficiency and readiness. As Mike Abrashoff talks about creating successful change within the confines of a military operation – people begin to see the possibilities for transforming their own organizations.
It's Our Ship
This talk, based on Mike Abrashoff's newest book, takes the principles of Grassroots Leadership to the next level and addresses the challenges most on the minds of leaders in these challenging times. Collaboration, commitment and cohesion, rapid and continual innovation, engaging the workforce of the future and dealing with the generational differences in that workforce – these are the crucial issues that successful leaders will need to master in order to take their organizations to the next level. They're the same issues that Abrashoff faced when he took command of the USS Benfold, one of the worst performing ships in the Pacific fleet. He shares the leadership principles which helped transform the ship moving it from worst to first in the fleet and applies it to the fast paced business world today. It's Our Ship is about creating a high performance culture where everyone takes ownership and responsibility. It offers real lessons for the real world.
About D. Michael Abrashoff
Leading an unprecedented turnaround story, Mike Abrashoff took command of the worst performing ship in the fleet and made it #1 by changing the culture — not the crew.
Sea Lore: Performance on the ship Mike Abrashoff inherited was dreadful, but in the Navy, he didn’t have the option to hire, fire or promote personnel. What he could do was change the culture to elevate performance – and that’s exactly what he did, making his ship the Navy’s top performer. Publications from Fast Company to the Harvard Business Review have heralded the remarkable turnaround of the USS Benfold and business schools have made it a case study in organizational success. Abrashoff’s book, It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, is a best seller with over 340,000 copies in print. His follow up, Get Your Ship Together, has leaders telling how their organizations have put his grassroots leadership principles to work, and his latest, It's Our Ship, highlights the leadership, motivational, and management insights and tips that inspire world-class teamwork.
Breaking the Mold: People at every level in business relate to the idea of being held accountable for results without having the ability to make the rules. Abrashoff shows that’s no excuse for poor performance. Saddled with the Navy’s rules and bureaucracy, Abrashoff shows there are options people can exercise to take control and manage results. In his case, he made a determined effort to see the ship from the eyes of his crew – a grassroots leadership approach. He bestowed a sense of ownership to every crew member, reversed excessive costs and turnover, improved morale and made performance top priority. Abrashoff’s story inspires audiences to change their organizations and instills a renewed responsibility for organizational success.
The Grassroots Benefit:
- Every person takes ownership and feels responsible for organizational success
- The focus is on purpose and performance
- Leaders listen aggressively in order to manage change on their own terms
- Change and innovation are not only accepted but embraced
Beyond the Keynote:
Reinforce Abrashoff’s message and effect real change with the following Beyond the Keynote services:
·WSBInsights : Build interest and momentum with these interactive web sites featuring videos from your Keynote speaker and other tools that get your people talking both before and after your live event.
·WSBWebEvents: The speaker’s expertise brought to your audience’s desktop with live video and digital question-and-answer sessions conducted by Abrashoff.
· WSBOnlineLearning: This interactive learning series teaches employees how to provide outstanding customer service.
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