DATE: Friday, April 11, 1997                TAG: 9704110606

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LON WAGNER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   72 lines

GUEST SPEAKER TELLS TRUE-TO-LIFE TALES THE ORIGINAL ONE-MINUTE MANAGER ENGAGES THE CROWD AT A LOCAL SEMINAR.

It's not that Ken Blanchard's management philosophies are better than those of all the other consultants.

Or that Blanchard was the first to observe how quickly employees at Disney World pick up litter.

It's not that his colored charts are prettier, that his dozen and a half books have better titles, or that his leadership grid helps managers better than any other consultant's grid.

The thing about Blanchard is the way he delivers his corporate wisdom. The author of ``One Minute Manager'' spent about six hours Thursday regaling Hampton Roads businesspeople with tales of bungling managers and examples of managers who do it right.

About 500 businesspeople, or their employers, paid more than $200 each to hear Blanchard's motivational and leadership lecture at Norfolk Waterside Marriott. The lecture was part of Old Dominion University's ``Lessons in Leadership Series.''

At times, Blanchard's tales elicited rolling laughter.

Like when he called those who manage through criticism ``seagull managers.''

``They hear something is wrong,'' he said, ``they fly in, make a lot of noise, crap on everybody and fly out.''

Just as musicians release a new record then tour the country to drum up interest, Blanchard writes management books then goes on the lecture circuit to boost sales. At one point, he had four books on Business Week's best-seller list: ``One Minute Manager,'' ``Raving Fans,'' ``Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute'' and ``Everyone's a Coach.''

His latest book is ``Mission Possible: Becoming a World-Class Organization While There's Still Time.''

Blanchard emphasizes his points with anecdotes that his audience can understand: the experience of standing in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Marriott refusing to cash his check, watching his neighbors fail at training their dog, playing with his granddaughter.

Wearing a white shirt, a reddish tie and gray slacks, Blanchard's balding gray hair and wire-framed glasses give him the air of a grandfatherly businessman. He waves his arms to make a point. When he wants to make a finer point, he puts his thumb and forefinger together and gestures:

``Put this in your notes . . . Do not punish learners; otherwise, you will immobilize them.''

Or he'll make a statement, then slow his words and make it again:

``Put this in your notes . . . You want to get rid of the behavior, not the person. You want to get rid of the behavior, not the person.''

Blanchard's lecture drew managers from First Hospital Corp., the U.S. Postal Service, the military, and Norfolk city schools.

Jan Root, principal of Suburban Park Elementary, said she came because she needed a motivational boost after having her job for 10 years.

``I think I've been needing a shot in the arm for about a month now,'' she said during a break. ``I think this is just what the doctor ordered.''

Root said she couldn't afford $2,250 to bring the nine people on her leadership team to Blanchard's lecture, so she was writing down anecdotes and would try to deliver them herself.

``His little anecdotes are what makes him so good and brings it home,'' she said. ``Plus, he's funny.''

Scott Holava, advertising director with New Age Advertising in Virginia Beach, said he had been to leadership seminars before. Holava and others noted that, in the end, the effectiveness of the speaker depends on those listening.

``If you can make a little bit of change in yourself, you're successful,'' Holava said. ``A lot of this stuff is redefining yourself on your own.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot

Business management guru Ken Blanchard speaks at Old Dominion

University's ``Lessons in Leadership'' series Thursday during a

daylong conference at Norfolk Waterside Marriott.

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