Dr. Kevin Elko

Connection – I See You As A Person

One of the best things you can do to improve yourself is to learn how to connect with people.  Connection is simply defined as I see you as a person. The phrase used today to describe what is going on in society is extraverted loneliness, which means we are walking around in a crowded world yet people have never reported feeling more lonely and isolated. Connection is the answer to this dilemma – an intentional act to convey a message to our clients that they are seen as a person.

There is not enough education given to simple connection which is the reason why people go and eventually stay in relationships.  It is also very important with teams and companies.  In the absence of connection, fear usually rules.  Fear is the great disabler, and it is more dangerous today because fear is so widespread..  With the present volatility of the financial markets, constant change is all fields, and the constant alarm message by the media, this is especially true in the corporate world.  If the leader or the advisor can make each client feel valued and seen as an individual, all indication is there is not fear but confidence and strength.  The biggest mistake is to treat clients and employees like commodities.  Connection is learning to treat people like people and not numbers.  You will be amazed at how it will change your level of success.

This workshop will help participants utilize tactics to connect to others.  It teaches self-talk to help connect, listening skills (feel, felt, found) and the use of thank you.

I’m Strong If You’re Strong: Leadership By Developing The Gifts of Your People and Shaping A Winning Culture

Structure drives function in every company, family, organization and team. As the leadership expert W. Edwards Deming has said, “Almost all problems an organization faces are systemic.” Therefore, it is crucial for the leader to shape the culture over and over in much the same way that an athlete shapes muscle.

In this seminar, the leader learns first how to address the emotions of the team and to excite the team with a vision and a personal connection. Then, by “keeping the main thing the main thing,” the leader learns how to maintain everyone’s focus on meaningful tasks. Finally, since there are keystone habits that act as fulcrums by which other good habits present themselves, the leader learns how to identify the keystone habits and to bring about a higher level of focus on them.

This entire process occurs because the leader creates a daily “go to” script, designing the words he or she speaks. Thus, the leader has developed organizational muscle and likewise created a winning culture.

To Do The Impossible, You Have To See The Invisible

The enemy of careers, marriages, schools and mental well being is boredom; today, many people are bored to death. The challenge becomes insurmountable when people start blaming their circumstances for this awful condition, but the cause is that they are not growing. In fact, through life people either just go or grow.

This talk expands on our CD series “To Do The Impossible, You Have To See The Invisible,” emphasizing very specific steps for growth: setting goals, visualizing these goals happening, and then speaking them into existence.

Many people do not achieve what they really want because they surrender to the “desire of the moment” as opposed to aspirations of the heart. However, this seminar will help you develop tools so you do not become distracted from your goals.

This highly demanding, interactive seminar will have you assess your gifts and put them into action in a clear process that will set you on a path to a fulfilling, goal-accomplishing year.

How to Achieve Greatness at Work and in Life

This seminar consists of four major points and four action items. First, from a research study conducted with MBA students at Harvard over ten years, those who have goals make twice as much over time as those who do not. And those who have written goals will (1) make ten times as much money and (2) are ten times as effective as those who do not (if you go on Google and type in goals/Harvard the study comes up). One either lives in circumstance or in vision. The first action step is to get a notebook and write goals daily.

Secondly, this seminar has the objective of clearing mental clutter. A person is effective when realizing “there are some things beyond my control and there are some things that are not.” When the vision/goals are clear, one is pulled to them, but what makes the vision fuzzy is mental clutter, or thoughts in our head about things we can do nothing about. This seminar has the objective to identify those thoughts that rob performance and joy on the job. The second action step is to develop a focus phrase that clears the mind and then to write it on a card supplied at the seminar that the participant can keep in a wallet or purse.

Third, the process of developing a “game plan” is discussed and ways in which the participant can adhere to one that is effective. A key to performance is to get to our day and start our process as early as possible and without emotion. Sport analogies are used here in the seminar to show how athletes approached their task without emotion but with intent of execution. Studies show that the productive advisor makes his or her first call before 9 a.m. to a possible client, where the mediocre advisor makes that same first call after 11 a.m. In other words, productive people start their process as soon as possible daily. The third action step is to develop a personal script to use when starting the day to visualize the process and to focus before starting each day.

Last, the concept of “claiming” the vision is important in this seminar. High-level performers know the effectiveness of asking and asking and asking. The mediocre performers assume that those around them read their mind and will give them what they want because they have presented something to them and that others can read their mind. People like to be asked and research shows that people usually will not respond until asked—to do whatever. The final action step is to leave the seminar and focus on asking for what one wants, or claiming it.

Testimonials

“Dr. Elko taught both me and my team how to motivate ourselves for emotional balance so we didn’t become too high or too low, but remained focused on the game situation.”
– Emmitt Smith, NFL All-time Leader Rusher

“There has never been a better time for this message. Dr. Elko is fantastic!”
– Donnie Smyles, Vice President, Financial Advisor, UBS 

“Dr. Elko’s ability to connect through stories, logic and humor moves individuals to confront what’s right in front of them.  Having a clear picture is the first step to taking action. Truly, a master of communication!”
– Jeffrey McGregor, President, RiverSource Distributors

“Dr. Elko has the unique ability to touch everyone he speaks with. Nobody walks away without picking up something that makes them a better person. If I had one choice for someone to work with my firm, I would pick Dr. Elko. He has the unique ability to help people become the kind of person they want to be.”
– Andy Kalbaugh, Chief Executive Officer, Mutual Service Corporation