Archive for June, 2009

Post by: King Siu, Communications Coordinator, PMAC

Who would have thought that attendance at the PMAC National Conference, in Quebec City, would mean a chance to learn new skills, discover supply chain innovation and network with the Prime Minister of Canada! For a few lucky delegates, that was exactly what happened as they encountered Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the lobby of the Hilton Quebec.

 

Photo Caption: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Center) with PMAC National Conference Delegates (L – R) Tanya Low, Lisa Laforme, Rose Bilou, Donna Reid.

Photo Credit: PMO Photo by Jason Ransom

Post by: King Siu, Communications Coordinator, PMAC

It resembled a Hollywood movie premiere, minus the red carpet, as Conference delegates got fitted in fine attire and stylishly made their way to the Board Chair Gala on our final night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refreshments were served in the foyer to guests before they headed into the main Ballroom for a mouth-watering, multi-course dinner that started with an antipasto of artisanal cured meats and cheeses, delicately dressed vegetables and a cream of asparagus soup that warmly greeted your tastebuds with its rich cream and the freshness of its springtime harvest. A roast beef striploin then kept us occupied until our orange and chocolate bavarian cakes arrived, drizzled with Grand Marnier sauce. What a wonderful sight indeed. 

After dinner, Jean-Pierre Ménard was presented with PMAC’s highest honour and made a Fellow of PMAC for his outstanding contributions to the profession, PMAC and his community at large, over the past 20 years.

 

Delegates wanted to dance, and dance they did when the Lost Fingers took to the stage.  Jazzed up 80s hits brought even the most tired feet back to life, and when the Lost Fingers took their final bow – an awesome DJ took over without missing a beat to spin the remaining dancers into the early hours of the morning.

 

A big thank you to all delegates, sponsors and organizers who helped make the 2009 National Conference a huge success! See you next year in Regina!

Post by: King Siu, Communications Coordinator, PMAC

Customer relations and motivational expert Shep Hyken used humour and magic to captivate his audience, in his Keynote address, sponsored by American Express, as he shared anecdotes about building customer loyalty and his 10 strategies for delivering a superior customer experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 – Manage the first impression – sets the tone for the interaction.
2 – Knowledge or expertise – deliver on it, gives confidence.
3 – Rapport – build rapport, communicate beyond business.
4 – Enthusiasm – people like being around people who are enthusiastic.
5 – Communication – ask the extra question.
6 – Know moments of misery – things don’t always go as planned, but fixing the problem will restore confidence.
7 – Quality – ensure quality product and service, one without the other will not be enough.
8 – UPOD – under promise – over deliver.
9 – Consistency – always give a consistent top-level experience.
10 – Thank you – always show appreciation.

Indeed, the audience showed their appreciation and bid farewell to Shep with a standing ovation.

Post by: King Siu, Communications Coordinator, PMAC

Proudly adorned in their Saskatchewan Roughriders jerseys (they sure love their football in Saskatchewan) members of the 2010 PMAC National Conference Committee, led by their Chair, Bernice Ellis, stepped onto the stage and gave us a preview of what awaits us next year.

Bernice announced that the 2010 Conference theme would be Winds of Change and will be held in Regina at the Delta Regina hotel. (Prompting many audience members to pull out their mobile devices to make room reservations.)  She also gave audience members a chance to win some great prizes, such as an iPod and a complimentary 2010 Conference registration, by asking challenging questions like, “Where will the 2010 Conference be held?” and “Spell ‘Saskatchewan.’” (while “Saskatchewan” was displayed on the large projection screens).

Two of the exciting 2010 Keynote speakers were also revealed. Heath Slawner, an expert in the science of influence and persuasion, and Darci Lang, motivational speaker and leadership expert. The RCMP Heritage Centre, a masterpiece of glass, steel and concrete, located on the grounds of the RCMP Academy, was also revealed as the location of the 2010 Conference kick-off event.

The fun presentation has certainly given us a glimpse of what will await us next year, in the sunniest Capital city in Canada!

Post by: King Siu, Communications Coordinator, PMAC

Words always sound more persuasive when they are said with a British accent, and perhaps that will be one of the secrets of our presenter Simon Brown, Executive Vice-President, PMMS Consulting Group (North America) Inc., who has a British accent and led a session on the five methods of persuasion. 

So speaking in a British accent wasn’t one of Simon’s methods of persuasion, but these were:

1) Emotion – cheapest and simplest way to get people to do what you want.
2) Logic – give them simple reasons to do what you want.
3) Threats – risky because they can damage relationships.
4) Bargain – when dealing with multiple items, don’t be too quick to reveal your position and always accept anything that’s offered.
5) Compromise – don’t always go for the 50/50 compromise, and research shows that the first person to make a concession usually loses.

Post by: King Siu, Communications Coordinator, PMAC

There are many things to watch for when drafting contracts, but in the morning session, Top 10 Contract Drafting Mistakes, Sandy Chalkoun, Lawyer, Altura Legal Strategies Inc., lists the top 10 mistakes most commonly made.

10) Not knowing if it is a contract – civil law, common law, verbal agreements, understand each to be sure you know what you are promising.
9) Using the other party’s draft of terms and conditions – better practice to start with your own document.
8 ) Reusing templates – by reusing templates you might not catch the unique subtleties of each contract.
7) Not knowing the other party – know who you are entering into agreement with and how they fit into the structure of the organization they represent.
6) Keeping things too simple – relying on good faith can become a problem if the people you are dealing with leave the company.
5) Not understanding term – what are the renewal options?
4) Forgetting intellectual property – unless you specify who owns the copyright, you do not own it.
3) Not understanding choice of law – if there is a problem, where do we go to solve it?
2) Limitation of liability – if things go wrong, how much can you sue for?
1) Not using legal counsel!