You don’t want to miss these presentations

Sunday, August 24
Opening General Session 10:00 – 11:45 a.m.

A World Between Eras
John Naisbitt
Futurist and best-selling author of Megatrends, Global Paradox, Re-inventing the Corporation, Megatrends for Women, Megatrends 2000, Megatrends Asia, and High Tech High Touch: Technology and Our Search for Meaning

The end of the beginning is behind us. When will the new dominate the old? When and where does a completed shift take place?

His first book, Megatrends, was near or at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years! Eight more books later and John Naisbitt is recognized as the world’s futurist philosopher. For the APWA audience, Naisbitt will preview his upcoming book A World Between Eras. Naisbitt believes that we are partly stuck in the patterns of the old world. At the same time we are starting to embrace a new era of unprecedented technological, economic, and social change. What’s changing? What’s staying constant? He believes that NOW is the time for us to reevaluate our priorities. Where do we want to put our intelligence and our energy? What should our response be to the scenarios before us? John Naisbitt offers us the opportunity to understand our world and ourselves a little better. He will examine how in this period between eras, we can have extraordinary leverage and influence – individually, professionally, and institutionally – if we can just get a clear sense, a clear conception of the road ahead.

Monday, August 25
General Session 8:30-9:45 a.m.

Gung Ho!
John P. Carlos
Senior Consulting Partner, The Ken Blanchard Companies and co-author with Ken Blanchard and Alan Randolph of Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute and The 3 Keys to Empowerment

Based on the best-selling book by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles, Gung Ho!® is about culture change. Using his poignant, yet practical storytelling style, John Carlos will take you on a journey of discovery describing how to inspire organizations to let go of old behaviors, systems, processes, and policies that no longer support vision and direction. Often organizations are overly committed to their existing systems, letting them get in the way of change efforts. He’ll examine how to create a culture of excellence supported by committed, energized people. Carlos’ stories are rich with insight into the human condition and have powerful applications. He’ll draw you in with his humor and common sense, and then help you examine your own behavior in effecting change in both your organization and personal life. Be prepared to laugh while you learn.

Tuesday, August 26
General Session 8:30-9:45 a.m.

Blueprint for Tomorrow’s Public Works!
David Zach
Futurist and President of Innovative Futures.

Here it is – your chance to be heard! Although he holds a Masters Degree in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, David Zach will tell you right up front that “My work is not about predicting things, it’s about helping people think about trends and their implications.” Zach will give you new perspective on the challenges you are facing. Together we’ll do some deep thinking about choices, forecasts, and probabilities. Zach believes strongly in the capacity of people to imagine possibilities and find solutions. Let’s come together to explore practical ways to take ownership of the future.

We’ll end the session with your chance to vision, brainstorm, and debate the types of competencies, technologies, management strategies and innovations public works must deploy to prepare for the future. Think like a futurist. Given the various scenarios for traffic volume, fuel types, land use, smart growth, public safety, emergency response, energy use, water supply, waste disposal, new technologies, population demographics, climate and environmental indicators – what is your vision for the future of public works?

Please bring your imagination to this interactive visioning dialogue!

Wednesday, August 27
General Session 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Getting Culture Smart – Strategies for Making Diversity Work
Sondra Thiederman
President of Cross-Cultural Communications and author of Bridging Cultural Barriers for Corporate Success: How to Manage the Multicultural Work Force and Profiting in America’s Multicultural Marketplace: How to do Business Across Cultural Lines

Here’s an ongoing trend that every public works department must accommodate and master. Public works departments not only employ individuals from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, but we must also communicate with and provide services to every member of our communities. While cultural diversity is a serious subject, Dr. Sondra Thiederman will take a light-hearted look at the challenges and opportunities presented by this cultural trend. Since receiving her doctorate with an emphasis on cross-cultural studies from UCLA, Theiderman has helped hundreds of organizations develop practical and tangible solutions to their cross-cultural and diversity challenges. Her philosophy is centered on the core values of honesty and practicality. She learned long ago that if we are to deal effectively with these complex issues, we must tell the truth about the challenges and design strategies based in the realities of today’s work and marketplaces. You’ll leave armed with a better understanding of your own cultural background, and practical solutions for communicating effectively in a diverse environment.