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Keynotes and Presentations
Jeff Davidson has been speaking professionally since 1983 to organizations, associations, health care providers, and government agencies. Known for his extraordinarily high content, quick wit, and inspirational style, Jeff has been invited for return engagements with many groups. He's received 850 letters of praise from meeting professionals and audience members. Typical feedback that Jeff receives includes "best of the conference," "you've changed my life," and "best speaker we've ever had."
Managing Information and Communication Overload
Data, data everywhere but not a thought to think! Does too much paper, too much reading, and too much with which to keep pace diminish your enjoyment of life? If so, go from glut to gain. Learn how to win with information and not be deluged by it. Discover how to become your own information highway, use information for maximum gain, and keep the din at a manageable level so you can spend more time doing the things you enjoy. This program is for organizations whose managers and staff members face a daily glut of too much competing for their time and attention, and offers essential tools for continual improvement.
Presentation Topics:
- The Pace of New Information
- Starting Right Where You Are
- Operation Clean Sweep
- Getting Organized, Now and for Good
- The High Art of Filing
- Conditioning Your Office
- Conditioning Your Other Environments
- Controlling the Intake Overglut
- Combating Packratism
- Cyber-Strategies for Handling Information
I enjoyed your presentation. I have consciously started using five of the topics that you covered. I can't wait to incorporate more good habits into my life. Thanks.
Paula Lupina, Research Operations, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Kalamazoo, MI
The content of your presentation was thought-provoking and it was presented in a manner which was both fun and upbeat. You kept my attention throughout the morning. I truly enjoyed your presentation. Your messages came through loud and clear and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hear you speak.
Ruth K. Aaron, Treasury Department, Navistar International Corporation, Chicago, IL
I thought your presentation was the best.
Ursula Seifert CPS, Kaiser Aluminum, Pleasanton, CA
I heard your keynote address and wanted to tell you how valuable your presentation was to me. I find that I remember more tips and ideas from your presentation that from any other session I attended. I have put to use many of your ideas and suggestions, both at home and at the office. I've also been telling people about what I learned from you. Thank you for such an enjoyable and useful presentation! I hope to hear you again.
Karen Esteppe, Medicorp Health System, Fredericksburg, VA
I was thoroughly enlightened and entertained by your presentation.
Michael Malinao, Program Hardware Analyst, United Defense, Santa Clara, CA
Fantastic presentation to the HCAT members today! I've experienced many sessions of this general type, but yours was truly unique. You covered a surprising variety of issues with ease and made them relevant. The day was most well spent for me.
Thanks for a great session! You've helped me set some goals which will bear fruit soon.
Captain Charles Anderson, Officer in Charge, U. S. Naval School of Health Sciences, Portsmouth VA
What a great job you did on your presentation, "Breathing Space," at the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives Association Annual Meeting! Everyone raved about the presentation. I came to the office this morning to begin doing away with the clutter that fills my work space and causes me to be less effective. I already know that I am more effective when my work area is cleared.
In talking to some of my peers in the Gulf Coast Chamber Executives Association, we agreed to bring you to our area soon. I look forward to talking to you.
Tracey S. Wheeler, President & CEO, Chamber of Commerce, Baytown, TX
"Excellent!" "Fantastic!" "Best SGMP meeting yet!" These are just a few of the comments from the meeting planners and suppliers who attended your presentation at the July Society of Government Meeting Planners meeting. Scheduling a speaker is often a hit or miss affair; in your case, it was a big hit. We were all impressed with your speaking style and the substance of your presentation.
The best compliment that can be paid to a speaker is to act on his advice, and I can tell you that several SGMP members began implementing your ideas within days after hearing you. Again, "Kudos" for a very successful presentation. In closing, I'll share a comment from one of the SGMP members. "Mr. Davidson was by far the most effective speaker I've ever heard!"
Beverly D. Wilson, Sales Manager, Pinehurst Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Southern Pines, NC
Are You Overworked or Just Overwhelmed?
Most people can handle longer hours; it's everything else competing for your attention that leaves you feeling overwhelmed. Once you're overwhelmed, a feeling of being overworked can quickly follow. This program offers space, time, and stress management techniques that most people have never considered and innovative methods for daily effectiveness that anyone can master.
Presentation Topics:
- Root Causes of Your Daily Pressures
- The Impact of World Population
- Over-informed and Overwhelmed
- Under-Served and Over-Stimulated
- Media Growth and Electronic Addiction
- Our Paper Trail Culture
- ... And What it Does to Each of Us
- The Tyranny of Too Many Choices
- Recapturing Your Day, Year, and Career
- Reclaiming Your Life
- Completions: Ending the Racing Clock
Thank you for your presentation. I like your style. You come across as fully knowledgeable on your chosen topic, with a great sense of humor and a relaxed confidence. The points made were clear, yet thought-provoking. I hope you are the one who reads this, and not someone else I haven't even met. You must get thousands of letters!
Lisa Long, USAA, San Antonio, TX
It was a pleasure to hear your presentation. Not only was this presentation an uplifting and humorous part of our conference, but on a personal level, an inspiration to have more confidence in myself and maybe take a few risks. I hope to have the opportunity to hear you again in the future.
Susan E. Stein, Administrator, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Your seminar was so pertinent and motivating. I am going to laminate the card you gave us that contains Breathing Space principles.
Nancy Matthews, Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City, NJ
I attended the Nationsbank Purchasing Card seminar at which you were the keynote speaker. I enjoyed your presentation and found the handout to be very valuable. My new secretary and I are using the guidelines as presented to clean out several old files of materials. Your suggestions are quite useful!
Salli Hartman, CPA, Controller, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Alexandria, VA
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation at the ACF annual meeting in Big Sky, Montana. In fact, it was the most interesting talk at the meeting. You certainly kept everyone's attention. I don't know how you could make your presentation any more informative (sustain your high level of energy).
Gary A. Younkin, Consulting Forester, Blue Ridge Forestry Consultants, Hume, VA
I enjoyed your discussions at our firm's retreat. The timing was perfect in terms of my personal needs.
Kenneth R. Wooten, Attorney, Ward and Smith, P.A., New Bern, NC
I thoroughly enjoyed your talk. I have already instituted some of the ideas you suggested to reduce my input overload. As a full-time laboratory manager and full time student I often find myself swamped. I'm ready to slow down. Thanks.
Linda Jenkins, Maryview Medical Center, Bon Secours Health System, Portsmouth, VA
Your presentation to The CPA Forum was outstanding. You received very high marks on all the participants' evaluations and many indicated they were going to contact you for additional information and materials.
Personally, I've always known there were forces at work destroying my space and time, but until your presentation, I never understood where or what they were. Now I know the enemy and can begin to take back my space. Thanks for an excellent presentation!
Donald R. Monroe, CFP, VP -- Investments, Paine Webber Inc., Raleigh, NC
I was very pleasantly surprised by the presentation you made at our management meeting. As you may be aware, your presentation was on our agenda with the heading "Time Management," and I was prepared for another boring lecture on how to better manage my time and pack more things into my day. Your approach to Breathing Space and the realities of trying to do business and have a personal life in the '90s was refreshing and confirmed the approach I have been implementing in my own life. I look forward to seeing you again in the future and wish you continued success.
Gary Paxton, President & CEO, Dollar Rent-A-Car, El Segundo, CA
For thirteen consecutive years, I have served on the board in various capacities, including board member, secretary, president, and past president of the National Society of Public Accountants. I am the only woman to serve as president. I've heard many speakers and have attended many seminars during this time. I have never heard a presentation better than yours. There is no close second.
Katie Mathis, Past President, National Society of Public Accountants, Ardmore, OK
How To Manage Multiple Priorities
This is an era of belt-tightening where shrinking budgets are part of a long-term, not a cyclical, phenomenon. Many career professionals today are asked and expected to do more while not being afforded any greater organizational resources; such efforts can take their toll. Learn breakthrough processes in managing multiple priorities, including hand tools, power tools, and cerebral tools; the multiple-priority grid system; techniques for conditioning your environment; and other methods that enable you to achieve notable results.
Presentation Topics:
- When Did Work Get So Demanding?
- When Did Life Get So Complicated?
- Contributing Factors to Frenzy
- Confronting Too Many Priorities
- Deciding What's Important
- Allocating Time, Energy, and Resources
- Innovative Ways to Get Help
- News Ways of Approaching the Work Day
- New Perspectives on Life
- Mastering Doing More With Less
I had the pleasure of listening to your speech at the Leon I. Gintzig Commemorative Lecture. Thank you for your presentations. I really got something out of them. Often I listen to speeches at luncheons or attend seminars that don't give me any new tools that I can use. As a result of your presentations I feel motivated. I liked your presentation. You were able to get participant involvement in your presentation in spite of the large audience. Your sense of humor in presenting the many pitfalls we fall into drove home your points most effectively.
Peter P. Garms, Captain, Medical Service Corps, US Navy, Bethesda, MD
I thoroughly enjoyed your keynote address and conference session on Wednesday. As a matter of fact, your lunch address was so inspiring, that I hurried down to the registration desk and changed my afternoon session in order to hear more of your wonderful ability to motivate. I thought your presentations were excellent. You use humor superbly and I especially liked the stretch breaks during the afternoon sessions.
Jon G. Kempfer, Director of Human Resources, OMV Medical, Plattsburgh, NY
I enjoyed your presentation for two reasons. The first is because you gave some concrete reasons for why we are all so chaotic and needing 36 hours in a day. The second is because you included in your presentation some simple ways to address these factors. My thanks to you for shedding light on a subject that aggravates us all on a daily basis.
Anne Maliff, Technical Support Manager, IBM Corporation, Dallas, TX
I enjoyed your presentation very much. Since listening to you, I have been successful with doing one thing at a time. I am working on incorporating your other hints too! Keep up the good work.
Robert Beller, Associate Medical Center Director, Department of Veterans Affairs, Topeka, KS
I was impressed. Your balance of fact, common sense and humor made for an enjoyable presentation with plenty of 'take aways.'
Tom Scripture, Administrative Director, The Cancer Center, Glen Falls, NY
It was a pleasure to hear you at the convention in Las Vegas. Your information was insightful and fun! Thanks for your insights and the great information!
Sandye Christofferson, Relocation Director, Coldwell Banker, Fresno, CA
Thank you for such an exciting and informative session on Breathing Space: How to Survive in a Sped-Up World. Wow, did I need it.
Your ability to excite a crowd and hold their attention, particularly at the end of several intense days, is fantastic. I look forward to attending your next seminar in the not too distant future.
Pat Baughman, Manager, Associates Relocation Management Company, Washington, DC
Your presentation that I attended at ERC's Management Symposium in Boca Raton last month was fantastic. Thank you for delivering such "high impact" information, that can be used in everyday life.
I'm still working on those horizontal surfaces (aircraft carrier decks). Additionally, your business cue card is a great reference.
Stuart Brandon, Corporate Marketing Manager, Contempo Realty, Inc., San Jose, CA
You are a rich resource and your insights are invaluable. During the beginning of your presentation, I immediately knew that I was going to gain a great deal. Between your accomplishments and your professional presentation style, you will always be on my recommended list of speakers.
Mark G. Nixon, Advisory Systems Specialist, IBM, Roanoke, TX
Wow! Your energy and information were top notch. I learned a new way of viewing the world and my participation in it. You gave me what I wanted, namely new and practical advice. After leaving your presentation, I shared your viewpoints with colleagues. How we manage the information age with industrial age tools was a real eye opener. I don't think I'll ever open my mail, read a magazine or spend my time in quite the same way as I used to.
Thank you for sharing your insights in an enjoyable way at our meeting. I look forward to seeing you again.
Gwen Taylor, President, Taylor Management & Sales Consultants, St. Augustine, FL
How to Create More Space and Time In Your Life
How would you like to have more time for friends or hobbies, or to get away for more weekend trips? Merely living today and participating in society guarantee that both your time and mental, physical, and emotional energy will easily be depleted if you lack the proper vantage point from which to approach each day and conduct your life. Learn the principles for creating the space and time you want to have, and add back the fun! (Presentation materials include slides/overheads, workbooks, and article reprints. Reinforcement resources include book and videocassette.)
Presentation Topics:
- What They Didn't Teach You in College
- Time Management Has Its Limits
- Time and Productivity
- Creating Space and Time Every Day
- Harnessing Creative Procrastination
- The Ecstasy of Living in the Moment
- Creative Calendar Management
- Life Is a Series of Choices, Then You Die
- Choosing Breathing Space
- Rediscovering Your Leisurely Self
I thought your presentation was great. You made all the difference. You are very motivational. I've heard a lot of speakers and the material you covered was 'real life' stuff. I can actually apply some of your suggestions in both my professional and personal life. Sometimes you hear a speaker and some of their suggestions are not realistic in everyday life. Yours were. Keep up the good work. I'm sure you have touched many others throughout your travels.
Lori A. Cornell, IBA Health Plan, Kalamazoo, MI
Thank you for the thought provoking presentation. I have reflected on many of the suggestions and insights you offered. In fact, I have even changed some behaviors. I must say it feels good. I used your presentaion as a basis for a recent management meeting and the managers found it helpful. I am planning a Minnesota health care professinals' meeting in August. If you are interested please advise me.
Patricia Kersey, CHE, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
I think you are an extremely talented and experienced communicator. I enjoyed attending your seminar. You kept the information moving, did not bog down in details, and had tremendous interaction with the audience. I really enjoyed your seminar and look forward to seeing you again.
Angie Frisina, Intel Corporation, Dupont, WA
The presentation was well-received, and the feedback we've gotten has been positive. Our attendees received some valuable information to take home and use. I especially appreciated the time you took the evening prior to the conference to find out who our members are, and what they were looking for in the conference. Thanks again, and I look forward to working with you in the future.
Michele Fetsko, Director of Conference Services, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Rockville, MD
I very much enjoyed your presentation. After I heard your luncheon address, I changed my schedule to attend your session. I thought the presentation was right on target and hit home many times. Thanks again for a terrific presentation.
Kerry Monson, Project Manager, Arthur Anderson, Chicago, IL
I much enjoyed your presentation. The content was very relevant and your presentation style was excellent. It certainly was a highlight of the conference. I expect it to have significant application in my professional and personal life.
Rick Ohle, Vice President, MidMichigan Medical Center, Midland, Michigan
Thanks for helping me to throw my "stress" overboard on our Meridian Cruise! You were a real lifesaver . . . good thing you were scheduled early so I didn't have to carry it around any longer. I will be looking forward to receiving Breathing Space; I need all the help I can get during these "downsizing" times. Thanks again.
Del White, Civic Affairs Assistant, Unocal Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
You've already given me breathing space by being here two hours early -- one of our other speakers hasn't arrived yet.
Marla Amann, Meeting Coordinator, North Carolina Association of CPAs, Morrisville, NC
You were the hit of our sales meeting in Orlando! Our group thoroughly enjoyed your presentation, and they gave you rave reviews on our meeting evaluation. Also, I have observed a number of your suggestions being put into use since the meeting. Thanks for a great job. Hope to sit in on another of your presentations here in Greensboro.
Paul Lamoureux, Manager, Customer Relations, Gilbarco, Greensboro, NC
Choosing When It's Confusing:
How to Make Decisions More Effectively
Today, for whatever you want or need to acquire, there are more brands, features, and options than you can comfortably fathom. And tomorrow there will be more options competing for your attention. Yet you can make decisions without collisions! Even if you are confronted with a bewildering number of alternatives, here's welcome news about choice strategies. This session explores the process of quickly making your best choice. (Presentation materials include slides/overheads, workbooks, and article reprints. Reinforcement resources include book and videocassette.)
Presentation Topics:
- Yes, There's More to Decide
- Making Decisions More Quickly
- Shortcuts to Collecting Reams of Data
- When to Trust Your Intuition
- Which Decisions Are Worth Making
- An Easy Process for Making Routine Decisions
- Systemizing Your Efforts
- Checklists to Speed You on Your Way
- Internal Decision-Making Apparatus
- Sharpening Your Decision-Making Skills
I really enjoyed your presentation and have been reading your book The Joy of Simple Living and enjoying it as well. Keep up the great work!
Gloria Ann Audino, Raytheon Systems Company, Plano, TX
Of all the seminars at the convention, I enjoyed your seminar the most. I feel I took home some very valuable information that will help me not only at work but also in my personal life
Sara Wilson, Administrative Assistant, Lockhead Martin, Greenville, SC
Creating More Space and Time In Your Life" was a great session! Your suggestions about how to manage time and space are just what I needed to provide a starting place. I enjoyed your style of speaking.
Maggie Hilliard, Relocation Director, Prudential, Richmond, VA
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation in Indianapolis. I found the information you presented to be very useful and I liked the way you presented it. I appreciated your style of presenting and you allowed us to learn from your studies and life experiences but yet you did not take yourself too seriously.
Don Kyzer, Associate Director, Program Development, YMCA of the USA, Chicago, IL
I'm one of many I'm sure who want to both thank you and congratulate you for a great presentation. After making a vow to myself to make some life-changing goals, I have taken the first step at making my life less chaotic. I'm proud to say that your suggestions have made a visible difference. Thank you so much.
Sherry Parks, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Valley View, OH
I intend to share your principles with my supervisor and, hopefully, this time next year we will be minus a lot of excess paperwork! Thanks for the great talk.
Sharon K. Eaton, Phillips Petroleum Company, Sweeny, TX
Thank you for your presentation at our meeting. The comments by members were uniformly positive; many people noted that you gave good, easy to follow advice, and most asked for copies of your handouts. The bottom line is that having heard you speak, we invited you back, and would be delighted to have you speak a third time!
Lee M. Cassidy, President, 40+ Forty Plus of Greater Washington, D.C.
I really enjoyed your presentation at the TCCE Annual Conference. I felt that your limited usage of handout materials was very appropriate, especially in relation to your subject. Your presentation manner was excellent as you kept my attention and provided me with information in a way I could begin to internalize it. I only heard positive comments from my peers.
I will be President of TCCE this year and would like to let you know that I would sure like to see us include you in some of our other educational opportunities, such as our mini-conferences and our annual conference next year in Galveston. Thanks for the great job you did for us.
Douglas S. Kinsinger, President, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, TX
As you know, NAPS has been blessed over the years with many outstanding, gifted speakers. Occasionally, one of their messages sticks with me and becomes part of my life. Many of you may remember Jeff Davidson, author of Breathing Space: Living and Working at a Comfortable Pace in a Sped-Up Society, who spoke at our Sales Symposium. What follows is an excerpt from his book, which rings loud and clear in all of our lives . . .
Joyce Gray, President, National Association of Professional Saleswomen, Washington, DC, in the NAPS newsletter
Breathing Space Seminars
Two- to six-hour seminars, unique in all respects:
Managing the Pace With Grace
Is today's typical working American overworked, underworked, energetic, or lazy? The best answer is "none of the above." The root of the time-pressure we feel and the leisure we lack is not "too much work;" there are larger, more basic, converging issues. We can handle longer hours; it's everything else competing for our attention that leaves us feeling overwhelmed. Once you are overwhelmed, feeling overworked can quickly follow. You can, however, maintain the pace with grace--even under pressure! This program is action-packed. Jeff lays out Breathing Space strategies and techniques for effectiveness that anyone can quickly master. For any organization seeking highest-level, on-going education. (Presentation materials include Breathing Space book, slides/overheads, workbooks, quizzes, and bonus items.)
Presentation Topics
- Root Causes of the Time Pressure
- What Fills Your Days and Why?
- Handling Information Overload
- Staying Alert and Responsive
- Greater Control of Each Day
- Helping Those You Supervise
- More Energy from Each Accomplishment
- How to Maintain a Keener Focus
- A Frequent Sense of Breathing Space
- Choices That Lead to Mastery
Managing Information and Communication Overload was very informative and useful information. I summarized your information plus shared all your handouts with others in my division.
Emma Brashear, CPS, Growmark Agronomy, Bloomington, IL
I enjoyed your presentation. It reinforced many practices that are already in place in my life and made me aware of several more that I intend to utilize. Your presentation was well-organized, pertinent to our group and interesting.
Sharon A. Cadwalder, Las Positas College, Livermore, CA
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. You give a lot of practical ways to apply your ideas. The two concepts which I really took away with me were the replacement principle and the idea of completion.
Heather Floyd, Transmission O & M, Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Benson AZ
Thank you for giving us the most interesting session at the conference last week. It was a joy to listen to you. The knowledge you shared is so true even in our personal lives that I will surely retain it and put it to good use.
Mylene Domingo-Dizon, Human Development Network, The World Bank, Washington DC
I am using your techniques at work and at home -- they do work if you use them! Thank you for the wonderful presentation -- it was packed full of great ideas!
Christine Byrd, Accounting, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA
Our management seminar turned out to be one of the best and most informative of past years, and it was due in large part to your one-day management presentation. As expected, your approach was very well suited to our young participants, and we feel that they gained valuable insight. We express our thanks to you for a job well done, and I will certainly think of you next year.
Henry Brehm, Vice President, ProServ Incorporated, Washington, DC
I enjoyed the presentation you made on Saturday. It was as though you were holding a BIG mirror in front of me as so many of the things you were describing I could see in my own behavior. Needless to say, I was impressed with your message as well as your manner and delivery of the presentation. I wish my wife could have been in attendance because I think she too would have found it valuable.
. . . I go on vacation during the first two weeks of August and I intend to stay out of touch with the office entirely if at all possible. I do intend to take your book Breathing Space. Thanks for opening my eyes a bit wider!
David Neitzel, Partner, Vasa Brougher Inc., Indianapolis, IN
At last! Someone who practices what they preach. Can't tell you how many times I fielded compliments for "that Jeff Davidson guy!" Thanks for being flexible enough to work with our time emergencies. You were great!
Cindy Lawton, Member Relations, Independent Bankers of Texas, Austin, TX
