Two Doors That Lead Into One Room: Michael Hayden at Opening General Session

You don’t know what America’s top intelligence officer will be willing to share with you when you invite him to speak at NECA’s Opening General Session, but General Michael Hayden was extremely open and direct with his assessments of the U.S.’s changing place in the world today.

Hayden is a retired Air Force four-star general and former director of the National Security Agency and director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He has been the highest ranking military intelligence officer in the armed forces. He is currently a principal at the Chertoff Group and visiting professor at the George Mason University School of Public Policy.

He summed up his experience as the nation’s leading intelligence officer as a process of a fact-based, inductive, pessimistic analyst working with a vision-based, deductive, optimistic policy maker. “Basically, everything I was going to say was going to make that person’s day worse,” Hayden remarked.

Hayden is pragmatic about the world we live in. He discussed the threat Iran poses and international disappointment in how many “Arab Spring” democratic struggles have floundered since their start. “Those autocratic dictators were on the wrong side of history,” Hayden said. “They were going to fall. And we desperately wish the time since had been used to build up the necessary institutions of democracy.”

However, China’s rising dominance doesn’t rattle Hayden. “China is not a threat – they just are. China is a rising power, and America is a status quo power. We simply need to be smart in how we deal with each other.”

Whatever pessimism may be part of Hayden’s intelligence analyst nature, he offered optimism in America’s abilities to respond quickly and innovate our way through challenges. “Ours is a diverse country, which is an advantage when we’re dealing with a diverse world. There is great strength there.”

Announcing David Gregory as Closing General Session Speaker!

David Gregory, moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, will be the keynote speaker for NECA’s Closing General Session. Gregory will replace Bob Schieffer, who has been called away on assignment.

Regarded as one of the toughest interviewers working in Washington, D.C., Gregory rarely makes public appearances outside of his broadcasts on NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams, Today, and Meet the Press. He was NBC’s chief White House correspondent during George W. Bush’s presidency, leading former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer to say, “No one was a tougher, more aggressive questioner in the briefing room than David Gregory. But when it came time to go on the air, he was always nothing but fair.”

Gregory’s ability to get the real story while staying connected the people behind the news makes him an excellent choice as NECA’s closing general session speaker. At the Closing General Session, he will speak candidly about covering the most powerful office in the world, and talk openly about the role of the popular media, its reputation, and its responsibilities as a form of mass communication.

In his role as moderator of Meet the Press, Gregory helms the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history. Meet the Press is consistently the highest-rated of the Sunday morning talk shows frequented by elected officials and policymakers. Gregory’s interviews go beyond the standing talking points into a robust discussion of actions, possibilities and consequences.

Through terror attacks, two wars, presidential campaigns, policy debates, Supreme Court nominations, and a historic leak investigation, Gregory has earned a reputation for being one of the toughest interrogators of President Bush and press secretaries Scott McClellan and Tony Snow. His reputation has earned him the nickname the “firebrand in the front row,” as well as the distinction of being one of Washington’s 50 best and most influential journalists by Washingtonian magazine.

In the fall of 2005, Gregory became a frequent substitute for Matt Lauer on Today. He has anchored the weekend editions of Nightly News and Today. As a political commentator, he can often be seen and heard on the Chris Matthews Show and Hardball. You won’t want to miss David Gregory as NECA’s Closing General Session speaker!

Peter Diamandis Delivers Tutorial in Exponential Growth

“I’m passionate about changing the world, where the basic needs of every human are met,” said Closing General Session speaker Dr. Peter Diamandis. “And I believe that exponential change is going to take us there.”

Best known for his sponsorship of the X Prize to spur innovation in space travel, Diamandis brought his inspiring message about how the future is better than we think, when we examine the astounding rate of ongoing innovation

Diamandis spoke about his work with Singularity University, an institute he establish to incubate businesses capable of exponential growth. To describe exponential growth, he referred to our instinctive human progress as “linear and local,” when 30 steps will take you to the other side of a room, or maybe down a hall.

“If you take 30 exponential steps – 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and so on – you will actually go around the planet 26 times,” Diamandis said, letting the numbers sink in for the audience. “There’s a disconnect between our brains’ hardware and what we’re actually capable of with the exponential speed of technological innovation.”

Diamandis outlined some of the innovation Singularity has made in the areas of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, robotics, 3D printing and synthetic biology. “If any electrical contractors in the audience are working in data centers, you are in a true growth market,” he said. “Data storage is supporting exponential growth in digital content.”

Diamandis’s latest book, written with bestselling science journalist Steven Kotler, is Abundance—The Future is Better Than You Think. It has been called “a thrilling antidote to today’s dark pessimism” and includes exhaustive research and extensive interviews on how four emerging forces—exponential technologies, the DIY innovator, the Technophilanthropist, and the Rising Billion—are working together to solve our world’s biggest problems.

Live On-Site from Las Vegas: NECA 2012 Tuesday Highlights

“Getting More” at Labor Relations General Session with Stuart Diamond

Negotiator-extraordinaire Stuart Diamond brought his “people first” philosophy to the 2012 Labor Relations General Session today, in a detailed discussion of the mistakes we make and how to adjust our approach to negotiating, from the mundane to the high-stakes.

“Negotiations aren’t between opposing sides or forces. They’re between people,” Diamond said. “When we start by recognizing everyone’s basic humanity, we start getting more.

“Start with three questions, and three statements when you negotiate: Are you happy? Because we’re not. Second, are you making money? Because we aren’t. Third, if you had this to do over, what would you do differently?”

Diamond’s presentation was based on the principles outlined in his bestseller “Getting More” and specific questions from NECA chapter managers about challenges they have faced during labor negotiations. He reiterated that negotiation never really stops with colleagues since communication and relationship management is integral to negotiations. “If you start 90 days out from when the contract expires, you’re already setting yourself up for failure,” he said.

Diamond has extensive experience assisting with conflict-resolution on vital international interests, and one of his observations from his time with U.S. forces in Afghanistan got the audience’s attention. “It’s an exercise I call Dreams and Fears,” he said. “When you know the other side’s dreams and fears – as people, not representatives of some kind of organization – you realize how much more you can help them, facilitating their sense of goodwill towards you. In Afghanistan, the local negotiators’ dreams – their needs – included laundry detergent and Gatorade. Meaning we can save American soldiers’ lives by learning where the roadside bombs are, what threats the Taliban is making, just with detergent and Gatorade. Ask what their needs are. And let them know you’re there to help meet their needs.”

From everything to calming a scared child to dealing with grudges, Diamond starts negotiations from the premise that everyone at the table is human, affected by human foibles and basic needs for respect and appreciation. Threats, manipulation and inflexible demands can’t be a part of successful negotiations, he said.

“You are the least important part about the negotiation,” he said, smiling. “By putting the focus on other needs’, you’ll work your way to the results you want every time. It’s scalable, where success and cooperation lead to more success. It won’t be a home run every time. But it does work.”

Action and Accomplishment: NECA President Dennis Quebe’s Goals

Following a video-recorded welcome by U.S. Senator Dean Heller of Nevada, NECA President Dennis Quebe took the stage to open Sunday’s General Session. He described his travels over the past nine months, saying he “found the whole process exciting, frustrating, and stimulating all at the same time.

“NECA has been working hard make labor agreements more competitive, government more responsive, and to find new market opportunities for all of us,” Quebe said. He emphasized the need to move beyond discussion by characterizing the theme of his presidency as “action and accomplishment. Our industry needs “less talk and more action.”  He summarized the three main priorities he has as NECA President:

1. CW/CE Classification – Quebe advocated for CW/CE classification in every IBEW labor agreement.  He is committed to making Category 1 language for CW/CE and said that it is the best tool the industry has but is not being used to its potential.  “I know the reasons why, but after seven or eight years of talking about it, it’s time to complete the job.  Local unions must embrace the reality of our marketplace.  NECA members must aggressively change their business models to employ CWCE in the mix.”  Quebe said NECA is sponsoring training sessions around the country to teach and encourage members to use this tool.

2. Labor Agreement Benefits Package – While expressing pride in the benefits NECA members promote and their role in ensuring a quality workforce, Quebe said, “We can’t set ourselves apart to the point these benefits prevent us from securing projects.”  He cited the inflexibility and ineffectiveness of the benefits as currently structured.  “We are looking for short- and long-term solutions to these problems.”

3. Going After New Business Aggressively – “The name of the game is sales and market development,” Quebe said.  He recalled a 1950s NECA campaign called ‘Sell More and Bid Less,’ saying, “That sounds like something we need to revive in this decade.”

Quebe emphasized the importance of finding new market opportunities and actively selling them if the industry wants to prosper and grow. NECA is hiring business development professionals and charging them with finding new market opportunities for the industry.  He encouraged members to attend the business development meeting starting at 2 p.m. on Monday and recommended all NECA members add a business development person to their companies. “There are plenty of business opportunities for our industry.  We just need to find and take advantage of them.”

“Washington Needs to Follow Your Example:” Morning Joe to NECA Members at Opening General Session

Joe Scarborough set the informal tone of the keynote presentation at Sunday’s General Session by introducing Mika Brzezinski, his co-host on MSNBC’s weekday morning program, Morning Joe.

“NECA, meet Mika.  Mika, meet NECA.”

What followed was a wide-ranging and off-the-cuff discussion between the two ideologically-opposed hosts on a range of topics including media bias, partisan division in Washington, the struggling economy, entitlement reform, and their own personal experiences as a former Congressman (Scarborough) and growing up as the daughter of President Carter’s National Security Advisor (Brzezinski).

Scarborough dominated the session with a comedic touch and by reveling in what he described as a rare opportunity to speak to a management-minded audience.  The hosts teased each other, with Scarborough delivering zingers like, “I was raised in Southern Baptist churches across the South, and she was raised in various Marxist groups in Manhattan.”  He drew laughter when he likened Mitt Romney to “Bob Dole on crack” and admitted, “my parents are so conservative they think Richard Nixon was framed.”

One of the major points of the talk was the need for both political parties to work together more effectively for the American people by putting “America’s best interest above their political interest.”  Brzezinski agreed with Scarborough that working with people of different viewpoints is possible.  “Our family celebrates the friction that makes our country and makes the world go ‘round,” she said.

Scarborough drew on his experience in Congress during the Clinton Administration and offered examples of Republicans and Democrats working together, despite deep philosophical differences.  He specifically cited job creation as a by-product of this cooperation, drawing applause from the crowd of business owners when he said, “We got Washington out of the way of small business and let them create jobs.  Washington doesn’t create jobs.  America creates jobs.”

Scarborough expressed hope that more bipartisan relationships such as those between Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton in the 1990s, and Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill in the 1980s, could be formed in the future to deal with several impending crises such as the so-called ‘fiscal cliff.’  “We’re missing that in Washington and we have to get it back.  We can work with people we disagree with.”

He offered praise and drew applause from the electrical contractors in the audience when he said, “That’s the wonderful thing about this industry.  You all have a working relationship with the union.  You figured out how to make it work.  Washington needs to follow your example.”

Just Announced – Stuart Diamond Will Be Labor Relations General Session Speaker

Negotiator-extraordinaire Stuart Diamond impressed attendees at this year’s Labor Relations Conference so much that NECA has invited him to lead the special Labor Relations Generation Session in Las Vegas.

You’ll actually have two chances to hear Diamond on Monday, Oct. 1: his management workshop/consulting session, Getting More Every Day, from 8-9:50 a.m., and the General Session, starting at 10 a.m. Diamond will focus on the problems and prospects of emerging markets and international business challenges in an environment of change from his latest bestseller, Getting More.

Diamond’s Getting More presentation discusses how the business world is notoriously perceived as combative, dominated by an aggressive conflict model of negotiation. However, Diamond shows how moving from this combative model provides a massive advantage. Counter-intuitive to its core, his process focuses on finding and valuing the other party’s emotions and perceptions to create far more value. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to ask questions of the other party, glean the “pictures in their heads” and ultimately, persuade them. Armed with new persuasive power, you and your business will be more competitive than ever before.

Diamond is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, Wharton Business School professor and president of the Global Strategy Group. In addition to advising corporate and government leaders in more than 40 countries on negotiation and cultural diversity, Diamond’s negotiation course at Wharton is consistently ranked as one of the school’s most popular. He has taught negotiation at Harvard Law School, from which he holds a law degree and is a former Associate Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project.

As president of Global Strategy Group, Diamond advises companies and governments on negotiating foreign investment and devising strategies, structures and marketing to compete effectively on an international scale – essentially the skills of planning and persuasion – for some of the world’s leading companies.

Diamond will sign copies of his latest book on negotiation, the New York Times bestseller Getting More, following the General Session.

Cooked: Meet Chef Jeff Henderson at 2012 Lifestyle Session

Lifestyle Session: Monday, October 1, 2012
10-11:30 a.m.
Mandalay Bay

Growing up poor with limited options, Jeff Henderson took the path too often followed by inner-city kids in southern California – dealing cocaine, until he was caught and convicted on federal drug trafficking charges at age 23. But just as his dreams for success had driven him to become a top drug dealers at a young age, his urge to succeed couldn’t be crushed in prison.

“I didn’t get arrested – I got rescued from the streets.” – Jeff Henderson

When dealing on the streets was replaced with one of the least desirable prison duties – washing dishes in the prison kitchen – Henderson found himself challenged anew by the ebb and flow of food preparation. Gradually he learned a new trade and he promised himself that when he was out of prison, he would become a chef.

With no formal education and a criminal background, Henderson struggled for years in the hospitality industry. But with persistence and determination, he was able to achieve his dreams, eventually becoming the executive chef of Café Bellagio in Las Vegas. His story was first told in the New York Times best-selling memoir, Cooked: My Journey from the Streets to the Stove. His follow-up book, The Power of Potential, comes out this fall.

Jeff shares that change and success do not come easily. Achieving them requires tenacity, positive reinforcement, and teamwork, but with the right tools, anyone can reach their full potential.

Today, Henderson is the Food Network personality behind The Chef Jeff Project, which takes at-risk young adults and commits to turning their lives around. On October 1 at the 2012 NECA Lifestyle Program, Chef Jeff will offer  effective and simple ways to implement strategies to navigate through the detours and roadblocks along the way. Chef Jeff will not only cook up some of his favorite recipes for attendees at the NECA 2012 Lifestyle Session; he’ll share of the stories that shaped his dreams and determination and how he found hope and redemption among in a sinkful of dirty dishes.

Want more Chef Jeff? Learn about his Foundation, The Chef Jeff Foundation, which is due to launch this fall, just in time for NECA 2012 Las Vegas! >> 

Morning Mika: Knowing Your Value

A recent New York Times Q&A with NECA 2012 Las Vegas Opening General Session speaker Mika Brzezinski claimed that she refused to “perk things up” in the morning. As co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe and a best-selling author, Brzezinski has received accolades from the same television executives who would have seen her career end 10 years ago. So how did she do it? Along with co-host Joe Scarborough (who accompanied her to the NYT interview and photo shoot), Mika will discuss these issues, plus her outstanding chemistry with Scarborough that makes Morning Joe a must-see for news junkies and entertainment-seekers alike.

On Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski’s on-air demeanor is often described as confident, gutsy, and brutally honest. But off camera, the seemingly master communicator had trouble articulating her value to management and passed up multiple opportunities for salary increases and promotions. In her candid memoir, Knowing Your Value, Brzezinski shares how she found her voice and finally got the raise she deserved.

Her memoir All Things At Once became a New York Times best seller in January 2010, and her second book, Knowing Your Value, which examines the role of women in the workplace, reached #1 on the New York Times best sellers list for business books in spring 2011. She also writes “Getting What You Want” for Cosmopolitan, a monthly column about career confidence and empowerment.

Prior to joining MSNBC in January 2007, Brzezinski was an anchor of the “CBS Evening News Weekend Edition” and a CBS News correspondent who frequently contributed to “CBS Sunday Morning” and “60 Minutes.” She reported live from Lower Manhattan for CBS News during the 9/11 attacks.

Brzezinski is the daughter of Foreign Policy Expert and Former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. She graduated from Williams College with a degree in English and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Brzezinski lives in New York with her husband and two daughters.