Jim Tunney

T*E*A*M building is KEY to successful athletic teams and in ANY company today. If you want to outdo your competition, Jim Tunney’s experiences both in the academic field and on the NFL field are second-to-none.

Drawing from 30 years experience as an educator and 31 years as an NFL referee, Jim Tunney is the celebrity speaker for team building, leadership, peak performance, motivation, customer service and wellness.

Recognized as a speaker who educates, motivates and entertains, Tunney works with Fortune 500 companies and international organizations teaching Leadership to improve productivity.  His credentials rank him in the top 1% of professional speakers working today.

Tunney’s book, Impartial Judgment, “The Dean of NFL Referees” Calls Pro Football As He Sees It chronicles his career in the NFL. Other recent titles include Speaking Secrets of the Masters, The Winning Spirit, You Can Do It, Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan’s Soul. His most recent work is It’s the Will, Not the Skill, outlining principles and philosophies of success.

TOGETHER EVERYONE ACCOMPLISHES MORE

My responsibilities over a 30+ year period as a teacher-coach-high school principal and District Superintendent created a fundamental belief that if a decision affects others in the process, it is wise to involve each of them in the process of the decision.

Further, as a National Football League Referee for over a 30+ year tenure, my approach to making our crew (T.E.A.M.) the best it could be was by building chemistry among the crew. I was also privileged to be on the field to observe the T.E.A.M. building philosophies of legendary NFL Coaches Don Shula, John Madden, Vince Lombardi, George Halas, Chuck Noll, as well as many others.

This first-hand experience taught me:

1. Build teams by building people. Experience has shown that people respond to positive direction better than negative criticism. You can’t build people up by tearing them down.
2. “If you play alone, you’ll be alone” Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Steve Young told me. That’s why T.E.A.M. works!
3. Life is fast and often hectic in today’s society; we travel in the fast lane. On the highways, we call it “HOV” or “Diamond” lanes. If you drive in those lanes, you have to take someone with you –you can’t do it alone. That works in all areas as well.

Finally, teamwork comes before T.E.A.M. building! Trust is a vital factor in developing teamwork. Trust rolls on a 2-way street, thus:

• Coming together is a beginning
• Keeping together is progress
• Working together is success!

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is more about responsibility than ability. Honesty, creating a positive climate, and trusting people are the important character traits of a leader. All too often, unfortunately, people with those strengths lack the courage or initiative to “step up.”

Courage is a learned trait either from example (parent, teacher) or from experience. A leader must not be afraid to fail. The measure of a leader is not that he/she might fail, but how that person bounces back!

Initiative is also a learned trait, either by example or role model or an intrinsic willingness to help others.

As a kid, I wanted to be a coach. My role model was my father. And while he never pushed me to follow my goal, what he did by his actions showed me the positive and rewarding side of leadership. It has become a life-long project: first as a sports coach, next a school principal and district superintendent, as well as an NFL referee. In fact, one mentor created for me the title:

“The man in-charge.”

Finally, leadership is not easy. Remind me to tell you the story about “the squirrel.”

CUSTOMER CARE: Exceeding Customer Expectations Every Time

Customer service isn’t enough anymore. The times have changed. The customers have changed. The minimum goal now is customer care.

The drive for quality started it. As customers’ dollars shrank during the recession, customers started asking a lot more questions. They would stand there reading the fine print on warranties. They would come back at you with blunt questions about financing plans. They might buy, but they couldn’t be sold, at least not as readily.

Selling in this environment requires more than just knowing your product, and believing in it and your services enough to project yourself with confidence. Selling has become customer-centered, not product-centered. The minimum goal is, clearly, Exceed the Customer’s Expectation Every Time.

Twenty-seven percent of American companies already use some measure of customer satisfaction in their sales-incentive programs. Another twenty-three percent are weighing which measure to add. At some companies, as much as forty percent of the salespeople’s commissions are determined by assessment of customer satisfaction. Some companies are becoming as blunt as the customers became: They ask their major customers to grade their account reps from “A” to “F” Reps expecting an “A” had better reach out with the goal of customer care.

Clearly, no longer is the question simply: Did you make the sale? The more telling question is: Will we have this customer next time?

… Here’s the key thing: Customers don’t care how much you know about your product until they know how much you care about them.

HERE'S TO THE WINNERS

It is always been an American zeal to be first in anything you do. Your mindset must be focused on winning – not on playing “not to lose.”

You can lose your momentum, but never lose your confidence. Maintaining self confidence strengthens your resolve to win. As legendary Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi said,

“Winning is not a sometimes thing; it’s an all-time thing. You don’t win once in awhile; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do the right thing all the time. Wining is a habit.”

It’s a reality of life that people are competitive. Competitive environments draw competitive people. They know the rules and objectives. People must know those rules and objectives. The objective is to win – fairly, squarely, and decently – by the rules – but to win.

If you have played by the rules, played to win by doing your best — you can rest easy knowing that you are a winner!

Jim is an accomplished speaker having won The Cavett Award, the "Oscar" of professional speaking. It is presented annually to the professional speaker whose career has earned "outstanding credit, respect, honor and admiration in the National Speakers Association and the speaking profession. — National Speakers Association

...Your experience, style and delivery kept a 'tough room' engaged and entertained. — ADT Security Systems

Your message was powerful through and through. — Distribution Contractors Association

Your presentation captured the hearts and souls of everyone! — Rubbermaid, Inc.