Biography

"Once again you have demonstrated your ability to handle a complex subject in clear and simple terms. You are a wonderful story teller, and your style conveyed the message with humor and real-world example." 
Cox Ferrall, Program Chair

Michael is an active consultant, management coach, inspirational speaker, motivational trainer, writer and mediator. He has been giving presentations for over three decades helping managers, supervisors and college students understand how pitfalls in thinking can lead them to failing decisions. His insights to clear thinking have helped consultants and clients alike on six continents achieve breakthroughs and satisfaction in their work and personal lives.

"You have changed forever the way I approach problems."
Lee Hoyt, Experienced Senior Consultant

Ten Benefits of Michael's Thought Leadership Program

• You will change the way you approach solving problems
• You will avoid the five barriers to effective clear thinking and decision making
• You will learn how to ask the right questions
• You will find that what people say is the problem generally is not the real issue
• You will discover how to achieve breakthrough solutions and decisions
• Your solutions will have a shorter implementation and longer shelf life
• You will invent the future and create it
• You will survive and relish change
• You will be inspired and invigorated
• You will have fun

“When you work with us I'm always surprised how much we get done at the end of the day."Program Manager

"You think because you understand 'one' you understand 'two' because one and one makes two. 
But you must understand 'and'."    
Ancient Sufi Proverb

Book Michael to challenge your members, employees and students to upgrade the way they respond to problem solving, in order to achieve larger and higher results, to avoid the six barriers to effective thinking and decision making, to understand "and".

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Most Popular Presentations

Thought Leadership: The Anatomy of a Breakthrough:  Why is it so difficult to reach breakthroughs in how we approach problems and opportunities? Why is it rare for great concepts to become workable solutions? How do we put power behind our thinking to identify and implement breakthrough solutions? Could it be the process of solutions thinking we have been taught is actually counterproductive?

Someone once said that too many people think they are thinking when all they are doing is rearranging their biases. This talk will identify the anatomy of a breakthrough, the principle deterrents to effective thinking, and seven principles for power solutions thinking that will change forever the way they think about challenges and decisions. They will find they no longer need to get bogged down in a lengthy analysis of a problem. Instead these seven principles will focus participants on future states they want to achieve and give them the tools to create them.

"I learned more in the two days with Mr. Shays than I did in the entire rest of the course." Student Evaluation

"The human mind once stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions."Oliver Wendell Holmes

Power Solutions: Seven Principles to Solve Tough Problems.  Don’t become an expert on the problem. Become an expert on the solution. Studies of leading solution finders revealed that the top 8% reached better decisions by following seven basic principles we now call Breakthrough Thinking. You can also break through conflict and gridlock in solving complex or difficult problems. Once you understand even the first principle, “Purpose Expansion” you will never approach a problem in the old way. Michael will show you how to:

• Remove obstacles to simple solutions
• Broaden your options for solving a problem 
• Avoid wasting time on unproductive analysis
• Produce innovative and practical answers that give you greater benefits
• Guide you to a solution that will fit the long term 
• Increase the likelihood your solution will be implemented

 “Enthusiastic, rapid fire presentation by E. Michael Shays is a 3-hr tour-de-force that’s hard to summarize. 
Almost reluctant to use the term “Breakthrough Thinking” at all lest it be dismissed as another management fad. 
Not a step-by-step regimented process, it’s more a mental attitude, an intuitive thing.”  Consultants News

Accelerating the Close: Closing the Sale in One Visit.  End your sales presentations with a new twist: rapid closure. Eight action ideas that will keep you from walking away from a sale. Michael will share with you:

• Going fishing with a frying pan
• Compensating for lack of experience
• Sharing the pain and sharing the gain
• Using the magic words
• Telling PSR stories
• Focusing on the client Selling benefits, not advantages
• Fast tracking the proposal

"It constantly amazes me how Michael Shays can jump on a moving vehicle and guide it to its destination." 
Accounting Firm Partner

Controlling the Future: Working Backwards from the Vision. Though we don’t know exactly what the future holds for us, we can control how it affects us. Michael will share nine steps to defeat future scenarios that could damage the health of your enterprise and help you leverage internal strengths and external events to maximize your success. This presentation tells how:

• To develop a purpose hierarchy
• To reconcile the larger purpose of the business with the personal goals of the principals
• To innovate a future
• To develop strategies to hedge against potential future scenarios 
• To deal with barriers to change To recognize what is an assumption and what is fact (you might be surprised)
• To develop responses to changes in assumptions
• To achieve buy-in
• To accomplish implementation 

"Your analysis of the business plan presented to us by a prospective tenant of the Port was simply outstanding. 
You raised fundamental issues that needed to be raised and addressed 
before we could enter into a long-term relationship with this prospective tenant."  
President, Board of Harbor Commissioners

Growing the Business with Intrapreneurs. There is an entrepreneur in most of us. Corporations can harness the talent and commitment of their intra-corporate entrepreneurs through an intrapreneurial “champion” program. Michael will share the process that will:

• Help employees recognize and respond to new business opportunities 
• Increase the rate of internally generated real growth
• Cut new product development time 
• Improve company flexibility and responsiveness to changes in the marketplace
• Create a more entrepreneurial environment across the company
• Provide personal growth and confidence within the employee group
      

"The Champion Program has changed the way I conduct myself professionally for the rest of my life. 
The application of vision, commitment and relentless perseverance learned and applied in this program will influence everything I go into."  A Lab Technician 

Book Michael for your event. You will find he is easy to work with, flexible, and committed to craft the message to what you want the audience to go away thinking, feeling and doing.  Simple, clear truths delivered in a compelling energetic style create an impact for change. We tell the story that needs to be told in a manner that sends the audience on its way understanding the message and primed for action.

"What a pinch hitter! You were so good that a number of the delegates didn't know if you were a CEO or a management consultant. You have my undying gratitude and I clearly owe you one. My sincere thanks."Joe Martin, Partner Deloitte & Touche

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Who is Michael Shays?

E. Michael Shays is a Certified Management Consultant, past Chairman of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes, a senior member of the Center for Breakthrough Thinking, and publisher of the only worldwide professional journal for consultants to management. He is a champion for ethical standards in management consulting, and has a passion to help them upgrade their performance to serve their clients with thought leadership. He has conducted seminars for consultants and clients in five continents on ethics and power solutions thinking. Michael is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants the USA and a recipient of their Life Achievement Award.