Detroit, MI, October 2, 2009 - “The new order of business in the current economy is different from any we’ve seen,” said John Foley, former lead solo pilot with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and keynote speaker at the Nexstar® Super Meeting in Detroit. Addressing plumbing, HVAC and electrical professionals, Foley added, “Most of the weaker competitors are gone. Customers expect more value for their dollars than they did a few months ago. Businesses will stay in the lead by optimizing team performance and efficiency.”

Foley used eye-popping video clips of the high-precision Blue Angels flying team to illustrate the importance of working in your “high performance zone” individually and as a team on the job. Foley said, “The high performance zone is the gap between where we are and where we want to go. To close the gap, and be successful, you need to work through four critical stages.” Those stages include:

1. Belief - Elevate your employee belief level and success will follow.
According to Foley, a person’s belief system has two buckets - Limiting beliefs and liberating beliefs with a centerpoint between them. Your centerpointis your defined focus, priorities and goals. The entire team needs to know and buy in to described objectives, assuring there is no performance gap. Employee goals begin individually and build to a team objective. Am I safe? Am I making enough money? Once an individual feels they have those, they can move beyond them to team goals. Elevating a team’s belief levels is a continuing process.

2. Brief - Plan—Focus—Communicate
Giving Super Meeting attendees a rare opportunity to step inside the Blue Angels briefing room, Foley highlighted the team’s preparation for taking flight by reviewing the plan, talking through all the moving parts and visualizing the execution of each maneuver. Focus on the possibilities and opportunities rather than the challenges. Foley said, “Blue Angels never focus on their competition. They focus on how they can improve the wow of the crowd by what they do, based on their collective potential. Focus on structural preparation (as a company) and mental preparation (as an individual). There’s a difference between when you think something in your head and you feel it in your heart.”

3. Contracts - Trust—Execution—Commitment
What level of verbal contracts do you have with your staff? If you have clearly defined employee expectations and they agree to meet them, trust that they will follow through or alert you if they don’t. Foley said, “The Blue Angels contract is so clear that pilots and crew could change course mid-stream and everyone would know exactly what to do at that moment. The same holds true for business.”

4. Debrief – Reflect on good and identify room for opportunity
Debrief when things go well, not just when they go wrong. Encourage your team to realize, admit, and correct their mistakes rather than pointing them out and directing the way to correct them. Foley said, “Pursuit of perfection is important, but if you set the goal too high, employees will feel it’s unattainable. Individuals have to see it, feel it and believe that they can reach their objective.”
After outlining the four stages to achieving full potential, John Foley shared these additional points:

Distraction and Doubt destroy performance
Find a way to limit distractions. Build a sanctuary in your morning to clear your head and focus on your centerpoint before the emergencies of the day hit you in the face.

Take time with your hiring process
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels hiring process takes a full year and presents opportunities for the applicant to show commitment. For example, all receive an invitation to fly their own plane to an air show on a given weekend. If they show up, it’s a sign of commitment.

Be clear on three conditions before hiring:
•Are they competent?
•Are they of good character?
•Are they committed?

Nexstar members respond to Foley:
75% of Nexstar members surveyed agree that a person can reach their aspirations even if they make serious missteps along the way. Keep focused and striving for optimal performance.

Ron Shipley, a business owner and Nexstar member from Ashton, Maryland, was inspired by Foley’s presentation. “I need to define my vision and communicate it to my team so we can commit to executing our plan,” Shipley said. “I feel like we’re in the briefing room right now and we need to get out onto the tarmac and make things fly.”

About John Foley: As Lead Solo pilot of the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, John Foley had to perform consistently as part of a team in an intense, high-stakes environment. Reaching that level of excellence required commitment, discipline, and trust.

Using insights from his experience with the Blue Angels, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and within the inner circle of a venture capital company, John developed a practical, effective model for closing performance gaps. His unique approach simplifies complex challenges.

For more highlights and excerpts from Nexstar Super Meeting 29 and photos from the event, contact Kari Logan at 763-559-6058 or kari@celpr.com.