Take a step outside the box; make people feel protected and safe; nourish communications AND garbage in/garbage stays were some of the informative thoughts brought to the mind by Sue Hershkowitz-Coore, CSP our guest speaker for February.

One of the top and more energetic speakers in the country, "Speaker Sue" helps attendees recognize different avenues of communication. Her upbeat, yet not over the top style, opened the door for most of the crowd to feel comfortable participating and interacting with their fellow HSMAI members and guests. Communication is one of the cornerstones of a company's success. And with that - compassionate and positive communication is the key to an individual's success.

Why not make a co-worker, associate or even a spouse feel safe and appreciated? Avoid communicating in a way that makes people feel threatened, stupid or wrong. Influencing a positive connection between people versus causing conflicts is the best and most effective way to communicate. Also, to think outside the box and not going with your first impression is critical. Look for the second right answer.

Sue mixes a combination of professional and life experiences, as well as research, to make others understand there are many different avenues of communication. She is a great motivational speaker filtered through a bit of the comedic genius of Rita Rudner. And, if you're wondering about her academic credentials:

BA - Education (University of Bridgeport)
Masters Degree in Counseling (ASU)
Fellowship (UC Berkeley)

With all the motivational speakers, tapes and books available it was refreshing to experience Sue with a positive and energetic style that made all of us want to participate. Isn't that one of life's goal? Positive Participation. You want the people in your professional life, in addition to your personal life, participating in a positive upbeat manner that gets things done. Benefiting everyone involved. For a day, try to eliminate NO from your vocabulary - refuse to answer the negative - make communications positive! For more information or to contact Sue visit her website at www.speakersue.com.

Special thanks to our sponsors, the F1 Race Factory and Conference Center for hosting our event, On the Border Mexican Food for catering the delicious food, and to Eric Bahr with Bahr Photography for the photo memories. Our raffle donors were: Broadway Palm Dinner, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale, GES Exposition Services, Royal Palms Resort & Spa, Discovery Maps & Guides, Legacy Golf Resort, the HSMAI Communications Committee and the F-1Race Factory.