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Show Convo lecture will cover basic principles Renn Zaphiropoulos will discuss tHe basics of business success at tomorrow's lecture By J. ARTHUR FIELDS SENIOR STAFF WRJTER "It is hard for me to describe what I am going to talk about because I don't know myself until I get there," Dr. Renn Zaphiropoulos said of his Convocation presentation tomorrow. Zaphiropoulos, a retired giant in the business world is an adjunct professor of business at SUU. He teaches a course in the business department entitled, "Elegance in Business." The course is designed to show students the ins and outs of the highly competitive business world of today. Zaphiropoulos is a frequent speaker on subjects relating to the cultivation of excellence in management and entrepreneurial management. He is also employed as a consultant in executive training for Southwestern Bell, Xerox, Strawberry Tree, Inc., UniSil, among others. Zaphiropoulos also serves on the board of directors for five high-tech companies in the northern California/San Francisco area. Although Zaphiropoulos does not know exactly what he will be speaking on at Convocation, he did say that he wanted to cover, "the basic principals involved in bus·i ness success." Zaphiropoulos said that he prefers to see how an audience reacts to him and then alter his format to suit his needs. He said that everything he says during the presentation comes right off the top of his head, nothing is written down. "When I speak to a large audience," Zaphiropoulos said, "I prefer to watch their reactions and then shape the rest of my presentation to their mood." The presentation entitled "Factors in Business Success," is compiled from 47 plus years that Zaphiropoulos has spent as a key player in the business world. "I have learned many important lessons in the time that I have spent in business, 11 Zaphiropoulos said, "I have determined that there are prerequisites for success." Zaphiropoulos was instrumental in developing the technology responsible for the discovery of the electrostatic writing technique for hard copy production. He is also the co-founder of one of the leading electrostatic printer and plotter manufacturers in the world. In 1975 his company, Versatec, merged with Xerox, a pioneer in the photocopy industry. He retired from Xerox in 1988 but continues to serve that corporation as a consultant. He is also credited with 29 patents including work on Trinitron, while employed at Chromatic Television Laboratories. He is the recipient of the "Salute to Free Enterprise" award, which was presented to him by the California State Assembly for his advances in technologies used in many major corporations in the Silicon Valley. A much sought after speaker, Zaphiropoulos has been asked to speak at many prestigious such as Harvard Business School, Columbia University and Stanford University. Currently a group of Harvard MBA student are conducting a study of his management style. Zaphiropoulos eame!i a bachelor of science in engineering physics and a master's in physics from Lehigh University. In addition, Zaphiropoulos has received an Honorary Doctorate of engineering from RoseHulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana and an Honorary Doctorate in humanities from SUU. He said that he feels that one of the most important areas of any corporation, regardless of the product, are the people who make it all happen. "Proper management is the most important element in any business," Zaphiropoulos said, "it does not matter how small or large the business is." Zaphiropoulos said that he intends to outline the technical aspects of the market place this the human aspect in his speech tomorrow. "One must understand these strategies," Zaphiropoulos said of the industry in which he has dedicated his life, " if they are to survive in the competitive market of today. If you are abl t understand the fund.:imenta ls then it will give you an edge against the competition." 'Success is a journey, not a destination' According to a recent article, there are 12 steps to becoming successful in business By JENNIFER MORLEY ASSISTANT EDITOR According to an article by Erik Olesen in Success magazine, "Success is a journey, not a destination. The way you react to change will greatly affect your trip. " If you merely cope with the inevitable bumps and hurdles, you can expect mediocrity. But if you seek out and embrace change, you will discover it can be a source of great inspiration." Tomorrow's Convocation speaker, SUU Adjunct Professor of Business Renn Zaphiropoulos, will be discussing "Factors for Business Success." Zaphiropoulos teaches a course at SU entitled "Elegance in Business." In addition, he is a frequent lecturer on the subject of cultivating excellence in management and entrepreneurial management. Olesen's article goes on to identify 12 steps which he labels the "12 Steps to Mastering the Winds of Change." T hey include: • View change as a challenge. Every change, even if it's negative, presents an opportunity. Change can be an ally- if you take advantage of it. • Build commitment through goals and passion. Most successful people do what they day they will, when they say they will. Their passion provides them with energy and motivation to persevere. True commitment doesn't require self-righteousness. If I you forget the joy that sustains your work, your • Learn from mistakes. Mistakes provide important information to help us goals will become goads. deal with change in our live . • Stay committed when the going gets tough • Maintain perspective. Open your mind to what you can do. In addition to personal chaJlenge, personal • Know when to control and when to let go. examination is essential for Each uf us is tempted toward maintaining perspective. Take undercontrol or overcontrol. time to be alone every day. Undercontrollers panic when • Tw1e the body. challenge strikes. Rather than Study after study has shown a leading when necessary, powerful link between phy ical overcontrollers try to do it all. fitness and mental alertness. The key is balance. Structure exercise into your • Deal with your setbacks. everyday life. Write workouts Everyone experiences problems. into your appointment book. In times of trouble, allow Schedule walking, tennis, or golf yourself to experience negative meetings. emotions, deal with them, and • Build confidence. move on. Preparation can go a long way • Be optimistic. to building confidence. Leaders who are upbeat and • Communicate effectively. positive inspire similar feelings Learn to be a good listener. in their teams. An optimist sees Many people talk too much. obstacles as temporary They're busy waiting to say roadblocks. something and don't really To boost your ability to deal listen to what the other person with change, concentrate on says. Then, when it's their turn what's going right. to speak, they don't shut up. As • Use humor to deal with important as listening is change. Humor is not a cure-all, but it ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' learning to ask questions is a help-all. When stress strikes, One of the k eys to success in business effectively and state opinions is effective communication skills. cogently. take yowself lightly. |