The message of "Creating Passionate Work" was even better received than I thought it would be. I heard many members and staff positively comment afterwords about how they could use this in their own home and work settings.

Your own passion and commitment shows through in your presentation style and takes this message further then anything else could.

Thank you,

Christine Quinn

President

Participant Comments

The keynote speech delivered by Dr. Michael Kroth, “Creating Passionate Work,” was not
only hilarious, but also personally transforming. I am passionate about my work, but
frequently allow individuals, who I perceive to have less passion and poorer work ethics,
to irritate me. The more I am irritated with others, the less passion I have for my job. Dr.
Kroth reminded me that I need to reframe some of my frustration; take an active
leadership role in creating positive solutions to help others become more motivated and
appreciated; and also take personal responsibility for my happiness or lack thereof in my
workplace. His humor and humanity were extraordinary, and the content of his
presentation was very beneficial.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The opening presenter; however, set the stage for me and clued me in that this was going
to be more than a conference that centered around the classroom academics, but the
integral formation of the student. In the process, it also made me examine myself as a
person.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Kroth gave a “passionate” talk and pro-active approaches to taking control of the
work environment and your life. We do have 100% control of our attitudes. This is a topic
that one can revisit when starting each day! The correctional institution environment can be
challenging (“toxic”) for staff and offenders alike. Some of my students have that
“learned helplessness” attitude and see the world through some very different eyes and
my advice to new staff is always to take care of themselves so they can be balanced and
effective staff that our offenders and organization needs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I left the 2007 MPAEA Conference inspired by Dr. Kroth’s words about doing what you
love and keeping the excitement alive in yourself and your students. I came home armed
with better ways to conduct our student intake assessments thanks to shared advice from
others in my field and with an open mind to keep a positive eye and ear tuned to my
students. All of this and I got to spend a few days in a gorgeous town, Couer d’Alene,
Idaho.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspiration was certainly provided by Dr. Michael Kroth’s opening keynote address. We in
the human services arena seem to share, to varying degrees, a passion for our work.
Nonetheless, routine and repetition take their toll, so Kroth reminded us and challenged us
to take responsibility for our vocational fate. It is always much easier to try to place
blame elsewhere, but the buck truly does stop on one’s (my) desk.
Taking his comments beyond the personal sphere, I believe his presentation could have as
easily been titled “Creating Passionate Learning” for we, as teachers, must inspire
receptivity to learning in our students. Quite often I am challenged by students who (and
this seems to be a trend in our society) blame non-achievement on everything but
themselves. I realize now that I must be constantly creating a welcoming learning
environment that challenges students, respects their differing learning styles, and offers
recognition and reward for achievement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The final thing I really enjoyed was the keynote speech by Dr. Michael Kroth. His
presentation titled “Creating Passionate Work” was just the boost I needed to hear in
these times for financial uncertainty in my program. His message was a good reminder
that I do this work not for big bucks or a fancy job title but because I believe that
everyday I have the potential to make life better for my students.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first presentation I attended was taught by Dr. Michael Kroth entitled “Creating
Passionate Work”. He has been an educator for years, and was skillful in giving us some
strategies in order to keep us passionate about teaching.
Dr. Kroth listed nine strategies that he feels that anyone can use to create a more
passionate work environment. These include building relationships, connect to your school’s
mission, give folks around you permission to have fun, become the best at your job that
you can, and build a great work place to go to everyday.
I love these goals - I had worked in the same office for 2 years and had inherited it from
the previous SPED dept. Nothing in there was mine. So when I returned to my work site, I
tore down outdated posters, changed the furniture around, put in some new blooming
plants, and posted the school’s Mission Statement….”Lifelong Learning!”
I immediately felt more connected my work place, and from that actually built better
relationships with my SPED students because I was happier. I learned a lot from Dr. Kroth’s
philosophy!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The opening keynote on Thursday morning by Dr. Michael Kroth set the stage for a
wonderful conference. His focus on creating passion in the workplace was a well stated
reminder of my personal belief that creating a positive environment in which my staff can
develop a passion for their work is one of my highest priorities. His demonstration of his
passion for his work demonstrated clearly the need to model the passion and enthusiasm
for your job that you want others to adopt.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall, I felt the conference focus was on leadership and producing happy, productive
adult employees (students) in a nurturing environment. The keynote speaker, Dr. Michael
Kroth discussed “Occupational Intimacy.” His basic idea was that work should be
meaningful, enjoyable and nurturing. This same concept easily applies to the adult learner
and the Adult Ed classroom. As a teacher, I need to encourage my students to risk starting
a new challenge in their life-school. It is very important that my classroom be inviting and I
exhibit a light hearted and caring attitude. Building a supportive relationship is vital to
developing my student’s confidence and determination to succeed. If I believe they can
succeed and can convey that message, then they will believe they can succeed.

Your keynote presentation to the International Association of Workforce

Professionals was inspiring, educational, and at times, side splittingly

funny.

The message went straight to my heart, probably because it seemed to

come straight from your heart.

It was a good message about finding or regaining passion in our work in

order to have a healthy work environment, regardless of the situation we

find ourselves in. We all need to hear that, and maybe more than once!

Thank you for sharing your valuable information.

Sincerely,

Laura M. Coburn

2007-08 International President, IAWP

On behalf of all of us at the Division of Human Resources, I extend my sincere thanks to you for sharing your talent and expertise at the Administrative Professionals Conference in Boise on April 26 and 27. Your presentation, Passionate Work Environment received rave reviews. Many participants shared their appreciation of how much they enjoyed you and the profound message you delivered in a humorous, yet passionate style. We feel honored that you, as a national and international speaker, choose to participate in our conference.

Again, thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to prepare and deliver an engaging and insightful presentation. You made the event a delightful “Celebration” day for our state employees.

Sincerely,

Ann Heilman

Thank you for providing a spectacular wrap up for our agency conference. Your topic, “How to Create a Passionate Work Environment” was right on the mark, and your presentation was exactly what I had in mind. You left us laughing, energized, and with information to take back to our individual workplaces. And, indeed we have. At an agency meeting last week, people were discussing the techniques you presented to create more passion in their workplaces.

Betsy Johnson