motivasi24-kaufman3 Out to Lunch with Ron Kaufman George Hopkin with "Management Guru" Ron Kaufman at the Inter-Continental Hotel's Villa Veduta in Dubai Take one part Tom Peters, one part Robin Williams, add the enthusiasm of a kindergarten teacher fresh out of college, shake in a thoroughly energetic manner, and the result should look something like Ron Kaufman, 'management guru' and former globetrotting frisbee diplomat. Paying his first visit to the Gulf, Kaufman has flown in from Singapore to present a one-day seminar for Dubai Quality Group, and despite a hectic schedule, he is keen to take time off for lunch -- his bodyclock tells him it is evening and he is long overdue for a bite to eat. His loud American manner appears all the more larger than life in the tranquil ambiance of the Inter-Continental Hotel's Villa Veduta Italian restaurant. Kaufman's roots are in America, but he has lived in Singapore since being recruited by the government in 1990 to establish a training program for Singapore Airlines. When the menu arrives, he gives it a brief once-over before ordering 'a sparkling mineral water and a Fettucine with tomato-based sauce, par excellence'. Kaufman is a vegetarian, a choice he has made for health rather than moral reasons, and even the Parmesan cheese is a no-no since he gave up dairy products as well. Kaufman's health means a lot to him. It helped with his unusual start in the world of business when he played a part in the successful international marketing of Frisbee tournaments during the 1970s. He even went on to arrange cross-cultural visits during the Cold War which saw American Frisbee fans playing their sport in Moscow's Red Square and by the Great Wall of China. Today, his seminars are marketed with adjectives such as 'upbeat', 'energetic', 'participatory', and 'fun!'. "My style of education is very entertaining," says Kaufman. "I believe it comes from my background as master of ceremonies for large sporting events when you're working with a crowd of 65,000 people and the whole mood of the group is based upon what I do on the microphone. So when I get a small group of people -- whether it is 100, 400 or 20 -- the mood of that group is my responsibility." So how does he feel about being labeled as a 'management guru'? "It's a phrase that only other people can say about you," explains Kaufman. "I consider it a sign of respect -- if people say you're a guru, then it's quite an honor. Of course, you've got to live up to that honor." Kaufman does not have his market cornered. There are other instructors who have gained a reputation for giving presentations that strive to be as entertaining as they are informative. Perhaps management gurus are the rock stars of the corporate world? "To some extent, yes, because some of them are a flash in the pan, they come and they go. But then there are the classics, like Bruce Springsteen." Kaufman takes a break from his meal and is clearly warming to the 'guru as rock star' concept. "Maybe this is a good analogy. People who have done original research and original design of educational components become the classics. Nobody really expects the Rolling Stones or Springsteen to keep coming up with new stuff, they can rely on their classics." And where does Kaufman stand in the rock-and-roll world of management techniques? "I'm an up-and coming young rock star," he says with a smile. "I'm still early enough in my career where there is a path of service that lies in front of me that I enjoy walking." But surely all play and no work cannot be good for business. Can 'business' and 'fun!' really coexist and still make a valuable contribution to performance and results? "It depends on what kind of business education you are doing," he says. "If you're consulting for senior management on development of a strategic plan, or financial accounting, just keep your nose to the grindstone and get the job done. But if what you are doing has an educational as well as motivational component -- service, quality, customer focus, improving relationships -- then there is an emotional component in that, it's human to human, so it can't be just dry, rational education like in a classroom, there has to be some involvement from the audience. And once you're talking about involving people from the audience, if I have them in a good mood, they're much more likely to participate, enjoy what they're learning, remember it positively afterwards and apply it." Just as Kaufman managed to entice worldwide interest in Frisbee tournaments, he now appears to be out to market Ron Kaufman on an international scale. His business card not only features a color photograph of himself, his telephone, fax and e-mail numbers, it also reveals that his company has its own web site -- www.ronkaufman.com. This may seem unsurprising, until he explains that the entire operation is run by him alone. No secretaries, no partners, no backup. No problem, says Kaufman. "I learned some time ago that I prefer not to have an office. I work all day long, teaching in a boardroom somewhere, or a conference venue or a corporate site. In the evening, I go home, and that's where my office is. So whether I'm checking all my incoming e-mail, writing a proposal, that is where I do it. I don't really want someone coming to my home at night to be my secretary, and if my office is not at home, I'm not going to see my family that much." So what does the future hold for Ron Kaufman, up-and-coming educational 'rock star', management mentor to the multinationals and former spokesman for the Frisbee generation? "I am blessed," says Kaufman, and once again his face and mannerisms are animated by an almost child-like enthusiasm. "This is a great planet. When you think about it, what a cool place to come to live. You've got water, you've got sky and you're living in a time when there are things like airplanes and telephones. If you're going to be alive, this is a pretty neat place and time to be alive."