- Betty Alexander
- Scott Allen
- Susan Annunzio
- Simon Bailey
- Fran Dean Bishop
- Misti Burmeister
- Mark Burton
- Marsha Egan
- Jennifer Flynn
- Stephanie Frank
- Bill Pfleging &
Minda Zetlin - Daniel Grissom
- Richard Hadden
- Dr. Beth Halbert
- Oren Harari
- Reed Holden
- Frans Johansson
- Terri Langhans
- Mike Lipkin
- Cyndi Maxey
- Betsy McCaughey
- John Miller
- Carol Muratore
- Kevin O'Connor
- Dr. Judith Orloff
- Dr. Michael Ozner
- Doug Patterson
- Robert Schwarz
- Sally Strackbein
- Brian Sullivan
- Graham Webb
- Craig Yarde
Home » Our Speakers » Bill Pfleging & Minda Zetlin
Bill Pfleging & Minda Zetlin
![Bill Pfleging & Minda Zetlin [image]](../../images/speakers/bill_pfleging_&_minda_zetlin.jpg)
Do cultures clash in your company? Tired of searching for a translator who can talk to management and the IT guys? Want everyone to share the same goals?
Meet bridge-builders Bill & Minda, here to open eyes and minds to create understanding between uniquely different employees.
Husband-and-wife team, Bill Pfleging and Minda Zetlin, address a business problem that is so pervasive today that it is often accepted as inevitable—just part of the corporate landscape. But their message is one that offers companies a fresh perspective and simple, practical solutions to resolve the miscommunications and confusion between management and IT.
  |
Bill, a computer and technology consultant ('geek'), and Minda Zetlin, a business writer ('suit'), understand the long-running discord between these two groups. The authors of the recently released The Geek Gap: Why Business and Technology Professionals Don't Understand Each Other and Why They Need Each Other to Survive, they see the issue as a cultural clash rather than an attitude problem in the workplace.
Not only do they dissect the issues between business execs and IT guys, but Bill and Minda offer insights and tangible solutions to increase the understanding—and, therefore, cooperation, trust and efficiency—between these two groups. Bill and Minda explain the natural differences in skills and characteristics between the boardroom-types with P&L statements in hand and the gadget-loving techies focused on hardware and software all day. It is no wonder that each of these groups has difficulty understanding the other's motivation and priorities. According to Minda, "The tech worker, the geek, is a problemsolver. The businessman, the suit, is a people influencer." There is a fundamental difference in the way each interacts with technology. Bill explains that "to geeks, a piece of technology is a thing of beauty in its own right, a wonderfully fascinating puzzle. But to suits, it's a tool, only worthwhile if it helps them accomplish their objectives. Geeks are likely to lose interest in a project as soon as it runs perfectly ('Hooray! Now I can stop working on it!'). But at the same moment, suits are more likely to become engaged ('Hooray! Now I can start working on it!')."
Regardless of the audience's makeup, Bill and Minda see nodding heads every time they speak. Fortunately, however, suits and geeks leave their programs with increased understanding and appreciation for the other guy. Bill Pfleging and Minda Zetlin can co-present programs or address groups individually.
About the Book
"The Geek Gap is thoroughly original, virtually unique, of paramount importance, and on top of all that, a "great read." Bill Pfleging and Minda Zetlin deserve a giant "Hats off" for this wonderful piece of work."
- Tom Peters, Renown Author & Speaker
"The Geek Gap isn't just for those who manage technology and technologists…It should be mandatory reading for everyone in corporate America. There's practical, useful material here that will help you bridge the gap, raise morale and improve your bottom line."
- Sree Sreenivasan, WABC's TV Tech Guru & Columbia University Professor
If you're a geek, a suit, or have ever tried to manage either, you'll love this book. It's as real life as the next cubicle and as actionable as tomorrow's meeting. Superbly written, full of illuminating, often hilarious realworld examples, The Geek Gap is required reading for anyone who deals with the technology of business, or the business of technology—in other words, just about all of us. Having business people and developers work on projects collaboratively and effectively is important for any company. By letting these two groups understand how each other thinks, acts and works, The Geek Gap provides the keys for teams to succeed. Speaker Articles: * speaker fees subject to changes without notice
- Dorothy Leonoard, Harvard Business School & Coauhtor of Deep Smarts: How to Cultivate and Transfer Enduring Business Wisdom
- Michael Belfiore, Science & Space Writer
- Adam Gross, VP- Developer Marketing, Salesforce.com
