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Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was founded by Henry Kravis and his partner George Roberts in the mid 70’s with assistance from the First Chicago Corporation. Pushing beyond, in a drive to make their acquisitions greener, they have set up a unique venture that has entirely transformed the way businesses and environmental groups work.

KKR’s Henry Kravis and the New York based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged a year ago, with the mission of making green business practice an acknowledged concept. This alliance intended to oppose some primary issues damaging the environment, that include toxic emissions, water pollution, ecologically unsustainable consumption of water resources, and hazardous chemical use.

To achieve these goals, they deploy a technique termed eco-efficiency, this calls for techniques like recycling programs, optimizing data centers for efficiency, and maximum use of renewable resources. Regardless of the fact that the project was an enormous success, managment simply did not realize how significant the results really were until Ken Mehlman, the executive responsible for the program, finished the first annual review. Ken who practiced environmental law for Akin Gump Stauss Hauer & Feld, has also served as legislative director to Texas 21st Congressional District Representative Lamar S. Smith, was the appointed Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2005 to 2007 and currently serves as a member of the Senior Advisory Committee of the Harvard University Institute of Politics, the Council on Foreign Relations Climate Change Task Force, and the executive leadership cabinet of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation, observed that the program wasn’t only reducing their ecological impact, but additionally it was saving firms a great deal of money, making the program virtually an immediate success. Virtually all of the commercial concerns owned by Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman at present use eco-efficiency. And, with a 2009 business portfolio worth $86,000,000,000, you can be sure this was no easy feat.

The initial Green Portfolio project now includes new opportunities. To illustrate, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co linked up with the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps Program that instructs MBA students how to introduce financially strong, green principles.

More recently, Ken Mehlman has been in close collaboration with KKR to develop a package of metrics and other relevant systems which all kinds of business organizations can utilize to measure and manage a number of resources. With this information available, any business can assess their day-to-day activities and find out precisely how they can improve while simultaneously tracking their progress. Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have encouraged all sorts of businesses to go green. So, in conclusion, these systems have made environmentally friendly business techniques not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their radical ideas are setting a new standard in today’s world.

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Nametags are worn for a variety of jobs and functions, but people don’t like to wear them because they’re annoying, damage your clothing, clash with your outfit, and eliminate anonymity.

Picture this: you see someone’s nametag and decide to strike up a conversation with them:

“Nice to meet you Jimmy, my name is Gary.”

Conversations like these don’t go anywhere because there’s nothing to say once your have introduced yourself.

“So…uh…Jimmy…what brings you to this networking meeting?”

But what if…

What if there was something other than your name to write on your nametag? There is certainly enough room on your three inch by four inch plastic tag to add another word or two! The following is a list of nine creative things to write on your nametag that will empower more interesting and engaging conversations.

Hometown
Casinos popularized this tactic years ago to include cities/countries of origin on nametags to create connections between dealers and gamblers. However, any setting in which nametags are worn will engage people to discuss where they grew up. Not only does the nametag promote a conversation about someone’s hometown (which shows a genuine interest in that person and appeals to their self-interests), but the self-disclosure reciprocates and expedites the encounter toward a more detailed interaction.

Position
Networking meetings, conventions, jobs or other business gatherings require nametags to identify people with their company or department. But an overlooked addition to your nametag in a business setting is to write what you do, not just your position. Instead of “Oscar Meyer,” write “I sell hot dogs to Walmart.” I promise everyone at the meeting will come up and say hello! Who knows, maybe they’ll want to do business with the person whose nametag made them smile!

Pet Peeve
Picture this: you sit down to a table and notice the nametag of the person next to you: “HELLO, my name is Theresaknuckle cracking drives me crazy.” Everyone has a pet peeve, and everyone likes to talk (rant) about it! So next time you go to a casual meeting or event, write your pet peeve underneath your name. You will be certain to have some interesting conversations with this one!

Food
No matter how boring people can get, you can always talk about food to spice up the conversation. Include such phrases as “Cereal works for any meal,” “Kiwi is the best fruit,” and “George likes his chicken spicy.” It will automatically open someone else up. They will usually smile and ask about your particular food selection. After you answer, you can follow up and inquire about their favorite foods as well. This is great for parties and small group meetings.

Nickname
Most people have some sort of nickname they have been called at some point in their lives. The best thing about nicknames is that there’s always a story behind them. As you discover these fascinating stories, you develop trust, levity and create a friendly bond between two people. After all, if you saw a nametag that said, “Laszlo the King”, wouldn’t you want to find out the story behind it?

Activities
Write down your favorite sport, pastime or interest. Not only does this allow you to discuss something about which you are passionate, but someone else is bound to enjoy the same activities! Who knows, perhaps you will meet your next teammate or book club member!

Quotation
Write your favorite quotation or bible verse on your nametag. This is a brilliant method to encourage conversations beyond the small talk level. Many people have some one-liner, old saying, proverb or verse by which they live their livesso why shouldn’t we share them? Wisdom like this is meant to be passed on to other people!

Number
Get creative and add a number to your nametag. Simply write a number in the bottom corner of your nametag that signifies something. For example, write the number of children you have, miles traveled to the event, number of speeding tickets received, amount of pizza you have eaten in one night, anything! But no matter what the number signifies, people will find out why it’s there.

Entertainment
Include the title of your favorite book, album, movie or magazine on your nametag. Because we learn from every connection you make, this addition to your nametag will be a great opportunity to tell people about some of your favorite things. What’s more, everyone has seen one movie, read one book or eaten at one restaurant you haven’t–so use your nametag to spark some future experiences!

REMEMBER:

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags” and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

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