Like a baseball bat, tennis racket or golf club, every person has a sweet spot, Harry Ziff told students at Kutztown University on Tuesday.
It’s up to each person to find his or her sweet spot, Ziff said.
“The sweet spot is right toward the tail end of that barrel, where if you hit it right in the middle you’re gonna get the best reaction,” he said. “Everybody has their personal sweet spot where everything lines up really well. I’m a firm believer that everyone is a 10 – 10 out of 10 – in something. A challenge for me as a leader and for you as individuals is to find what that is.”
Ziff, director of corporate logistics at East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. in Lyons, spoke at Kutztown as part of the College of Business’ featured speaker series.
Ziff has more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing and distribution environments and previously held positions at Campbell Soup Co., CertainTeed Corp. and OfficeMax.
A 10 in something
Ziff said he does his best not to give up on people because he knows they’re a 10 in something, and might not be matched to the right position. He advised people to get out of their comfort zone and try different things until they find their sweet spot.
“That’s what business is about,” he said. “That’s what life is about.”
Ziff noted that some people will take a job because it pays good money. Others will take a lower-paying job in order to do something they enjoy doing or have a passion for, he said.
It’s up to everyone to figure out what’s best for them, he said.
It’s about excellence
“Find what ultimately motivates you, and that’s different for everybody,” he said. “Some people are motivated by money, and that’s fine. I don’t judge that. For me, it’s about excellence. I’ve actually, in my career, taken a step back financially to do something that I’m really passionate about.”
Ziff said he was speaking from experience. He initially went to Haverford College, a liberal-arts college in suburban Philadelphia, for a degree in sociology. It wasn’t until later that he realized he wanted to get into the business world, so he went back to college and earned an MBA from Penn State.
His undergraduate degree taught him to think critically, he said, and it helped him to ultimately realize he wanted to be business, but he wasn’t ready for it.
“That next step for me was on-the-job learning,” Ziff said. “Then, at another point in my career, I realized in order for me to continue, I need what these KU students are getting at the undergrad level. I went for an MBA, because I didn’t have that background.”
During his nearly hour-long speech, Ziff also discussed the importance of interpersonal skills and getting noticed while remaining humble.
Do soul-searching
The biggest thing Ziff said that he wanted the students to take away from his speech was that they should do some soul-searching, and start planning with the end in mind.
They should also start being more open to experimenting, and start taking risks, he said.
“That’s how you grow as a person,” he said. “Kind of like a muscle, you got to tear and then rebuild and then reflect. Today, people don’t give themselves enough time to do that.”
Contact Brad Rhen: 610-371-5047 or brhen@readingeagle.com.
