Biography

Now an independent researcher, author, speaker and consultant, Curt Coffman spent 22 years at The Gallup Organization and served as its Global Practice Leader for employee and customer engagement consulting. Coffman has consulted with many Fortune 100 and 500 companies, and his work has spanned the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. His mission is to help organizations understand the key characteristics of a positive, productive, customer-oriented work environment. His research and consulting insights help organizations measure and manage workplace and customer conditions that show linkage to business outcomes.

In the past 10 years, Coffman has presented to thousands of groups on the topic of creating great places to work and their impact on individuals, families, organizational growth and creating engaged customers. His research and thoughts have been published in BusinessWeek, Chief Executive magazine, CIO Magazine, The Economist, Fast Company, Fortune, the Harvard Business Review, the Harvard Management Update, Inc. magazine, the International Journal of Management Reviews, Microsoft Executive Circle, The New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Business Today (India). With John Fleming and Jim Harter, Coffman recently published an article on Gallup’s HumanSigma model, a management approach that assesses, manages, and improves the quality of the employee-customer encounter, in the Harvard Business Review (July/August, 2005).

Coffman is the coauthor of one of the bestselling management books of all time, First, Break All the Rules: What the World?s Greatest Managers Do Differently (Simon & Schuster, 1999). Now in its 40th printing, First, Break All the Rules has been translated into 22 languages and has appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and USA Today. Coffman is also the coauthor of Follow This Path: How the World’s Greatest Organizations Drive Growth by Unleashing Human Potential (Warner Books, 2002). Follow This Path has been translated into 15 languages and has appeared on several international bestseller lists.

Coffman lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Tammy, and three children, Katie, Claire, and Clayton.

Read More

Videos

Request Availability
Curt Coffman has served as the thought architect for Ritz-Carlton’s new ‘Service Values,’ which has been cited as one of our organization’s most important change initiatives by executives, general managers and Ladies and Gentlemen alike. Curt’s presentations have received rave reviews and he has been the highest rated speaker at our international general manager’s conference.
– John Timmerman Vice President - Quality, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Curt spent the day at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center meeting with a senior manager, delivering a keynote to 200+ attendees, and then leading a small group conversation in the afternoon. It was clear that Curt has a depth of expertise on culture change. What stood out the most was his facility with storytelling and how well he integrated that approach with hard facts and statistics. Research indicates that people best remember information conveyed to them in the form of a story. Curt’s input is helpful to organizations seeking to make the case for the “softer” skills. Also notable, was Curt’s warmth and approachability. Attendees commented on the fact that Curt is a great listener and made it easy for people to ask questions and engage with him, both in the keynote and small conversation format.
– Gail S. Williams Emeritus, Leadership Colloquia Series, NASA
Customers are willing to pay a premium for strong brands. Strong brands are the result of employees and the cultures they create. Curt Coffman brings the clear direction necessary to understand and capitalize on these realities."
– Matthew F. Gonzales Corporate Manager- Organizational Development, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A
Curt’s contribution to our event was both memorable and impactful. Attendees were unanimous in ranking Curt as the best session of the day. We look forward to having him back.
– Ronald Balmer Principal & Clobal Practice Leader - Client Experience, Greenwich Associates

Booksby Curt Coffman

First, Break All The Rules

Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch

Follow This Path

For Meeting Planners

Blog Posts

From Crisis to Calm: Strategies for Handling Unavoidable Stress

🎧 In today's episode, we're joined by Eliz Greene, a job stress and wellness expert...

Read More

Breathe Easy: The Power of Belly Breathing for Instant Stress Relief

🧘‍♂️ Feeling overwhelmed by stress and constant demands? Learn how to harness the transformative power...

Read More

Newsletter: Stop Striving for A Perfect Life

🕒 Have three minutes? Don't miss this week's newsletter as we explore living a perfect...

Read More

Podcast Insights from Guest Carolyn Strauss

🎧 We are thrilled to share the feedback from Carolyn Strauss, a featured guest on...

Read More

The Rockstar’s Guide to Transforming Your Mindset

🤘 Ready to unleash your inner rockstar? Join us as Mark Schulman, renowned drummer turned...

Read More

Technology’s Pivotal Role in the Events Industry

💫 As technology continues to shape the landscape, Ike's insights into the future of events...

Read More

Related Speakers

We’ll secure a speaker your audience raves about for years

Schedule a Call

Nothing short of impeccable! From start to finish The Keynote Curators provided exactly what we needed. Bravo!

– Diana B.
Insurance Association

We had a speaker cancel at the last-minute. Without missing a beat, The Keynote Curators offered several options to choose from. The replacement hit it out of the park. We avoided a potential disaster and looked good doing it. Thanks to The Keynote Curators.

– Yvette S.
Credit Union

Everything that was promised was delivered and more. The VIP Meet & Greet that was arranged was the difference make for our sponsor. It could not have gone any better. Thank you to The Keynote Curators for being a true partner.

– Grace H.
Financial Services

For the last ten years we have worked with Seth in booking our speakers. Each year he outdoes the previous year. Excited to see who we have next year.

– Cecily R.
Medical Devices

We have used several different agencies, but The Keynote Curators is the one that goes the furthest in understanding our meetings’ goals and messaging. This is the difference maker for us and is the reason why we continue to work with them.

– Nancy M.
Agriculture Association

Here's how toCue the post-event celebrations

1. Schedule a call

We’ll connect so we understand your needs to curate a selection of great speakers.

2. Book your speaker

We’ll manage all the details so you will be confident with your choice.

3. Wow your audience

Inform & educate your participants to ideas that transform their work & personal life.

Hit the mark with the perfect speaker!

Schedule a Call