"Whale Done . The Power of Positive Relationships" workshop held in October in Bonita Springs made a powerful impact on United Ways of Lee and Collier counties.

The seminar by best-selling business author and management consultant Ken Blanchard raised $15,673 for the nonprofit organizations that support 60 human-service agencies in the Southwest Florida community.

More than 600 area business leaders attended the workshop about managing and motivating employees, and promoting and sustaining positive customer relationships. The Bonita Bay Group and the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored the half-day session; all proceeds of admission were dedicated to United Way.

"United Way supports dozens of agencies that help people from all walks of life in our community," said Sabra Spaugh, vice president of human resources at The Bonita Bay Group. "We knew Ken Blanchard would be a big draw. Making his appearance a benefit for United Way was a way for us to reinforce how important we believe the work of that organization is."

To illustrate the message of his "Whale Done" workshop, Blanchard focused on the positive-reinforcement techniques used so successfully by trainers of killer whales at SeaWorld.