Alan Robinson, an award-winning author, educator and business consultant, will speak at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 22, in Ballroom A in the Strand Union Building on the campus of Montana State University.

The lecture, which will include highlights from Robinson's latest book, "Ideas Are Free," will demonstrate how managers and owners of businesses can radically improve the performance of their organizations by tapping the huge potential in their employees' ideas.

The MSU College of Business Family Business Program sponsors the lecture, which is free and open to the public.

"We are fortunate to have been able to schedule Dr. Robinson for this presentation," said Nancy Dodd, director of the MSU College of Business Family Business Program. "Consider this our gift to the business community and come find out creative ways for you to gather new ideas about how to fulfill your business's New Year's resolutions."

Robinson has advised more than 100 companies in 11 countries. He has served on the Board of Examiners of the United States' Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. He and co-author Dean M. Schroeder have discovered the key principles for obtaining and managing large numbers of high-quality ideas from employees.

The Montana Family Business Program is made possible by MSU College of Business, Bradford Roofing Company, Darigold Farms, Combs Law Firm, PC, and TwoMedicine.

For more information, call Dodd at 994-6195, or e-mail at ndodd@montana.edu. For more information about Robinson and his book go to www.ideasarefree.com.