VIEWPOINTS
Implementing big goals and ideas
by John O’Brien, CPMR
Fresh off a record setting 2023 ERA Conference, I find myself wondering how I’m going to implement everything I learned and thought of at this year’s Conference. If you’re anything like me, I have more action items than I could ever accomplish before the 2024 ERA Conference. So here are some of my thoughts on how to prioritize what I learned:
1. Sometimes I believe less is more. If I can accomplish 2-3 of the big goals I envisioned at the Conference, that will have the greatest impact on my organization and those are the ones on which I need to focus.
2. Don’t go it alone. Find people in your organization that you can bring into the discussions and can provide valuable insight into implementation. The mark of a good leader is someone who can take inputs from the team and coordinate it all to fit within the company’s vision.
3. Define what changes are driving you and your organization and work with your team to decide how these changes will affect your organization.
a. Our principals are always changing either through mergers and acquisitions, leadership restructuring, new product introductions and industry trends.
b. Our markets are constantly changing. Whether it’s robotics/AI, electrification or 5G evolution, our customers are looking to us to help navigate these changes.
4. Realize that a good decision made today may not be a good decision three months from now. I’ve stressed the need for flexibility and adaptability in previous articles. These changes will continue and they will accelerate.
5. Embrace new technologies. I had only heard of ChatGPT immediately prior to the 2023 Conference. Now I find myself referencing it for any number of things that come up in my day to day. I’ve been reluctant to utilize video, if for no other reason than I don’t like the way I look or sound in it. I’ve gotten over that and am working on my first video shoot as we speak. The ERA Conference really provides an opportunity to not necessarily work in your business, but work on your business, so use those ideas to make an impact on your company. Embrace the changes and use them as opportunities to grow.