Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore…

by Chuck Tanzola, CPMR

Editor’s Note: Chuck Tanzola, ERA Board President, passed away suddenly in December 2023. Chuck wrote for The Representor each quarter faithfully for many years and provided us all with timely, insightful columns that were peppered with his humor and wisdom. We are re-running here one of his most popular columns. This column consistently gets the most pageviews on ERA.org, even three years after it was written. Chuck wrote this column right after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in Spring 2020. Even though the pandemic is largely behind us now, many of Chuck’s words below still ring true and will forever remain true, especially his paraphrased tips from Coach John Wooden about staying true to yourself, staying flexible and adaptive and being at your best when your best is needed. These words helped this industry get through the pandemic, and can help us be successful for years to come. We will miss you, Chuck.

—The Representor editorial staff

In the 1939 movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy says to her dog at one point, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” It’s a phrase that has come to mean that we have stepped outside of what is considered normal; we have entered a place or circumstance that is unfamiliar and uncomfortable; we have found ourselves in a strange situation. Unlike in the movie, however, we cannot close our eyes, click our heels three times, think “there’s no place like home” and return to the normal, familiar and comfortable. As I consider what we are facing with respect to COVID-19, I think about three distinct periods which I’ve labeled survival, searching and stability.

Period 1 – Survival | The pandemic outbreak

In this first period, as the reality of an accelerating pandemic materialized, our survival instincts kicked in and we focused on health, safety and well-being. We implemented disaster mitigation plans, readjusted our immediate activities and spent a lot of time telling ourselves that everything would be okay and we’ll get through it — while wondering privately, “Will it really be okay”? (You might also call it “OMG” phase). Of course, individual experiences shape our outlook, so while this might not be universally true, for the most part, I think we are well through this phase and thinking about what comes next.

Period 2 – Searching | Looking to re-open

So, what does come next? We are seeing many businesses searching for how to re-open under varied, changing and often confusing government rules, regulations and executive orders; coupled with the companies’ own internal guidelines and convictions. In this period of searching, for some the goal is to see a path to return to the familiar; while for others, learning from our time of mass isolation mandates a vision of change. The natural tension created by this dichotomy of views compounds feelings of uncertainty.

Period 3 – Stability | Beyond COVID-19

If today we are searching, then tomorrow we will move towards a new equilibrium beyond COVID-19: I have named that period “stability.” When that will be seems to be a moving target, but I have no doubt that a) it will happen; and b) it will encompass a combination of the best of the familiar enhanced with lessons learned during this pandemic; and c) by definition it will be different.

As we consider what stability will look like and how we get there, it would be nice to be able to peek behind the curtain to ask the great and powerful Oz. Naturally we cannot, but perhaps it would be instructive to apply some principles from another “wizard” to our industry.

Over his 27-year career, John Wooden—the “Wizard of Westwood”—coached the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team to 620 victories (including one winning streak of 88 straight games) and a record-setting 10 national titles in 12 years. Coach John Wooden taught the world that integrity and character are the cornerstones of success. Three of the maxims that Wooden taught within his pyramid of success are as follows:

Be true to yourself. Given the pressure to “change something” in the midst of disruption, it is paramount to know and promote your value proposition. Do not try to become something you are not, but enhance that which you are. The unique combination of characteristics that a manufacturers’ rep brings to the industry—local knowledge and flavor, synergy of non-competitive offerings, developed trusted advisor relationships—has inherent value to customers, manufacturers and channel partners; and transcends the capability of video conferencing to replicate it.

The specific combination of goods and services that each manufacturer offers to the market base makes your company distinct. Focus on your core competencies; amplify your distinctives. Providing a channel for distributing product to the marketplace; and the myriad of services and complexities associated with that function are best served by those well equipped to do so. Fundamentally, being true to yourself is about maintaining the essence of an entity.

Flexibility is the key to stability. This is about adapting to changing conditions and circumstances. In the realm of coaching basketball, it is about adjusting the game plan as needs dictate—it doesn’t change the characteristics of the team and its members, but rather applies those members in different ways. I am truly in awe of the creative adaptation that I have seen in the industry during this time.

Be at your best when your best is needed. This is the top of Coach Wooden’s pyramid; and serves as a daily call to action. Getting through the pandemic will take our brains, no doubt some courage and a lot of heart—the collective best in all of us is needed and will make us stronger as we travel through this time together!