by / Shaun Ekert
Sometimes as busy contractors in the mechanical insulation industry, we forget about the bigger picture. We get so needle focused on the trees we forget the forest exists, and we lose sight of our places in it. We work hard to bring quality and professionalism to our jobs, keep our employees working, and feed our families—and the hyperfocus stays on our businesses and the bottomline, which isn’t a bad thing.
But there is more to business and development in our industry than looking within and managing our businesses. Outside our individual four walls there is a whole industry—a forest, you might say—needing our attention. The ways we as contractors commit and contribute to the mechanical insulation industry outside of generating and completing our own jobs really matter. Whether it is volunteering at trade shows, participating in board committees, taking on small but meaningful tasks in association events and initiatives, everyone has a part to play. And it is easy for one person to ignore their part, assuming someone else will pick up the slack, but if most people take that approach, nothing gets done and the industry sits at a stand-still.
It can be hard to commit to anything that does not have a direct and immediate payout. We are conditioned to bid the job, win the job, complete the job, and get paid for the job—this cycle is what keeps us afloat and it can seem like there isn’t much value or time in pursuits that do not fit in this series of events. However, like mechanical insulation, contributing to the industry outside of our businesses has a return on investment—a payback—that will bring reward. Putting yourself and your business out there at events, as parts of committees, in the eyes of customers in new ways opens new doors. It manifests networking opportunities that prove invaluable because interacting in a common, collaborative way has an entirely different impact than meeting in an official, all-business capacity. When you connect with people on a shared topic you get to know one another, relationships develop, and a new arena of opportunity opens up.
So, how do we reach out and find the time to contribute to the industry while still keeping our businesses profitable? How do we do our part without being lost in a sea of work that takes up all our free time and resources? Like a forest, the effort must comprise many parts contributing to a common good. No one wants to work overtime on outside projects or volunteer into perpetuity, but if we all do our parts and take on at least one meaningful task at a time, we will see progress. As people of action we want to know the scope, commitment, and timeline of our tasks, which means our efforts have to be well managed and divided among several people willing to help make a difference. This absolutely must be a collective effort, and thankfully, the effort of a few can inspire many.
Talk to your association. Drop a board member or committee lead a line for suggestions. We can help you invest in that ROI and see short- and long-term payback on your efforts. Share your stories, encourage your workforce, and join forces with others to make things happen. Work your status as an active board member into conversations with customers and industry associates, your presentations, outside activities, and other industry business. Doing so brings a great deal of value to our industry and to our association as you let people know TIAC is here as an active, progressive association that is working hard for the betterment of the industry, and that you are a part of that action.
We are all here for the same reason—the betterment and advancement of the mechanical insulation industry. If we all take on a small but impactful part of that vision, just imagine what we could achieve. ▪