Learning to Adapt and Change

2021 is here, and 2020 has finally come to a close. What are we in for next? What challenges will we be faced with? A better question is; are you up for the challenge?

I think most of all, this year has got to present itself as better than last. 2020 pretty much pulled all the punches mortal man could stand. In the shop, when something goes wrong, or not our way, I try to find the silver lining and learn from the experience of “been there, done that”! I think the overall silver lining from 2020 is to learn and grow from those punches. To be open, adapt, and change, as will happen regardless. Those rainy days will come, and we need to be prepared for them. I learned a very valuable lesson last year. That is to open myself to accepting other individual opinions while also not forgetting my own values and beliefs. Quite frankly, this is not easy to do. I learned to be more proactive in protecting my family, myself, my employees, and customers. To do this not only in health, but finances as well—as they can both go hand in hand. And, of course, to update and organize my policies and procedures in preparation for any unknown events.

What silver lining can you pull from 2020? I challenge you to reflect on your accomplishments last year and take a moment to see how resilient you and your team were. Now is the time to define and refine what you want from 2021. Use that same resilience to grow and adapt towards your 2021 goals.

It is apparent the effects of 2020 will last for some time. For example, MWACA’s VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo is coming soon in March and has been temporarily renamed to Virtually VISION. This 2021 event was planned last year when local guidelines dictated many rules about social distancing and the number of people that could gather in one room or setting. Not to mention the corporate travel restrictions, which many of our vendors, trainers, and allied members created, to keep all our employees safe. Just as you did in your business, we also had to react and act to make the most of this unknown situation. The VISION event has set a very high bar over the past 25 years and we are determined to make this year's event a safe and very successful online event for all. Sheri has done her best to reproduce the experiences we all enjoy from VISION. Believe it or not, you will still find the expo and the networking, and maybe even a virtual Sheraton Hotel Lobby pre-game gathering. If you have not signed up yet, I encourage you to do so, and depending on when you read this, I hope it is not too late!

Tim Davison
President