Be Like Water, My Friends

Trade shows are back. And, while it never went away, COVID continues to resurge across the country. Mask requirements are back in some areas, particularly schools. But the thing that is most evidently back is the collective busy schedule of our society.

I had a plan. It was the weekend before my travel to the Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS) in Cleveland, Ohio, to attend the co-located Parts Cleaning Conference. I had one industry event, Powder Coating Week, under my belt and was primed for another opportunity to meet contacts in person. This column was going to be a roundup of some of the things I learned at the show.

And then I got the call that my father was in the hospital. What should have been a fairly routine treatment led to him being transported across state lines because all of the area hospitals were filled with COVID patients.

Needless to say, I didn’t make it to PMTS. I rearranged my travel plans and found myself in Georgia working from my hotel room in between meetings with doctors instead of walking the trade show floor.

Flashback a couple of weeks. Gardner Business Media had hosted an event to reunite employees, foster some teambuilding and look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead. It was an inspiring and exciting few days — with COVID precautions in place, of course. I had signed on to do a presentation about my own experiences stepping into a leadership role with a new brand during the height of a global pandemic. The inspiration for my talk was Bruce Lee’s famous “Be Like Water” speech about adaptability. My presentation touched on the following concepts:

• Things happen that are beyond control, the only thing within our control is how we react and therein lies opportunity
• Taking a moment to pause before reacting to the tasks at hand is of paramount importance for finding the right mindset and focus necessary to succeed
• Employing transitions between work and other aspects of our lives, whether it is taking time to relish a cup of coffee, going for a walk or organizing your desk at the end of the day can help one be fully present and committed to the task at hand

The ideas are nothing new, but more like essential reminders of things that we all forget in the fray. I didn’t realize how quickly my own advice would be tested. According to colleagues, PMTS was brimming with excitement. Attendance was even better than expected and the crowd was thrilled at the opportunity to meet with industry contacts in person. The whole of manufacturing is clearly willing and eager to resume networking events with as much normalcy as can be afforded safely. 

Thinking of the hiccup in my own schedule, I’m looking at the other events on the horizon and thinking about the challenges everyone will face as we navigate the remainder of the year with the ever-looming cloud of COVID. 

As we look ahead to the rest of the trade show season with shows like FABTECH, Top Shops Expo and SUR/FIN on the horizon, no one can know what the remainder of the year will have in store for us. From COVID to wildfires to supply chain woes to workforce shortages, 2021 has its share of challenges and there will undoubtedly be more. Yet the resilience that our industry has shown through it all is inspiring. Hopefully, we’ll all be able to attend these upcoming events without any trouble and take advantage of the networking opportunities they offer. But if something does come up, my wish for you is to be able to adapt to whatever comes your way. Stay safe and be well.