The pandemic has been hard on all of us. It can be isolating, frustrating to be stuck in the house, and it seems like it’s all we talk about these days. If you’re a planner like me, you’re likely losing your mind right about now. Everything these days is a moving target.
Think back to last March when lockdowns began. Everyone was thinking four to six weeks max and had a can-do attitude. Then it was, “We’ll for sure be out of the house by June.” June turned into fall, fall turned into sometime in 2021.
Fast-forward to now ... and we’re still not sure what June will hold. I know one thing that won’t be happening in June: InfoComm. The 2021 show has been rescheduled to late October (read the statement about the show’s move from AVIXA’s CEO Dave Labuskes). I, for one, am excited about the change. Late October seems like a reasonable time frame for the AV world to join back together. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll even be able to hug each other instead of the COVID-safe elbow bump greeting we’ve become accustomed to.
For me, life works best when I have a schedule and things are planned out. InfoComm gave us plenty of notice about the move, so it’s easy for me to shift my plans. But that ever-moving target of when we can return to a sense of normalcy has been driving me crazy. Change is inevitable, but success isn’t.
In order to be successful with moving targets, you need to be able to move along with your targets. Have a plan, but don’t be married to it. Be ready to roll with the punches. That way, when the hits keep coming, you’ll be ready to pivot, change, and grow. Don’t forget to share the plan with your team—and keep them updated when the end goal, time frame, etc. inevitably changes.
Perhaps most important for hitting the moving target: keep your team engaged. Engaged employees are happy employees—they’re way more likely to go above and beyond for the company. They take ownership and want to succeed in their roles … in turn, they want the company to be successful. Keep them confident in your ability to lead by involving them in decisions, keeping them informed, and helping them feel as secure as possible in an ever-changing business environment. Band together to hit the moving target.
