Latest headlines: Michael Timmes on the future of integration and HR, Mark Coxon on trust and value, plus news from Barco, DiGiCo and more
June 8, 2020 | Volume: 14 | Issue: 11
Not to get all Greek mythology on you, but I just finished this really good book — thus, everything is a Greek analogy to me right now. I was thinking about Sisyphus recently. You know the story. Big guy, got in trouble for something and then is doomed/cursed to push a boulder up over a mountain for the rest of time. And he never makes it to the top because every morning he’s magically back where he started at the bottom.
That’s sort of how I view the push to adapt to this ~new normal~. Does it not seem like a pointless task to try and adapt to something that’s always changing? You’re just going to end up at the bottom of the mountain when the industry changes yet again. Why not instead push to create something totally new and shift the industry in a new direction yourself? Also — my final question I’ll pose to you: Whoever said the AV industry was normal anyway?
I have three columns for you today. One from our good friends over at NSCA about the future of integration and how human resources can fit in. We have another from Scott Tiner about what the fall 2020 classroom will look like — his insights are extremely adaptable to the rest of the industry. Finally, Mark Coxon, with advice on how to build trust and value — because at the end of the day, if you don’t have that with your clients, what do you have?
In other news, Radial Engineering has a new microphone switcher. DiGiCo has a new software update for its S Series consoles. Barco released a 4K matrix switcher. And more!
As an industry that has our own revenue challenges right now, how do we treat people in a way that they’ll remember us favorably when this is all over? Lead with empathy and transparency. Put yourselves in your client’s position. What uncertainty do they face? What hard decisions are they having to make? What course of action will help them best reach their new goal, as it has most likely changed since March? How can you help them maximize their resources by offering solutions that accelerate them reaching their goals?
It’s June of 2020, and colleges and universities have finished their crazy spring semesters. Most are pivoting, rooted in planning for the fall semester of 2020. A few themes seem to be emerging that will begin to shape what this next school year looks like, and therefore how the AV market will play a role. The high-level overview is this: Most residential colleges and universities feel a significant push to get students to return to campus. So, with all this in mind, I believe that the majority of colleges have already, or will by the end of June announce that they are opening. I guess in my July blog, I’ll have a better idea of whether that prediction is accurate.
Many integration company leaders found themselves suddenly managing predominantly remote teams. In many cases, employees and their spouses have been working at home alongside children trying to focus on remote schooling. HR policies have not only needed to get creative to handle some of these situations but also needed to factor in what employee work-life balance can look like beyond COVID-19. The pandemic is providing us all with an HR reality check: Something like this can happen, and it can also happen again. As a result, integration firms find themselves reimagining HR policies.