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November 24, 2021 | Volume: 19 | Issue: 44
Let’s talk about being thankful. (Or Th[AV]nkful.) Another year in this industry has brought challenges — but there have been so many more ups than downs. I’ve met so many new friends. I’ve expanded my network. I’ve learned more than I ever thought I would; I’m grateful to all of you for that! Thank you for teaching me, helping me and for reading what I write.
Megan A. Dutta touches on this sentiment in her latest blog, which is why I’m bringing it up. She interviewed #AVtweeps from all corners of the industry about what they are thankful for this year. Spoiler: Most people are thankful for one another! The #AVtweep community really is not like any other.
I wanted to keep this short and sweet and let you all enjoy your holiday (if you’re in the U.S.). So have a good weekend, eat plenty of mashed potatoes for me and I’ll talk to you all soon.
There’s a lot of debate about the return to the office, the hybrid work week and the potential hub and spoke layout of the future. To be honest, I’m not sure every company needs an office, but I know for certain that if you are keeping a real estate footprint at all, you should be building a Connection Center.
Your value to an employer is your experience, contacts (not just random LinkedIn connections) that you can rely on for support and your effectiveness with your responsibilities (meeting or exceeding expectations). There are three types of roles in a company, either you cost money, save money or make money for your company. Focus on the last two and you will probably last longer in your company, presuming the company supports your efforts as well.
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., I sat down to reflect on what I’m thankful for this year. And, as always, it’s #AVTweeps. It made my heart so incredibly happy to see so many of my AV friends at InfoComm this year in Orlando. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been using technology to keep in touch, but that was nothing compared to being able to hang out in person — whether it was catching up at events like the Almo 75th Anniversary Celebration at Seaworld or talking tech on the show floor. Side note: you can see all of rAVe’s images from InfoComm 2021 here.