Katie Johns, Managing Editor, [email protected]
In February, I attended my first IECA Conference. It was my first official storm water and erosion control show, besides the one SWS hosted in November, and I learned a lot. So while I could go on and on about all the lessons and tidbits I learned about the industry, I would like to highlight the keynote speaker, Kevin Snyder, a motivational speaker and author.
Snyder took the stage early on a Monday morning, yet he didn’t use that as an excuse to be sluggish. He got the crowd on their feet to sing “Don’t Stop Believin’” and later, got everyone up again while three brave volunteers led the crowd in dancing. While these activities got everyone energized, they connected to Snyder’s main point, which was about jumping out of your comfort zone and owning a growth mindset.
Throughout his speech, Snyder expanded on “the ripple effect,” which in short, consists of four main components–belief, a growth mindset, a vision for change and finally, action. Overall, he said, we cannot grow without change. This felt particularly relevant to our industry.
With an election coming up, new challenges arising and new products being introduced all the time, our industry is familiar with change. From BMPs to green infrastructure, the industry has seen a change in processes, and going forward, I am sure those will continue to evolve as well.
As professionals in this industry, we have to keep our minds open to change, even if that comes with challenges. Snyder challenged attendees to keep an open mindset, and now I am challenging you to do the same. How do you motivate yourself and your company? What are the steps you take to implement positive change? Share your thoughts and tips with me at [email protected].
