What is Your Drive?
by Jason Seanger
President, MEA Board of Directors
Thank you to all who joined me at the recent MEA summer conference. The Committee Meetings were engaging and all participants gave constructive feedback on large MEA initiatives. The speakers were incredibly informative and even entertaining. The Vendor Showcase was exciting and the new time frame brought an interactive feel to the crowd. I also would like to thank all of the vendors who took time out of their busy schedules to be at our show displaying new products and services. We appreciate your support of our organization and encourage all MEA members to support the companies who support you. Take a look at page 6 to view a list of the companies who participated.
Our keynote speaker at lunch, Ross Bernstein, challenged our group to think differently about our lives, careers and what drives us. Ross is an inspirational business speaker and best-selling sports author from right here in Minnesota! During busy times, it is easy to forget about your WHY, and it is always helpful to keep it at the center of your focus. Why are you an electrical contractor? Why do you get up and do what you do each and every single day? The answer can be complex and different for all of us, but for me, the key points that were presented all hit home.
Passion – I am passionate about the work that I do day in and day out. Realizing the output of the services that I provide and how my business is helping the community can be rejuvenating.
Flexibility – Being able to start my day at 4:30am so that I can run home and have breakfast with my kids and then get back to the office before the others arrive gives me a jolt of happiness.
Respect – Working in a small town where everyone knows everyone and everything about everyone else means that having respect is everything! Running a respectable business has given me additional opportunities to thrive in the community in a variety of ways.
Visualize My Own Success – I feed off of the ability to be in charge of my own goals and plans for my business.
So, What is Your Drive? What made you want to be an electrical contractor in the first place? As we look for our future leaders within our organization, start asking them these questions to determine what motivates them as well. It will be different for everyone, but identifying this within your team will give you the tools to incentivize them to do better for you and your business. It is a win-win scenario.
The energy and passion in the room was contagious – it made me think differently about life, career path, and what drives me.