Commercial Integrator March 2021 - 40

FINAL THOUGHTS
The Importance
of Professional
Development
IN THIS ISSUE, you'll find an article I'm
particularly proud of that outlines training and
certifications for those early in their careers in
the AV industry (PAGE 22).
We were lucky to be able to work with
Alan Brawn and Brawn Consulting to form a
comprehensive list that any integrator should
be aware of.
We wrote this article to try to help out the
next generation of leadership in the integration
industry. In our annual State of
the Industry survey the same
amount of people 40 or under
took the survey as did people
61 or older. It's understandable
as the survey is aimed at leaders
of organizations, but we want
to ensure we're helping those
starting their careers as well.
I know that many of those
that read Commercial Integrator
have already undergone these
trainings and certifications.
You're the leaders and owners
of firms large and small across
the country. You're more familiar
with the intricacies of digital
signage systems than you are with the roads in
your own hometown.
emotional, unable to handle criticism, and
constantly seeking validation.
Older generations are painted as curmudgeonly,
with a complex that states that because
they didn't catch any breaks in their life, millennials
should be given no breaks.
I think both of these caricatures are nonsense.
It's overblown rhetoric. In truth, every
generation in every workplace wants the same
thing - a clearer path of how to earn success.
Speaking as a millennial, I'll
Only half of
professional
development
is training.
The other
half comes
from the right
mentorship
from those that
have already
succeeded.
tell you that we're often intimidated
to ask for help because we
don't want the people we look
up to thinking we're weak. But
I've interviewed enough successful
men and women in their fifties
and sixties to learn that all of
them credit others with helping
them find their success.
So something is being lost
in translation, and to fix the
disconnect all you need to do as
a successful leader is introduce
yourself to an up-and-comer and
offer to help.
Be a mentor. Take a new
This article is still important for you to
distribute to those in your organization. In fact,
you should be the champions encouraging and
facilitating them to read the article, print out
the checklist, and start their journey to a fuller
understanding of the integration industry.
There is a growing sentiment in the zeitgeist
that older generations don't believe younger
generations have worked hard enough to
forge their own path. The generation that grew
up with John Wayne single-handedly saving
the town from a group of thugs might scoff at
the generation that grew up watching Marvel
superheroes team up to defeat the bad guy.
Millennials have been painted as whiny,
employee with promise under your wing and
help them understand what they need to grow
in their careers. Make it easier for them than
it was for you. Helping them navigate a new
industry won't hurt them - it will help them
reach success faster.
Professional development isn't only about
trainings and certifications. That's a drop in the
bucket of all that running an integration firm
entails. It's up to the people that filled out our
State of the Industry survey this year to provide
the tools of success for those that will be filling
it out in the decades to come.
Jonathan Blackwood, Editorial Director
jonathan.blackwood@emeraldx.com
@BlackwoodTweets
CI Download: 2021 State of
the Industry
2020 was an unexpectedly challenging
year for the commercial integration
industry - and everyone else. As we look
to the year ahead, the industry sees some
continued struggles but also foresees
a period of unprecedented innovation
fueled by the pandemic.
Our new report " 2021 State of the
Industry " delivers insight into potential
opportunities for growth this year as well
as some areas of ongoing challenge.
Based on our annual audience survey, this
report details:
› Revenue trends from 2020 and
predictions for 2021
› Impacts of COVID-19 last year
› Type of managed services offered
and revenue
› Project backlog and staffing
› Vertical market trends in the
upcoming year
This download is available as a free
download commercialintegrator.com.
CI Webinar: Helping Corporate
Clients Return to the Office
Companies and their employees are
facing a major dilemma: will they return
to the office, and if so, what will that look
like? Clearly, there's an opportunity for
integrators to help - but what specific
problems can they help solve in the
rapidly-changing workspace?
This webinar aims to answer those
questions, providing a roadmap
for integrators to capitalize on this
opportunity and provide these clients with
what they really need to work effectively.
Just as technology is enabling remote
work, different tools will be needed to
connect IT departments and building
managers with building systems to
provide the higher level of control
needed during a pandemic.
Audio - an often-overlooked aspect of
these systems - is more critical now than
ever before, especially in a time when the
eeriness of a half-empty office can directly
affect employees.
Dave Smith of Lencore will speak with
an IT director to nail down precisely what
these spaces need to succeed in the era
of hybrid workforces.
We will cover:
* What these spaces looked like
before versus during a pandemic
* The problems these properties face
* What a hybrid workforce's specific
needs are
* How integrators can design better
systems for a hybrid workforce
This webinar is available for free at
commercialintegrator.com.
Commercial Integrator, (USPS 005-160) (ISSN 2165-9850), Vol.11 No. 3, is published monthly by Emerald X, LLC., 100 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10005, 800-440-2139. Commercial Integrator
is a registered trademark of Emerald X, LLC. All reproduction, including photocopying, is prohibited without written permission. Postage Paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER:
send address changes to COMMERCIAL INTEGRATOR, PO BOX 297, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-0297.
40
Commercial Integrator MARCH 2021
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Commercial Integrator March 2021

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