Great Expectations
May is upon us. It’s a time when our weather is moving well into spring and giving us the first tastes of our upcoming summer. We anticipate summer vacations and activities. It is speed month in Indianapolis, culminating in the Indy 500. We look to the Memorial Day holiday weekend for its patriotic message and outdoor activities. The anticipation brings great expectations. I am compelled by these pair of words: “Great expectations!” To me it represents a feeling of optimism, compelled by challenges, feeling excitement for the future, and full of reason to be enthused.
Our association has reason to feel that way. We’ve overcome many obstacles over the last year. We are growing through the addition of affiliates, as well as corporate and supporting association members. Our trade shows, NACE/CARS, are coming up quickly. Have you registered and made your travel reservations yet? We have great expectations for the shows.
The exhibit space will be more than twice the size of last year’s show. The education track will be second to none. We have a tremendous assortment of attractions and activities including fascinating tours and other industry functions with great partners such as the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), I-CAR, CIC and CCIF. And we’re excited about the OEM Technology & Innovation Expo Aug. 1 during CARS, which will include panel discussions with OEM experts, and product and application demonstrations.
NACE/CARS 2014 promises to be the gathering place for our industry. Our association is increasingly engaged in industry issues. One example is how often we are considered a resource of auto repair information for the industry, as evidenced by how many publications have looked to us for comment on repairing the new Ford aluminum F-150. The New York Times, Bloomberg News, Automotive News, and many more have reached out to ASA. We are a great source for training and information. In fact, in this issue we have an article on aluminum technology.
In this issue we also have an article titled, “Great Expectations – Getting People to Do Things the Way You Want to Get Them Done.” What a powerful topic! This strikes to the very core of what we as business leaders devote most of our time and attention to. Having the right people do the right thing is the key to success in business, or frankly any organization. Abraham Lincoln said, “I am a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down …” Getting people to be similarly compelled can be a daunting task, but the rewards can be great. It starts with us.
When we seek knowledge and use it to implement change, we lead our organizations with an aspiration of great achievement and higher performance. When we do that with confidence, preferably not losing our humility, we develop great expectations. That is what our association is all about. That is why many of us are members and volunteer leaders.
I look forward to seeing you in Detroit in July! Whether you do mechanical service and repair or work in the collision/auto body segment, we’ll have a terrific lineup of tours and education sessions for you at NACE/CARS 2014.
