Time to take a step back in order to look forward.
Many moons ago, back when I still believed that wordsmithery might hold the key to my fame and fortune, I met with a business consultant. Much of what he said was nonsense; advice regurgitated from some source or another that he would trot out regardless of whether you were a freelance journalist (as I was), a demolition contractor, or a manufacturer of meat-free dog treats.
However, he did insist that – at the time – I spent “too much time working in my business, and not enough time working ON my business”. More than 30 years later, and even though my aspirations for unimaginable riches have given way to a barely-scraping-by resignation, it is a low-level crime that I continue to commit on a regular basis. And I fear I am not alone.
If you work within the demolition industry, much of your time is spent getting paid for what you did in the recent past or multiple ball juggling to ensure that you remain on top of the present. The likelihood is that you will have precious little time for any kind of meaningful crystal ball gazing into the medium to long term future. All too often, demolition is a hand-to-mouth existence in which the needs of the present outweigh any aspirational planning for the future.
How then will the industry make its next big leap? How will it make the Nokia 3310 to iPhone advances that will prepare it for the needs and demands of clients, legislators and the world in general in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time?
What the industry needs are “thought leaders”; individuals that can take a step back from all we currently know, to look ahead to what might be, and to set a course to take us there.
I am ill-equipped to take up that mantle. For one thing, I don’t work IN demolition; I work in a separate but parallel universe that is slightly less dusty and where coffee and biscuits are readily available.
However, what I lack in real demolition experience, I make up for in two key areas.
Firstly, and if I say so myself, I occasionally deliver a deft turn of phrase; my spelling is pretty good, my grammar is just the right side of average; and I am not afraid to stand up even if it means being shot at or shot down.
Secondly, I have a GLOBAL audience. More than 60,000 people log onto DemolitionNews.com each month. Factor in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, and we have a reach of well over a quarter of a million people around the world. When DemolitionNews speaks, those people are ready, willing and able to listen.
So I am calling upon the thought leaders to make yourselves heard. I don’t care whether you’re an operative who has identified a fundamental flaw in demolition procedure; an excavator operator that has been developing a safer and more efficient methodology; an equipment manufacturer that has secretly solved an unspoken problem; or a director, manager or consultant that has what it takes to make this industry better in some way.
In short, we are throwing open our doors and welcoming in those that want to make a difference; those that wish to shape the industry in the future. Our audience is your audience. I want your ideas to appear in print, to appear online and to appear on video and in audio formats. I want to be invited to your place of work and to industry seminars to share these ideas and notions with the wider industry.
To set the ball rolling (and despite my lack of qualifications to do so) I have put pen to paper on the first of what I hope to be a series of thought leadership articles.
It is called Evolution turns to Revolution and you can read it here.
I have more planned; some are partially written in my head – I am hoping that my summer holiday will allow me to focus upon these ideas and to develop these concepts even more fully.
I sincerely hope that you like the first article and that – regardless of how good your spelling and grammar – that you will drop me a line to share YOUR big idea.
