Not long ago, some discussion appeared on DMIA's members-only broadcast email system about the lack of young talent in our industry. I remember reading some of the messages and thinking, "A lot of us who are involved in the printing world are young!"
Then my eyes rested upon a lovely bouquet of flowers on my desk. The flowers were arranged in a new, crystal vase that included IBG's logo. I had been given the vase to celebrate my 20th anniversary at our distributorship. Like a thunderbolt from the heavens, that vase shouted at me: "You aren't that young, honey! You've been in this industry for two decades!"
I spent a couple of minutes grappling with my own mortality, realizing it's too late for me to ever earn the nickname Whiz Kid. (OK, it might have been more than a couple of minutes, but you can't rush mortality-grappling.) Then I gave some serious thought to the concerns about young blood in our industry.
To be honest, many talented young people are part of the industry and our association. Some of them will be featured next month in the cover story of Print Solutions. But to be painfully honest, when most of us look around a room at an industry gathering, we see a whole lot of people who have earned 20-year vases.
Now that I have come to grips with the age thing, I can say the kinds of things I found so irritating when my parents were the ones talking. For instance: "It seems that the younger generation doesn't have the same work ethic we had back when we entered the industry." Hasn't every generation since the dawn of time voiced this complaint? Of course, the statement isn't universally true. The truth behind any stereotype is that a person can't judge an entire group based on one or two members of that group. If we take time to look, we undoubtedly would find real gems in our organizations just waiting to be discovered.
Once you identify young people who can help you to grow your company, training becomes a major key to success. It's a challenge, but you have two excellent training options available from DMIA. First, the association has first-rate educational programs online through its Print University program. (In June, Print University received an Excellence in Education Award from The Electronic Document Systems Foundation, an educational foundation run by Torrance, Calif.-based Xplor International.) Online modules cover both industry specifics and sales and customer service. The modules can bring out the best in your best prospects for long-term associates.
The second training option is the upcoming Print Solutions 2003 Conference & Expo, to be held Oct. 21-24 in Las Vegas. Nothing beats this annual show for pure, practical exposure to the industry and its key participants. This year, the event will have it all: education sessions that really address our industry, key suppliers eager (not just willing) to perform product training, motivational speakers and many networking opportunities. If all of us with 20-year vases sitting on our desks made a concerted effort to bring one "new blood" employee to the event, we would contribute to the long-term strength of our organizations, our industry and our association.
Gail O'Roke, CDC, is CEO of distributorship Independent Business Group, based in Hayward, Calif., and president of DMIA.
