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I’m a sucker for books, tapes, CDs, seminars or articles that promise to teach me something I don’t know, whether they share a secret that I’ve been searching for or just deepen my knowledge on a particular subject. My library is filled with these remnants of my affliction, many of which I’ve not yet found the time to explore. Much of my success in all areas of my life can be attributed to this study. Many of the obstacles I still face seem insurmountable due to my lack of knowledge or experience, but I know the answers are somewhere, so I keep searching.
I’ll let you in on a little secret on how I’ve found many of the answers to overcome or sidestep the challenges I have faced in my business. The secret is to read, study, and most importantly, interact with a group of people with similar interests. I’ve found that problem solving is enhanced by group interaction. Different people have different perspectives, experiences and skill sets. They simply don’t see the situation the same way as you do. Group interaction fosters creative insights, which are exactly what is needed sometimes to tackle difficult issues.
There are many opportunities to interact with groups, but I’ve found one of the best ways is through DMIA events. The people who attend are involved, energetic and forward-thinking. And they’re just like me in that they look for answers to some of the tough issues they face. Some have the answers I’m searching for, and I may have some of the answers they seek. We just need to interact and learn from on another.
Group interaction fosters creative insights, which are exactly what is sometimes needed to tackle difficult issues. There are many opportunities to interact with groups, but I’ve found one of the best ways is through DMIA events.
The Print Solutions Conference & Expo (PSC&E) is coming soon. October isn’t far away. It’s the best opportunity in our industry to get a sense of what’s new and where our industry is headed. The adage “You will discover at least one new idea that will more than pay for the trip” is definitely true. And if you come to the PSC&E searching for answers to difficult challenges, odds are good that you’ll find them. The key is to search and interact. PSC&E has always been a place where I search for answers to not just one difficult issue, but several. I take as much in as I can, see as many suppliers as I can, attend the learning sessions and mostly interact with my peers. It’s like reading dozens of books and articles from a variety of disciplines with many different perspectives. I gain a giant, unfiltered mind dump in a few days because I’m an information sponge.
At first it can be overwhelming and confusing but eventually a theme will emerge: a sense of what is happening, what it means to me and what I need to do. I don’t know how to describe it other than a “convergence of thinking” that I am always able to capture by attending and getting involved. I always leave with a sense of what I need to do, or not do, to continue to move forward and overcome that obstacle that previously seemed insurmountable. And I always take this convergence of thinking home with me. For me, what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas!