Avoid "Summer Pace" & Keep Your Head In The Automation Game
July 15, 2015
It’s summer! Time to kickback, relax and enjoy the sun, right? Embracing a “summer pace” for your evenings, weekends and on your hard earned vacation days is a must, but Dave Robinson, Vice President – Sales NA Divs 3, 4, & 5 at SAMSON Controls Inc. & long-time ISA Edmonton Section Board Member recommends taking a different approach to your summer workdays…
For us prairie dwellers, summers are generally short and therefore need to be maximized! This translates to a slower pace for business, as typically about 75% of staff will use up to two weeks of their holidays over the months of June, July and August. This creates inefficiencies as other staff are constantly filling in for those that are away – doing only what needs to be done and putting off anything that requires more work or that’s considered a “big decision” until they get back.
Adding to this slower “summer pace” for summer 2015 is the low price of oil. Less oil production translates to less work, which is slowing the industry down even more.
We all know that summer is short and that the oil industry is cyclical. Fall will soon be here and in time oil prices will rise. In the meantime, you can sit back and wait for the industry to pick up (which will leave you unprepared when the time comes), or you can:
Buy When Everyone Else Is Selling
This old investing adage can be applied to our industry too. Look for areas in your business that need upgrading, renewing or replacing. Other vendors and contractors will be looking to move inventory or keep their key staff employed. This will be a great time to negotiate or even exchange services. I just had a meeting with a software developer that was happy to give us a quick update, with a short delivery because he has the time.
Start Summer Cleaning (…it’s the new spring cleaning!)
Having a clean and updated workspace is motivating. People like to be proud of where they work and will participate in the upgrade. Painting and cleaning supplies are low cost. Salaried employees are fixed costs. Hire help, but also get employees to participate as it creates buy in. We just moved into a new building and there’s still work to be done, so our team at Samson is planning to work together to make sure it gets finished up this summer.
Meet & Greet
Get out there and spend time with clients that you haven’t been able to see while they have been too busy for the last few years. You don’t have to take them on a suborbital flight costing $100,000.00, but catching up one afternoon over a beverage on a local patio will be professionally beneficial and personally satisfying.
Spend time with your local technical association; your peers will be going through the same issues and emotions as you are. I rely on my peers and friends from the ISA (International Society of Automation) to get a feel for the pulse of the industry. We are all in this together.
Client Variety Is The Spice Of Work
When we have such a booming energy industry, it’s hard to look around. However, a diversified portfolio of clients and customers is the best way to survive the rollercoaster of oil & gas prices. Find work in other industries and don’t just look at these clients as a short-term solution to increase orders. Set up your business to give these clients the time and focus they need, so that you can count on them for the long-term.
I hope you make the most of your summer workdays and that you can use some of these tips to set yourself up for a successful remainder of 2015 and 2016.
Take care,
Dave
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