The Future Belongs to Those Who Show Up

I’m trying to break what I believe to be a very bad habit. As you might imagine, when you work for an organization like Grimes Chamber & Economic Development, you meet a lot of people representing a great variety of interests.

 

In those initial meetings, basic questions often re-occur. “How are things in Grimes?”, “What’s new at the Chamber?” and “How have you been?” are some of the regular conversation starters. In answering that final question, I noticed I was often responding “I’m pretty busy.” This is not an untrue statement; we do stay busy. However, upon reflection, just about everyone with whom we interact in our industry are also busy…very busy.

 

In fact, through years of observation, we’ve learned that the BEST people are the busiest people. Busy in a good way, not the “busybody” type that are known for always moving, but not accomplishing much. The type of busy that makes businesses successful. The type of busy that help organizations stay relevant. The type of busy that can give someone or some group an advantage over less engaged competition.

 

In short, the people who show up often, the “busy” people, are the people that lead businesses, organizations, and communities. The future of our local businesses, our local organizations, and even our community is being shaped by those who show up.

 

This year, we’re making a concerted effort to encourage people, especially the busiest people, to show up more often. Show up at Chamber events, community events, public meetings, service organizations, etc. The more you, your co-workers, your friends, and your neighbors show up at these things the more you will benefit. Professionally, you will expand your circle of influence. As a citizen, you will benefit the community you have chosen to call home. If you are a leader, becoming more engaged in the right things will help you become more informed and set a great example to those who respect and admire you.

 

To break my bad habit, I’m making a concerted effort to stop telling people how busy I am and start sharing information about all the benefits of being involved. I hope to be more engaged than ever in the future because I have the great honor of representing and promoting a tremendous group of businesses and organizations that are doing wonderful things for the community of Grimes, Iowa.

 

To our members, I invite you to be more engaged in Grimes Chamber & Economic Development activities. The organization is growing every year and there are always new people to meet, learn from, and build relationships. Together, we can continue to advance our local economy for the benefit of all. Check out the calendar at www.GrimesIowa.com for the next opportunity.