MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
BY , FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, FOX IV TECHNOLOGIES, AND MEMBER, MHI BOARD OF GOVERNORS
AT FIRST, I didn’t see the value of trade associations.
Early in my career, a colleague invited me to join him at a trade association meeting. I was dubious, but he insisted that I would learn a great deal and quickly understand how a trade association could help both my career and company. I soon learned he was right. I have been deeply involved with both MHI and the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI) for years, and I consider those involvements among the most important components of the success that I have had in my field.
However, not everyone who belongs to a trade association takes advantage of everything it has to offer. Some only attend the trade shows, such as MODEX and ProMat. Because of that approach, they are missing out on so much.
I want to share my view on why participating in a trade association like MHI can be such a powerful experience, but only when you take the time and effort to engage with the association and your peers in a meaningful way.
A STRUCTURED NETWORK
When people ask me why I participate so much in trade associations, I tell them that I get access to privileged information that I would never be able to get anywhere else. That’s the most important thing to me. I can learn from professionals across our industry, and the relationships we form create ongoing, endlessly beneficial conversations.
In this way, you can use association contacts as an ad hoc advisory committee to confirm industry trends and as a sounding board to test your company’s tactics and strategies. When I have a question or would like insights from a peer, I have people throughout our field I can contact, knowing I will get a well‑considered response.
Building these relationships takes some work, of course. If you are an MHI member, you should actively participate in an MHI industry group. Group participation is a form of structured networking. You get to know others while working on industry issues. When you attend trade association meetings, you spend a lot of time talking and trying to solve problems. But you also get to know other people’s personalities and how they handle things in the process. And you develop friendships within our field that last.
An event such as MHI’s Annual Meeting provides the industry’s highest concentration of expertise and the broadest range of solutions, all in one location. Attend the formal events, but also use meals, receptions and breaks as chances to make new connections outside your industry groups. Sometimes the result is an isolated conversation, but sometimes it leads to a lasting connection or even a new client or partner.
COME FOR THE LEARNING
However, when you attend trade association meetings and activities, it is important that you don’t just wear your “company hat.” Put on your “association hat,” too. It is obvious when someone is simply seeking ways to benefit their company and not the industry as a whole. When there are opportunities to advocate for my company through MHI or PMMI, I, of course, jump on them. I just make sure that’s not all I’m there for.