GOAL SETTING IN 2022

Ted Turner said setting goals just beyond your reach ensures you always have something to live for. If there is anything we have learned from the past couple of years, it is that our values, sense of what is important and even goals have, in most cases, shifted. Our vision has become laser sharp defining the essentials. Family, health, kindness, clean air, and hard work top the list, and this focus highlights the importance of strong partnerships—in life and in work. This can inspire us to set some goals around forging stronger bonds into 2022 and beyond.

Our lead story in this issue of Partners in Progress looks at why SMACNA contractors and SMART Locals are best equipped to handle the most complex of projects and the ways relationship building is essential for making those projects a success. Bo Jackson said, “Set your goals high, and don’t stop until you get there,” and this is exactly what SMACNA San Diego and Local 206 have done to become the number one choice for complex jobs in their region. See “The Number One Choice” on page 4 to find out how clear communication, mutual vision, and confidence helped them reach their goals.

“Goals. There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them... believe in them... act on them.” Realize the potential of Jim Rohn’s quote at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference by participating in the Project 150 fundraising event. For the second time, the Conference has partnered with Project 150, which provides food, clothing, supplies, and scholarships to more than 6,000 homeless high school students in Nevada. Find out on page 6 how you can help.

One need only read the news or chat with a neighbor in these pandemic times to see how important perspective is in relationship building. Deidre McCarthy Gallagher, mediator and arbitrator, writes on page 8 about how conflict in the workplace is often a matter of perspective. She challenges us to shift perspective and dig deep to understand others’ goals in order to build stronger working relationships—this is hard but valuable work but, as Frank DeVito says, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”

If there is one thing to set goals around this year, it is resilience. The willingness to push through adversity and work hard is already a defining feature of most in the sheet metal industry, but resilience is also a muscle that must be toned. In her article “Adaptability and Resilience” on page 10, Lisa Bordeaux, consultant to the SMACNA-SMART Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force, discusses what resilience looks like, why it is important, and how to foster it in yourself and your teams. From alleviating workplace stress to enjoying a more peaceful and balanced life, the rewards of fostering resilience are plenty. And, as Hellen Keller, one of the world’s leading experts on resilience, said: “What you are looking for isn’t out there. It is inside of you.”

Speaking of resilience, Local 280’s Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer Richard Mangelsdorf met every challenge he encountered on the road from apprentice to sheet metal worker, instructor, business representative, and his current position. In this issue’s “My Journey” on page 14, he talks about the essential balance labor-management partnerships bring to the sheet metal industry.

And while SMACNA contractor General Sheet Metal and Local 16 raised the bar on flexibility and successful adaptation when the Local recruited specifically to help GSM complete outstanding work on the Hyatt Regency Portland project, it is both organizations’ focus on partnership that makes the projects they complete successful. In “Hyatt Regency” on page 12, GSM CEO Carol Duncan and Local 16 NW Regional Rep #1 Vanessa Steward explain why forging strong relationships in the current business climate is more important than ever. The secret? Mutual respect, common ground, and shared goals. Remember Tony Robbins’ words of wisdom: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

As you peruse the issue, think about what the individuals and organizations within have accomplished and will continue to create while working together, and consider: What goals will you make visible this coming year? ▪