From the CEO: After my motivation took a hit, I tuned Simply Red for answers

In this week's #MEAExpress, MEA CEO Peter McDonald turns to Simply Red for answers as he contemplates finding motivation after falling short, and the importance of supporting those that support the industry during its toughest times. 

Motivation has been on my mind after a couple of difficult conversations recently. My team and I are giving it all we’ve got and then some, yet we’re still falling short of our expectations of ourselves. And it was made clear to me – albeit via varying communication styles – that we’re doing this for some of our members too.

So, what do you do when your best shot isn’t good enough? Asking yourself ‘Why bother?’ doesn’t seem an unreasonable thing to do.

Edward de Bono’s Lateral Thinking philosophy (against vertical/conventional thinking) supports asking oneself that question. With vertical thinking, negativity is used as a basis for avoiding or blocking some paths to solution. But in lateral thinking, there is no negative. One of its foundations is the understanding that there are times when the wrong path will lead to the right end. I digress.

Naturally somebody who likes to do things properly or not at all – I may have been called ‘Peter Perfect’ more than once in my time – it’s a challenge to maintain enthusiasm when what’s required to mitigate the dissatisfaction of some is nigh impossible. That’s not to dismiss those feelings. I accept that for those people these are real. But my reality is there’s no prospect of travel back in time becoming possible, nor anytime soon an increased staff size. Both of these solutions would prove very useful for problem rectification. I have a huge vision for what MEA could be, and whilst I’ll never please everyone I’m confident that I’m clear of what utopia might look like for our members.

The irony of it all is that dissatisfaction is self-propagating. An industry association is not unlike any other small business. It requires revenue from its customers to fund its operations. The difference being that income surplus, when achieved, is reinvested in the business for the collective benefit of the cohort. No dividend is paid, nor profit withdrawn. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the inverse applies. When an association’s members choose to express unhappiness by discontinuing their membership, what results is an increasingly resource constrained organisation. When that happens, more members become dissatisfied. The vicious circle whirlpools.

If an industry wants an active and representative voice and community, it needs to enable and maintain it. That should not be read as finger pointing. It’s purely a statement of fact. The choir echoes louder than the soloist. When MEA advocates our members’ interests – which happens regularly – one of the points we stress as to why government support is so necessary is because the industry was one of the first affected by the pandemic and will be one of the last to recover. But what’s less understood is that associations like MEA will be even further behind in recovery. So, in effect MEA’s facing a double whammy given we exist in both spheres.

Ultimately membership fees are an optional spend, be that by businesses or individuals. When faced with choices in economically challenging times like now, they become contextually less highly prioritised. But there’s a consequence of that happening. Per earlier, without investment the association is less resourced to do the job both expected and needed of it at the time the job most needs doing. The association becomes the casualty when the industry is needing it to be its champion. Vicious circle anyone?

This isn’t intended to be bleeding heart commentary. I know people in the sector are angry. I understand why they’re angry too. And there’s expectation that MEA should be solving the problem. But don’t forget that MEA is fighting for survival with you. When the sector hurts, by default MEA does too. Blame benefits no one. But friendly fire – be this through the wallet or the keyboard – can be no less lethal.

MEA has been fighting the industry’s cause since 1975. A hold up of the bat to acknowledge a half century is not that far off. It wouldn’t have lasted nearly 50 years putting runs on the board if it didn’t know what it was doing and was getting that more right than wrong. So, if there’s some dissatisfaction with the sector’s world right now, imagine how things might be if MEA hadn’t stayed the distance. Sure, things could be better – and the effort continues constantly and consistently in the hope of achieving that – but no less they could be much worse.

In this world there are doers and there are talkers. Me, I’m a doer. I’d rather spend my time getting my job done than spend it telling anyone who’ll listen how I’ve spent it in order to seek their approval. I like the saying: A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds. I’ve always believed actions speak louder than words. But not every action will deliver the desired return on investment. Try as I might, stuff doesn’t always come off. Doesn’t mean I didn’t try and try with all my might. Just like every person on earth, I’m not entitled to anything I ask for regardless of the case I make. The decision to accommodate me is someone else’s.

So if I get back to my question to myself as to why I should bother, the answer is: because I give a damn. I’m loyal and I honour commitment. Its who I am. MEA’s longevity evidences its own commitment to the Australian events industry. The sector needs unity and strength and through MEA I want to be a part of leading that. Although I walked in at the sector’s lowest point, I’d be a coward if I walked away now because it all seemed too hard. That’s not me. MEA can only keep on keeping the industry on if its members keep the faith in us. Not only is now the time to stay, now is the time to make sure the membership community grows.

There are two types of friends in life. The lifelong friend rides the ups and downs of the rollercoaster with you, sharing the highs and lows, gripping your hand in fear and laughing out loud in joy. The fair-weather friend rides the predictable, calmer carousel with you. All that does is go around and around until it’s time to stop. I know which one I am and who I’d rather be friends with. Which type of friend are you, and what type of friend do you value?

I’ll neatly segue to Simply Red’s song ‘Fairground’. The overall sentiment of the lyrics has singer Mick Hucknall valuing those whom he considers to be friends. He’s enjoying the company of his buddies at the “fairground”, whilst also remembering one or some not there. That these friends are song worthy, I’m guessing they rode the rollercoaster that day.

Love can bend and breathe alone
Until the end it finds you a home
Don't care what the people may say
It's always friends that feel so good
Let's make amends like all good men should
Pleasure at the fairground on the way
Yes, I love the thought of giving hope to you
Just a little ray of light shining through

I hope MEA and I can count on seeing you in the Big Dipper queue.

Source:

Song – “Fairground” 

Album – “Life”