I first heard the quote, “Begin with the end in mind,” from my coworker, friend, and mentor, David Richardson. This concept of foresight was not an original of David Richardson's but from Stephen Covey's book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
With that in mind, last month, I attended the AHR Expo in Orlando, Florida. This was my first year working at that conference, a different perspective than attending as a visitor. In the past, I focused on exploring new products. This year, it required more engagement with others and sharing my experiences.
I was asked to join a panel of “industry experts” and speak to students from local trade schools. During the panel, I realized that Covey’s quote is valid in many aspects of life.
As the panel started, I looked around the room and noticed some students were nodding off, others looked a bit nervous, and a few had excitement in their eyes. I realized there were times when I could relate to every student in the room.
Until now, these students have spent most of their time in a classroom, learning things that they may or may not have found interesting. After high school, each decided to pursue a path in HVAC. I wondered if any of them knew where this path would take them.
Know Where You Are Going
When I was 10, I spent weekends with my dad, running residential service calls and helping with small installations. I didn’t realize then that these weekends would foreshadow my HVAC career.
After graduating high school, I wanted a break from sitting at a desk worrying about homework and report cards. I decided to take time off from school and work with my dad in the family business. A few months quickly became years, and in the blink of an eye, I realized HVAC was my career. I knew early on that one day, I wanted to own a residential HVAC company.
Twelve years went by, and my family sold the company. This was a turning point in my career. I took a chance and started a company with less than $5,000 to my name.
I quickly took my company from a dream to $1,000,000 in revenue per year. It was a small company in the grand scheme of things, but I was happy with the size and was more concerned with quality than quantity.
Ten more years went by, and I realized I was ready for a change. I decided my efforts should be spent sharing what I learned. I considered my options and found that three companies stood out for their values, commitment to excellence, and the positive impact they made on the industry. I realized that I would be happy to work with any of them.
As soon as my mind was set and I knew where I needed to be, things started falling into place. Within a year and a half, I sold my business, and two of the three companies I wanted to work for made me job offers.
Reflecting on the Panel
I felt honored to be part of the panel and to be considered an industry expert. However, there is not a day that goes by where I am not still learning. I am someone who spent years navigating successes and setbacks while trying to keep my goals in sight. Success may be part of my story, but I have also had my fair share of failures. The journey has helped me grow.
Back to the AHR panel, one kid in the front row asked several questions and was engaged throughout the session. He had a smile on his face as he spoke about his ideas for new technology. I immediately thought he represented the future. He was innovative, curious, and full of potential. People like him are destined to shape the next generation of industry leaders.
The room was full of young faces. Some of these faces will never make it into the trade. Others will struggle, and some will find great success. I hope they all have a clear vision of where they want to go because, all too soon, that is where they will be.
Helping Others Achieve Their Goals
If I could do one thing differently throughout my career, it would be to understand better the goals of the people around me and make efforts to help them achieve those goals. For example, there was a time when a technician on my team expressed an interest in learning duct design, but I was too focused on daily operations to mentor him. In hindsight, nurturing his ambition could have benefited him and the company. I wish I had prioritized helping other people achieve their goals.
As I met industry leaders who focused on others, I noticed their organizations organically flourished. I may not run an HVAC company anymore, but I still have the power to impact the people around me.
I hope each student in that AHR session finds a company to give them what they need to flourish. Not every job is someone’s ending story. It might be a stepping stone to something bigger and better. I strive to help those coming up around me, and I encourage you to do the same.
Start with the end in mind. I hope those six words resonate with the students who attended that AHR session as they chart their paths in this industry. With a little bit of focus, they all have the potential to achieve greatness. Thoughts of their future humble me.
If you’re an HVAC contractor or technician interested in learning more about airflow diagnostics, contact Adam at ncilink.com/ContactMe. NCI’s website www.nationalcomfortinstitute.com is full of free information to help you improve your professionalism and strengthen your company.