If it's old is it obsolete?

"The problem is not a shortage of new ideas but a lack of understanding that the "old" ideas still work." - John G. Miller, QBQ! The Question Behind The Question

Hello Fleet Professionals!

Summer is upon us. The NAFA I&E is in the books for another year. The fleet preview shows are over. And the AFLA Conference is still more than 2 months away. So what does that all mean? That means it's time to finalize the new selectors and start gearing up for the new model year orders, of course! And maybe, hopefully, some vacation time with the family.

So what does that have to do with today's topic? Nothing! Unless you consider how radically and how quickly we are all moving away from "the old" to get to "the new" ideas of how things can and should be done. There can be no doubt that business has changed in the last few years, and that the way we do business has needed to change along with it. However, have your fleet needs really changed? I'm not talking about doing more with less, or thinking out of the box or even if your carbon index will allow you to use anything more than electric compacts in your fleet. What I mean is, have your needs for education and information changed? I maintain that they have not. What has changed is, possibly how we get that education and information.

Everyday it gets harder to get the approval to leave the office for a local meeting much less a national conference - no matter who is hosting it! But if we don't find ways to justify getting out, if only to ourselves, we begin to fall into the trap of working in an atmosphere that lacks alternative views. You begin to rely more and more on one source, such as your single source lessor who you source all or most of your services to as well. Are they informed on the industry (without a doubt), are they capable (definitely), are they so dedicated to your success that they will entertain and even recommend a third party to manage some part of your fleet - say remarketing or accident management for instance? (Houston we have a problem!) So it's safe to say that if you are "single-sourcing" your information, you may not be getting all the information you need to be successful in your job.

Our industry associations were formed to give us all the tools to get that information and education. They do it using formal educational sessions that can sometimes be dull and other times entertaining. More importantly, they provide us with a method of meeting our peers and other service providers in the industry. In the case of AFLA, through excellent sessions held once a year (in some terrific locations) and through frequent "tele-seminars". In the case of NAFA, through the annual I&E (conference), seminars and of course most importantly local chapter meetings.

OK, so back to the main point. Why have social activities at many of these gatherings been pushed aside or eliminated altogether? Has the corporate world decided that business networking is an "old idea"? Have you decided that? The internet is telling us something different. The explosion of networking sites (dubbed social networking) and Twitter are new, yet they are based on an old idea. That is, networking between people, sharing ideas, and furthering the conversation. Can any of this replace face to face networking? I HOPE NOT! Face to face networking builds trust, encourages candid conversation and is the cornerstone to building a business relationship. It introduces new professionals to both old and new ideas from industry veterans from both sides of the desk and can be either structured or completely spontaneous. It is truly amazing what you learn as you network with other professionals before, during and after a structured meeting or seminar. I would go as far as to say that our industry was built on networking. After all, when NAFA was started 53 years ago, it was for industry professionals to join together to share the concerns and successes within their operations with other professionals to help everyone be successful.

So the bottom line? Face to face networking, like unbundling and even returning phone calls may be "old" ideas, but they worked and they still work! So get yourself out of the office and start picking up the phone. These "old methods" will get you some "new ideas". Try it and let me know what you think!