From the President – Greg Adamson
There’s a certain charge to a shared experience
Let me tell you something about horses.
A typical horse can pull a payload of 8,000 pounds. Impressive, but then there’s this: Two horses harnessed to the same wagon can pull a payload of 24,000 pounds. If you do the math, you see that two horses can do the work of three.
And so on.
Like some people, I’m energized by events and groups. Whether it’s working with peers at a board meeting or cheering with strangers at a ballgame, there’s a certain charge to a shared experience. And I’ve shared two in the past two or so months – the Olympus national sales meeting (NSM) and the LTEN annual conference. Different crowds, different purposes, but in both cases, the metaphorical horses pulled together and did amazing things.
At the Olympus NSM in May, about 1,400 people came together with a shared goal to cover the safe and effective use of Olympus products, to increase sales, to celebrate success and to gain alignment.
At LTEN2023 in June, about 1,000 people came together with a goal of sharing best practices, knowledge, innovations, networking and support. From that sharing come increased sales, completed goals and aligned organizations.
Two different kinds of events, with one common energizer: teamwork.
At our NSM, we talked about training as a bridge, or perhaps a three-legged stool. Whichever term you prefer, training connects the different functions involved, sales and marketing.
We really found the right sauce here. All three parties – sales, marketing and training – have input and are heard, and come to an agreement on what works. Once aligned, the partners pull together, and move an incredible payload. We do it together, with purpose, all debates and discussions behind us.
I opened the LTEN conference talking about how teamwork and networks fuel innovation, and my fellow hosts – my LTEN Board of Directors colleagues Laura Last, Jenny Bryan and Mark Lockett – carried the message through. At keynote presentations, at panel discussions, in workshops and Learning Labs, you felt the power of teamwork.
Throughout both events, the spirit was there, and the message was clear: Together we build better ideas, produce results, hit goals, support visions, develop careers and grow organizations. We move bigger wagons, in other words.
The two events shared another descriptor – an almost festive spirit. When partners in training find alignment, it’s a moment worth marking, a synergistic effect of everyone pulling together. You can feel the fireworks going off.
At LTEN2023, we celebrated that synergy while presenting the annual Excellence Awards. The twin spirits of teamwork and innovation ran throughout the ceremony.
NSMs and annual conferences are great places to build excitement, recognize stars and share solutions. But be sure to treat these as the start of a journey, not the conclusion. There’s a long way to pull your particular wagon, but you have the strength of your team, your partners and your LTEN network working with you.
When it comes to building and sustaining energy, I’m sure you have your own examples from your national meetings and, hopefully, from an LTEN event, workshop, article or webinar. Share that when and where you can, and watch as it radiates into action: Your wagon goes far (farther). Your payload gets delivered.
Until then…
Greg Adamson is president of the LTEN Board of Directors and executive director, sales training, for Olympus Americas. Email Greg at greg.adamson@olympus.com.
