You may be wondering how enthusiasm affects you, or how it is even relevant to you and business? It is simple but worth writing about because it may be overlooked in your business life.
Most of us have enthusiasm for something in our lives. Whether it’s for football, golf, race cars, boating or any other host of things, enthusiasm in business is overlooked to a certain extent. It is easy to get sucked into a daily routine that is lackluster and repetitive. Business books are written about lots of topics, but one of the most important elements is enthusiasm for the business you are in. Enthusiasm creates an atmosphere that positively impacts a business and can make up for deficiencies in other areas of your business.
When I reflect upon the 8 exhausting days in the Middle East with 33 other cooling system professionals and the staff of whose companies we visited, there is one thing that resonates with me: enthusiasm. The enthusiasm exhibited on behalf of the companies we visited was absorbed by the people on the tour. The environment of enthusiasm that was created during those 8 days made an impact that was undeniable. The enthusiasm is what I felt from everyone on the tour and is the reason I am writing about how it transformed this trip into such a great event.
Thinking more about enthusiasm, another word came to mind: passion. Looking up the definitions of passion and enthusiasm in Webster’s dictionary, here is what I came up with: By definition, passion is a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept. The definition for “enthusiasm” is a strong excitement and active interest, an intense and eager enjoyment. These words are very similar and almost synonymous, but not quite.
Let us break it down to see if these are conditions that affect the success of a company. I personally see passion about a business from leadership and management all the time. After all, a strong devotion and or desire is mostly common among business owners. It is noticeable in your management team and staff. On the other hand, if you have enthusiasm, you will seem a little more positive and uplifting than passion alone. Some people can be a little grumpy, even seem rude but they can have passion for their business. The biggest difference I see between passion and enthusiasm has a positive connotation. When someone has enthusiasm for the job they are doing, I think passion is contained within that enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is more of an attitude than passion. Enthusiastic people are uplifting, positive, have the can-do mentality and make it a pleasure to do business with them.
As business owners and managers, how do we develop our enthusiasm? Does it come from just knowing we are doing a job that is critical to the success of other companies? Do we gain more enthusiasm over time, or do we lose our enthusiasm as we trudge through life? These are all good questions and the answers may be very individualistic.
I think enthusiasm can come from different sources; some of those are external and some internal. What do I mean by this? First, some people are genuinely enthusiastic and upbeat all or most of the time. This can be in a person’s DNA, others learn how to be positive, like coaches. People studying to be coaches will hone those coaching skills which will impact players. This positive attitude will come across as enthusiasm. Good business managers will be like coaches as they manage in a positive way building up their team and this will cause enthusiasm. Receiving compliments on a job well done not only builds self esteem but will create enthusiasm to encourage good or great performance in the future as people want to be recognized for the good work they do.
If you are passionate about your business but maybe lack the enthusiasm, then you must get away from your business. Stop working in your business and start working on your business. After spending 8 days with 33 International Tour attendees, I can tell you they all returned home with a newfound enthusiasm for this industry and their businesses. They spent time with families and management teams who operate manufacturing companies in the Middle East, and the enthusiasm these people have who are involved with these companies is infectious.
The one thing I know about NARSA/IDEA conferences and the International Tour, is these events cause people to gain another level of enthusiasm. We have heard the saying, “Success is 99 percent attitude and 1 percent aptitude.” Well, enthusiasm plays a huge part in developing and maintaining a great attitude. If you already have the passion, then devote time to be with others in your industry who have the same passion and get your enthusiasm fuel tank filled up.
Time and time again, I see how important and beneficial the in person meetings and trips to visit others in our industries have been. We see everyone leave more energized, passionate, and enthusiastic about their business opportunities. The words I write don’t do justice to the effect our meetings and trips have on people who attend them. Don’t miss out on building your enthusiasm for your business, attend the next NARSA/IDEA event, and see for yourself how your enthusiasm level will be increased.
NARSA/IDEA had representatives from 5 different countries attend this last International Tour to the Middle East. Some of the people who attended the tour had never before attended an in-person event. Each person who attended will tell you the benefits of attending were far greater than they could have imagined. All it will take is one conference or one International Tour, and you will get hooked on NARSA/IDEA.
Lastly, the NARSA/IDEA Board of Directors, staff, and the International tour attendees want to send a huge thank you to the families and management teams of Siyam Radiator, Dolphin Radiators, and Serck Global. With their vision, support, and hospitality, we had a very successful International Tour.
To Ibraham, Walid, and Abeer Siyam, to Nooruddin, Moiz, Abdul and Mohammed Jetpurwala, to Jitesh Kapadia and Billy Tyrrell, our sincere thanks for your awesome hospitality.
Mark Taylor
NARSA/IDEA Executive Director
mtaylor@narsa.org
(410) 320-5119
This editorial was originally published in the March/April 2023 issue of The Cooling Journal.