President’s Message: Hiding in Plain Sight
By Karen Klein
One of the icebreakers during the virtual AIIP conference in April was to select something from our work space and share it with our table mates. As I looked around my office, I realized that the tchotchkes, photos, and mementoes I acquired over the years had simply faded into my surroundings. It was as if I were seeing them for the first time.
It was so nice to share two of my treasures—a Ryne Sandberg bobblehead figure commemorating his stint with the Double AA Reading Phillies baseball team and my photo with a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilot inside the Thunderbirds hangar at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas with the group. I felt a rush of excitement during this virtual show-and-tell and the positive memories they evoked. If it weren’t for the conference ice-breaker, those items would just be sitting on my bookshelves in anonymity as part of my everyday surroundings.
How many times has that happened in professional situations, when you don’t “see” something and it reveals itself unexpectedly? It can happen in the millisecond after you send an email and remember a key point you neglected to include. Or the typo you find when presenting a report despite diligent proofreading.
What prompts do you use to trick your brain into looking at or thinking about something with fresh eyes? There are three approaches that work for me:
- Let it percolate – Anyone who has worked with me knows I like to let things “percolate.” In other words, I purposely set a project or idea aside and focus on other things, knowing full well my brain is busy working in the background on the topic. When I truly let go, the creative answer appears when I least expect it, often while driving.
- Set it aside – When I have a major report due, I don’t look at for a few days, preferably over a weekend so that, when I do look at it again, it is with a fresh perspective. Better yet, I print it. It’s amazing how my brain sees things differently on paper compared to on a screen.
- Change your scenery – If I’m really stuck or need inspiration, I move to a new location. Moving to a different room or working outside can be just the inspiration and jolt of creativity that I need.
The phenomenon of things blending into the background can happen with AIIP member benefits. When we first join AIIP and are introduced to the vast array of offerings, we might focus on a few and think we will get to the others later. If we have been a member for several years, we might overlook some key benefits as they “blend into our surroundings.”
AIIP members have access to a plethora of documents, networking opportunities, and professional development events to support them regardless of what phase their business is in. Do you need a sample non-disclosure agreement or sample subcontractor agreement? It’s there. Are you working on finding your first client? It’s there. Did you miss a webinar or Info Pro Cafe? The free recordings are there. Are you looking for a collaborator on a project? The member directory will certainly have someone who fits the bill.
Take a moment, look around your work space, and reflect on a memento that’s hiding in plain sight. And while you’re at it, (re)discover one more AIIP member benefit.
Karen Klein serves as AIIP’s 2021-2022 president. She started Fulcrum Information Resources in 2005 and provides companies with customized research results so they can make strategic decisions. Karen also conducts data audits, voice of the customer surveys, and shepherds special projects from inception through completion. Although she works with all industry sectors, she has an affinity for advanced manufacturing.
