A winter's drive over the holiday weekend gave me a chance to reflect on all that I see going on in our industry. As I stand back and look WHO we are and WHERE we are... the more I am sure this industry is not quite YET ready to handle the BIG vision so many of us want. I see our collectivey industry action speaking louder then our words. This is not a BAD thing, this is just an "IS" thing. Early last week I made a comment in a post regarding how home stagers could learn from the Realtor community who annually benifit from coming together and learning together as our own unified group like the NAR. There are MANY of us who are beginning to understand and believe in the fact that having common association(s) can be a good thing for ourselves and our clients. Terrylynn Fisher generated more compelling dialogue on the same subject when she wrote her own thoughts and feelings about having and an END GOAL of a NAR like association for staging in her post entitled: Exclusionism keeps us small and weak!
It is no secret that to ultimately achieve an end goal it must first be envisioned. Having the END GOAL of a NAR like organization/assocaition for the home staging industry is AWESOME... and I embrace THAT goal 100%. But I thnk maybe we are trying to hard. Not loosing site of the END GOAL, maybe what is more important is that we FIRST define and take smaller steps that start moving us to that "associated" END GOAL.
To helps us see where we are and to help us define the steps to move ahead we need to ask ourselves "what do we as stagers REALLY want for and as our industry?" Then take a hard look and ask if this is what our collective actions are communicating in spite of what we think? Is what we REALLY want happening equal to the vocal minority that is shouting for a BIGGER picture? If you think it is then why does it feel like we are still stuck here?
Why isn't there this vast tidal force moving us toward a greater good that some of us are shouting for?
Well, I believe part of the reason is the fact that our industry is riddled with distrust, misunderstanding, conflicting philosophies, and egos. PLUS this industry is trying to GROW and UNITE during the WORST real estate market in decades. But even though this obviously is NOT ideal, this should NOT stop those of us who are committed to creating something more for ALL in this industry.
So as an industry (or fledging industry) how we ARE working to get unstuck? Well maybe, without realizing it, we are getting ourselves out of this rut by starting with a rock and roll motion... kind of like what one does to get a car unstuck out of a snow bank. I have come to observe that sometimes when someone tries to rock forward for this industry, there are those that roll back. Is this BAD? I have to say "No". Do I like it? Well I have to say "NO" again. But it is a reality.
Case in point...SIF now has over 25 Roundtable discussions planned for all over the USA and Canada, and even though we have "rocked" there are some who feels it is necessary to roll with their own independent gathering of stagers they too have dubbed a "round table". What are this person's "underlying intentions"? I really don't think it matters? Is this a bad thing that it is taking place? I really don't think it is. This just is the rock and roll I am talking about. Different interpretations of a similar thing can be helpful, but who we are and HOW we respond matters MORE.
When someone seems to rolls forward the rolling back response can seem like negativity.(Please do not confuse this use of the word "negativity" with with mudslinging.) But I am beginning to see how this BACK and FORTH motion WILL create the monument that will get us unstuck so that we can trust and fully embrace bigger goals like creating an NAR for home staging.
There are a lot of little things that can be done to get us unstuck and driving on to our associated END GOAL. To get a car unstuck there are a number of things one can do, like: put on chains, throw down rock-salt, shovel out the snow packed under, or just give a push... likewise there are many little things we can do to help move us all along and to be associated in a way that benefits all.
While I have hoped we would move faster... this is not all doom and gloom. I have come to learn that our industry IS moving and moving in the way it is supposed to. My hopes are based on MY rocking vision... but with each passing day I see there are those rolling with equally important visions that need to be taking into account too.
Just my thoughts as I rock and roll...
Me
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