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When you think of the holidays and the beginning of the New Year, thoughts often wander to holiday cheer and goodwill among people. It is a time to celebrate all that is good in the world and a time to reflect on our own personal lives, what we’ve accomplished and where we are headed.

However, it is one of the most ironic of times that can possibly be encountered—the happiest season of the year can be coupled with the uncertainty of tomorrow, especially for those that are lonely and facing hopelessness through loss. Surrounded by revelry and throngs of jovial people, it doesn’t take much to be alone in a crowd.

Staring out the window, he thought back on all the years he had poured himself into his job, prioritizing the good of the event center, the community and the organization he worked for. As his thoughts reverted to the scene earlier in the afternoon, he could hear the words of termination in the distance.

“We appreciate all you’ve done, but we’re going to have to make some changes around here,” his boss had said. “I’m sorry, but they don’t include you.” There was such a sense of finality in that statement that it left him feeling numb.

The next few days were spent in agony, wondering about the future. Slowly but surely he slipped into depression, not knowing what to do next.

Turning his thoughts away from his former job, he pondered his future, both immediate concerns and the years ahead. “I’m not sure what to do, whether to look for another similar position or change careers.”

Finally he muttered half out-loud, “I need to talk with someone, someone that cares, but who is there?”

For many of our colleagues, year-end reflection has taken on an added dimension due to the loss of job or loved one. It can be difficult to sing heartfelt carols and to socialize at one of the many holiday parties when a loss of livelihood—however temporary—is staring back at you with cold-faced reality. The future can look grim and you can feel all alone, wondering, “Who is going to be there to help through those trying days?”

IAAM is. We often hear that IAAM is about networking and professional development. But it is more than that. When sudden changes like this occur to us, the IAAM family becomes all that more important.

IAAM is a fraternity of sorts, one that provides life-long relationships in the midst of a rewarding career. Our association over the years has really developed into a family, drawn together by common bonds, sort of a “comrades in arms.” Ours is a job of serving the public.

Serving the public! The phrase denotes supreme sacrifice in the form of being a public servant. In truth, our industry evokes, if not demands, commitment beyond established standards and expectations. This commitment and dedication does indeed create a common bond between us, an empathy for one another and what we each carry.

This world we live in, and the industry we work for, can very suddenly and without warning take a dramatic turn for the worse. When it does, it helps to know that there is an association of friends that care. In the business we’re in, economic downturns and politics can take its toll on people in leadership. Those that were once influential and in control can suddenly find themselves seemingly unimportant. It’s been said that it is lonely at the top. But that is why there is an IAAM, an association of friends and colleagues to understand, support, and reach out with a helping hand.

Over the recent months, some of our colleagues have experienced the loss of job or the loss of a loved one. At this season of the year, it is particularly traumatic and can be very disheartening, even discouraging. When we experience tough times, and we each will, we need friends all the more. However, it is at those times we often withdraw and shrink from contact with friends. Friends are not optional; they’re essential. There is no substitute for a friend, someone to care, to listen, to feel, and to comfort.

Friends are not automatic; they must be cultivated. Friendships must be kept in constant repair. Friends are not neutral; they impact our lives. For good or bad, better or worse, friends will shape who you are. Friendships come in varying degrees, some having more impact than do others.

There are acquaintances that have superficial interaction. There are casual friends with whom we have common interests. There are close friends with whom we share similar life goals and with whom we discuss hard questions. And there are intimate friends, the few people with whom we have regular contact and a deep commitment.

IAAM provides all of them. As an association of friends and colleagues, it is important to reach out and encourage, especially during hard times. I encourage each of you during this holiday season, and always, to realize how important it is to be there for one another.

© 2002 International Association of Assembly Managers
635 Fritz Dr.  Coppell, TX 75019 USA Phone: 972/906-7441 Fax: 972/906-7418