Don’t confuse connection with commitment

Connected people come and go. Committed people plant their feet and stay.

By Ronda Landygo & Jeff Baker

A few weeks ago, a colleague of ours wrote a post on LinkedIn that struck a chord. The first line read, “You’re replaceable to everyone except your family and friends.”

As two people who have always been dedicated to our work — and who have poured a large portion of our professional and personal lives into the pages of this magazine — it was a timely reality check.

Over the last seven-and-a-half years, we have been incredibly fortunate to grow this humble publication from a hastily scribbled concept (and a near-illegible one at that!) on the back of a cocktail napkin to the robust, nationally recognized brand it is today. And we would be remiss if we didn’t take this opportunity to say thank you. The age-old saying is true: it does, in fact, take a village, and we have the best damn village around — from our production and sales team to our advertisers, and to you, the manufacturing leaders who have come to trust us as a regular source of insight and information. At its core, Prairie Manufacturer is simply a reflection of the community it serves.

When we launched this project, it would be fair to say the odds were stacked high against us. We were the smallest-of-the-small publishing houses, fiercely independent with razor-thin budgets, locally designed, woman-owned, and dedicated to covering a historically male-dominated industry. We weren’t supposed to survive. We weren’t supposed to grow our sphere of influence. And we definitely weren’t supposed to become a two-time Manitoba Magazine of the Year award winner in the process. But through even the darkest days, we wouldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer, and we wouldn’t compromise our vision.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because many manufacturers in Western Canada have navigated a similar narrative. Yet here we are, not only surviving but thriving. Just like you!

While there is no doubt in our minds that we would not trade a single moment of this journey for anything in the world, for our little group, we have to admit time has had a funny way of blurring lines.

The truth is the last few years have been difficult. Our tight-knit team has lost loved ones, navigated career disruptions, battled illnesses, moved across town and across the country, tackled unprecedented workloads, and have stared down too many forks in the road to count. These tribulations, though, have reminded us not to conflate being connected with what we understand to being meaningfully committed.

It’s a tough lesson — one that many people often recognize too late in life. So, we wanted to pause for a moment to share some of our reflections on what we have learned along this path in the hopes that you can avoid making some of the same mistakes we did.

First and foremost, you have nothing without your health. And it’s impossible to properly take care of that – both physical and mental — when you can’t detach from your inbox. So, put the phone down. Dedicate at least 30 minutes each day to doing something physical. Make the decision to prioritize prevention or the decision to prioritize treatment will eventually be forced upon you.

Second, relationships deteriorate when they’re not deliberately nurtured. One year from now, the only people who will remember you took that Zoom meeting or conference call while on vacation are your spouse and kids. You’ve built a stellar team at work for a reason, so trust them — they can handle it.

Third, creativity and productivity are muscles. They need to be constantly exercised; but they don’t repair and strengthen without occasional rest. Ensuring you can and do periodically ‘unplug’ from work is one of the best things you can do to maintain a high level of professional performance.

Fourth, never lose the joy. Like most entrepreneurs and executives, we walk a tightrope between passion and obsession every day. We love what we do and who we do it for. When that spark begins to flicker, it’s time to reset. For example, there are countless studies that have demonstrated the importance of laughter in workplace productivity. When the Prairie Manufacturer team is firing on all cylinders, laughing is something we do regularly; it’s an easy barometer for us on the state of our individual and collective well-being.

And last, but certainly not least, give back whenever you can. Most of the great ideas we’ve had have been shaped by individuals outside our traditional ‘work boundaries’ — typically while engaging in sectors that are largely detached from publishing or manufacturing. Volunteering is a great way to gain that exposure and feel good about it.

As we venture into the New Year, there will be boundless opportunities to improve your organization. Our only ask is that you start by committing to improving yourself. After all, the most critical input in modern manufacturing remains people; and you should only accept the best quality inputs into your supply chain.

On behalf of the entire Prairie Manufacturer team, thank you for sharing this journey with us. We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you and your loved ones a safe and healthy holiday season!