The Ripple Effect: Where Do You Fit In?
Posted by ablack on Jan. 20, 2015 / Subscribe 0
Fifteen months. That’s one year and three months. Four hundred and fifty days to be exact. Yes… I am referring to the extent of my ‘newbie-ness’ to the AEC industry. If you want me to be completely honest, it was only about a year ago that I was googling the term ‘AEC’ because I was told that it was the industry that I was now a part of. What?!?! I’m part of an industry now? Totally rad.
As a first year Marketing Coordinator, I find that there is one concept in this industry that has continued to blow my mind over the last fifteen months. Now, don’t get me wrong; every single day, I come home with a newfound bit of knowledge and respect for this industry. But for me, the one truly jaw-dropping concept is what I like to call ‘The Ripple Effect.’ Before I go any further though, I would like to indulge in a quick deviation.
Two days ago, I took a left at a stoplight on my way to work, just as I always do. Usually, I take exactly six lefts on my transit from home to work. But this morning was different. One of the intersections that I typically take a left at (my second left, in case you were curious) was closed. Therefore, I was forced to take an alternate route. Now, I know this may seem a bit silly to most, but to me (a creature of habit), I was thrown for a bit of a loop. Because of this construction, I was 17 minutes late to work!
I habitually use those 17-ish minutes to layout and schedule my time (task by task) for the remainder of the day. Don't judge…I just happen to enjoy lists and schedules…nothing wrong with being organized, right? On this particular morning, my tardiness caused some challenges that expanded across my day incrementally, thus producing ‘The Ripple Effect.’
The following morning, having planned ahead for the traffic obstacle course - and after my 17 minutes of pre-work planning was completed and my caffeine requirements for proper brain function were consumed - I asked myself a question that I expected would have had a simple answer. Why did something as minor as some roadwork affect my morning so drastically? Uh-oh…not such a simple answer.
Thoughts of cause and effect began to flood my mind. I mean, ultimately every decision or action we make has the potential to affect someone or something around us. Think about that trip to Starbucks you made last week. Your decision to grab a quick cup-of-joe could impact the people that were driving behind you in line, the employee that took your drink order, and the barista that handcrafted your beverage. Likewise for the grocery shopping you did over the weekend. How about the co-worker that you did a favor for or the boss that you gave a compliment to? The possibilities are endless.
As I get back on track and reflect on my first year as a Marketing Coordinator (my first “big girl” job as I like to refer to it), I realize that ‘The Ripple Effect’ has an impact on more than I had originally recognized. And it wasn’t until my first pre-submittal meeting that I even grasped that ‘The Ripple Effect’ was what I truly admired about the AEC industry. That day, as I listened intently to the presentation and speakers at the pre-submittal, I came to a realization that would later come to epitomize this concept: the proposal that I was about to embark on was only one small part of a larger project that we were all there to discuss. The ripple potential was huge.
Yes, I was at the pre-submittal to gather information so that my company could propose to the best of its ability. However, the man sitting to my left (with the tie-dye pen) was there to learn more about the site so that he could understand the civil engineering needs that the construction would require. The gentleman sitting three rows in front of him (wearing a vibrant blue tie) was there to find out about the electrical engineering requirements. About three seats to the right of him was a woman (with a delightfully bold red laptop bag) who was inquiring on behalf of her architectural firm’s submittal. All of whose questions and correlating responses would affect the content that I would later use in our proposal.
Just like my drive to work the previous morning, all of these aforementioned people would in some way affect the outcome of the pursuit and the project. Mr. Tie-Dye would make decisions that would ultimately affect Mr. Blue Tie’s plan for construction, thereby making an impression on Ms. Red Laptop Bag’s design plan. This would all in turn lay the groundwork for what the general contractor would send out to their sub-contractors to complete the actual construction of the building. Try saying THAT out loud three times fast!
As I am only four hundred and fifty days into my career, I can’t help but feel like ‘The Ripple Effect’ helps me to answer the many queries that I have as a ‘newbie.’ What queries, you might ask? Well, the “big one” mostly. Where do I fit in? Sitting in my chair at the pre-submittal meeting, listening to Tie-Dye and Blue Tie and Red Bags, I couldn’t help but wonder what MY impact would be on the pursuit and the project. Obviously, all of their jobs had to be done in order for the development to be accomplished. But did mine? At what point on the ripple did I exist?
My conclusion was simple. Just like a ripple emanates outward in all directions, disrupting the surface tension to varying degrees along its journey, so too does my role as Marketing Coordinator affect the AEC industry to varying degrees. I AM a part of the ripple in its entirety. We all are. It would be absurd to think that marketing has little or no impact on the AEC industry. How else would the architects, engineers and contractors continue to get the word out about the projects that they are proud to be a part of, or propose on new projects to fill their backlog with? To put it in terms of the trip you might have taken to Starbucks last week: if the employee who took your order or the barista who handcrafted your beverage were not at attention, then you might not have had an enjoyable coffee experience, thereby hampering your tendency to stop at that particular Starbucks going forward and incrementally diminishing that store’s overall sales. The importance and the impact of each individual taking part in ‘The Ripple Effect’ in undeniable.
As I review these observations, I feel certain that my admiration of ‘The Ripple Effect’ in this industry is not misplaced. The ‘Ripple Effect’ doesn’t overlook anyone; it doesn’t disregard the roles or jobs of any group or any individuals caught within its path. It is completely indiscriminate. To all you readers who are new to this industry, relish in you ‘newbie-ness” and try to remember your significance. For those of you that are seasoned marketing professionals, ‘The Ripple Effect’ may be a good reminder of the impact we are all capable of making.
About the Blogger: Danielle Palbykin is a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed beginner, striving to be an experienced marketing professional, endeavoring in “Pinterest Wins” and recently determined in all things pertaining to snowboarding. Some may say she could be caught chatting to the wall and getting it to talk back.
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