Every month, the Monument Builders of North America publishes a glossy trade magazine with a "Consumer Advocacy Update" from Carolyn Jacobi.
Ms. Jacobi's writes in the conclusion of her column:
- "If this movement fails, it is because you elected to let it fail. Failure is an event and a person. There are many reasons for failures. Some of them are a lack of faith and motivation, limited self-image, complacency, insincerity, failure to plan and follow the plan, and trying to function as an individual rather than a part of a team."
With one pronouncement, Ms. Jacobi has expounded a lot of thoughts for MBNA's membership to reflect upon. MBNA, like most organizations, is often its own worst enemy, alienating now former members who decided to spend their money elsewhere.
Personally, I believe monument builders need an effective national trade association, and MBNA is, like-it-or-not, effectively that association.
MBNA needs to select folks as officers and district trustees who have a background of leadership and major accomplishments who actually know how to produce results if it wants to expand its membership and influence on a national scale.
Do I want to see the monument industry grow and prosper? Of course I do. MBNA has a lot of politics and it is ineffective in ways that it could be effective. For the sake of the industry, it needs to do more on the national and state levels to improve relationships with monument builders.
I invite you to reread Carolyn Jacobi's remarks and then think about your own contributions to the monument industry.
- "If this movement fails, it is because you elected to let it fail. Failure is an event and a person. There are many reasons for failures. Some of them are a lack of faith and motivation, limited self-image, complacency, insincerity, failure to plan and follow the plan, and trying to function as an individual rather than a part of a team."
Burton Fletcher
www.USAMonuments.com
Burton@USAMonuments.com
