Time to reconnect

New research from the McKinsey & Co consulting firm confirms what many of us have sensed in the COVID-19 era--the health of our professional networks has been adversely affected by the pandemic. That's not good news for individual professionals or their companies and organizations. The study, which questioned about 5,500 US workers on their networks and connections, found more than three-quarters of the respondents said that they "are connecting with others less frequently, have smaller networks and spend less time and effort on relationship building since the start of the pandemic." The STLE can play a role in helping people in the tribology and lubricants business to repair lost connections and acquire some new ones. Here, Salek presents some practical ideas on how to do that.

Tribology Frontiers Conference shifts to 2023

In the June TLT, my column told readers that it was not too early for the tribology and lubricants community to think about two major technical events coming in November 2022. However, that was not the case for one of those events. STLE has announced that the Tribology Frontiers Conference (TFC), which was scheduled for November of this year, has been postponed to Nov. 13-15, 2023. The Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower in downtown Cleveland, Ohio (USA), will remain the conference location. When announcing the postponement, STLE cited an exceptionally crowded 2022 conference calendar and COVID-19-related international travel restrictions. Moving into 2023 reduces these issues and provides tribologists from all parts of the world with the possibility of being able to attend the conference.

To shake or not to shake?

Not that long ago, many of us were attending multiple face-to-face meetings, conferences and trade shows every year. In those pre-COVID-19 pandemic days, networking behavior was reflexive. Imagine yourself walking through a busy trade show floor shaking hands or even hugging some old acquaintances. The rules were simple and shared. Now, after two years of avoiding these sort of events and interactions, there's uncertainty about what constitutes normal and acceptable behavior. Here, Salek discusses the proper meeting etiquette in the post-COVID-19 world.

Suffering from workforce headaches?

Labor shortages continue to be among the high-profile business challenges of 2022. A consensus solution among experts is to upskill current employees or train promising new hires that have potential but need to learn the field. Related to that is the fact that many employers are turning to associations as the source for this assistance. Here, Salek discusses the STLE's professional education and training programs available to both members and nonmembers of the society.

Annual Meeting 2025: Different and better?

Salek highlights the American Institute of Physics' The Future of Association Convening: Envisioning for The Sciences (FACETS) report. The report provides "ideas and suggestions on how scientific conferences can integrate valuable lessons learned from retooling in-person meetings to virtual formats over the past year while also meeting changing demands of their research communities and the conduct of science," according to AIP. A key finding from the FACETS report is that virtual conferences can create opportunities to reach nontraditional populations, which could be a long-term boon to increasing the diversity of physical sciences talent. This is consistent with STLE's experience at its two virtual events. The number of first-time attendees, students and international participants increased for both conferences.

I was a virtual meeting dropout!

Salek shares his experience in attending virtual conference. He says that there's a right way and a wrong way to attend an online conference. One lesson for the virtual conference world: Plan for the event and block your schedule as though you were attending an in-person conference. If you don't, you are likely to shortchange yourself and your employer on the benefits of attending. Corollary to that rule: Don't blame the virtual format for any lack of return on the registration investment. If it does happen, the cause is operator error-not system failure.

Membership matters more today

A major national organization that tracks trends in the association field has reported that 51% of individuals holding a current membership consider it to be more important in today's disruptive environment. One of the association profession's experts on membership strategy and growth, Sarah Sladek, attributes this to the fact that people measure value in two ways: emotion and return on investment. In Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) terms, three examples illustrate how an association can fulfill members needs and provide a significant ROI. The first is in professional development, an important association service that's been limited by the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of face-to-face activities.

Navigating COVID-19 disruptions

Salek navigates the COVID-19 disruptions. He cites the availability of STLE programs that adapt the changing needs of its members. From a business and professional standpoint, STLE is doing all they can to support constituents as they navigate through this difficult and disruptive situation. STLE's focus remains on finding ways to keep up with changing member needs. In what's now the sixth month of this environment, the results of this operational transformation are becoming evident at STLE. At its core, it has been their commitment to provide online learning opportunities to members and non-members who have been or continue to be on a restricted work schedule due to health and safety rules.

Tribology takes center stage

Salek discusses the STLE's media campaign. The goal of the campaign is to communicate the value of tribology and lubrication engineering innovations to a global audience outside the field. STLE believes that strong communications and advocacy efforts help ensure our future relevance as a profession, an industry and a professional society. This campaign to put tribology in the spotlight entered a new phase recently when the venerable Popular Mechanics magazine devoted 1,500 words to "How the Obscure Science of Rubbing Built the Past and Will Shape the Future."

Lessons learned going virtual

Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), like organizations and people around the world, has altered operations and taken extraordinary steps to help fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Salek and his colleagues quickly transitioned to become a virtual office during the duration of this order. In addition to keeping basic operations and member services as close to normal as possible, they put an emphasis on utilizing online educational resources to learn more about how to operate remotely and to expand their professional skills and knowledge. Personally, this experience created a new appreciation for the power of online learning.