When this magazine and the special edition reach your doorstep, we will be enjoying another springtime and tradeshow season. Just like many retail LP practitioners and solution providers, my team and I have the privilege of attending a variety of meetings and conferences where we get to hear from professionals in every segment of the industry.
We hear about struggles, successes, frustrations, and more. What do all these conversations have in common? People are sharing with us. The spirit of sharing was what united us back in the early days of LP and helped us grow as a profession. This spirit continues in the essential collaboration with legislators, district attorneys, and law enforcement—big things get done when we work together.
Retail LP folks really do want to share their experiences: what they’ve learned, problems they are going through, and interesting stories. As I talk with retailers, I hear over and over that they have great ideas or topics that they are truly passionate about—but they just can’t get approval from their corporate offices. Whether it’s webinars, podcasts, articles, or speaking at conferences, it seems the long-standing LP culture of sharing is being squelched.
Yes, it’s prudent to be careful about oversharing. In this age of viral social media, no company wants a black eye due to a random comment made during a podcast or in an article. But what happens when we continue to insulate ourselves and our experiences within the confines of our own company? When we operate in siloes without sharing with the greater industry, we risk stagnating growth—personally, at the corporate level, and for the entire industry.
Some of the most beneficial moments in my career were when I had the opportunity to speak at national conferences: I conquered my fear of public speaking, it exposed me to others in the industry, and I honed countless other soft skills. In those instances, it was important to me, so I gently pushed the decision-makers for approval on my topics. They became more comfortable with me representing the company, the more I did these types of things. Later, this included writing for LP Magazine.
If you are senior leadership, your public relations team must understand that sharing is what makes our LP community great and keeps us growing. If we shut the door and lose the ability to contribute, where will we be in the next ten to fifteen years? Will we be coming up with new solutions? Or will retail companies further shut the door out of fear? Networking and sharing are literally a cheat code and a fast- track method to solving problems. Why labor alone behind closed doors?