In the closing session of Automation World, in Orlando, Florida, ABB’s Chairman and CEO of North America, Dinesh Paliwal, told the audience that the future lies in forming lasting partnerships to broaden horizons and push for better results.
Paliwal noted that collaboration is a powerful tool, but only if it is a continuous process, not a one-off tactic. He shared several important principles to help foster collaboration:
Successful collaboration requires a real hunger for information.
This means asking the right questions and actively listening so you can focus on the right objectives. “Remember,” he said, “if a customer asks for a half-inch drill, what he really wants is a half-inch hole. We must all take the time to understand our customers’ needs.”
Broaden the horizons for exploration
This means extending the hunger for information to customers, employees, suppliers and business leaders. Dinesh related the importance of working across business and geographical boundaries to capture the strengths of the entire organization. “It takes a deliberate effort to transform a culture of ‘doing it my way’ to ‘achieving results our way’” said Dinesh.
Open and lasting partnerships
Dinesh noted that many of ABB’s top innovations have been developed jointly with customers, through strategic agreements. Dinesh noted that the mutual trust that makes these agreements possible strengthened relationships, and the results they produce strengthen entire industries.
Have a mindset for sharing across the extended team
This means celebrating mutual success, giving credit to the contributions of others, and most importantly developing people with a gift for collaboration so they have the opportunity to influence even more. It’s also important to maintain the hunger for information when there are challenges, with the courage to learn and benefit from mistakes.
Dinesh also related the importance of sharing results with those less fortunate. The ABB Foundation was created in 2005 to help ABB’s employees collaborate with the communities where they live and work through company-matched donations and grant nominations. In 2006, the Foundation awarded over $300,000 to many national and local community organizations to help improve the quality of life.
Paliwal also thanked the record number of customer presenters. During the week, technical experts from customers, technology partners and ABB presented case histories outlining millions of dollars in savings from the application of new tools for productivity, quality and energy efficiency. Dinesh expressed that “the generosity of these presenters in documenting their results so other can benefit is deeply appreciated. It’s a remarkable spirit of sharing.”
The week was also characterized by a spirit of relationship building and collaboration at several social activities. On Tuesday, participants were invited spend an evening at Universal Studios enjoying the rides and other attractions at the Island of Adventure. The excursion was well attended and participants took the opportunity to strengthen relationships founded in earlier sessions while enjoying camaraderie, park rides and a fireworks display. On Wednesday, an exhibit hall reception blended relaxing conversations with hand-on exhibits to compliment the formal workshops.
The event concluded with a reminder that next year’s ABB Automation World Conference & Exhibition will be held in Houston Texas from April 29 to May 1, 2008.
ABB Automation World by the numbers
This is the fourth Automation world event, each of the last three years has exceeded the previous year’s attendance
- Over 40 percent of attendees have been to previous Automation World events
- Over 2,500 registered attendees, with a 28 percent increase in customers and channel partners
- 38 different countries represented
- 350 different workshops
- Over 90 percent of attendees are interested in emerging technologies
- 70 percent of attendees are looking to collaborate on purchasing decisions
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