More than 30 members from The Unified Group recently gathered in Chicago for two and a half days of collaboration during the inaugural Small/Special Projects Forum. Representing various locations across the U.S., attendees engaged in candid discussions about their unique challenges, fostering a spirit of collaboration that resulted in innovative solutions and a wealth of shared HVAC-related experiences.

“The best part of this meeting was being able to bounce our everyday struggles off others who are going through a lot of the same issues,” said Robert Price of A&G Services. “Now I have connections to other small/special projects people to help refine processes.”

Jake Ramsey of Fez Mechanical kickstarted the meeting with interactive introductions, where members learned more about each other. Guest facilitator, Randy Nemchin, president and executive coach for nearly 25 years at Radical Guidance Consulting, hopped into the conversation and began facilitating panel discussions. “Managing Manpower & Scheduling” was the highlight of day one. This topic began with panel specialists covering the processes they use within their companies, then everyone went back to their tables for small group discussions.

The first day concluded with a group dinner at Joe’s Live, where members shared camaraderie and a delicious barbecue meal.

“Strategies to Avoid Tech Burnout” headlined the second day. Members discussed occurrences and how they accommodate the technicians’ stress and exhaustion that is often not talked about. Nemchin shared the importance of caring for employees’ mental health, which leads to the success and productivity of a company. This topic was valuable because numerous leaders in the room were not fully aware of the importance and substantiality of mental health in the workplace.

“The highlight from these sessions is how the conversations make me think about several issues in a different light,” said Jeff Beekman of Legacy Mechanical.

After two productive days with Nemchin, members came back on day three ready to conclude an excellent conference. “How to Handle the Clash Between Service & Construction” was the day’s highest-rated segment. Members participated in small group discussions covering fundamental topics — such as the logistics of making it work — through in-depth examples of specific tactics implemented to progress company-wide success.

Overall, attendees and facilitators made the 2023 Small/Special Projects Forum a great addition to the meeting schedule with insightful discussions, successful strategies shared, and memories that will last a lifetime. If your company is interested in participating in an upcoming conference (i.e. Construction Forum, Safety Directors’ Forum, Annual Meeting & Owners’ Forum, Service Management Forum, Sales Forum and more), contact Janet Kelleher at KelleherJ@theunifiedgroup.com to learn more.