DIVE LOCAL – A Dive Industry Community Effort
Problem Solving in the Diving Industry
By Gene Muchanski, Executive Director,
Dive Industry Association, Inc.

CHAPTER 11 – Taking Action

Taking action to solve problems might seem like the toughest thing to do, but quite honestly, it can be the most rewarding experience one can imagine.  Now that we have identified a problem, considered more appropriate outcomes, identified possible solutions, and chosen the best course of action to follow, starting to work on the problem is the next logical thing to do.  It’s not that working on a problem is daunting, it’s taking that first step which is the hardest thing to do.  Maybe it’s because you never worked on that particular problem before or maybe it’s just fear of the unknown.  Whatever it is will be forgotten the minute you roll up your sleeves and start.

Taking action requires you to plan out your strategy before you begin, just like you had to plan out your strategy to get to this point.  Maybe that’s why so many industry problems go unresolved after problem solving sessions and regional summit meetings.  Maybe the group doesn’t realize how much time, money, or manpower it is going to take to solve the problem at hand.  Unless you assign responsibility for the project, maybe the members will think that someone else is going to do all the work.  The biggest roadblock to solving industry problems that I have seen in the past is that people without a vested interest in a changed outcome will usually do nothing to make it happen.  They will complain about it of course, but if they have nothing to gain or lose in the problem correction, they will just sit on the sidelines and wait for the next industry bitch session to voice their opinion, worthless as it may be.

Once a group has decided to take action on an industry problem, it behooves them to set up a committee of volunteers to work on the project.  Everyone with a desire to work on the project should be allowed to use their time and talents as needed by the group.  One person and maybe one alternate should be assigned as the group leader, to organize the project and keep it on schedule.  As with any project, there should be a start date and an estimated completion date.  There should be regular milestone points that signify work completion or success levels.  If the project appears to be showing no or low signs of success or progress, there should be someone that notices it and reconvenes additional meetings or communications.  The biggest thing about a project is that the group needs to keep their eye on the ball and not let things fall through the cracks.   I always say that the things you pay attention to will grow.

Solving industry problems on a regional level brings dive communities together.  It gives their Regional Diving Community purpose and a reason to meet and work together.  If dive industry professionals and certified divers can work together to solve problems, challenges, and roadblocks to having a successfully active local diving community, could you imagine the possibilities to what this community can accomplish?  First of all, it would unite the local diving community because different groups could work on different problems throughout the year and come together on an annual or semi-annual basis to review their progress.  As we will talk about in the final chapter of this series, working on regional industry problems can lead to working on future activities that help the regional diving community to grow and prosper.

For more information contact Gene Muchanski, Executive Director, Dive Industry Association, Inc., 2294 Botanica Circle, West Melbourne, FL.  Phone 321-914-3778. Email: gene@diveindustry.net  web: www.diveindustry.net

# # #