People's Choice and Comp Laude® from L

Comp Laude draws near once again. Each time I dictate that, my software types “comp loudly.” This year it will be October 9 through 11 in San Diego, details are here. Comp Laude began like so many things we do, with a vision or a dream. It has grown and expanded, morphed and restructured. Reflecting on its history, I am reminded once again that the only constant in our lives is change. I have written about Comp Laude a few times, and about my favorite part, the Peoples’ Choice Awards, back to that in a moment. 

To recap, David DePaolo conceived the Peoples’ Choice in 2016. The Comp Laude had been launched in 2011 with a vision to recognition and appreciation that our workers’ compensation community was praiseworthy. We all recognize that there are both people and practices that misapply the mission of workers’ compensation; they stray and impugn, sometimes infect us all with their excesses or misdeeds. The news features their actions, and we are all too often guilty by association. 

There are literally hundreds of thousands of Americans injured each year at work. The severity of those injuries varies, and thankfully a great many require little or no medical attention or recovery. We often call those “first aid” injuries; but, a significant number are more serious, some are catastrophic, and too many are fatalities. Those require services from a wide array of providers: paramedics, nurses, doctors, surgeons, therapists, pharmacists, chiropractors, vocational experts, lawyers, and more. 

The result has been an evolution of “the workers’ compensation industry.” I have heard that description for years, and have never welcomed the thought of being part of some “industry.” It is not a comforting connotation. I recently posted about the power or words, and suggested that we all quit using this “industry” connotation. I suggested instead that we celebrate that we are a community. That better describes our commonality, our interdependency, and our mission. Like any community, we are imperfect and face challenges, but we are a community nonetheless. 

This year, the Comp Laude offers you an opportunity to better appreciate the impact of words. My conclusion to stop using “industry” and stress “community” was in part inspired by persistent preaching about words from Bob Wilson. On Wednesday, October 10, at 1:30, Bob, Mark Pew, and Bryan Conner will present “Turning the Churn, a Vision for Workers’ Recovery.” The theme there is centered around the connotations and impact of works; the suggestion is that “compensation” does not keep our community focused on the overriding goal after an accident, the recovery of the worker. They contend that if we change our words, we change our focus, and we emphasize people’s recovery from work accidents. 

Returning to the Peoples’ Choice though; after five years of Comp Laude (2018 is the Eighth Annual), in 2016, David envisioned an expansion of the inspirational element. He brought us the Peoples’ Choice, and today I focus on it. In the initial year, 2016, David had begun the Comp Laude Advisory Committee. He was engaging various elements of the community to enhance the Comp Laude. Through various phone calls and meetings, the Comp Laude was evolving and growing. By the end of that process, I remained without a committee assignment and David asked me to chair and champion his Peoples’ Choice idea. 

If you knew David, you get it. If you did not, suffice it to say that one really did not tell David “no.” His enthusiasm was boundless, and his energy was contagious. He explained the Peoples’ Choice to me repeatedly, persistently encouraging me to search the web for videos of TED talks. A picture is worth a thousand words, and with its advantages of sound and motion, a video speaks even more eloquently. I admittedly struggled with appreciating the concept, and how it would fit into workers’ compensation specifically.

But, you are blessed. There is no longer a need to imagine that integration, nor to struggle with what Peoples’ Choice is. Because, you can now view the actual presentation on the Internet. The process is constraining. As speakers, we are used to having props (PowerPoints, slides, pictures, figures, quotes). I have delivered over 1,100 lectures and presentations, and appreciate the comfort of props and slides as much as the next person. We are used to having a significant period of time to present, being asked to speak for less than 50 minutes is rare, and less than 30 is practically unheard of. 

The Peoples’ Choice affords the speaker about 6 minutes. There are no props or distractions. It is the condensed essence, dependent for its strength on simplicity and brevity. The format is a challenge and an opportunity. It is short and must be focused, but there are no other constraints. Over the past two years, those selected to present have expounded on their personal strength or ventured significantly outside their own comfort zone. They have been veteran speakers and relative novices. But to a person, they have challenged our perceptions and beliefs. They have inspired and informed. They have “comp(ed) loudly,” each with their own manner and method. 

It is a challenge to inspire people, to connect. Given enough time and resources, we can each perhaps be convinced of practically anything. We can be worn down by the persistent onslaught, eroded like the boulders on the shore. Regardless of how steadfast a boulder like us is, “the water is relentless.” I cannot credit that quote, but read it years ago. Accepting this premise, and our personal fragility in the face of relentlessness, imagine trying to change a perspective without the option of your message being relentless. Instead, imagine your message can be only brief, momentary, and fleeting. 

See yourself rising to that challenge. Imagine yourself with 6 minutes to change the conversation, to challenge a preconception, to expose a value or belief. Imagine yourself on stage at the Peoples’ Choice program of Comp Laude making a difference in perceptions and understanding. The deadline for submissions for 2018 is upon us, it is August 31. But that is days away! Is it too late for this year? 

No, you can submit today. Relax, it is not time to have your speech written, polished, practiced. It is time to have it conceived. Describe your theme and premise in an

email to ksweitzer@workcompcentral.com with “People's Choice Awards” in the subject line. Your submission will be reviewed by the selection committee, and the best will be selected to present. You would know by early September, and have a month for the writing, polishing, and practicing. You would have an opportunity, brief perhaps, but meaningful and empowering; an opportunity to share your perspective with the Comp Laude community.

As mentioned, there is often much to lament in this community of workers’ compensation (or “recovery” if you will). There are too few meaningful opportunities to address the positive. Comp Laude brings us that opportunity, that stage, that moment. It is a brief an fleeting moment to “Comp Loudly.” 

Will you seize it, or spend the next year wishing that you had? See you in San Diego!