Enthusiasm is every organization’s magic ingredient. You can’t buy it, and you can’t fake it. And it’s almost impossible to measure. But it’s an essential ingredient, especially in the world of ProAV, where you’re only as good as your last job.

So, how do you build enthusiasm into an organization? Is it simply the total of every individual’s passion? Does that mean you should only ever employ enthusiastic people? Well, it’s more complex than that, and it isn’t a popularity contest.

Never look inwards

One company that has no problem with enthusiasm at any level is South Korea’s Star Networks. AVenue caught up with their General Manager, Mr. S.W. Ham, and he told us that their secret is never to look inwards, but always outwards and, more importantly, forwards.

“We’ve maintained our passion since the company’s founding in 1997 by continuously innovating and developing — like collaborating with theme parks to develop one-touch automated operating systems based on our sound technology to make it easily accessible to the general public,” he says. “Along that journey, we also met Christie, and by combining our long-established sound technology with Christie’s projection mapping technology, we’re able to realize new possibilities.”

He also explains that while change is inherently exciting, it’s also an opportunity for individuals to integrate new technologies with their existing skills and keep everything fresh.

“One of the aspects of our company that makes us most proud is the high number of long-term employees. Many team leaders have been with us for over 20 years. This history of mutual growth between the company and its employees is more than just tenure; it signifies the harmony between the company’s continuous growth and the personal development of its employees,” he says. “Mutual trust means our team leaders and members work seamlessly together, achieving creative results with high efficiency even in a rapidly changing environment.”

Transform all the challenges

Mr. Ham explains that nothing comes close to creating enthusiasm as those creative results.

“The most rewarding part of working in this business is the moment we unveil a completed project to the public,” he says. “Seeing the reactions of the audience and the satisfied expressions of our corporate partners transforms all the challenges we faced into a profound sense of joy and accomplishment. These moments bring us immense pride and fulfillment.”

He doesn’t see the inevitable problems that litter the road to success as barriers to his company’s enthusiasm. On the contrary, they’re often its foundation.

“We realized that the biggest difficulties often stem not from technical hurdles but from communication and collaboration between people,” he explains. “Various approaches and solutions are proposed to solve the same problem, but we can’t try them all. We need to narrow them down to the most efficient and excellent methods, which can be a complex and painful process. However, the sense of achievement after solving such complex issues is a valuable reward only those involved in the project can experience.”

Perhaps that’s enthusiasm’s secret. It can solve problems, and that process builds even more enthusiasm. It’s a virtuous circle you see in everything Star Networks does.