3 Reasons Why Being a Volunteer Leader Helps Your Business
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One of the great things about joining a professional development organization is that you can get hands-on leadership experience as a volunteer; experience which, they say, will serve you well in your “real” job. Certainly that’s a selling point for such organizations and in the PR/communications field, organizations such as IABC and PRSA thrive on it.
What kind of leadership skills do volunteer leaders actually gain though? And do these skills actually benefit them in their careers, or are they simply good volunteer leaders because of skills they’ve acquired through their day jobs?
At the end of the day, is being a volunteer leader—with all the time it takes—worth it?
I recently started my term as President of IABC/Washington after having previously served on the chapter board as VP, Professional Development, for three years until a couple of years ago. Before moving to the DC area, I served on the board of San Francisco Bay Area Publicity Club and now, in addition to my duties at IABC/Washington, I volunteer on IABC International’s Accreditation Council.
Lessons in leadership
Here are three leadership lessons I continue to learn that have been assets in my own business:
1. “Decision by committee” and “democracy” are two different things.
I’m all for healthy debate and respectful disagreement. Heck, that’s why we have boards—to discuss and debate the pros and cons of decisions that will affect chapter members as a whole and, possibly, be held up by other chapters as precedents or best (or worst) practices.
But if you’re in a leadership position such as president, you’ve got to know when to close that debate and make a decision.
It’s ok if all decisions are not unanimous. That’s why boards have quorum requirements. What’s not ok is to drag on the debate until you’ve practically twisted everyone’s arm to agree with your viewpoint.
Debate the heck out of the issue, get the majority vote, make the decision (setting your ego aside, if you have to) and move on.
2. Boundaries don’t just work, they’re necessary.
It’s easy, as a volunteer, to get sucked into doing things that other board members should be doing, but aren’t, or delay on…because you’re passionate about the organization you’re volunteering with, and want to succeed. “If so-and-so can’t do it, or doesn’t do it, I’ll just do it myself.” That’s all well and good, but you’ll get very tired being Superwoman after a while.
Successful delegation is a critical aspect of successful leadership, management and growth. If you don’t learn to set boundaries on your time and activities, you’ll constantly be at the receiving end of unrealistic expectations and will burn out. So be clear about what you expect and when you expect it, and then—and this is the tough part—let your team work its way through its collective charge. You can’t do everything for everyone all the time and if you do, it’s an indication that your team has some serious weaknesses.
3. Setting benchmarks and measures of success is critical.
I write (you may have to log in to read this op-ed I wrote in PRWeek earlier this year) and present often on measurement in public relations, because that’s my field.
But measurement itself is intrinsic to the success or failure of a business—and it should be at a volunteer level as well.
Passion, by itself, does not make for success. By definition, success implies meeting or exceeding stated goals and objectives. Which means we’ve got to start at the end—what do we want to achieve? Put it in writing, and working towards it will be so much easier. And if you don’t meet your goals, there’s no shame in that. But tracking your progress will at least show you what’s working and what’s not. And when it’s time to pass the torch, the new set of volunteer leaders will be grateful for the lessons you can pass on to them.
It’s quite a ride, this volunteer thing.
It’s exhausting, energizing and exhilarating all at the same time (and I’m sure you could come up with a few choice words yourself). And it’s the very best thing I could have done for myself to grow not just in my profession, but as a leader, manager and now, business owner.
I very much hope it is for you too, and I would love to know what lessons in leadership your volunteerism have taught you.
Would you continue the conversation by leaving a comment so that we can all learn from each other?
This post – with a very few minor differences – is featured today as a guest post on Women Grow Business. Many thanks to Jill Foster for allowing me to cross-post here. And this great image, called “Out in Front,” is from monkeyleader’s Flickrstream (also found by the redoutable Jill).
DC, #GrowSmartBiz Is Here
Update: This is a recap of my live-tweeting from the GrowSmartBusiness conference held today in DC. I did try to give everyone a heads up that I would be doing this, but if you didn’t get that (because I know you have better things to do than hang on every word I say), I apologize in advance for clogging your Twitterstream.
As far as the conference goes: in one word – WOW, what a day. But more on that later. I used the Twitter LiveBlog plugin for WordPress to populate this blog, which essentially means that all my tweets (which were duly hashtagged with #growsmartbiz) during the conference automatically provided content for this post. Hattip to Neville Hobson, from whom I learned about this.
8:42:09 AM: Roy Dunbar (Network Solutions) is welcoming everyone at #growsmartbiz. He’s got a cool accent.
8:45:04 AM: Roy’s presenting very interesting findings from SBSI (Small Business Success Index) at #growsmartbiz, find ‘em at http://www.growsmartbusiness.com
8:47:53 AM: Financial mistakes small biz are making: cutting prices, valuable employees & hurting company morale #growsmartbiz
8:50:58 AM: Learning: “If you have to cut expenses, cut early, deep, get over it and move on.” #growsmartbiz
8:51:36 AM: 51% of highly competitive businesses are businesses with multiple owners. #growsmartbiz
8:52:54 AM: Roy’s giving props to chambers of commerce for the networking & relationships they facilitate #growsmartbiz
8:54:09 AM: “Goals should be carved in stone, and plans written in the sand.” #growsmartbiz. LOVE it!
8:55:01 AM: Highly competitive businesses differentiate themselves (from their peers) by mastering 6 or more Internet tools #growsmartbiz
8:58:26 AM: Tools like co. email, co. site, online adv. in industry directories => leads, productivity, customers & mgmt of customers #growsmartbiz.
8:59:20 AM: RT @shashib: #GrowSmartBiz Live cast by @livestreamCOM at http://livestream.com/networksolutions Pls RT
8:58:26 AM: Tools like co. email, co. site, online adv. in industry directories => leads, productivity, customers & mgmt of customers #growsmartbiz.
8:59:20 AM: RT @shashib: #GrowSmartBiz Live cast by @livestreamCOM at http://livestream.com/networksolutions Pls RT
9:00:52 AM: Almost 60% of Internet users make a purchase online as a result of a local business online search #growsmartbiz
9:03:00 AM: Common barriers to setting up a site: don’t know where to start, fear of cost & time, lack of technical knowledge #growsmartbiz
9:04:12 AM: One of the tools Reston Limo’s using successfully: wireless access in limos = employees are productive, so are customers #growsmartbiz
9:07:00 AM: I think Roy Dunbar could sell ice to an Eskimo. I’m sold. #growsmartbiz
9:10:46 AM: Love love LOVE that all the presentations are on the jump drives handed out w/badges at #growsmartbiz.
9:11:46 AM: And… Chris Anderson is up! #growsmartbiz
9:13:51 AM: “This is the golden age of small business,” says @chr1sa at #growsmartbiz.
9:18:38 AM: Most of our life, we live partly in the head and partly in the tail says @chr1sa. #growsmartbiz
9:20:31 AM: “The smallest sellers can have the most influence, because they can be most targeted & distinct” – @chr1sa at #growsmartbiz
9:23:24 AM: The Internet allows you to participate in a global dialog, find who’s just right for your business. #growsmartbiz
9:27:41 AM: Most companies don’t address the long tail. #growsmartbiz That’s the most interesting space.
9:42:09 AM: Not quite sure what’s going on with wi-fi at #growsmartbiz, I was kicked off.
9:47:48 AM: Chris has been talking about the “power of free.” #growsmartbiz
9:49:00 AM: “Freemium” allows you to sample the product, find its utility & understand the value proposition precisely. #growsmartbiz
9:49:52 AM: Customers whom “freemium” convert are more loyal; this is the alternative to traditional advertising. #growsmartbiz
9:59:48 AM: “Free” and “paid” work very well together, they don’t go head to head. Just requires smart thinking. #growsmartbiz
10:02:40 AM: Personal offerings are turning into software (e.g. Legal services, accounting). @chr1sa says next will be healthcare, LOL. #growsmartbiz
10:04:08 AM: Roy’s introducing Sen. Warner now. #growsmartbiz
10:07:50 AM: Love the way Sen. Warner says as a “new” senator, was “hired” last Nov. #growsmartbiz
10:18:56 AM: After much grappling with my laptop, I *think* I at least have TweetDeck access again. @rickdassler is very patient. #growsmartbiz
10:21:41 AM: Sen. Warner: Small businesses are the only people who pay retail. #growsmartbiz
10:28:54 AM: It “blows his mind” that IT has revolutionized almost every industry except healthcare, says Sen. Warner at #growsmartbiz
10:32:09 AM: RT @gwickes @DaniloB: Live feed of Mark Warner speaking at #GrowSmartBiz conference http://bit.ly/L75um #fb
10:37:33 AM: Disappointed in Sen. Warner’s address. Glad he commits to us as a “bipartisan radicalist,” but not much use for #growsmartbiz. 
10:59:13 AM: I’m headed to the #growsmartbiz learning center now. Laptop, stay on table.
11:52:54 AM: Sneaked back into the #growsmartbiz room for a bit. Marissa Levin’s talking about the importance of face-to-face connection.
12:06:00 PM: RT @rickdassler: John Arnold says #growsmartbiz communication needs to be 80% educational value and 20% promotional.
12:08:16 PM: Pick up the phone & call 2 customers/clients a week JUST to check in, says @londonink. Don’t sell anything. #growsmartbiz
12:09:30 PM: “Leveraging customer relationships” is calling, says @londonink. #growsmartbiz
12:16:30 PM: Q: is it ok to put together an email list of people you meet at a conference like #growsmartbiz using something like Constant Contact?
12:17:37 PM: Both John Arnold & @londonink are basically saying it’s ok to begin with but to get permission…. did I get that right? #growsmartbiz
12:19:13 PM: I personally would hate to be added to a “formal” list by someone I meet for the 1st time at a conference. Get to know me 1st. #growsmartbiz
12:23:26 PM: Randy Windsor from Network Solutions up now, on SEO. #growsmartbiz
12:24:09 PM: RT @JayFleischman @cc_chapman @gloriabell ABE: Always be eavesdropping. Make yourself a student of what is going on around you #growsmartbiz
12:24:41 PM: Top 10 SEO tips. #10: use keywords in your internal page URLs if possible. #growsmartbiz
12:25:39 PM: #9: Use a descriptive domain name. #growsmartbiz
12:26:22 PM: #8: use a logical & simple navigation structure. #growsmartbiz
12:27:54 PM: #7: Create theme-based pages. #growsmartbiz
12:28:11 PM: #6: use tags & meta tags properly. #growsmartbiz
12:29:56 PM: #5: Use keyword rich anchor text for all links. #growsmartbiz
12:30:51 PM: #4: Target effective keywords; understand how your potential customers search & what words they use. #growsmartbiz
12:31:06 PM: #3: Create good original content, don’t copy. #growsmartbiz
12:32:37 PM: #2: Linking, linking, linking! 7 / 10 factors impacting natural search rankings have to do with links. #growsmartbiz
12:33:37 PM: #1: Know what you’re up against. Don’t think about beating the engines, beat your competitors. Use competitive analysis. #growsmartbiz
12:35:07 PM: Randy Windsor was very good. Kept it sweet and short. Nice job. #growsmartbiz
12:44:44 PM: Jeremy Brown of Rapid Advance says a bank loan is your best option, so if you can get that, go for it. #growsmartbiz
12:47:25 PM: Edward Tuvin (Capital Bank): have a clean application (don’t use 1 bank’s form with another) including a business plan. #growsmartbiz
12:47:50 PM: Tuvin says his pet peeve is that people don’t know what they’re asking for. You have to understand the talk of the lender. #growsmartbiz
12:50:13 PM: Good question from @restonlimo: Does every business need a business plan? Tuvin says no, but it’s a good exercise to do. #growsmartbiz
12:55:08 PM: Denise O’Berry says to do a cash flow budget where you’re looking ahead 6 – 12 months. Also, have a cash target every month. #growsmartbiz
12:55:48 PM: “Do a cash flow budget and actively participate in it.” #growsmartbiz (I like that).
12:57:23 PM: You are not a bank, and you need to do whatever you can so that you collect your receivables in a shorter timeframe. #growsmartbiz
12:57:47 PM: I love that. “You are not a bank.” Nice one, Denise O’Berry! #growsmartbiz
1:07:31 PM: RT @LDpodcast: Small business development counselors; womens business centers- all great small business resources #growsmartbiz
1:08:51 PM: Y’know, the thumb drive itself will be worth the price of admission at #growsmartbiz.
1:36:48 PM: Getting to know @CoachLynneB over lunch at #growsmartbiz.
2:16:19 PM: Great catching up with @debbieweil @geoffliving @angellino @digitalsista @dariasteigman at #growsmartbiz!
2:19:12 PM: After lunch, Rieva Lesonsky is up. Says most entrepreneurs are really uncomfortable with that term. #growsmartbiz
2:23:39 PM: Brands aren’t that important any more to consumers, they’re looking for value. #growsmartbiz Look at what other people are doing, add value.
2:28:32 PM: RT @LDpodcast: Do an ROI on potential clients, make sure you’re taking on work wisely, be willing to say no. Reiva Lesonsky #growsmartbiz
2:33:05 PM: Next up: Branding 101 by Anthony Pappas. #growsmartbiz
2:36:28 PM: Branding 101: Not about logo. About making an impression (emotional connection creates value). #growsmartbiz
2:39:54 PM: Make sure you understand what makes you different, says @anthonypappas #growsmartbiz.
2:42:05 PM: A customer needs to identify with the brand. A brand needs to identify with an audience (@anthonypappas) #growsmartbiz
2:45:55 PM: One of the main goals of a brand should be to influence “the decision” (@anthonypappas) #growsmartbiz.
2:47:11 PM: LOL! RT @chrisabraham: Can I hear a “shameless plug” from Anthony Pappas 
@AnthonyPappas @PappasGroup #growsmartbiz
2:48:30 PM: Tangible v. intangible: you want your brand to be more valuable than the sum of its parts (@anthonypappas). #growsmartbiz
2:49:57 PM: With @rajmalikdc & @newpr a short while ago. Food at #growsmartbiz is GREAT. http://tr.im/A86J
2:50:45 PM: RT @debbieweil: @growsmartbiz blog write-up of @chr1sa’s keynote for #growsmartbiz conference in DC today http://bit.ly/280V4P
2:53:37 PM: Measure, measure, measure, measure, measure, says @anthonypappas, see how you’re doing & constantly change. #growsmartbiz
2:55:38 PM: I have to run back to the #growsmartbiz learning center for a bit. Gotta make sure I catch @alexorfinger’s presentation.
3:42:45 PM: Back at the #growsmartbiz conference room. They’re going through findings from the SBSI, I think, is that right?
3:43:24 PM: Key strengths of small businesses; customer service, compliance (w/laws & regulations, etc.). #growsmartbiz
3:48:51 PM: Now: effective use of the Washington Business Journal from @alexorfinger. #growsmartbiz
3:50:52 PM: “Always Be Eavesdropping” for us, says @AlexOrfinger.
3:51:50 PM: Go to WBJ’s site: find out information on competitors, go on client visits w/information, says @alexorfinger. WBJ has most local biz info.
3:52:16 PM: Go to WBJ’s site: find out information on competitors, go on client visits w/information. WBJ has most local biz info. #growsmartbiz
3:53:04 PM: 5-5-5 process: Try to find 5 leads in each section of the WBJ #growsmartbiz.
3:55:02 PM: Just to clarify, news, people moves & lists are the sections @alexorfinger’s talking about re: 5-5-5. #growsmartbiz
4:11:54 PM: Steve Fisher’s 10 Rules for Killer Business Cards. #growsmartbiz #1: Tell me what you do. Quickly.
4:13:41 PM: Rule #2: Include the ways you want to be contacted. #3: Don’t use your personal email address. #growsmartbiz
4:14:56 PM: #4: You can be cool, but be relevant to your audience. #growsmartbiz Loving the post-divorce counselor card example, LOL.
4:16:02 PM: #5: Biz cards make great promos, BUT promos don’t make great biz cards. #growsmartbiz
4:19:50 PM: #6: Make your business cards scannable. #growsmartbiz. #7: have an area on which you can write a note.
4:20:16 PM: OK, #growsmartbiz attendees, how mnay of you are surreptitiously examining your business cards RIGHT NOW? 
4:21:13 PM: #9: Use a professional printer. Your laserjet does NOT count. LOL! #growsmartbiz
4:22:24 PM: Rule #10: Give out 2 cards (they might be able to pass one along, but tell ‘em why so that they don’t think you’re a loony). #growsmartbiz
4:23:24 PM: #11 (bonus rule): Don’t include your cell #. If you write it on from time to time, it’s a way of personalizing it. #growsmartbiz
4:24:05 PM: RT @bjw72: Streaming live – The #GrowSmartBiz conference by Network Solutions. http://www.livestream.com/networksolutions
4:25:32 PM: Last panel getting ready to take its place at #growsmartbiz. Yea @jillfoster!
4:30:04 PM: According to @jillfoster, social media is “content published online by technology with the intent to provide value.” #growsmartbiz
4:40:12 PM: Great job organizing #growsmartbiz; would have helped to have speakers’ Twitter handles on tentcards/conf site so that they were handy.
4:50:36 PM: Uh, with all due respect, @jmpineda, $2.5K is not a lot to pay for “PR.” Ask anyone seasoned pro who’s been around agencies. #growsmartbiz
4:55:18 PM: Btw, folks on the last panel at #growsmartbiz: @jmpineda @brentleary @creativeblogs @danilob, moderator @jillfoster.
4:57:51 PM: Tips for newbies on Twitter (per audience qn) from @DaniloB: If you don’t know something, just ask. Don’t let it turn you off. #growsmartbiz
5:11:57 PM: We’re being bad in the bloggers corner at #growsmartbiz. Tellin’ ya, you want to be a fly on the wall near us.
5:13:40 PM: Last panel at #growsmartbiz did SM101 well. Not sure it addressed integrating traditional w/SM. @jillfoster’s a terrific moderator, tho’.
5:15:07 PM: Roy Dunbar’s wrapping up here at #growsmartbiz. It’s been a long day but a really great one. @shashib @geoffliving please pass kudos to all.
If you followed my tweets, were they interesting or irritating? Is this blog post helpful or not? Whatever your reaction, do let me know by leaving a comment below.
Of Job Hunting, Cologne… and Twitter
On April 2, a few friends and I put on the “Dream Team” hats that Ned Lundquist, ABC, bestowed on us some years ago, to help folks “Pimp My Job.”
What on earth is “Pimp My Job,” you ask?
If you subscribe to Ned’s free, weekly “Job of the Week” newsletter, which I sometimes guest-edit, you know what we’re about. But in essence, we’re a group of communicators from near and far who provide advice – sometimes mercilessly – to those brave enough to ask for it. They submit their on-the-job – or job hunting – nightmares to us, and we have at it, maintaining their privacy. Advice is compiled and published in the newsletter. You can read previous PMJs here.
PMJ Meets IABC
A few years ago, when I ran IABC/Washington’s programming, I thought it would be fun to do a real world version of PMJ – and sure enough, it was. A couple of weeks ago, we reprised our “act” at IABC/Washington’s Senior Communicators Council meeting (disclosure: I’m President-Elect for the chapter, currently also Acting President).
Given how dramatically the economy has changed in the past few years, I wasn’t quite sure how the SCC meeting would go (it’s one thing to pimp your job while you still have it, quite another when you, and more and more of your peers, are out of work).
It was wonderful. Folks shared their experiences, asked for advice, gave advice, and I felt a tremendous sense of camaraderie among the attendees. We had some fun too: can you guess which Indian goddess the Dream Team is trying to portray here?
“It’s Not Rocket Science”
Now, none of what we said is rocket science (I couldn’t resist). Career advice abounds, especially these days. But there were two things that stayed with me:
1) It’s easy to get depressed when you’re in a go-nowhere job/laid off/have been job hunting for years, etc. But as Kate Perrin of PRofessional Solutions said, you cannot afford to let the “stink of desperation” cling to you. That’s when you’re in such a poor frame of mind that it comes across no matter where you are, who you’re talking to, or what you’re talking about … and that will come through in your interviews. Do I need to give you examples? I didn’t think so.
2) Senior communicators must start understanding and using online social networks. Being… well, me, I gave the attendees a quick demonstration of Twitter which, as we all know, is just one of the many platforms you can use to connect with people. Time and time again, I hear “we don’t get it,” “I’m not technologically savvy,” what the heck is the point of (fill in your epithet network of choice) anyway?”
The point is two-fold: first, it’s networking. If you have experienced the advantages of meeting and communicating with your peers outside of your work, you cannot afford to ignore online venues that afford you the same opportunities. Yes, you have to then take your online network offline and put it to work for you. But you can’t do that if you don’t have an online network.
Second, you are probably finding that these days, more and more jobs require a knowledge of the online sphere and social media. How can you be competitive if you don’t explore the spaces potential employers need you to have an understanding of? It doesn’t matter if you don’t consider yourself an “expert” (there are too many wannabe experts floating around these days anyway, as Beth Harte points out in this most excellent post). But you’ve got to be able to talk knowledgeably about it – and you can’t do that if you don’t engage.
In my enthusiasm to bring a Twitter dimension to the meeting, I asked my tweeps to submit questions for the Dream Team to me via Twitter, hoping to be able to answer them live from the session. Many thanks to all of you who did (you can read the entire event-related tweetstream here). The meeting had so many facets to it that we weren’t able to get to all the questions, but they (and the answers) have been published in today’s edition of JOTW.
A final word: if you don’t subscribe to JOTW, I strongly recommend you do. It’s completely free and you will experience the “positive, unanticipated consequences of nedworking” first-hand. Subscription (and unsubscription) instructions are at the top and bottom of every email. The annual March 32nd issue itself is worth the price of admission.
The Bottom Line
Yes, it’s tough out there. But it’s tough for everyone, not just you. So check your desperation at the door and start using the networks around you. That’s what they’re there for, and you’ll be the better for it.
(Thanks, Ned for the use of your photo)
Recruiters: PR Also Means “People Relations”
Yesterday I received one of the most unusual calls in recent memory. It was from a recruiter with Profiles, who’d presented me for a position here in DC several months ago. Times are bad, hiring is slow; still, the process with this particular position has been dragging on for several months now.
When my path first crossed that of this recruiter, I made it clear to her that I didn’t expect her to “get me” this job; but what I did ask for was for whatever the final decision was to be communicated to me. I’ve encountered some recruiters who don’t do that, and there is nothing more off-putting than not knowing where you stand. As Rachel a.k.a. Jennifer Aniston said, “That, my friend, is what they call ‘closure’.”
Well, this recruiter walks the talk. While I have no idea whether we’re anywhere near the finish line, she has consistently kept in touch with me to try to keep me engaged. She follows up regularly with the hiring organization, and lets me know what their response has been. And when they do make their final decision, I know she will communicate it – whatever it is – to me.
For someone who’s not working for me, as Lindsay Olson explains in this excellent post, I call that pretty good “people relations.” Good people relations is something that not just PR professionals, but everyone, should aspire to – including recruiters.
Recruiter Horror Stories
We’ve all heard the horror stories about job candidates. Ad nauseam, I might add. But what about the recruiter horror stories?
Apparently there are quite a few, as my Twitter network told me:
Jason Buck “had an ‘interesting’ experience at temp agency party, where one very drunk recruiter told me exactly what she wanted from me, in earshot of all… I won a bottle of champagne at the next party for being ‘the most adaptable temp.’ ”
Another (whose identity is concealed on request) had this experience:
1. Brought me in to interview in October – seemed positive
2. Sent writing sample, never heard back
3. The main recruiter left – still hadn’t heard back
4. Move to November, I got laid off
5. They had me come in to interview three times, and meet with about eight people
6. Never heard from them again – by then I was so put off I didn’t care anymore though
And one of my Facebook friends, who also requested to remain anonymous, went through 10 (yes, 10) interviews to join a global recruiting firm; discussed a possible niche practice with the COO; drove 100 miles through a snowstorm for the final (10th) interview only to be told she was “more concerned with moving up the ladder than learning the ropes of the business.” Her subsequent emails and phone calls were not returned.
The Bottom Line
No, job candidates should not chew gum or eat brownies during interviews. They should present themselves professionally, and follow up diligently and politely. And they should not expect recruiters to work for them – that is certainly not the way it works (though often good recruiters will give candidates tips and an insight into the recruiting process, as Lindsay and several others do).
But candidates can expect recruiters to work with them, and afford them the same courtesies they would like to see returned. After all, job hunters are people too. And when the economy turns, these same candidates, who are beating down every door they can see right now, might just be in a position to do someone a favor.
It’s called good people relations.
What do you think? Do you have tips for recruiters – or candidates – that you’d like to share?
Thanks to @KarenRussell, @jasonbuck and everyone else who contributed to this post.
What Makes a Mentor?
About a month ago, I saw a tweet from Shel Holtz, ABC, that piqued my curiosity:
Not one to bridle said curiosity, I followed the link Shel provided and immediately signed up for the Mentorship Connection. Again, almost immediately, I was told (via e-mail) that I had been matched with a willing mentee: Nick Lucido – and now it was up to the two of us to connect and figure out how I could help Nick move towards his PR career goals.
What Nick and I have in common are a passion for smart PR and the desire to give back to the broader PR community by being actively involved in it. Thanks to the similarity in our natures, it took the two of us almost a month to speak via telephone this past Friday (though we’ve been corresponding via e-mail and Twitter since we were put in touch). I was struck by his drive and conviction – how many of us knew while still in high school that PR was our chosen path? – but most of all, by his willingness to extend himself along paths unknown.
What Makes a Mentor?
About a week after I saw Shel’s tweet, Kami Huyse wrote an insightful post on why mentors are vital to the development of one’s career. I’ve had many friends, colleagues and supporters who have helped me over the years, and I hope there will be many more.
But as I read Kami’s post, it reminded me of the mentors who have – perhaps without knowing it – been instrumental in helping me navigate my career and grow into my PR shoes. John Mason, one of the most visionary educators this world has seen, was an early mentor; since I moved to the U.S., I can never repay the kindnesses my first boss, Charly Zukow, and measurement queen Katie Paine have shown me. More than kindness, though, they exemplify the dictionary definition of a mentor:
What John, Charly and Katie have even more in common is that – at least from my point of view – they didn’t come to me and say, “Hey, I’m going to mentor you.”
What they did, instead, was lead by example, letting me know their respective doors were always open. They recognized potential that I did not, and armed me with the confidence to plumb that potential. They steered me towards taking on ever-increasing challenges that, when I succeeded, showed me possibilities I didn’t even know existed. And when I failed – because we all do – they let me lick my wounds but, before long, picked me up, dusted me off and set me back on track.
What John, Charly and Katie have in common is that they earned the title of mentor. And whether they know it or not – or like it or not – they will always be my mentors.
If I can do even one-tenth for Nick of what has been done for me, I will count myself fortunate. And perhaps then I’ll earn the title of being his mentor.
What about you? How have your mentors inspired you and earned your trust? I’d love to know your thoughts.
