“You Know What I Mean.”
There are a lot of expressions that we use in everyday life that have lost their original meaning but that retain their utility. For example, the expression “rule of thumb” supposedly refers to the diameter of the stick — equivalent to the diameter of a husband’s thumb — with which a man was legally allowed to beat his wife! Here’s one that is a bit more benign, but is quickly becoming as arcane — when was the last time you really “dialed” a phone with a rotary dial? One expression that may be losing its original meaning soon, with the advent of eReaders like Kindles and iPads, is “turning the page” which is really just “advancing to the next screen.” But my guess is, that despite the reality, our great-grandchildren will still be “turning the page” — linguistically, if not on paper.
There are lots more, but as you can see, morals change, technology changes, but our language lags behind. But with each expression, we speak this way because everyone else understands the meaning of what we are saying, regardless of the original meaning of the phrase.
How is this a career topic? Do you speak about nonprofits and fundraising in terms that people can understand — that are not arcane and from a different time or specialty? This is important, because like I’ve said before, most fundraisers and other nonprofit leaders are not hired by people who do the same thing as you do. Many times board members, accountants and program specialists make the final decision, and they don’t speak your language. So next time you talk about your work, “turn the page” so that everyone can understand.
Are You Regular?
That’s a really personal question, I know. But I’ve found that being regular is one of the most important things you can do to bolster your career.
No, I’m not talking about joining Jamie Lee Curtis on a yogurt diet, I’m talking about “institutionalizing” actions in your day-to-day life that lead to a better career.
Like what? How about reserving the last Friday of each month for a personal networking lunch with a colleague from another organization? How about reviewing the Chronicle of Philanthropy each Monday at the end of the day? What about going to one AFP event each quarter?
You get the idea. Make sure that small, career related activities are a regular part of your life. Being “regular” won’t pay off in an immediate job offer or an instant salary increase, but it will put you in a ready position so that when the next opportunity comes up, going for it will be, well … regular.
How Will You Get There? Old Trolley or New Bus?
Trolleys are great. No, not the “pseudo-trolleys” that are tourist busses in disguise, but real run-on-the-rails street cars. Now called “light rail,” there’s a resurgence in demand for these vehicles due to their less polluting nature.
Yet where are the trolleys now, and why did they go away? Light rail went away because past generations saw bus transportation as more flexible and “modern,” so those that could afford to rid themselves of the trolleys did so in short order. The only place trolleys were left was in the poorer cities that couldn’t afford to replace them. Now these cities are “rich” with popular rail potential.
Have you noticed that trend in other things? What was discarded a generation ago comes back with renewed vigor, because what was “modern” wasn’t always best — it was just new?
In fundraising “modern” is the advent of e-mail, web sites, and now text messaging. Like busses, they took over the philanthropic landscape in many organizations, replacing paper mail and personal visits. Those that stuck with the old ways were seen as “dated” and “too expensive,” just like trolleys.
Yet like the busses, we have learned that the new fundraising ways — tempting in price and speed — can’t replace personal contact and tactile feel — in a handshake or a paper letter. Will busses completely go away now that there’s a demand for light rail? No. And postal mail and personal visits will find their place back in fundraising once again.
How is this a career lesson? Knowing trends is good, but be cautious in getting rid of your trolleys too quickly, even when the busses seem so much better. No method — of mass transit or fundraising — is going to give you “all the money, all the time.” Knowing the balance is essential — not just in getting more funds, but in getting your career on the right track.
Keeping Your Focus
Just a moment ago I had someone come up to me and ask about the little device on which I type the first drafts of Career Action Steps. It’s an Alphasmart Neo — a full size keyboard with a six to eight line screen that does nothing else but type. That’s it. Type. No e-mail or internet. No beeps or bells or whistles. It just turns on (no “booting up”), and I type and then later send it to my computer for polishing.
I explained to the person that what I like most about it, besides the “instant on” feature,” is that it focuses me. There are no distractions. I can get my head into these little missives without realizing that I just got an e-mail or, worse yet, that nobody cared to e-mail me today!
How is this a career issue? When was the last time you were focused on something? When was the last time you took on a task and didn’t have any distractions? (Besides someone asking you what device you were using to get away from any distractions!) Focus is key to any work — but especially in fundraising work, probably one of the hardest jobs to get focus in. Think — if you could only do, say, major gift calls, how much more money would you bring in? It’s the distractions of tomorrow’s mailing, today’s bowl-a-thon, and yesterday’s personnel fire that’s still smoldering that erode your ability to get done the job you’re paid to do — and judged on at the end of the year.
I’m not suggesting that you can take away all the issues that distract your focus from your job. But what I am saying is that like I do with my Neo, you can provide yourself devices and situations that allow you to grab enough focus so that you can be productive in the area that means the most to you — as long as you’re not bothered by someone asking you how you’re doing it!
