Did the Phone Ring Today?
“Back in the day” (yes, I’m old) answering the phone was seen as an exciting activity. When the phone rang you never knew who was there, and the potential for hearing from someone you wanted to talk to was pretty high. What happened when you weren’t home? You missed the call because it rang and rang and nobody (not even a machine) picked it up. You had no chance of knowing that someone called. What’s more, if you were already talking to someone, the caller got an annoying buzz — called a “busy signal.”
Of course, now all of that’s changed. Rather than a welcome respite from the day, the phone can be an annoyance. I can’t remember the last time I got a busy signal because voicemail always picks up the call. And most important, many people that I know are reluctant to answer a phone personally if they don’t recognize the number on caller ID.
How is this a career lesson? Simple. To get the job you have to answer the call.
Your professional network is the circuit to your career, like the network of fiber, copper, and coax is what links our phones. Just like that vast mess of wires strung from poles and buried underground, you can’t get the call unless you’re plugged in. And even then, you need to pick up the call personally when you hear the ring. Yeah, these days you may not be getting a lot of “How would you like this new job?” calls, but if you always let those who call go to voicemail, after a few “Sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now” messages, your circuit will go dead.
How Well Do You Take Advice?
I confess that some days I take advice better than on others days. It depends on the situation, the source, how good a day I have had, and even the weather. Yet for all of that, I’ve received some great advice in my time — whether I realized it at the moment or not.
How’s this a career move? As a fundraiser, there is no end to the advice you get — because everyone’s an expert! (Okay, everyone thinks they’re an expert). But being able to take advice well — whether you use it or not — tells the advice giver that you care. For a lot of people, their advice is their most valuable gift, and certainly worth more than the dollars they send. So treat that gift with respect. It’s a gift that could keep on giving, in your current job or your next.
My opinion? Get some advice.
My father-in-law had a small saying that, when I listened to his language, was very important in our relationship. “If I give you my opinion, do what you want. If I give you my advice, I expect you to follow it.” I was fortunate that he gave more opinions than advice, and when he gave advice, he knew what he was saying.
As a fundraiser or NPO leader, you give advice (and opinions) all the time. It’s an important role. You give your thoughts to colleagues, to boards, and to donors, and probably more than that.
How is this a career move? Because offering good advice and meaningful opinions shows leadership. Like any tool, it doesn’t work for everything, and is best used judiciously. But when used well, you stand out from the crowd — and become the “go-to” person that everyone wants on their team — at least that’s my opinion.
Do You Have An Advisor?
We all have Advisors.
There are people in our lives who are Advisors. In the formal sense of the word these can be legal advisors (otherwise known as lawyers), education advisors (such as guidance counselors), emotional advisors (such as social workers or psychologists), medical advisors (whom we call doctors) and financial advisors (like, well, financial advisors). These Advisors are paid to do just that: advise. They can’t (usually) force you to do anything you don’t want to, but you’re paying them for their advice, and you’ll usually take it.
In these formal relationships there are a lot of expectations and often legal parameters. The downside? Improper advice from one of these Advisors can cost you a lot of money, time, and hardship and could land the Advisor in jail. But even short of that, we all know or have heard of an Advisor that gave bad advice, set a poor example, or worse yet, didn’t care.
Yet for all of these kinds of advisors, we usually find that we get (and take) more advice from the people we don’t pay. These informal advisors can have a different, often bigger impact. The Advisor may be a relative or spouse, a boss or co-worker, or maybe someone you sat with for an hour on a plane that you never saw again.
How is this a career issue? It’s easy to figure out who your formal advisors are. Just look at your check book or credit card statement to see who’s getting your money. But do you know who really influences your life? Do you know who your informal advisors are? Make a list — in your head or better yet, on a piece of paper. How’s their advice?
