Signs of Love.
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and it’s time to think of giving a small token to the one you love. Hmmm. Who could that be? You!
Yes, you. Let’s face it; most people love themselves more than anyone else in the world. That’s not saying that you’re narcissistic (although … !), but it’s just how we’re wired.
So with that in mind, give yourself the gift of a better career. It certainly shows your love to you, and it will keep on giving, maybe for years to come.
How’s that? Somewhere around Valentine’s Day, take yourself to a networking event. Or show yourself some love by attending a professional webinar. Or make sure you know you care by ordering a book on a new fundraising technique.
You get the idea. Love yourself enough to actually do something for you. My guess is that others you love will love to see you do it.
Long Distance — It Used to Be Special.
There was a time in our history that when Aunt Tillie called from her home in a faraway place, the room went hush when the person who picked up the line said those magical words, “It’s long distance!” Calling from afar was unusual back then, largely because it was so expensive.
Now, of course, that’s changed. With the advent of cell phones, Skype, and unlimited calling plans, college kids, for example, can hear from their parents each and every day — or more — much to their chagrin, I’m sure.
While it’s great that we can be so much in touch with those we love, that special feeling that came with the hushed room and the carefully chosen words (because time literally was money) is gone forever.
How is this a career lesson? Consider the words of George Orwell in “1984″: less is more.
In this world of high tech communications, remember that you don’t always need to communicate. In fact, when you communicate less, what you say is often taken more seriously.
So this week, think about how you could boost your career by communicating more by saying less. Choose your words carefully.
Dark Suits
I was just at the Philadelphia Partners for Philanthropy Planning’s Planned Giving Day Conference. There were lots of good sessions on annuities and trusts, working with donors, and even one on career issues (who would have done that?!). But as I was sitting in the back of a session on working with high net worth donors, it struck me… The last time I saw so many dark suits in a room was at a funeral!
What does a dark suit mean? Serious. Money. Gravitas. It doesn’t mean “fun loving” or “party time,” that’s for sure.
The career move? Did someone die? Do you need to fit in? Are you asking for money? Are you looking for a job? Are you wearing it for your comfort or for the comfort of those around you? Before you head out the door, think, “What’s the message in my dark suit?”
What’s Your Accent?
I was on the phone not long ago interviewing a client’s donor for an article. She was from Minnesota, and I could tell. It was a great accent — right out of Prairie Home Companion.
What’s your accent? If you speak English anywhere in the world, you have an accent to somebody’s ears — even if it’s the flat “television-speak” that we’re used to hearing from our national newscasters — to someone, somewhere, that’s an accent!
Accents tell less about who we are than they do about who people THINK we are. Certain accents have certain stereotypes. Think of the Geico Gecko. Nothing gets the attention of the American ear like an Anglo-Australian voice pattern. Yet if that same little lizard spoke with a bluegrass “twang” we’d have a whole different impression of him and the company. The message would have been the same, but how we received the message would be completely different.
How is this a career topic? No, I’m not suggesting that you start speaking like the Gecko, but consider what “accent” you bring to your work and what that person across the table is thinking. It may have nothing to do with what you’re saying, but a lot to do with what s/he THINKS you’re saying. Their fiction could be stranger than your truth.
