I have talked about managing your professional identity before but I didn't realize that there is a whole industry built around this. Check out the Personal Branding Summit to listen to mp3 downloads from personal branding experts. Topics include how to create a personal brand, getting a headshot that matches the identity that you are trying to create, and how to manage your brand in an "always on" work environment. All of this may sound very self-centered and a little bit weird but their is always room for improvement with how we present ourselves professionally and these people think to think about it day and night.
An Evacuation of the Ivory Towers
I am participating in the one post challenge at Tactical Philanthropy. Part of my article for the challenge is below, read the rest at Tactical Philanthropy.
Today I am proposing nothing short of a revolution in the philanthropic field. What if foundations were connected to the communities that they were serving; innovation and creativity were encouraged; knowledge was shared within organizations and with the larger philanthropic and nonprofit sectors; and foundations were measured on the results of their investments, not just amount of money spent or number of staff? I know you are probably asking yourselves right now, “what kind of crazy alternative universe are you living in Trista Harris?”
I should probably back up. Any time you are proposing a revolution, it’s important to give proper background or else you scare people off. The philanthropic landscape is changing. Baby Boomers are beginning to retire or re-imagine their positions. Donors are more actively engaged and want measurable results, and the government is spending a lot of time and energy trying to reign in the philanthropic sector. Professional philanthropic staff are trying to figure out how to do more with less time. How do we re-invigorate our troops of professional do-gooders to make sure that are connected to the communities that they serve and have the capacity to move the philanthropic sector from potential to results?
Read the rest at Tactical Philanthropy.
Please add your own comment in the comment section of the Tactical Philanthropy blog, if you feel so moved. The blogger with the most comments wins a grant for their favorite nonprofit and I hope to raise support for the Park Avenue Foundation http://www.parkavefoundation.org/ , which provides after school programs for low-income kids in my neighborhood.
Balancing Success
I had the opportunity to meet Tricia Schulte from Cultivating Leaders at a conference a few months ago. Tricia has a great perspective on the need for work-life balance and is offering a free introductory coaching session for New Voices of Philanthropy readers.
From Tricia
Leaders in philanthropy may experience job-life stress as they develop and grow their careers. As high-achievers, they are often hard on themselves--not always taking full satisfaction in their accomplishments, feeling frustrated by their career progress, or the way they manage their time and tasks. Sometimes they give away all their own time and energy for the mission of their organization or foundation and forget to refuel so they can continue making a contribution. They may buy into the myth that working in the not-for-profit world requires that they sacrifice work/life balance, adequate financial compensation, and being valued for their great work!
I speak from experience! I burned out after five years on a job that I loved, because I didn't build my own reserves, I viewed my work in terms of success or failure, and I failed to see what I could do to change things. I left the non-profit world knowing there had to be another option. I was determined to find it and help others stay in the game; maybe even begin to change the game. Coaching has given me the skills to support established and emerging leaders so they can continue to serve others, grow in their careers and personal lives, and even begin to change the way work works.
Along the way, I've helped leaders avoid or emerge from many of the pitfalls I experienced. Through the coaching process, clients develop increased confidence, lower stress levels, and learn to make better use of their time by identifying what is important for them to do and what can be delegated to others with additional talents and abilities. They have said that they are better communicators and have learned to ask for what they want. Many have learned to change their negative perceptions in order to break through barriers and accomplish more. They have also reported that they feel they have more balance and control in their lives, because they establish clearer limits and know where and how to create change.
Please visit my new website: www.cultivatingleaders.com, learn more about how coaching could benefit you, and contact me for a free introductory session. Most importantly, I hope you will make self-care a priority and keep doing great work for others!
Where's the fire?
At a conference last week, I asked a panel of new foundation leaders what surprised them the most about the philanthropic field. Kate Wolford, the new President of the McKnight Foundation had a very eloquent answer that gave me pause. She said that when she was a nonprofit CEO everything was always pressing and urgent. There was a yearly budget to be raised and programs that needed to be run effectively or else the organization might shut down or the people that they were serving would not be reached. She said that she was most surprised about the lack of urgency in the philanthropic field. I was a little shocked at first because we are all working on very pressing social issues and are under the pressure of constant deadlines. But, when you step back and look at it there really is no true sense of urgency in the field. There is no budget to be raised (community foundation aside), no stockholders that will pull their support, no constituents that won't vote for you again if you tick them off. Foundations have the leisure of time. This can be an asset when you are working on long-term community issues that need long-term solutions. But this can be a detriment when that lack of urgency turns into apathy.