Association Puzzle

Freedom To Bike and To Write!

David O. Stewart, award-winning author and President of the Freedom To Write Fund (Washington Independent Writers' Foundation) sets off with his author son Matt Stewart on a bike trip from Poland to Ukraine in search of family, adventure, and internet cafes as they will be blogging about their trip on the road.

Visit http://stewartbiketrip.blogspot.com/ to read about the pre-trip preparations and some funny insights into current events and well-known people. The adventure begins July 24 and continues until September 1.

The Freedom To Write Fund (FWF) of WIW is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to protecting the essential benefits to a democratic society that flow from efforts to maintain a thriving community of independent writers. FWF sponsors educational programs and innovative approaches to reporting developments in free expression, access to information, and copyright, as well as to public advocacy on those topics. Donations to FWF are tax deductible. Learn more at www.washwriter.org

The Connections That Matter

When I was two years old, I made my first friend. She lived across the alley from the house I grew up in, and I still remember the first time I saw her -- she was so excited that a little girl her age had moved so close that she came running out of the house and almost fell down the back porch stairs.

We stayed friends through thick and thin, long silences, and moves on both our parts. We were maid of honor at each others' weddings and I am officially godmother to her oldest child, though I consider all three my godchildren.

When I was five years old, I made my second friend. She was seven years old, and lived two houses down. I remember seeing her play in her back yard, her long red ponytails flying around her freckled face. Through our teen years, we shared confidences, tears, and fun, including many a long summer evening listening to music and pondering the future.

She was, and still is, one of my closest friends, despite distance and differing schedules complicated by time zones. Although she cut her hair short years ago, my first image of her stays with me.

These two friends, over 40 years later, are still the ones I can talk to no matter what, no matter the issue. Sometimes we don't talk for months but when we do talk, it's like we just spoke last week. These connections are deeper than just friendship; they seem almost programmed in our DNA because they were forged so early and grew stronger over so many years.

True connections last, no matter what, no matter when. Time, distance, disagreements, life changes -- you know these people will be there and care because you feel it. Those we have true connections with make us feel important no matter how long it's been since we talked; you always have that feeling inside that everything is okay with them and with you. It's hard to explain, but the feeling exists and you just have to listen to it.  

I have been thinking about this alot lately because I have recently realized that several long-time connections that I thought were in the "true connection" category turned out not to be. While it was a painful discovery full of emotional pain and disappointment, it is clear to me now that this was going to happen eventually. I made a bad judgment, and it's unfortunate, but also very human.

It is very human because the need to connect on a deeper level than talking about the weather is something inside all of us. We seek it even where it doesn't truly exist. Social media, that great electronic boogeyman, is just another flailing attempt to find someone that you can build a true connection with, the kind of connection that doesn't break.

Are pixels and wifi waves sturdy enough stuff to become the ties that bind? Or will these just put more distance between us as we fuss over our Facebook pages instead of really getting to know each other?

Do we truly connect with instant messages instead of actual conversations? I've heard stories about young people sitting right next to each other and texting instead of talking, tiny cell phones becoming walls instead of connections. Brevity may be the soul of wit, but I doubt that it is the soul of true connection.

Much is being made about social media, and many are saying "we have to do this" for a variety of reasons. But just because we can do a thing doesn't mean we should do a thing; it seems to me that too many want to replace interaction with electronics.

A true connection can be found in unlikely places, and very few of these come from tapping on a keyboard or punching too tiny keys on a PDA.

Be a Listserv Celebrity!

I joke with my husband about being a “listserv celebrity” as I’m always surprised when someone mentions my contributions. I don’t even think I contribute all that often, but I do contribute when I feel I have something to say, or if I think I can help. The first time it really hit me that people were actually reading my posts was last August at the 2007 ASAE & The Center annual meeting. I attended a Consultants Networking Happy Hour, when I introduced myself to my peers, most of them said, “Oh, I read your posts!”

It was a little startling, but in a nice way. Since so many people share their ideas, thoughts, and suggestions on the ASAE & The Center listservs, I never think that mine stand out particularly. However, there’s obviously people reading and remembering what I write.

A similar encounter happened today when I attended the ASAE & The Center Women’s Executive Forum. Carol Vernon of Communication Matters, LLC was the presenter (she did a great job), and my early arrival gave me the opportunity to chat with her for a while before the other attendees started arriving. When I introduced myself, she said, “Oh, I recognize your name – I read your posts.” I didn’t confirm, but I’m guessing she means the listservs too, since she probably doesn’t read my blog.

Last year, I actually had phone calls from some association executives who read a thread on management that I contributed to one of the lists and they wanted to talk about it! It was nice to know that my contributions were of interest to them as they dealt with the specific issues I referred to. It didn’t turn into work, but I believe that the good feelings being generated are just as important because our community is what we make it.

Participating in the listservs is not only helping others by sharing my experience and knowledge; it’s also helping me build connections with other ASAE & The Center members. Since we’re all about “connecting” (the theme of our annual meeting) it’s good to know that throughout the year we are all working on just that.

Contribute to the listservs and see what happens. Who knows? You may become a listserv celebrity too!

Here's A Great Idea: Certified Association Specialist

I just got back from the Great Ideas Conference on Monday. One of the "big news" items I heard from ASAE & The Center staff was that the Consultants are now officially a section. This is great, and is in line with the organization's recent moves to truly integrate consultants into ASAE & The Center, even though we are neither association management companies (AMCs) or association staffers. However, most of us were on association staffs during our career -- which is why we've stayed in the field -- and if you're like me, you still consider yourself an association executive.

One of the things I noticed on the Great Ideas attendees roster is that there are consultants (people like myself) who still have their CAE designation, even though "technically" they are not association executives. Why? Because they received their CAE before becoming a consultant. Once you have your CAE, the rules don't make you give it up if you no longer qualify, despite the fact that the certification qualification rules are stringent beyond reason. (And don't even get me started on the test.)

These same individuals, if they were not CAEs before beginning consulting, would be denied the chance to become a CAE unless they worked for another five years in an association. This is the situation I find myself in: although I have 20 years of association management experience, I am denied the opportunity to become a CAE because I am no longer on an association staff.

I have complained about this to ASAE & The Center several times, but I'm always told "we're sorry, but that's the way the program is set up." And yet, people who don't qualify to sit for the exam get to keep the designation. How does that make any sense?

ASAE & The Center has a certification program for AMCs, which I believe is quite expensive, but gives the opportunity for an AMC to demonstrate their commitment to excellence, ethics, and association management principles.

So that just leaves us consultants sitting out in the certification cold. Sure, we could get a different type of certification, which I've considered, but if your focus is association management, that is what you want to show the world.

Why can't the CAE program be reconfigured slightly to accommodate consultants? Couldn't we be called a Certified Association Specialist (CAS), and perhaps take a different test to address some of the issues of consultant/client relations? If you can certify an AMC, you can certainly certify a consultant. My guess is that it would be easier since it would be an individual instead of an entire organization.

The creation of a Consultant Section is excellent, but now it's time to give us true equality among the ASAE & The Center membership. Consultants bring energy, hard work, volunteer hours, and ideas to ASAE & The Center, which is an invaluable contribution. We should have the opportunity to demonstrate our knowledge, experience, and commitment to the association community through certification.

The Smell in the Basement

On Monday of this week, I finally confronted the smell in the basement. It had been there for over a week, steadily getting worse. My husband ignored it, and I kept spraying air freshener, both of us hoping it would go away.

It didn’t go away, despite our best efforts to ignore it and cover it up. This failure to address the root of the problem – what was actually causing the smell – contributed to its growing strength and pervasiveness.

At first, the smell was weak, just a whiff would catch your attention but then be hard to catch again. As it grew, it started to overtake entire rooms in the basement, one by one, until finally, the smell was not only in the air; it had become part of the atmosphere.

This made the basement a less pleasant place to be, but we went about our business hoping the smell would magically disappear. When it became apparent it was going to get even worse than it already had, I resigned myself to the fact that I had to take action.

The root of the smell was a dead mouse that had been caught in a spring trap. We rarely catch mice because I am a big supporter of the humane traps that allow you to release the little hostages. This one spring trap was the result of a compromise I had made with my husband a few years ago when we had found several mice in the basement. He insisted on the spring trap and I relented.

The compromise trap, which had been forgotten sitting between the sink and the washing machine, did its job too well, catching and killing a mouse which had begun to decompose. Once the trap was placed in the trash, and put out at the curb the next morning, the smell went away. The problem was solved because the thing causing the problem was eliminated.

We can all relate to the “smell in the basement” when it comes to our organizations. We know that there is a problem or an issue that is just festering and starting to poison the air – yet we ignore it. Whether it’s an underperforming employee, rotten senior management, or an out-of-control board member, we keep looking the other way in the desperate hope that the problem will solve itself.

This is not so, and it never is. Problems do not solve themselves, especially at the workplace. Confrontation is not a bad thing; it’s the only way to address a problem and get rid of it. What is bad is when individuals avoid confrontation because it’s uncomfortable.

Of course confrontation is uncomfortable – it leads to change, and everyone finds change uncomfortable to a certain extent. The status quo is disrupted, the comfort zones are no longer welcoming, and the rut we’ve dug is suddenly closing in on us.

However, I can assure you with the utmost confidence that confronting a problem and solving it is a breath of fresh air. It is worth the discomfort, especially if you want to excel, achieve, and develop. Building a culture that nurtures growth requires that you use your sniffer and find exactly what is causing the nasty odor. Then, get rid of it. Don’t let an unsolved problem or unresolved issue poison the atmosphere.

It's Just Rude Not to Call Back

Sitting around waiting to hear if you got the interview for a job, or got the project you submitted a proposal for, is not fun.  It is even less fun if you are a freelancer, because the time you spent preparing that proposal was time that was not billable.  It's a leap of faith, a business investment, a chance on the future . . .

The least that an applicant or freelancer should expect is a call or an email letting them know they were not chosen.  Okay, it hurts not to be picked (let's all flashback to childhood angst over not getting picked for those teams in gym class) but at least you are not left hanging.  It's something called "professional courtesy," and it's something we can all do for each other.

In language, there is a rule against use of the "dangling participle."  This is a great image because you imagine the words hanging over a cliff, holding onto anything for dear life, wondering if that blue pencil will arrive in time . . .

Now, if you wouldn't do that to a sentence fragment, why would you leave a fellow professional hanging? 

Living on Words: The 28th Annual Washington Writers Conference

Saturday, June 9, 2007
Living On Words: Get Inspired, Get Writing, Get Published!
The 2007 Washington Writers Conference
Location: the Cafritz Center at George Washington University

I am a member of the Washington Independent Writers (WIW), and this year I am pleased to serve as the 2007 Conference Co-Chair, along with my colleague, John Curry.  With the outstanding assistance of Executive Director Donald Graul and Board member Lisa Daniel, we are finalizing an exciting conference that has something for everyone who writes, whether it's for business or personal satisfaction. 

The plenary speaker is Peter Bowerman, author and self-publisher, who is known for his books "The Well-Fed Writer" and the "The Well-Fed Editor." In addition to the opening speech, Peter will lead a workshop based on his books and will provide practical steps and tips on marketing and selling your writing.

Our keynote speaker is Francine Prose, award-winning author of 11 novels, including Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her latest book is Reading Like A Writer. She has also written four children’s books and co-translated three volumes of fiction. Prose is a contributing editor of Harper’s Magazine and writes regularly on art for The Wall Street Journal.

We are offering 14 different sessions throughout the day, covering everything from the practical aspects of writing to the creative process.  Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet with agents (both fiction and non-fiction) and, most importantly, to network and learn more about this outstanding organization that supports writers in the greater DC area.

It's all happening on Saturday, June 9, 2007, in the Cafritz Center at George Washington University.  For more information on the conference and how to register, please visit www.washwriter.org.

Please join us; you don't have to be a member, but we hope you become one.  For everyone who writes, you will find new energy and enthusiasm for your work after attending a WIW conference.  I know I did!

On this Day 20 Years Ago . . .

I got married. 

The groom was Peter John Sepp, my college sweetheart.  At the tender age of 22, we were joined in the bonds of matrimony, and over the last 20 years the bonds may have been stretched, but they have never broken. 

He is truly my other half, the one I walk through life with, and the only face I want to see when I wake up and before I go to sleep.

In 1987, we were married on the first day of spring because it represented a new beginning.  Now, each anniversary is a sign of renewal. 

Happy Anniversary, Honey.  I truly love you more today than on that long ago day when we first wed. 
Your BC

The Imaginary Factor

Like most people, I have a list of disappointments, frustrations, pet peeves, and grievances.  But I have only one real regret in my life, which makes me a fortunate person. 

That one regret is this: the last time I saw my Mom alive, I didn't kiss her goodbye.  I was young, and I had an apartment with my then-fiance-now-husband, and we had come over to do our laundry.  It had become a regular part of our week, and gave us a good excuse to visit (in addition to making our laundry task a whole lot easier).

The last night I saw my Mom, it was December 21, 1986.  We were all looking forward to a family gathering at my parents' house on Christmas Eve, just two days away.  So, arms full of laundry, I stopped at the door to say goodbye and said "see you Wednesday -- bye" and walked out the front door.  The next day, my Mom died while I was at work and I didn't find out until that evening. 

As I mentioned, this is my only regret.  This is the only situation that I really look back and say "if only I had put the laundry basket down" or "if only I weren't tired and in a hurry to get home" or "if - if - if."

I call this the "Imaginary Factor -- IF."  Many times in our lives, both personally and professionally, we look back and say "if only I had . . . "  or "if only I knew. . . " and then we imagine how things would have been different.  We usually imagine that things would have been better, and we regret the decisions and actions we didn't take, rather than accepting the ones we did.

But let me pose this question: How do you know that the action or decision you did make wasn't the best one in the circumstances, even if things didn't turn out the way you liked in the end?  Perhaps the consequences of a different decision would have been much worse. 

Personally and professionally, we cannot undo the past.  We can learn from it, study it, hope not to repeat it, but it can never be changed.  Applying the "Imaginary Factor" -- asking "if" -- is an exercise in frustration and prevents us from moving forward. 

I shared the story about the last time I saw my Mom because it demonstrates the one and only thing that cannot be overcome -- death.  Everything else can be dealt with, and very few things in our life cannot be made right again. 

Rather than saying "if only I had booked a different meeting site" we should say "well, I'll never use that hotel again!"  Instead of saying, "if only I had stayed in my old job" we should say "I'll never take a job working for a control freak again!"  By removing the Imaginary Factor and focusing on what is, rather than an imagined outcome that has no impact on reality, we become grounded.  This allows us to be better in every aspect of our lives. 

In the association world, we don't have time to wallow in "what ifs."  The questions we should live with are "what now" and "what's next?"  We owe it not only to our members, but to ourselves. 

Online Learning

Today is my birthday, and I spent part of it participating in my first-ever online "live" meeting.  This online meeting is part of week one of the ASAE & The Center online course, "Principles of Association Management." 

I am relating this to my birthday because online learning is the next generation of education.  As we evolve and change from birthday to birthday, education has changed over the centuries.  In ancient times, there was a heavy emphasis on memorization and rote; this changed to study, analysis and debate over the centuries.  Universities became destinations for the learned and knowledge-hungry students.  However, in that context, you had to be in a specific place to learn.  Today, thanks to the internet, people from all over can come together to learn about a specialized topic, and can also share documents, weblinks, and other resources.

Adults learn differently, as we all know, because they want to share their knowledge and experiences.  Online learning is an excellent support system for adult learners, and it fits into their busy schedules.  You participate in the self-guided study as your schedule permits within the set deadlines.   Since responses are written and posted, it also saves you from blurting things out!  Students are able to give thoughtful answers and contributions which provides the opportunity to really consider the assigned readings and questions. 

Until I participated in this course, I was skeptical about online courses.  I wondered if you could really get very much out of them.  After today's live meeting, I know the answer is yes.  The discussions may not always be live, but they are still valuable.  And unlike classroom conversations, you can always go back and re-read transcripts or postings.

Learning is a life-long process, no matter how many birthdays you see.  I agreed to act as a facilitator because I saw it as an opportunity to try something new, and learn something new, as well as help out others in the association community.   The students may have more work to do, but I'm learning just as much. 

An Anniversary of Sorts

This week is an anniversary of sorts, although some may wonder why you would want to remember this sort of event. 

Five years ago this week, I was laid off.  For the very first time in my life, I was without employment against my will.  I won't go into the details of the situation I was in because that organization deserves no one's time or attention.  However, there were serious budget issues, and that was the reason used to lay me off. 

Even though a layoff is not the same thing as being fired, it is devastating if it's never happened before.  You want to cry "no fair" or "why me?"  Of course, there is no one who can give you the answer you want to hear. 

I was in a panic, although a quiet one very similar to people who live "lives of quiet desperation."  Despite all the assurances from friends and family that I would quickly find work again, I knew that it took at least three months -- if not much longer -- to find a position, let alone one I actually wanted.  My journey was to become much longer.

For six months I looked for work.  It was my bad fortune to be laid off in June 2001, right after the economy started to tank.  My friends and family kept telling me to enjoy my "time off" but how could I when my job situation was so bleak?  Enjoyment means you are at the very least content, which I wasn't.  I have been earning money since I was 12 years old, and I hated feeling like a burden on my husband.  Over 250 resumes later, I was still unemployed. 

Then, a beautiful early fall day rolled around.  I felt happy and was finally beginning to enjoy the freedom that I so slowly learned to embrace during the late summer.  It was September 11, 2001, and it seemed the world was full of possibility.  I found out later that morning that the possibilities could be frightening. 

We all adjusted after that day to some extent.  When the initial panic and fear died down, we probably all found we startled more easily, but we moved forward.  But I had to stay focused on a job search in an economy that had come to a standstill. 

It took me six months from the time I was laid off until I found a job, and it was only part-time with no benefits.  It was a studio manager position at a dance studio called Knock on Wood.  When I found out more about the organization, and learned the two ladies who founded it needed a lot of help, I knew this was a chance to feel productive again and help some people who deserved support for keeping the faith for over 12 years. 

It turned out that Knock On Wood Tap Studio was part of a larger non-profit charitable organization.  In addition to teaching the art of tap dance, there were two in-house dance companies and a formally organized non-profit that needed an experienced hand.  I had landed in a place where my skills and experience were not only needed, but appreciated.  Even though the money wasn't much, I convinced them to let me use all my skills and experience for them because I was there anyway and they needed the help.  So, I became the Managing Director of Tappers With Attitude, Inc.  I worked with dedicated artists who let me run the business side while they did what they loved: teach dance and keep a very American art form alive. 

Finally, I felt useful again, and like a professional.  I had a lot of fun, too.

I stayed until May 2003, when I had to lay myself off.  The organization was running out of money, and it was Tappers With Attitude, Inc., or me.  I knew that I should go so that this wonderful organization could continue.

However, this time it wasn't scary.  Yes, I had the luxury of making the choice myself, but I also had a different perspective.  I knew not having a job didn't make me less of a person, less of a professional, or less of a contributor to life.  What I had gone through must be what the members at the organizations I had staffed felt like when we politely called them "in transition." 

After a sabbatical during which I fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting St. Petersburg, Russia, I put together a small group of long-time friends and colleagues to explore the idea of starting my own business.  I researched, talked, thought, and after taking a very deep breath, put myself out there. 

My first year, which started in April 2004, was tough.  I work alone, had no real money and no clients.  However, over time,  projects started to come along.  I had a long period of self-doubt and at times, self-flagellation: why on earth did I think I could do this?

It turned out that I thought I could do this because I could.  And now I know that I can handle pretty much anything that comes my way.    Sometimes our journeys are through the fire, but if we stay on the path, we find the peaceful place of self-confidence and self-knowledge on the other side. 

Everything happens for a reason, and usually it happens so we can learn a lesson, because the hardest subject to understand is ourselves. 

So, I Got This Email . . .

So, I got this email from Gerald "Solutionman" Harman at Northwestern University.  He said that he found my blog "thought provoking" which of course lifted my spirits and made me glad that I wait for my Muse to return my calls. 

The life of a blogger can be lonely, since when we have time to work on our blogs, we spend a lot of time staring at the screen wondering what to say . . . Since our work is sent out into the storm of cyberspace all alone and with little feedback, we get very excited when we get a message!  It also makes us susceptible to flattery, so I'm more than happy to share the information I received. 

Following is the message and article that I received from Mr. Harman.  It's for everyone who likes to think differently and try new things, or maybe would like to give it a try. 

And now for a "guest blog" courtesy of the Solutionman:

You have a thought-provoking blog [Blogger's Note: See? I didn't make it up.] and I thought your readers [would] be provoked by an article in the current TRAINING magazine (May ‘06) called “Innovate or Die Trying” . It features SolutionPeople’s Thinkubator in a segment called “Think Outside the Office”. The article (attached and below) references our “4 Ps of sPace Design” model that has been used to create the Thinkubators in Chicago and Ann Arbor as well as innovative facilities for Lucent, Capital One and the Singapore Service Quality Center. For a direct online link to the article visit:

www.solutionpeople.com/newsfolder/Training_Magazine2006.pdf

Please feel welcome to share this article with your blog readers who might appreciate the impact of space and environment on innovation and creativity.

Idea-lly, Gerald "Solutionman" Haman
Adj. Professor of Innovation, Northwestern University
SolutionPeople – Thinkubator Chicago
www.solutionpeople.com  - (312) 829-2852
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Think outside the office. 

Excerpted from
Innovate or Die Trying

by Margery Weinstein, Training Magazine, May 2006 – www.trainingmag.org                

If you want to physically take workers away from the environment that’s been causing their stagnation, consider the Chicago-based Thinkubator. 
Here there’s an atmosphere founder and President Gerald Haman says is conducive to novel thinking. Owned and operated by innovation training and development firm SolutionPeople in Chicago, which Haman also heads, the facility includes giant chair sculptures, disco lighting, a sound system, a professional karaoke system and a rooftop sun deck with panoramic skyline views of the city. “Many people focus innovation and creativity training on what happens inside of people’s minds,”  Haman says. “I’ve found that it’s also important to pay attention to what goes on outside of people’s heads, thereby looking at the physical environment.”

The goal, he stresses, is to make sure participants feel comfortable, inspired, and stimulated.  To do this, the venue was created with what Haman calls the “four Ps of innovative environments:” the personal space, partnership space, public space, and personal computer (PC) space.  Each of these areas, he says, serves a key purpose in the creativity process.  The wide-ranging view of Chicago that can be seen from the “public space’s” rooftop sundeck for example, helps employees accomplish what Haman refers to as “blue sky thinking,” or thinking that emphasizes new possibilities rather than limitations.  The partnership space enables participants to break up into small work groups or “innovation dream teams.”  The personal spaces allow workers to relax and concentrate on challenges individually.  The PC space gives companies the option of incorporating learning software, such as an electronic version of Haman’s KnowBrainer brainstorming card deck tool, or other computer programs, into their session.

The creative exercises conducted at the Thinkubator also can be revealing of workers’ personalities.  Haman says, for instance, you can learn a lot by enabling people you’ve only known in an office setting to sing karaoke.  “We’ve found that the people who are willing to sing karaoke,” he notes, “are the ones who are willing to take risks and generate more ideas.”

Recycle Associations Now

My friend Gloria was in association management for years, specializing in marketing and publications.  A few years ago, she left the industry to take a position at a publishing company. 

She's very happy as she is fulfulling her dream of a focused publishing career, but she told me recently that she misses association management sometimes.  She especially misses reading the ASAE magazine. 

I still get "Associations Now" since I'm an ASAE member, so I decided that instead of tossing my copies after I read them (except the annual Leadership issue, of course!) I would offer them to Gloria.  That way she can stay in touch with the industry she spent so many years in, and my copy of the magazine goes to further use.

If you have a colleague out there who misses association management, or wants to know more about what we do, pass along your copy of Associations Now.  You may help recruit a new member, or win one back. 

However you look at it, a magazine is not worth much if someone isn't reading it. 

Something for Nothing

One of the things I dislike about negotiating is that everyone seems to want something for nothing -- especially organizations seeking talented, experienced staff people. 

I find that this attitude is, unfortunately, a serious underpinning of the non-profit/association community.   

For example, I recently came very close to taking a "straight" job at a non-profit.  It had lots of bells and whistles that were attractive: great commute, excellent location,  window office and even a nice title.  The strange thing about this opportunity is that I wasn't looking for it.  The organization is one I want to be more active in for networking and volunteering opportunities, and they just happened to be looking for a new staff person. 

Now, my business isn't big, but it's mine.  I built it, and I invested a great deal of time and personal energy (on many levels) to getting to the point where I am starting to make something of it.  That's a lot to ask someone to give up. 

So, the fact that I was so close to accepting this job shows it had lots of things that were attractive to me.  However, as so often happens in these situations, it fell apart when it came to salary. 

My minimum required salary was very low for the level of commitment and work that the job would require, but I was willing to take it for the opportunities I saw ahead. 

We were 85% set --  until I saw the email stating that for the first three months my salary would be $5,000 less than my very clearly stated minimum.  There was never any discussion about a graduated salary, nor any explanation given as to why the oral agreement had changed.  I wouldn't even get benefits the first three months!

There is really no point to such offers, so I said "thanks, but no thanks." 

The lesson for employees seeking new positions: don't undersell yourself -- and don't feel you have to take a job simply because it's offered to you.  Remember: in situations where salary increases are promised "down the line," there's a good chance it won't be there when the time comes.  (It's happened to me more than once, so I speak from experience.)

The lesson for employers seeking new staff: don't waste people's time with silly salary offers.  If you want good staff, you have to pay a decent salary -- and don't make promises you won't keep. 

If an organization wants an investment from its staff -- which is what non-profit work requires -- then the organization needs to invest in its staff. 

Old adages are true: you can't get something for nothing.

Learning Curve

Yesterday, I had an interesting and enjoyable day.  I had lunch with Heather Harris of Chadick+Kimball.  Heather and I met at a barbecue last July and got to talking and we decided to have lunch.  It only took us three months to coordinate our schedules (a very common DC phenomenon). 

We talked about many things, like finding a career path and finding the courage to do the things we want to do.  Fear of the unknown is the biggest thing to overcome.  Learning our strengths and our true direction can take time, like any sort of education. 

We discussed how the universe moves you to places you should go, even if you don't realize it.  Stopping and really seeing where you are can be a useful tool in planning a new business or career path.  Look around at all the things in your life that have started to come up frequently; for example, Heather is great at writing business plans and recently several people have asked for her assistance in this area.  This could be a signal of an entrepreneurial opportunity -- others see our strengths when we don't, so pay attention to the signs. 

After our lunch meeting, I stopped by to see a former client, Mike Tuteur of Votenet Solutions, Inc.  Mike has led the company through a lot of changes in the past few years and he has learned many business lessons from "the school of experience."  Now, even though some parts of the process were hard, he's full of new knowledge and ideas, and will be taking the company in a great new direction. 

What did I learn from talking to people about all this learning? 
I know more than I think I do, but not as much as I would like to. 

Namaste.

Who's Got the Button?

Today I gave myself the afternoon off.  It's good to be your own boss, especially during August in Washington, DC. 

After lunching with my friend Aaron Castelo at Cafe Mozart, I was heading back to Metro Center when I noticed the sign in front of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  It was a striking portrait of a woman in shades of blue, and the exhibit was called Amalia Amaki: Boxes, Buttons and the Blues. 

Unknown to me, it was a mixed media exhibit.  I was expecting photographs and/or paintings, but I still found it interesting, because the mixed media was mostly buttons adorning boxes or handheld fans. 

In some pieces, the artist had included old and antique photographs in such a way that they were framed by the buttons and other odds and ends that she had used to create items of beauty.  The artist reimagined the items and made them into something eye catching and special. 

Not what you expect to see in a museum; come on, art made of things you would likely throw away?  And yet, they turned out to be quite charming, and some of the beaded boxes were exquisite. 

The exhibit got me to thinking about that old game "button, button, who's got the button?" and my Mom's old button box from my childhood.  But then I started thinking about how many times since I entered association management it seemed we were piecing things together with construction paper and glue.  So many associations are small or underfunded, that they can't afford bells and whistles. 

Associations without a wide variety of resources must use what they have at their disposal and a big dose of imagination.  Like artwork made of buttons, something valuable can be made from the smallest item -- as long as imagination, intelligence, and the courage to dream are in ample supply to hold things together. 

WIW Writers Conference

Late Friday afternoon, I attended my first session of the Washington Independent Writers (WIW) Conference. I just joined the group last fall, so it was my first conference. The Friday session was informative and talked about how to submit a book proposal; the session leader was Jeff Herman, an agent and published author.

The main conference was Saturday from 9 am – 5 pm and was held at the Marvin Center of George Washington University. The day opened with a speech by John Gilstrap, a successful author of suspense novels who also happens to live in northern Virginia. He talked about his experiences when he sold his first novel, “Nathan’s Run,” and his hilarious and frustrating adventures as a Hollywood screenwriter. He still writes, but I was very amused to hear that he is also the director of safety programs at a local association I was even more amused to hear that he considers association management work easy.

I attended several sessions on Saturday, starting with taking your material from topic to story. It was led by Johns Hopkins University Professor Mary Collins (who is also a WIW board member). She is a very good teacher and provided several good writing exercises that can be used repeatedly in developing stories or articles. She also discussed her own methods for organizing materials and staying on point. Her most recent book is “The Essential Daughter,” about the changing expectations for female children.

The next session was a wonderful presentation by Mary Kay Zuravleff, who recently published “The Bowl Is Already Broken.” Her session was really fun, as the entire group worked together to create a character and then fill out her personality. I was startled at the beginning of the session when Mary Kay asked the question, “why do you want a character arc instead of a character line?” and then pointed at me for the answer! Fortunately, I kept my wits about me and then gave the right answer. Whew.

During the session, I sat next to a wonderful man named Ron David, who is a writer and broadcaster. He is a generous and warm man who made me feel welcome everywhere despite being a “newbie.” He also has a great sense of humor so we were cutting up in class a bit, but we didn’t get detention.

Lunch was a good time to meet people. I met a man named Michael Miller who taught Spanish at Gallaudet University before retiring and trying his hand at fiction. He used American Sign Language to teach the deaf students how to sign Spanish words! Fascinating. I also made the acquaintance of a very nice woman named Milena Wojno, who is an import/export banker but also finding her way down the road of writing, like me. We are going to try and keep in touch since we are both “newbie” WIW members.

The lunch speaker was a local radio host named Kojo Nnamdi. On his show, he interviews a lot of writers and he had many funny stories about broadcasting and good advice for writers promoting their books.

After lunch, I attended a session called “Marketing your writing,” where I sat next to a man that I struck up a conversation with after cracking him up with one of my smart-aleck comments. When the moderator asked if everyone knew what “chick lit” was I leaned over and said “isn’t chiclet a type of gum?” It turns out that this very nice man was Austin Camacho, the author of the Hannibal Jones mystery series! We had a great talk about websites and blogs.

Everyone at the conference was fascinated by blogs, so I made some good contacts through my personal blog activity.

Before the last session of the day, I went to the exhibit area and had a wonderful chat with Mary Kay Zuravleff (the leader of the character development session). While in class she is humorous but demanding, outside the classroom she is warm, witty and generous with her understanding. She gives me hope for my own writing aspirations as it took Mary Kay 12 years to write and publish her first novel, and nine years for the second.

The last session of the day was “how to pitch yourself as an expert” and my now “old” friend Ron David was one of the panelists. This was very interesting because the panel pointed out that you can make yourself an expert on an area of personal interest, not just areas where you are professional. Thanks to my class participation, I made several contacts. Again, the experience with blogs helped here.

After the session, Ron and I talked about his new website (www.rondavid.com) that will be going live soon, and his very extensive blog that he will host through Typepad. Check out his website when it goes live; it’s full of film clips, narratives, and stories. His area of expertise is aviation, and one of his projects will be collecting aviation stories from a wide variety of people for his sites.

The day ended with a reception, which I originally planned not to attend, but the monsoon storm made me change my mind. I bought a cocktail and then looked out to the patio and saw the rain had stopped. Figures.

Anyway, while I was looking out the window, a man walked up and asked if I had seen the duck. I said no, and he said come on, I’ll show you. It turns out that a mother duck made a nest in one of the potted evergreens on the patio, and was sitting on her eggs. Some of the students feed her and give her water. We talked about how she needed to get some Treasury Agents like the duck at the White House.

It turns out that the man I was talking with was Roy Underhill, the host of the Woodwright Shop on PBS! He had worked at Colonial Williamsburg for years and shared some of the inside stories from his time there. We also discussed the conference (his first time, too) and we had a great conversation about dreams and 20th century history.

I didn't realize he had been on PBS until I told my husband about the nice guy I met and told him his name and he said "The guy from the Woodwright Shop??" I only confirmed this later; Roy is obviously a modest man.

All the presenters actually do what they talked about, unlike most conferences. The best thing is how open and friendly and willing to share the local writing community is.

All in all, Saturday was a fantastic day and I am very glad I attended this conference. It's hard to do, but make the time to go to a conference that will inspire you. I came away happy, re-energized, and with new confidence.