Want to super-charge your skills? Dive in and volunteer for your professional organization
One of the more impactful things I've done for professional development over the years is volunteering. For me, that's meant volunteering for professional orgs in our industry (first Minnesota PRSA, later MIMA) and my alma mater (Winona State).
I started volunteering with PRSA around 2003. I still remember Candee Wolf calling me on the phone and asking me to volunteer! That ask resulted in me volunteering for the Student Relations Committee, then the Programming Committee, getting my APR and ultimately joining the board. During my time volunteering with PRSA, I learned how to: organize and manage events, motivate teammates, and contribute and participate in a board meeting. PRSA also gave me my first opportunities at public speaking! I met so many great people during my time with PRSA including Dave Folkens, Anna Lewicki Long, Brooke Worden ,Rose McKinney, Tracy Carlson and so many others.
A number of years later, after I had started my solo career, I joined the MIMA board. Serendipitously, I joined at the same time as Jamie Plesser who would come to be a good friend. During my two years on the board, I spent time with Holly Spaeth, LeeAnn Rasachak, Ryan Arnholt, Yuliya Mycka, Matt Woestehoff, Lindsi Gish and so many more. During my time on the MIMA board I learned how to: Work with a diverse group of people, organize large and more intimate events, and generate new members. To this day, the biggest audience I ever spoke in front of was at MIMA Summit (500+ people if I remember correctly; maybe it was 1,000; I can't remember!). But, once again, what mattered so much more were the people and the relationships I made--many of which continue to this day.
So, if you're looking for ways to advance your professional development, don't overlook volunteering for your professional organization. I know MIMA is always looking for volunteers and boardies. I'm sure the same goes for PRSA, AdFed and IABC.
The relationships alone will propel you in ways you can't even fathom right now.
-Arik
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Actually, this is a reflection on a speaking gig I had just this week. And it was a little bit of a full circle moment for me.
10+ years ago, I heard about this Summit event at 3M. It was made up of communicators, marketers and other leaders across the organization. The event was held at the 3M Innovation Center--a super fantastic venue, by the way. And it featured a number of seasoned and outstanding speakers (although, for the life of me, I can't remember exactly who--again, this was 10+ years ago!). I remember thinking at the time how cool it would be to speak at an event like that.
Fast forward to this week, and I had the opportunity to speak at the 3M Summit this morning to room full of communicators, marketers and leaders across 3M. And, I spoke directly before someone I have no business sharing a stage with -- Jim Cuene -- which made it that much more memorable. Huge thanks to Kirsten Salmanowicz and Tiara Kesler for inviting me to speak!
The larger story here is 10+ years ago, I was basically terrified of public speaking. But, as I started my business, I knew I would have to do at least a little speaking to get my name out there. So, I started with smaller opportunities. I built confidence. I carefully studied what other speakers did. I refined my approach. I got (a little) better at building decks. And, as the years wore on, I got more opportunities.
Now, I'm hardly on the public speaking tour. I probably speak 5-10 times a year between my hosted webinars (developed during COVID), client gigs and public-facing opportunities (Social Media Breakfast, PRSA, etc.). But over the last 10+ years, I've built confidence through repetition. I'm hardly the best public speaker. In fact, I'd say I'm competent at best. But through those reps, I gained confidence. I got better. And while I still get nervous before every presentation, I've developed the skills and abilities to manage that nervousness and appear a competent public speaker.
This is a long, rambling way of saying: You really can do anything you set your mind to--especially with practice, consistency and repetition. I'm living proof.
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* 3M is looking for a social media strategist.
* Self Esteem Brands is looking for a brand marketing and communications manager.
* Best Buy is seeking an employee communications senior specialist.
* The Minnesota Senate is looking for a media relations specialist.
* Trane Technologies is looking for a paid media manager.
* Xcel Energy is looking for a director of executive communications.
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Here's the good news I'm hearing around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area this week:
* Congrats to friend Bruce Anderson for recently accepting a position as senior director of external communications for Black & Veatch.
* Congrats to former student and Tommie, Sophie Triplett, for accepting a new position as brand marketing coordinator at Xcel Energy.
* Helga Radio recently accepted a position as director of communications-legal function and ventilator transition business at Medtronic.
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Surgeon General calls for warning label on social media sites
In the post, Dr. Vivek Murthy says "The moral test of any society is how well it protects its children." Here's hoping we do a better job in the next few years than we've done in the last 10+.
Also: I hope some of the other ideas Dr. Murthy suggests in this article come to fruition soon. Namely, taking phones out of the classrooms. At this point, there's zero reason that shouldn't happen as soon as next fall.
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Twitter is losing ground as a news source
Sure, Twitter is still a news source. But now, so it: TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Reddit. The news consumption game has splintered significantly the last few years!
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Reddit social listening: What it is and strategies for using it
Probably not an approach on most people's radars...
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Do video views count as engagement in social media?
I lean "hard no" on this issue, especially at a time when engagements, as a metric should probably be minimized in favor of awareness-based goals.
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Meet Symphony Avatars: TikTok's new creative ad tool
I couldn't hate this more. But you know, the future and all...
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