{"id":506,"date":"2021-03-11T19:40:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T19:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/?p=506"},"modified":"2021-03-26T04:10:46","modified_gmt":"2021-03-26T04:10:46","slug":"rear-view-reflections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/?p=506","title":{"rendered":"Rear-View Reflections"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This pandemic has given me time to reflect. It\u2019s also given me ample opportunity to catch up on podcasts. One of my favorites was from Brain Trust Philanthropy<\/a>: \u201cLife and Career Hacks Part 2: What Would I Tell my 20-Year-Old Fundraising Self If I Could Go Back in Time?\u201d The panelists\u2019 advice was relevant to all of us, whether we\u2019re just beginning our careers or have been practicing for decades.<\/p>\n

This podcast also got me thinking about what life lessons I have learned along the way. It prompted me to reflect on my mistakes, face my regrets, and own up to missed opportunities. It turns out there was a lot I could have told my younger self, but I\u2019ll spare you the litany and highlight just a few observations:<\/p>\n

Be Bold. <\/strong>Like many young professionals, I had little confidence in my abilities. Because of my uncertainty, I hesitated to act. And this resulted in many missed opportunities: a failure to initiate conversations, trouble networking, and a fear of expressing my opinion in groups. I had always been the one to sit in the back row with my hand down, but this behavior was not ideal in a profession that valued personal connections.<\/p>\n

More troubling was that this overthinking \u2013 analysis paralysis \u2013 resulted in missed opportunities with donors. I stalled on making introductory phone calls, and sometimes waited far too long to get back to existing supporters.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve witnessed this hesitancy in others, as well. As development officers, we have mile-long to-do lists and, frankly, it\u2019s easy to put off what we dread. But habitual procrastination doesn\u2019t lead to long-term success. \u00a0<\/p>\n

My sense is that this hesitation comes from fear of rejection. As I settled into my career, I learned that a donor\u2019s reasons for not calling me back or declining my request rarely had anything to do with me. While rejection is never easy, I eventually became somewhat desensitized to it and didn\u2019t personalize it the way I had in earlier days.<\/p>\n

My advice to my younger self – and to others – would be to put your fear aside and go for it. Get out of your comfort zone and push through your hesitation. And have confidence that what you say and do matter. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, \u201cYou gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seek Out Mentors. <\/strong>Early in my career, I lacked the confidence to actively seek advice. That\u2019s not to say I was completely without mentors\u2013 many have helped me build my career – but I didn\u2019t strategically assess what I needed, and then actively engage a mentor to help me reach my goals. My passivity didn\u2019t necessarily hurt me, but it certainly did nothing to help build my career.<\/p>\n

While I didn\u2019t have much game when it came to surrounding myself with mentors, I\u2019m encouraged by what I see today. I\u2019ve witnessed some pretty impressive moxie from those who are just starting out. My mentees, for instance, have been far more intentional in their career-building efforts than I ever was. No shrinking violets, they are not afraid to take the initiative in seeking guidance.<\/p>\n

They inspire me. Yes, even at this stage of my career, I need help, and lots of it. I am no native to digital marketing and social media, and I could really benefit from some expert advice. But now, unlike when I first started my career, I know it\u2019s on me to find that support.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s never too late to connect with mentors. We need them at every stage of our career, and most mentors will agree that these relationships have mutual benefits. You get as much as you give.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Burn Bridges.<\/strong> We\u2019ve all gotten into workplace squabbles. I\u2019m not talking about serious offenses that threaten your safety or well-being and require formal action. I\u2019m referring to relatively minor infractions where you feel slighted by a coworker or pissed-off at your boss.<\/p>\n

Early in my career, I had a supervisor who was about a year older than me. I liked her at first, but then she got under my skin. Convincing myself that she was a horrible boss, I eventually began acting out. I\u2019d call her on stuff to embarrass her and, honestly, approached most of our interactions with a giant-sized chip on my shoulder. To her credit, she confronted me. We reached an uneasy d\u00e9tente, but I left on my own accord shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n

Ah, youth! I would soon understand that the workplace is full of characters \u2013 most of whom you get along with but some, not so much. I learned over time to think before speaking, become more patient with others, and to tolerate those with differing opinions or communication styles. I also employed the 24-hour rule: don\u2019t respond in the heat of the moment. Address the situation once you\u2019ve given it careful consideration.<\/p>\n

The epilogue: my annoying boss had a long and successful career, and our paths did occasionally cross. Ironically, she became a donor of mine decades after we worked together (so snubbing her was no longer an option!) Professional circles are a tight network. Think carefully about your words and behavior \u2013 you never know when you might have to deal with the consequences.<\/p>\n

I could share many other life lessons, but I would love to hear from you. Have you done things in your career that you regret? Are there conditions that have slowed your progress, or have you felt stuck? What advice would you offer those just starting out? I hope you\u2019ll share your experiences to help others learn from you.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This pandemic has given me time to reflect. It\u2019s also given me ample opportunity to catch up on podcasts. One of my favorites was fromRead More<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":509,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"rise-blocks_total_comments":0,"rise-blocks_categories":[{"term_id":1,"name":"Uncategorized","slug":"uncategorized","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":47,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1,"category_count":47,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Uncategorized","category_nicename":"uncategorized","category_parent":0}],"rise-blocks_excerpt":"This pandemic has given me time to reflect. It\u2019s also given me ample opportunity to catch up on podcasts. One of my favorites was from Brain Trust Philanthropy: \u201cLife and Career Hacks Part 2: What Would I Tell my 20-Year-Old Fundraising Self If I Could Go Back in Time?\u201d The panelists\u2019 advice was relevant to all of us, whether we\u2019re..","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=506"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":535,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506\/revisions\/535"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}