4 minute read
Unleashing the Power of Giving
By Lorena Sterling, CAFM
So here you are, hustling in your community management lifestyle, flipping through emails, and there it is, a “call out” email in search of volunteers to serve the industry in some fashion. It sounds promising and fun. For a moment, you are enthusiastic and allaround excited about sharing the prime pieces of knowledge in which you have become the expert. However, you quickly turn the light switch off and remember how demanding your agenda card is, and there is absolutely no room to add another task to the list that may be creeping into your brain at midnight. Quickly, that email is deleted, and a slim thought of, “Maybe, next time.”
Well, at least that was my approach when I first got one of those emails! Eventually, I yearned for that change of scenery and took a leap of courage to sit at the table with like-minded individuals looking to give back to the organization as much as it fed into each of our life-long careers.
In community management, we sometimes wear many hats, often simultaneously. In any situation, we are the ones the community turns to for answers. Since we are so well-versed and multitasked, we are more than capable of tapping into other parts of our industry, such as educational workshops, volunteer committees, or industry partner fortes.
Volunteer committees thrive on resources, educational workshops bring in different learning flavors, and industry partners place us in front of the line with a silver platter of information. The different branches of our industry feed the roots of our community growth that shape the future of our careers. If you have been in this industry long enough, you know what works, how to fix most issues, and the implementations everyone could utilize. Managers are the outlets with all the resourceful information sitting in the queue awaiting to be called upon. Although you may not feel ready to volunteer, consider that your relatable experiences make everyone feel seen and heard. New pathways are paved in the industry through these authentic stories.
When you tap into the root of where all this information forms and flows into the organization, it is like you are plugging in and charging up your battery. You instantaneously feel recharged with new material to bring to the table. This fuel to your inspiration within your career could grow and become contagious to those around you.
Breaking through the monotony involves some uncomfortable actions, but anything that has value behind it comes with a price and always pays back with great opportunities. CACM offers a plethora of volunteer seats for everyone: event speakers, editorial committees for the Law Journal and Vision Magazine, local committees, educational instructors, Law Seminar breakout session hosts, or the Law Seminar booth judging committee are a few ways to give back.
Being of service to your organization contributes to many positive possibilities and forms relationships with friends and mentors that will forever be connected to you. Volunteers report better physical health than non-volunteers, primarily by improving their self-esteem, increasing their social skills, and taking them out of their comfort zone. Volunteer work connects you to people speaking the same language and acting as sounding boards for one another. These opportunities allow you to advance within your career while bringing fun, friends, and fulfillment into your life.
The National Institute of Health found that participation in voluntary services can increase your mental, physical, and social health by up to 11.11%. The United Health Group reports that 64% of employees volunteering outside of work said it improved work relationships. The Nonprofits Source reports that 64 million Americans volunteer every year and estimates that one in four people you meet is likely to be a volunteer in one aspect or another.
Be the person who helps shape our industry’s future with your expert knowledge. Question and fine-tune protocols and structures. All it takes is one leap into the room of opportunity. To take that leap, click here to visit CACM’s website to learn more about opportunities to donate your time and expertise and expand your career by doing so.
The meaning of life is to find your gift; The purpose of life is to give it away.
– William Shakespeare
