To have a successful community management career, we must all be committed to demonstrate professional, competent and consultative leadership.
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n this issue, our member contributors explore what it means to be a professional community manager and to pursue professionalism. Webster defines the word professional to mean “characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession, exhibiting a courteous, conscientious and generally businesslike manner in the workplace.” In our most recent member survey our members were least satisfied with the respect and appreciation they receive from clients and client members. Abraham Maslow in his 1954 book Motivation and Personality proposed his famous hierarchy of needs. Nearing the top of this hierarchy is “esteem”; both self-esteem and self-respect – the desire to be accepted and valued by others. One path to the achievement of this desire is to self-identify ourselves as professionals. To have a successful community management career, we must all be committed to demonstrating professional, competent and consultative leadership with our boards and communities. As community management professionals, we have daily opportunities to declare our professionalism: how we dress, our
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Vision Spring/Summer 2017 | www.cacm.org
email communication, our interaction with owners and board members and our conduct, attitude and behavior in board meetings, membership meetings and with our colleagues. The insightful articles in this issue are a “call to action” for us to raise our game, see ourselves as professionals, take responsibility for our career development and to develop the emotional and soft skills necessary to not only deliver great community and client service, but also to garner the selfrespect and esteem important to a healthy life/work balance and a successful, long-term career in the professional community management industry.
On behalf of the CACM Board, John Cligny, CAMEx, CCAM-HR Board Chair
