What have your members taught you?
We talk all the time about all the great things our associations have done for the members. I’d like to explore what our members have done for us as individuals. I’ll go first:
- One member taught me that being who you are is the best business model
- One member taught me the difference between markup & margin
- I learned from one member to be careful of first impressions, as they are the first opportunity to underestimate someone
- One member helped me understand that the details do matter, even if I don’t like dealing with them
- A close friend and member taught me to have a sense of humor, even when times are challenging
The members of the association I work for are contractors. They work in the field a lot, and they work long and difficult hours in terrible conditions. The best thing I have learned is that they are out there, professionals with strong minds and hearts who are just trying to make a better lives for themselves and their families. Aside from all that I’ve learned professionally through my experiences, I’ve learned to have faith in the nature and competency of the small and medium-sized entrepreneurs that comprise our membership. It has had a profound effect on the way I view these people. I hope some of you have had similar experiences.
What have your members taught you?
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Comments
Brian, thanks for another great thought-provoking post and your positive nature.
Some great things members have taught me:
- There really are amazing and good people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, all nationalities, and all economic and social levels. It is nice to see so much good in people when the news is full of such violent and disturbing stories.
- Be open to new ideas no matter what the person's background. They may not be an expert in your field, but good ideas can come from many places.
- If you take the time to help a member, even with a very small thing, they sometimes remember it for a long, long time. There can be nice dividends from little effort...
Thanks again, Brian, for asking us to think of some nice learning ops from our members. I feel good now. :)
Posted by: KiKi L'Italien | October 15, 2009 10:41 PM
Ditto. Thanks so much Brian for your beautiful and touching post.
It's a great reminder that behind the term member, they human beings and as much as we contribute to them, they also contribute to us.
Afterall, on this living planet, we're all in this together and the work we all do ultimately is to better each and every living being.
To read your message, what a beautiful way to start my morning. Thank you.
Posted by: Vinay Kumar | October 16, 2009 9:44 AM
Great post. Thank you. Like the above, ACDIS members consistently remind me of the important role each profession plays in the larger mechanism of the society we live in. For them it is not just improved clinical documentation it is better patient care and better health for the people they serve.
Kudos on your thoughtful, thought provoking post.
Posted by: Melissa Varnavas | October 16, 2009 10:02 AM
What a wonderful read on a wet Friday afternoon! Thanks for writing this. From our members I've learned that
... smart, caring people surround me 99.9% of my workday, despite the myriad stupid, petty, and mean people I see featured on the news every night.
...sometimes the good feeling that comes from helping one member accomplish one thing better in his or her job will last me all the way to Friday.
...solving the "impossible" can be downright fun.
...it's the rare member who won't help ME when it's my turn to call for assistance.
...the incredible and lasting power of two words: "thank you."
Posted by: Kristin Clarke | October 16, 2009 3:43 PM
Kiki, Vinay, Melissa, and Kristin,
Thanks to all of you for the support of my post, it means a great deal to me! Its also very nice to hear that your members are all awesome folks too and have impacted you personally, and that overall, the good outweighs the bad---that is the ultimate measure of our lives and work, IMO!
Posted by: Brian Birch | October 16, 2009 5:09 PM