Acronym

If I could go back 20 years I'd defintely have done a few things differently. First of all, I wish I'd known about ASAE back then--even when I had bosses who were active in ASAE nobody ever impressed upon me the importance of understanding the association community/the shared experience of working for an association that I've gotten from ASAE. Had I known better, I'd have also found a mentor--again, something I never thought of until recently--and then only when I have been asked to be someone else's mentor!

As for common mistake, I know one I made several times over was being impatient to move up and leaving a good organization that, had I stayed, would have ultimately led to a good career. Granted, it's a hard pill to swallow when you graduate from college only to find yourself in an administrative position; the good thing about associations is that you can start at the bottom and work your way up. But it does take time...and I'm still not a patient person even this many years into my career!

As for tools, I have to say that Twitter has become indespensible, especially for finding other association professionals. I generally hate Twitter chats, but #assnchat is good for at least seeing what other association people are using Twitter, finding new blogs, etc. I don't use Google Reader at all so I use Twitter as part reader/part social tool.

Conor, thank you for writing this post. It inspired me to take it to the Association Chat (#assnchat) tribe to see what they had to say about it.

The transcript is here: http://www.tweetdoc.org/View/9253/Association-Chat

Thanks again for sparking the discussion!

KiKi

I was fortunate to experience leadership at a very young age - in my early 20s and was elected as a Board Chair when I was 26. But the problem was, I acted MY age and everybody I dealt with didn't act MY age.

Colleagues, including those who were supportive, overlooked my age-related flaws and praised me for my commitment, energy, and skill.

I probably wouldn't have listened to any advice, but it would have been helpful to learn how to deal better with people who were older than me and who didn't act MY age.

Maggie - always appreciate your honesty and humility. Agree on the mentorship and patience tips, its difficult for many of us to navigate!

Kiki - thanks for sparking the discussion. Some great insights from the chat, i hope many YAPs take the time to read the transcript and insights there. Loved the quote "Mentorships are like business partnership - Successful examples are rare, but when the
work, they're awesome."

David - what an invaluable experience to have as a young Board Chair! I had a similar experience at 27, and it was a great learning experience. I don't think you can put a price tag on effective and adaptive communication styles, especially in an association environment.

I had kind of a long response to this, so I posted it to Thanks for Playing today, rather than leaving a GIANT comment here.

Elizabeth Engel has a GREAT post with responses to these questions. Thanks for taking the time to share!!

http://www.alistbloggers.org/2011/02/if-i-knew-then-what-i-know-now

Conor, I love the discussion this post has generated!

Here's how I would answer your questions:

1. Part of me wishes I'd gotten a journalism degree rather than religious studies; there are definitely ways it would come in handy. But I can't really regret the educational path I took, because a) I love learning about religious studies to this day, and b) the college I attended didn't have a journalism program, and if I'd gone somewhere else I wouldn't have met my husband or most of my closest friends, so that's just not acceptable.

I do wish I had realized earlier in my career how willing most association professionals are to connect with and support other association professionals. When I was new to associations, more senior folks seemed so knowledgable and intimidating; I missed a lot of opportunities to build relationships and learn from some really smart people, especially at my first association.

2. I'll turn your question around a little bit, and tell you the one thing I think can turn a young professional into a star performer: Raise your hand. Volunteer. When you have a little extra time, check to see if those around you can use some help. When your supervisor offers you the chance to take the lead on a new project, even if it seems a little overwhelming, take it. Join cross-functional teams if your organization has them. If you're willing to put in a little extra time and effort, it can really pay off.

3. Google Reader and the Bylines app for Google Reader on my phone are hugely valuable to me. Google Alerts are also a big help to me in monitoring certain topics I need to stay on top of.

Great add-ons, Lisa. #2 is often overlooked and underrated. So often we hear advice regarding getting involved externally, volunteering, etc - which are great and lead to many opportunities for development, etc. But the simple act of going beyond your job function or actively volunteering to help out internally can provide invaluable experience, exposure, and perception within an organization.

Thanks!