Four myths hindering your professional development

by Lisa Thalacker Joyslin
follow me on Twitter: @lisatjoyslin

You’re interested in developing your professional skills, but haven’t taken action. Why not? Chances are that you – or your nonprofit organization – are operating under a common professional development myth. I’ve outlined four of these myths below, including reasons they shouldn’t hold you back from developing your best professional self. Hopefully I can convince you and you can convince your organization to invest in professional development.

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Dear Giacomo

 

Original artwork by Taylor Baldry

Nonprofit master Giacomo Crostini is here to answer all your burning questions about life in the nonprofit sector. Email him at info@ynpntwincities.org for advice and guidance.

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Dear Giacomo,

I work at a small nonprofit without a lot of resources, and I'm really jealous of folks who have nicer digs for their workspace. How can I spruce mine up?

Sincerely,
Drab Office Heavy Heart

Dear DOHH,

Bummer! But I know your pain! So often it seems a price we pay for working at a small nonprofit organization can be giving up a few of the finer amenities others take for granted. Windows that don't fully seal shut in the winter, emptying your own trash, and setting your own mouse traps can be everyday occurrences in the world of small grassroots organizations. Window washers? AC units you don't have to manually put in by yourself? Office furniture that matches? These are the stuff of dreams for many of us. Here are three simple tips to spice up your office environment.

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Looking to succeed? Think like an intern

 

by Lucas Havens
follow me on Twitter: @lhavens

Hearing about YNPN’s recent “The First Seven Seconds” event made me think of my day job, where I coach high school students through tech internships in major corporations. Why? Both the event and my role as a trainer remind me the “secrets” to success aren’t really very secret. They’re simple—so simple, in fact, they’re easy to forget, especially once we’ve had a year or two to get comfortable in a job.

But if you’re thinking like an intern, it means you’re paying attention to all those little things—little things which, according to perennial feedback from many of my organization’s corporate partners, are the things that really matter. So here’s a list derived from training 100+ successful interns over the past several years. Pay attention to one item each day over the next week, and see if it helps you get back into an entry-level mindset.

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Time flies when you waste it

by Josh Dye

The old saying goes, “Time flies when you are having fun!” It’s true, but time goes at the speed of light when you waste it. There are many professional and personal examples of time-wasting: Ineffective meetings, constantly checking email/Facebook/Twitter/websites, having arguments and making complaints to get your point across, watching bad television, and more. Any of these activities can make a precious hour or two vanish in an instant—time you will never get back.

What's the solution? It’s not as simple as just stopping the activity. The ways we waste time are often habits and routines. Habits and routines are our default response to moments where we haven’t made a choice about what to do next. Habits are broken when we make conscious choices to spend our time on something more valuable.

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Surviving professional picture day

 

by Cary Walski
Follow me on Twitter: @cwalski

You’re an adult. You probably have grown-up stuff like life insurance and a 403B. The men wearing Baby Bjorns at the supermarket seem to be becoming mysteriously more and more attractive to you. You’d think that now that you’ve graduated into adulthood and are well-vested in the trappings of the working world that you’d be immune from the most dreaded indignities of your school experience.

Well, think again — because here comes picture day, work edition. Only this time, you’re not getting helpful pointers like “hold still” and “stop making that face.” And there’s absolutely no complimentary, black plastic comb. What’s a person to do?

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