I Wish I'd Known Then
By Julie Adamen

It's been been a few years but some of you may remember previous articles I've written with this same title.  I do so because with even more time has come wisdom and I have learned a lot of things that I wish I had known back when I started as a manager because it would have made life so much easier. Here are some things I know now I wish I'd known then: 

This, too shall pass: Change management� is the unsung skill of the community manager, as they continually balance what was with what is with what is going to be within the communities they manage. This skillful ability to manage continual change (this week's Board is next week's has-been) is one for which community managers are seldom appreciated. What I know for sure is that managing that passing of what is for what is upcoming, and moving on to the next set of circumstances with an open mind and clear heart is what makes good managers great change managers.

This, too, shall pass: Maybe you don't need to do anything.  This goes way against type, but never be afraid to stop a moment and think: Do you need to insert yourself in a particular situation, or will it resolve itself on its own without your interference? What I know for sure is, over the years I find that the latter is true a lot more than I realized. Much of the time, everything works itself out just fine without our great knowledge and wisdom.

You don't know what you don't know.  The nature of good, Type A managers is to get things done, now. Because of that nature, managers can be tempted to think to know something they don't know.  Information of which a manager is unsure yet recited as fact when indeed it is in error  has a way of finding its way back to them often in a very public manner (think: Annual Meeting).You don't know what you don't know. And when you don't know something, just say "I don't know," find the answer and relay it back to the person who asked.  What I do know for sure is: Managers are NOT expected to know everything, all the time. Managers are expected to find the answer, and get back to the inquirer. Period.

Everything is urgent, but not everything is important. Think about it. Everyone wants something from you, and they want it right now.  We are crushed by incoming communication which greatly extends (without warrant) the work day: Phone calls, text messages, email.  This bombardment of continual communication creates a sense of urgency, giving all incoming communication a false sense of importance. And because it appears so important, many of us immediately answer those incoming communications regardless of whether they are truly 'important', or merely 'urgent'. What I know for sure is: This poor habit sucks up valuable time within the workday and work week, keeping managers from more important tasks.

Focus on the positive. Over many years in and around community management, I have found there is a segment out there continually focused on the negative aspects of the business. For those who had that negative focus and stayed in the business, it has led them from one job to another, to another as they continually found something wrong with each position� Some situation so untenable they just had to quit (or be let go) and move on.  The adverse affect of that behavior was far less obvious in a booming economy. Now, that person could find themselves unemployed for months. John Maxwell said, "Once our minds are 'tattooed' with negative thinking, our chances for long-term success diminish."  Now more than ever, that tenet is true. What I know for sure is: You'll find what you are seeking be it good or bad. Accept bad days and move on. They are part of life. Seek the good.

Don't wait to learn new technology. Seasoned managers often ask me if their age is going to be factor in hiring.  The short answer is no: We are not an ageist, racist or sexist business, but we are technology - averise-ist.  This means you absolutely cannot have computer skills from the Jurassic period (think: DOS).  This is the only issue that holds back some mature managers.

In our industry we don't use a lot of very difficult programs, but we do need to be versed in Word, Excel and the use and protocols of email.  I emphasize protocols because nothing will spotlight your understanding of how to use technology appropriately and professionally - or not -  than email. Every email needs to be written as if it will be public, because it may very well end up that way. No sending an email as if it were a text message, NO ALL CAPS, and no slang or shorthand. What I know for sure is: The world is changing fast and we must keep up or find ourselves sitting on the sidelines. 

Education. Read business books. Get your designations, and I don't mean just the minimal designations. Go for it. Because every ounce of education you receive benefits your clients, your employers and most of all benefit you. And those initials behind your name do make a difference, especially in this market. There is never anything such as too much knowledge. But getting more education, specifically industry education, has even more implications than you may think. Read on: 

Get involved. Once I recommended to a top-notch executive that she nominate herself to the Association of Professional Community Managers (APCM) Board of CAI. She came to find she couldn't place herself in nomination because despite her near- 20 years in the business, she only had the minimal, state-specific designation which kept her from the nomination process (no national designation of CMCA, AMS or PCAM). For the legion of folks saying "Who cares?": National involvement not only brings you up in terms of contacts, information, education and yes friendships, your involvement can have a major impact - however unsung publicly - on the policy or function of our industry. Enough of us sit on the sidelines complaining about one thing or another. Willingness to be involved takes courage and commitment. What I know for sure is that education is important to help you understand your job and learn new things, but it's also important because through that education, you develop a professional network of colleagues that can help you (and vice-versa) in many ways in the course of your career.  Get involved and stay involved. (That executive is taking her PCAM case study this summer).

Be positively prepared for success. Success comes to those who seek it with a sense of positive intelligence. They are usually the first ones to recognize an opportunity, because they see possibility where others see problems, because they have focused on all the things that go right, not the few that go wrong. People with a positive outlook are always giving back to their profession in one way or another, as  they understand the more they give, the more opportunity comes their way. And guess what? They have a blast doing it. For these reasons, positive people are able to spy opportunity in lots of places.  What I know for sure is: People who have a positive outlook will look to their future with pleasant anticipation and always be prepared for success.

Same stuff, different day. I've been out of actually managing communities for several years, but my daily contact with managers and executives tells me that the main functions of community management remain much the same as they were 20+ years ago: Provide excellent customer service to the client while continually working on the day-to-day business affairs of the community. As a definition it seems simplistic but it works as it takes in to account all those people, communication and organizational skills needed to provide that excellent service to the client.  As any Board or executive can tell you, if a manager can provide that level of service, they have the right goods for a successful career in community management.  What I know for sure is that exclusive of some more extensive laws in specific states and the advent of blessed technology, the job is really the same as it was in the beginning. Get 'er done, and all will be well. 

What do you know for sure? You have the wisdom to help your professional community.  Share your wisdom so that information does not fade away.  That is why I write, and why I hope you all read. Professional community involvement is part of giving meaning to the wisdom and experience you have acquired in a larger sense. That is why your local and national professional associations are important. Just think how much easier life would be if we could access wisdom when we have a seemingly impossible problem. And you know what? It's out there - you just have to tap in to it, and then give back to it.  What I know for sure is: More of you can share your wisdom with other in the business. Let me ask you: What do you know for sure?

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