Water in the Desert (Incoming President's Address)
Posted by ablack on Nov. 10, 2015 / Subscribe 0
If you would have told me eight years ago that I’d be taking on the role of SMPS Arizona President, I would have laughed you out of the room. When I started my A/E/C marketing career in Utah more than 17 years ago, I was introduced to the Salt Lake City Chapter. But unfortunately, none of my firms were very supportive of me joining. So when I moved to Phoenix to take a job with URS ten years later, I was surprised when they encouraged me to join…and join quickly! Of course, I jumped at the opportunity…with both feet. I volunteered to be a member of the Publicity branch, attended my first newsletter committee meeting, raised my hand with an idea, and then by default was “voluntold” to take my idea and run with it. The rest, as they say, is history.
It feels a little bit like the twilight zone when I reflect on where my involvement with SMPS all started and then realize that it’s now the middle of my third month as President. Just this past year has been such an incredible learning experience. I’ve undergone personal and professional growth as the incoming President that I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to experience. SMPS has opened so many doors for me and has helped shape the marketer (and person) that I am today. It is amazing to see what happens when you set goals, share them with your friends, and then have them hold you accountable.
There is no denying that anyone who knows me at all knows that I drink the proverbial SMPS Kool-Aid, and the past year has only increased my consumption. My love and passion for this organization is what drives me each and every day. We have so many wonderfully talented and committed professionals who have poured themselves into making our Chapter great and we are now in such an amazing position, having just won the Outstanding Large Chapter award this past year. In short, we have tremendous momentum and energy right now, and I am truly honored and humbled to be stepping in as Chapter President.
Of course, the stakes are high when transitioning into a leadership role of this magnitude and I want great things to continue for our Chapter. So as I took part in the President Leadership Symposium (PLS) this past summer, I started to rack my brain. If I had to choose ONE idea to represent everything that was to be accomplished within our Chapter this year, what would it be? Obviously, the idea of hard work isn’t foreign to any of us, but in an age of instant gratification, sometimes we need a little motivation to keep on going…especially when we don’t see our efforts paying off immediately.
I had so many ideas at first, but the idea of persevering when things don’t seem to be moving along fast enoughreally resonated with me. That’s when I remembered one of the best sessions that I’ve ever attended at Build Business; it was by Greg Bell, author of “Water the Bamboo.” The whole premise is that when giant timber bamboo seeds are planted, it takes three years of watering before a shoot even begins to show above ground. Once this has occurred, you can literally watch and hear the bamboo growing…a whopping 90 feet in 60 days! Here’s the catch, though. If the farmers aren’t diligent with their watering, the bamboo doesn’t grow.
So I took this “Water the Bamboo” concept and ran with it, and our Chapter is now officially embarking on the watering process right here in the desert to create our own little oasis. Capitalizing on and leveraging our momentum, getting our current and new members engaged, and looking for additional ways to invest in and create opportunities for our members are just a few of the ways we will be “watering” our Chapter. As always, we have some pretty big goals outlined for ourselves. But the collective effort of all of us watering together will continue to take our Chapter to great places and will allow us to reap a strong crop!
This is truly an exciting time to be a member of SMPS Arizona….so let’s do this!
About the Blogger: Cricket Robertson, CPSM is a professional marketer by day and rocker by night. After rediscovering her love of live rock music last year, you can often find her at one of the many concerts that come through Phoenix. This year alone, she’s seen more than ten concerts and 20 bands. She has even been known to travel to see a favorite band.
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