Community Involvement

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Our lives are hectic, and the last thing we need is one more activity on our schedules. However, citizenship comes with an obligation to support your community. If everyone does a little something, everyone, including you, is better for it.

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Join something or attend a meeting. There are hundreds of community events going on all the time. Your experience as a construction professional can be a tremendous asset to many committees and projects. There are construction committees for schools, community centers, or your church. There are zoning boards, architectural review boards, and variance request committees. Habitat for Humanity or other similar groups can use the experience of a professional to bring teams together.

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If you want to clear your head of construction, there are plenty of other things to do. You can be a coach or assistant coach (not a lot of experience required); Scouts are looking for troop leaders or merit badge counselors. You will be surprised at the talents you have that you can share with those young minds full of mush.

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You don't have to jump in—committee chairman can be a retirement activity, for now, you can attend or help out, who knows, you might even volunteer to do more. Your involvement also sends a silent message to your kids. They see what you are doing and how important it is and respect you and the institutions a little more. They see their role as an involved citizen and will want to step in to help in some way as well. For most of us, any positive activities our kids do is less time for them to be doing other less productive events.

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Committee involvement may also help you fine-tune some personal skills like remembering names (as you meet more people) and speaking in front of a group. You will gain a better understanding of how your community works and the impact it has on your life. It will also allow you to speak up and change things.

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Management tip:

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Start slow but join something, PTA, homeowners association, volunteer at the library, I don't know but look around and find something that interests you. The benefits will extend to everyone around you. A side benefit is that people buy from people, so the more people you meet, the more opportunities you will attract.

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