The impact of giving back

Hi everyone,

It’s been an incredible month of connecting with friends + community members! More to come - March is not over yet!

First of all, I’m feeling an immense sense of gratitude to Calgarians. I was coming to town, and the Calgary policy & public affairs community welcomed me so warmly. Big shout-out to movers & shakers + all-around great humans -?Christina Caouette ,?CEO?of?Young Diplomats of Canada ?and?Marie Sereneo ,?Curator?of?Global Shapers YYC .

When there are always a million reasons to say no,?thank you for saying yes!

In the spur of the moment and with about a week’s notice, we organized #CalgaryConnect - a casual gathering for policy & public affairs professionals.?I’m proud to say: Calgary came through!

Close to 50 folks?joined us at The Rooftop YYC in downtown Calgary throughout the evening for a fun night with folks working at diverse organizations in academia, civil society, government, the labour movement, and the private sector. I can’t wait for next time, Calgary! ??

Last month, I talked about the?power of community ?in our profession, though the tips can be helpful for folks beyond the policy and public affairs function. In this post, I wanted to highlight briefly the?impact of giving back.

I invest my time in causes and organizations that deliver economic, social, environmental and cultural impact and that keeps me engaged with a rewarding, albeit demanding, schedule. One of my non-negotiables, though, is making time during the week to meet with students and early career professionals. For the last few years, without fail, I’ve met with at least four folks per month - which is doable for me at this juncture of my life. Fridays are usually my go-to days.

Some months, I might just meet folks all in one week or other parts of the year it might be meeting one person per week. It all depends on my schedule that month. Still, I’m proud to say this is something I’ve been quite consistent with (especially during the pandemic, given the opportunity to connect virtually as well, which allows the opportunity to connect with folks across the country and even around the world).

Now, this might not always be the case for me but at this particular season of my life, I am able to invest the time. I see it as not only about sharing my insights with folks earlier on in their journey but also to connect with folks who offer so many interesting perspectives. I’m richer for it and so is the sector. And I see it also as compounding?‘social capital’ ?interest. It’s not the folks in your direct day to day network that sometimes make the biggest impact on your career. It’s what sociologists call your?‘weak ties’ ?and I feel fortunate I’m been able to invest the time to connect with so many folks the last 15 years. I can’t wait who else I will connect with in the next 15.

Now for students and early career professionals, it’s not the easiest to reach out to someone and ask for that informational interview or ‘coffee chat’ request. Here are five tips to make it more likely for that person to?say yes.

1. Get a warm introduction?- Folks are more likely to say yes to providing an informational interview / virtual ‘coffee chat’ as a courtesy to their friend or professional connection. It’s easier to say yes to someone they have a pre-existing relationship with than someone they get a request from out of the blue.
2. Ask for a reasonable amount of time?- 45 minutes to an hour is much too long these days! 25-30 minutes is the sweet spot. There are so many different ways to spend your day. If someone dedicates time to connect, it’s an investment in?them?and?you?so make it count and make it as long as it needs to be, no longer. I once had someone ask me for a quick 15-20 minutes phone call. Now that was an absolute yes. Short. Sweet. Novel. (Does anyone do phone calls anymore? Definitely an underrated way to connect - people should do that more often).
3. Be prepared?- Come with 4-5 questions you want to ask the person. Demonstrate you have researched their career journey. Check out their LinkedIn. Be on time. Ask thoughtful questions. Make it conversational. Respond in a way that shows you are actively listening. You’ll make a lasting impression. If you are looking to connect with more folks, ask for suggestions for 1-2 people you should meet with.
4. Be reciprocal?- It shouldn’t be all about what one person has to say or give to a conversation. Every single person, by virtue of having lived their distinct life with their own unique lived experiences, has something to share. Think about 1-2 insights you can provide. It can be sharing a referral to an article, a book, a podcast, a contact, the name of an organization, an event, a resource (this newsletter, for example), or anything else!
5. Follow-up?- This is the hardest thing to do, and most folks forget this: send a thank you email. Ideally, that very day or the next day. If you can include a quick note on 2-3 key takeaways from the chat, or include a resource/article/referral of some sort (see above re: being reciprocal), even better!

Beyond informational interviews, there are so many ways you can give back from reconnecting with your alma mater and doing a career talk on campus to being a mentor as part of formal mentorship programs or taking someone under your wing at work.

There is much more to say on this topic and the broader considerations that go into navigating a career in policy and public affairs. But, I’ll leave that for future posts later this year. Now mentorship is just one part of the puzzle - sponsorship is also important. Next month, I will highlight the value of?Paying it Forward.

Till we speak again - take good care!

Sincerely,

Anjum

PS: I’m considering hosting a gathering in Toronto for subscribers + the broader policy and public affairs community in May or June! If I did, would you come? Message me and let me know!

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