Tuesday Thoughts | 5 November 2024 | Your Voice Matters

A couple of weeks ago I happened to be in BC on election night, which for an avowed political wonk was kinda exciting; a full night too close to call, a seat margin giving a third party the opportunity to prop up one or the other party, and interestingly enough a seat count that closely mirrored the popular vote. Plus, I don’t live there – so the stakes were lower.

Of course, by now we know that the final recount gave the BC NDP a one seat majority, which is still interesting, but less so than when it’s a nail biter.

Today our friends south of the border go to the polls, and while I don’t live there either, the stakes are very high for everyone on the planet, even more so for America’s closest neighbour; I was just in Seattle a few weeks ago, and its likely that at least a few times next year I’ll find myself crossing the world’s largest undefended border.

I love elections, I love politics, heck, I have a degree in Political Science, and I loved every minute of it! I even used that degree ‘for the purpose it was intended’(?) for a few years at the start of my career, spending three years as a Political Staffer at the Ontario Legislature.

I’m going to avoid getting partisan here, but a quick glance at my resume (or LI Profile), coupled with a google search of who was in power in Ontario from 2004-2007, should pretty quickly tell you how I feel on the subject.

I subscribe to the idea, that “if you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain”; or perhaps you’ve heard that other gem, “decisions are made by those who show up”? That second one isn’t just hyperbole and is true of many more scenarios than just heading to the ballot box.

Democracy, and our greater society demand of us, and frankly require for proper functioning, our participation; I sit on a number of boards, and nothing drives me more crazy than that one person (there is almost always one) who never shows up for anything, and when they do show up, they have nothing to contribute.

I know I’m not alone, because I’ve seen this phenomenon at literally dozens of Board tables throughout my career (both from the board side and the staff side), if I’ve been randomly stumbling upon the only boards with one (or more) disengaged folks, that’s an impossible coincidence.

It also doesn’t help that many people seem perfectly ok with showing up unprepared, we learned this in school, if you didn’t do your homework its hard to participate in the discussion, or the next lesson for that matter.

Something I don’t think we talk about enough, is how everyone else feels when someone is ill prepared, unengaged, or simply doesn’t even bother to show up – its not a nice feeling.

This weekend I drove to Brantford Ontario, from Markham (roughly 3 hours round trip), I was actually in Brantford for less than two hours – I showed up 1) because I said I would, and 2) because I knew it was important to someone else. Its that simple, even when I don’t technically want to do something, I still do it because I committed to it, either directly or indirectly.

There is a saying that every vote matters, and this is true – every contribution, every voice matters – we saw this in BC a few weeks ago (where some seats came down to a couple of dozen votes); I have a couple of friends who have won or lost elections by a handful of votes.

This edition of the newsletter is certainly not just a call for Americans to go to the polls today – if you haven’t already – although certainly, if there was a day to exercise your right to vote, its today. But it is a call for everyone to engage with the world around you, and to do so in a thoughtful and prepared manner.

This week’s call to action, is to show up, make your voice count, and to for heaven’s sake – come prepared.

New and Noteworthy is a collection of things readers of #TuesdayThoughts might find interesting, important, or informative;

??Other Stuff I Did This Week (shameless self promotion): I was profiled by the Women's Nonprofit Network this week in my role as a member of the Board of Advisors

???Hold These Dates: January 19, 2025 - Launch Event for the final book in the Tuesday Thoughts Companion Trilogy (Unionville, ON) - RSVP Today | January 20, 2025 - Official Launch Day for The Tuesday Thoughts Companion: A Year of Small Actions for Big Impact: Volume 3 | I'm looking for a handful of Speaking and Consulting Engagements through late 2024 and into 2025 to continue to make an impact. Details of my offerings are on my website daniellerussell.ca.

?? What to Read: 9 Selfish Reasons Why We Should Recognize Others from Leanne Calderwood, CMP in Brand New YOU!

?? What to Watch: This great new video featuring Marc Forgette from Makatew Workshops h/t Sandy Biback | What to Focus on as Change Leader who is also a People Leader from Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta

????♀?Cool Jobs (Paid and Volunteer): Come work for me Manager of Membership and Marketing @ Canadian Defence Lawyers | Multiple Volunteer Opportunities @ Mothers to Daughters h/t Joanne Kinya Baker, MSW, RSW | Board of Directors @ Clean Air Partnership h/t Eric McGoey

?? Take Note: CSAE is headed to Victoria BC for the Annual Conference in October 2025 h/t Miranda Ji, CMP | MPI's the EVENT is headed to Fredericton NB in September 2025 h/t Erin Blanchard , Brenda Perrin and Kris Knox

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I am a Certified Association Executive with over a dozen years of experience in leadership positions across Canada’s Not-for-Profit Sector, with deep ties in the Meetings and Events Industry. I use the art of storytelling in speech and writing to explain ideas, and to inform audiences and readers on a variety of topics. Learn more about how we can collaborate;

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??? Contributing Writer: I have written for Industry Publications and Blogs with a focus on the role of Associations, Volunteerism, and the Intersection of Not-for-Profit Management and many current social and economic trends. My inclination towards storytelling lends itself well to the style of Creative Non-Fiction.

?? The Tuesday Thoughts Formula: I am on a mission to inspire actions that amplify my impact, each week I follow the #TuesdayThoughtsForumla to deliver a call to action inspired by relevant stories; new this year, I’m bringing live demonstrations of the formula to the stage to help conference, event and meeting attendees tell their own stories that amplify their ROI of in-person attendance.

?? Check out my website daniellerussell.ca or email me: [email protected]

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