thank you Archives

TheCR Holiday Gift Guide 2016: Gifts for Community Managers

December 7, 2016 By Jim Storer

It’s that time of the year again! The snow is falling (in Boston, at least!), pumpkin spice is everywhere and holiday music has taken over the radio. We’re continuing our December tradition of providing a short gift guide of toys and treasures that the community manager in your life might appreciate. Of course – the greatest gift of all is just a simple thank you, but I wouldn’t turn down some gummy bears to go along with it!

Unicorn Tape Dispenser – Sure to fancy up any community manager’s desk, this unicorn tape dispenser is equal parts form and function!
The 2017 Volt Planner – Even though most of us live online these days, I’m still drawn to writing important things down. The Volt Planner is one part tactical planning space, and one part aspiration goal setting.
Five Pounds of Haribo Gummy Bears – The gold standard of gummy bears. The resealable bag makes you feel like you can save some for later (no judgement if you don’t, though…)
Cards for Community – Both a fun conversation piece and an actionable tool for community engagement. It’s safe for work, we promise.
Fruit! – After eating all those gummy bears, a nice fresh orange or pear will be a welcome relief.
Community Manager Swag – Nothing wrong with wearing your heart on your sleeve (or your t-shirt!)
Wireless Earbuds – Between phone calls, Spotify and podcasts, these will help your favorite community manager listen in style – no strings attached!

Have a favorite gift we missed? Let us know and we’ll update our list!

A Thank You for You, and a Thank You for You – #thankitforward

December 16, 2015 By Jim Storer

By Jillian Bejtlich, The Community Roundtable thankitforward

When I was a very little kid, my dad had to constantly remind me to say “thank you” and frankly – I just didn’t get it. It was up there with saying “please”, “excuse me”, and all the other things I just assumed people knew. Obviously I was thankful for things and would be pleased if things went my way, but my little kid brain just didn’t understand why I had to verbalize these things.

Nowadays as a full-fledged adult/overgrown child I have fully grasped why we say thanks (and please). It isn’t for us. It’s for others. It shows we value their input, feedback, collaboration, and all that fun stuff my 5-year old brain couldn’t quite grasp. So today, I’d like to share my #thankitforward picks, and say thanks.

To the people I am surrounded by, thank you for both being here and for sticking around. My five year old self always felt like the weirdo, but it turns out I was just meant to be a community professional. I have never felt more at home in my life surrounded by people who can wear all the hats, have a sense of humor, tell it how it is, and still be their authentically quirky selves. Do I dare say I feel I feel normal around all you lovely people?

To the opportunities I have and the people trusting me with them, thank you for challenging me and making me learn. A wise co-worker once told me to never say “no” or “I don’t know how to do that”. Instead he told me to always say “I don’t know right now, but I will find out”. This mindset has pushed me in so many directions and my knowledge and skills feel like they double every single year. If I have one goal in life, I want to make sure that I challenge others to continue learning. Never stop.

And finally, to my parents who encouraged me to be a quirky and inquisitive child. They never allowed me to box myself into an ideal or stereotype, and instead allowed me to grow up to be an adaptable grown up. For all those who work in community, you know all too well that our world changes all the time thanks to new members, new platforms, and new ideas – so adaption is key.

Happy holidays everyone!

Thank It Forward 2014 – Looking Back and Giving Thanks in Your Community

December 2, 2014 By Jim Storer

By Shannon Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

snoopygrateful Last year we explored the idea of #thankitforward here on TheCR blog, and in TheCR Network and we loved the outcome so much we’re back for year two. This is our official kick off to our second year of looking back and giving thanks to those that helped us work, grow and thrive in the past year!

In the spirit of reflection and gratitude we encourage you to look back at 2014 and identify three (or more!) people who made a difference in your work and life this past year and send them a thank you via email, snail mail, or Twitter, (or whatever medium works best for you.)

Think about:

Who inspired you? Brought on a “aha moment”?
Who was unwavering in their support of your work?
Which exec made a difference with their sponsorship or participation?
Which community member or advocate showed up in a big way?
Who covered you so you could unplug for a vacation — whether a day or a week?
Who talked you through a tough situation?
Whose blog posts or Twitter handle kept you well informed? Or laughing!

You get the idea! We’d love if you tag any social thanks #thankitforward so we can see the gratitude spread. Of course – some thanks yous are private and we 100% encourage those as well. Our goal is to inspire reflection on your journey this past year, and help identify those that helped make it possible.

So tell us. Who will you be thanking it forward to this year? We’ll be sharing our #thankitforward posts over the next three weeks and we can’t wait to see yours!