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How do I thank just three people? Well, I don’t.

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Every year I sit down to think about three people that have impacted my year for #thankitforward and every time it’s impossible. I am so grateful to work on a team of fun, passionate, hard-working people. It truly makes my job a joy.

And beyond that, I get to spend my days interacting with awesome community managers around the world. People how are doing innovative, amazing work to improve their organizations.

Narrowing it down is hard, but for you, I tried.

For my three:

@Hillary Boucher is the work partner you dream of. She’s fun, funny and always tells me the

Bet you didn’t know she’s a DJ.

truth. She pushes me to be better, at work and not at work, and I am so, so happy to have her in my life.

@Jerry Green has handled every weird thing I’ve thrown at him this year with a smile. It appears that he’s good at everything (and so tall!) and we’re so lucky he’s part of our team.

I’m going to cheat for my third one and say: every single person I’ve met in real life at events over the past year. As I mentioned, working from home can be tough (and awesome, but lonely sometimes). My favorite part of my job is meeting all of you in real life, sharing drinks, stories, crab legs, late nights, early morning, and laughs.  There is no way I’ll remember everyone, but here’s a quick list:

@Lori Harrison-Smith 
@Lisa Allison
@Heather Ausmus
@Cy Jervis
@Ted Hopton
@Oonagh McQuarrie
@Jennifer Erzen
@Claire Flanagan
@J.J. Lovett
@Sam Creek
@Jeff Ross
@Monica Lluis
@Peter Broadley
@Helen Chen
@Mike Pascucci
@JoAnn Scanlon
@Luke Sinclair
@Karen Brent
@Jeff Glasson
@Monique van den Berg

Ok, I’m done. If I forgot your name, I apologize – please know that you made my year better, too!

Kicking off #ThankitForward 2017

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#ThankitForward

Letterpress thank you cards by 1CANOE2

For the fifth year in a row (seriously!) our team is practicing our tradition of #ThankitForward – thanking the people in your life (personally and professionally) who have made a difference in your year by letting them know. And today it seems like this small act of gratitude and kindness will go an especially long way in these last few weeks of a turbulent year.

In the spirit of reflection and gratitude we encourage you to look back at 2017 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 an “aha moment”?
  • Who was unwavering in their support of your work?
  • Which executive 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?

Community people make it possible – #thankitforward

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Hard to believe, but it’s Thanksgiving again.

img_9912-1It’s a year of milestones and changes for those young and old in my life. My daughter graduated kindergarten and headed into 1st grade. Just this month, I lost one aunt to cancer at 81 while the other told me she was getting remarried at 74.

Compared to that, community seems almost placid in comparison. But it has been a year of flux, in the community vendor space in particular, and a year of milestones for TheCR in research and training. And none of those milestones would have been possible without a lot of help.

The State of Community Management is a team effort – it takes multiple members of our team to design it, crunch it, market it, write it, edit it, print it, talk about it, and learn from it. Jillian Bejtlich breaks from her day-to-day number chores to help turn our survey data into actual insights. Rachel Happe turns it from a wall of 200,000 data cells into big ideas. Shannon Abram helps me turn nerdy insights into valuable, sharable nuggets. Sarita Geisel makes it something worth looking at.

But it wouldn’t be nearly as powerful without the members of TheCR Network. I’m thankful for them every day for the wisdom, insights and intelligence they bring our little party. Our discussions of survey design, best questions, critical segments and best practices challenged my brain and inspired it, too. I love the fact that we have a network not shy about getting into the muck and mire with us, to get the job done and push back when they think we’re off-target.

This year also marked an expansion of our TheCR Connect conference to a 2-day affair. I developed an involuntary twitch just as Jim Storer looked for volunteers to help run this year’s event, so under his wise tutelage, I had the chance to work with the always resilient Hillary Boucher and the always smiling Amy Turner to get ‘er done. And it was wonderful – because of them, and again because of members who shared their insights and stories, with us and with each other. Want to know why you join a community? Those two days were why in a nutshell.

“In both life and community, it’s the people. And I’m thankful again this year that I am surrounded by great ones.”

There was much more, too. We watched Noah Stolkner learn and grow as our Fellow in TheCR Network. Jerry Green came on board later in the year and took over some of our training responsibilities. We have big plans. Georgina Cannie is working with Jillian on some other “big future ideas” and, except for the day when she noted I was the same age as her mother, is someone else on our awesome team I love working with every chance I get.

We spend a lot of our time worrying about the stuff we have, want or need. In life, it’s worrying about money, jobs, cars and homes. In community, it’s platforms, metrics, resources, and data. Funny how few of those items get mentioned when we talk about what we’re thankful for.

That’s because in both life and community, it’s the people. And I’m thankful again this year that I am surrounded by great ones. I hope you all #thankitforward.

Giving Thanks for My Community – #thankitforward

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#thankitforwardThis year we’re celebrating our fourth year of the #thankitforward tradition. You can read more about it here if you aren’t familiar with the practice – but basically we want to encourage everyone to take a moment to specifically thank people in their lives who have made a positive difference.

I’m happy to share my list with you – and grateful that it was so easy for me to pick out people in my community that have helped me this year!

1. Amy Turner

Late last year Amy joined our team – and now, less than 12 months later I’m trying to figure out how we can clone her. I’m watching WestWorld – we can’t be that far off, right?! (I joke – WestWorld is a legit nightmare!) I digress – Amy was a godsend. I know I’m not the only person at TheCR who can’t imagine how we survived without her – it’s like the universe looked at the gaps in our skill set and sent us a perfectly organized, friendly, funny and kind co-worker.

Look, I know I’m gushing but Amy has made a huge positive impact on my year – and not just by being a great teammate, but by being a voice of reason, a confidante and a someone willing to laugh at my (admittedly) terrible jokes. Amy, I’m so thankful for you.

2. Hillary Boucher and Ted McEnroe

I’ve just returned from three months away from TheCR after the birth of my daughter. Stepping away is never easy for me, but this year it was especially tough since our big event (and one of my professional babies) TheCR Connect would take place right at the end of my leave. Which meant that about 90% of the planning, organizing and general cat-herding that goes with event planning would happen without me.

Luckily, I’m surrounded by exceptional team players. In swooped Ted McEnroe and Hillary Boucher – both who have more than full time roles to handle with the team. Together, with the help of the whole team they produced the best event we’ve had to date. It makes me (almost) worried for my day job! Seriously though – to know you are part of a team of real team players, who are happy and eager to step up when needed – even though it increases the burden and stress on themselves? I’m so lucky to be part of the TheCR Team.

3. Various Podcasts Guests

Look, I know I’m sort of cheating. I’ve already named three folks that helped to make my 2016 a good year. I’m going to really tear up the rulebook now and call out nine members of TheCR Network who took time out of their busy schedules to chat with us for our podcast series. Here’s a giant heartfelt thank you to J.J. Lovett, Tracy Maurer, Marjorie Anderson, Shirlin Hsu, Renee Vogt, Tamera Rousseau-Vesta, Kirsten Laaspere, Aaron Buchsbaum and Maximilian Ebnother! It has been a pleasure to talk with each of these community professionals about their work and their journeys.

So there you have it – my list of three (ok, fine, 12!) people in my community that contributed to my 2016 in a positive way. And now, it’s your turn. Blog about it, tweet about it, or just drop by someone’s desk and say, “Thanks! You’re pretty great!” I can confidently say that right now just about everyone can use a little extra kindness.

And finally – one more thank you. I’m so grateful for our wider community community. Thank you for reading, for engaging with us and for sharing your stories and your voice.

#ThankItForward 2016

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#thankitforward2017For the fourth year we’re celebrating the idea of #thankitforward – thanking the people in your life (personally and professionally) who have made a difference in your year by letting them know. And today it seems like this small act of gratitude and kindness will go an especially long way in these last few weeks of a turbulent year.

In the spirit of reflection and gratitude we encourage you to look back at 2016 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 executive 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?

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

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By Jillian Bejtlich, The Community Roundtablethankitforward

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!

 

 

Three Different Kinds of Things to Be Thankful For – #thankitforward 2015

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By Georgina Cannie, Community Manager at The Community Roundtable.

Thank you to Shannon for highlighting the #thankitforward series again this year!

My three picks:

1.) A Discipline to be Thankful for: Community Management#thankitforward
Before coming to work with the Community Roundtable, I spent what felt like eons studying academic pursuits. I truly adored going to school and I am grateful for the degrees I earned. But there is a funny thing that happens to you when you spend 6+ years in Liberal Arts and Social Science programs – rather than discovering precisely where you want to build your career, you get even more wrapped around the axle. My academic passions did not seem to add up to a pre-defined work role. The part-time jobs that paid my tuition did not fulfill me. It was a very frustrating feeling. Then almost by accident, I happened to trip across the field of community management. Although I was still learning all that community management entailed, I was in awe of the discipline that would utilize my strengths, inspire my interests and make a tangible difference in my world. I was hooked. I remember feeling overwhelming fortune and gratitude for having stumbled across this growing world of work.

2.) A Person to be Thankful for: Hillary
I’ll be frank – I am obsessed with Hillary. If you have not met her already, make it your New Year’s resolution to do so. When I joined the Community Roundtable, it was as Hillary’s Community Management Fellow. From my first day, she began teaching me how to be the best community manager possible. Her strategy to onboard me into the space was thoughtful and flawless. Her teaching approach was constructive yet kind. Her member interactions were honed and tactful. As I watched and learned from her, she simultaneously created spaces for me to take ownership of projects, voice my opinion and test my strengths. Although she was my direct leader, she empowered me to work with her (and the rest of the Community Roundtable) as a member of a team, rather than simply as an employee of a company. I have never before understood what a mentor relationship entails, but I am grateful to know it now.

3.) A Technology to be Thankful for: Slack
Slack is our team’s virtual office. As we all work remotely, we use the Slack app to check in with each other each day and stay connected. ….And I love it. Ok, ok, so it is not just Slack that I love – I love the team attitude that it reflects and supports. TheCR Team’s internal work is completely open and transparent. This means we all work on things together, constantly seek feedback and troubleshoot issues collectively. Sure it was a bit nerve wracking for the first few weeks, but I quickly grew incredibly grateful for the benefits. Some perks? It is very common for team members, who work in very different capacities than me, to weigh in on my work and offer me a unique insight; My work output is consistently at a higher value than when I work alone; I never spend more than an hour working in the wrong direction – there is always someone there to help reorient me if I ver off the road…. And you should see how small my daily email inbox is! It’s magic!

On Considering Community and Being Thankful – #thankitforward

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By Ted McEnroe, Head of Research at The Community Roundtable

thankfulThis November, I celebrate the end of my first full year with The Community Roundtable. Last year at this
time, I was thankful for all the support of my colleagues and the members of TheCR Network. (I still am.) But as with any other new role, for the first few months you barely see your surroundings because you’re focused on what you are doing and how you are fitting in.

A year later, I can look around and see a more expansive view. Without further ado, my #thankitforward musings for 2015…

I’m still thankful for TheCR team – Rachel, Jim, Hillary, Shannon, Jillian and Georgina – whose hard work is eclipsed only by the fact they are good, fun people, too. We are a mix of ages, experiences, and interests, yet it just works.

I’m thankful for the members of TheCR Network, too. Last year at this time, I was writing about their experiences for The Community Manager Handbook – which was a great chance to meet and talk with our roster of smart, savvy community professionals, and over the past year I’ve valued the opportunities to really listen to and work with more of our members and see the power of a real network in action. They’re worth every penny of the investment, to the point where I have actually continued my memberships in my nonprofit networks even though I have left that industry.

The Community Careers and Compensation survey noted about 60% of you are part of professional membership networks. The other 40% of you are missing out.

I’m thankful for the 500+ community professionals who shared the details of their communities and/or their own careers with us for our two major research projects this year – The State of Community Management and The Community Careers and Compensation report. Together, we are able to shed light on the power and promise of communities. Sharing can be a little scary – and in some communities, sadly, anonymity is seen as the only way to guarantee physical safety – but sharing is a critical part of learning and advancing the field, so thanks.

I’m thankful for the members and others who write, podcast and talk and work out loud regularly about community. You fill my ears with wisdom – and I hope somehow I reciprocate.

And lastly, I’m thankful for the ability to see the world through a community lens. It means seeing more clearly the connective tissue that binds us together in our jobs, our hometowns, our families, and schools. My daughter has started kindergarten this year at a school that is making a conscious investment in building a learning community – a place where older students mentor younger students, and where both the unique backgrounds students bring into the school and the skills they develop at school are highlighted in equal measure. Contributions to the school community are expected – and so is academic rigor and success. Too often, we present collaboration and excellence as incongruous – if you want it done right, do it yourself, they say. Through a community lens, collaboration and excellence come into sharp, united focus.

When you start to appreciate the impact of connections, and the value of meeting others who see the potential of networks and communities, it opens up a world of possibilities. I hope to tap into those in the coming year.

May you have a safe and joyous beginning to your holiday season. Cheers, and thanks.

Time to #thankitforward – Looking Back and Giving Thanks

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By Shannon Abram, Relationship Manager at The Community Roundtable.

snoopygratefulWe’re on our third year championing the idea of #thankitforward here on TheCR blog and in TheCR Network. This is our official kick off to our third 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 2015 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, snapchat, vine, flashmob 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!

 

#ThankItForward: Recognizing Champions

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By Hillary Boucher, Community Manager at The Community Roundtable.

#thankitforwardLast December our team took the month to reflect on who had impacted our lives and work that year and made aconscious effort share our gratitude with those community members, teammates, partners, and mentors. It was a great exercise and we were pleased to see some members even took it back to their own communities!

I posted my #thankitforward in TheCR Network this week, and wanted to share it here with you as well. This is extremely difficult because I have the unique vantage point of seeing how valuable all our members are to the network, but this year I am going to shout out our Champions because they are awesome.

These folks have stuck with me as we rolled our our pilot leadership program. I’ve so enjoyed working with them on programming for the network and the value they’ve added to network and programming is invaluable. I’m so grateful! Thank you, Maddie, Jennifer and Renee!

Who in your network or community made a difference for you this year? 

  • Was there a member who responded with a helpful answer to a question you posted in the forums?
  • Did someone offer to connect offline on a topic you were working on?
  • Someone who makes your day a little brighter when you come into Happy Hour?
  • An expert or facilitator who impressed and inspired you?
  • Did you meet a fellow member at an event and find that connection valuable?
  • Was there a colleague or member who acted as a mentor in some capacity?

Give them a shout out here! Shout out one person or three. Doesn’t matter. Just keep thanking it forward!

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Looking for a way to connect with community peers around the world? Have some year-end budget to spend before December 31st? Join TheCR Network and become part of an expert network of community professionals.