Tag Archives: politics

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v23

It’s so super crazy! I went away for the weekend and today is Super Tuesday 5 (I remember the days when there was ONLY ONE Super Tuesday and in this election we have had FIVE of them!!). I think most people know that I’m supporting Hillary so here’s to breaking the glass ceiling!

Here’s Tuesday Truths!

  • We all know that there are different leadership styles, but did you know that there are differences in leadership according to culture? The Harvard Business Review breaks it down for you!
  • Life is going to throw you curveballs and they way in you which you handle yourself during these trying times is a testament to your strength of character. It’s an exercise in patience, self esteem, confidence and resilience (and so many other attributes!). It certainly is a Defining Moment and how you capitalize on it makes a difference on your outlook of yourself and how others perceive you. Here’s a great story on Jenna Wolfe and her defining moment. Was there a time in your life that you would call your defining moment?
  • Priorities are about choices. I’ve talked in the past about how I triage my life, constantly moving things around to meet deadlines and knowing how much I can push something so that I can move forward with other projects. In my opinion, being busy isn’t a great feeling. I like the sensation of being busy in that I’m not bored and time seems to fly by. Doing work in a transformational way takes real energy. It takes focus and sometimes time goes by much slower because you’re not forced to do “real work”. No one is ever too busy when you place a premium on priorities.
  • I’ve been fortunate to have a professional career where sexism has been rare. It definitely exists with my colleagues and you might say that there is a certain level of it in fundraising when you think about the donor/staff/candidate dynamic. That is changing with more female donors and more female candidates/elected officials. Here are ways that you can shut it down and be supportive of those who have experienced sexism as well as how we can help one another to not make this kind of atmosphere the norm.
  • I’m thrilled to announce that Tammy Gordon from Verified Strategy will be joining me on Thursday, June 9th at 3:15pm Eastern to discuss the Joys and Challenges of Being Your Own Boss on the Arum Group Facebook page! Tammy and I have known one another since we were young sprites doing political work. She’s been a pioneer in social media strategy for national organizations and she recently decided to take the plunge and be her own boss. Send in your questions and join us as we talk about life as an entrepreneur, all the crazy administrative stuff you need to do when you rather be working on your client projects, and how you can live a life that’s designed by you!

Thanks for reading/sharing! If you haven’t already signed up for the blog, I hope you’ll join this growing community!

— Madalene

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v20

We have been in non stop fundraising mode and it’s fantastic! We’re right in the middle of the frenzy so we’ve got a few more weeks before we get to Memorial Day weekend but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Here’s Tuesday Truths!

  • In the past, we’ve talked about breaking bad habits and the variety of ways you can remind yourself to stop going down the same road. Here’s another “shocking” way to get you to stop! Would you do it?
  • Having the right attitude about yourself is essential to having self confidence. We’re always a work in progress so when setbacks occur, you need to have the mental will power to keep pushing through. It’s not always easy and reminders can help you get through days when you need more than a mental pat on the back.
  • This article spoke to me because as a woman of color, it reminded me of what it was like to join a profession where I didn’t start working with a strong ethnic identity. Visually, you see an Asian American woman and all the Caucasian women who helped me along the way took a chance on an unexperienced, yet somewhat talented and hardworking individual. It felt welcoming and safe to know that these women thought I could continue in politics as an operative. As a result, they helped me gain entree to the table and it was up to me to keep getting myself invited back to the table. What did that require? It meant that I had to deliver. I had to do what I said I would do and meet/exceed expectations. It also meant that I had to allow myself to feel that I deserved to be not only in the room, but that I was a vital part of the conversation. I could not have self doubt. If there was a time to NOT have imposter syndrome, it was every time I was part of a team discussion. For each early experience of being part of those discussions, I took as an opportunity to listen and learn. It’s now my responsibility to also cultivate the same kind of environment for others and to create the space for those to listen to their unique super-powers. Where are you in this process and what are you doing to create space?
  • Since this article is so timely, I really enjoyed reading it! Remember last week’s edition, I shared the article about the differences between male and female donors in philanthropy. This article talks more about female donors becoming more politically active and getting more comfortable about sharing their political views.
  • Here’s a great article about how to approach female donors for philanthropic endeavors. Each point also transfers for political asks as well. If you reverse the situation and have a female candidate making a political ask, it works just as well to explain each of the points to get that connection. Fundraising isn’t about the mad dash/slash & burn method but one where you can build relationships.
  • It’s a leap of faith to live the life you want. Everyday distractions and yeah, life itself can get in the way. So how to do you course correct and redesign the life you want? Here are the 3 very remarkable questions that will get you onto the road. Where will it take you?

Thanks for reading/sharing and let me know what you think in the comments!

— Madalene

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v19

Photo credit via

I’m still reflecting on last week because it was fun filled and also so jam packed with the start of AAPI Heritage Month! By the time I got to Saturday afternoon, I was exhausted but it was the kind of exhaustion that comes with knowing that I got a ton of shiz done! I hope that you’re finding life to be fulfilling! The House is BACK so what does that mean? We’re diving into the deep end for the next 3 weeks before they go back to district work period. Let’s go!

Here’s Tuesday Truths!

  • Last Saturday I had so much fun doing a fundraising training for the Women’s Information Network (WIN). A great crew came out on a Saturday morning (just when the sun started to make an appearance!) and spent the next 90+ minutes with me getting knowledge bombed 🙂 PLUS! I captured it on Facebook LIVE so if you want to get a very basic understanding on political fundraising then stop by my personal Facebook page and catch the video in the news feed. If you have questions, leave me a comment in the comments section of the video and I can respond!
  • One of the things that I talked about in the fundraising 101 is that you have to get very comfortable talking with people who are complete strangers. You do it on the phone and you do it in person. A good way to practice is at networking events! Here are 6 ways that you can talk with absolutely anybody and not have them think that you’re a complete wack-a-doodle 🙂
  • The number one question that I get when I do candidate trainings on fundraising is “How do I start when I don’t know when I’m going to run” and my answer is massage, nurture and grow your list. That list is uniquely yours and the more you stay connected with people by bringing them value, the more you’ll be able to turn key a fundraising operation when you decide to run for elected office. It works in politics in the same way that it works in corporate networking. You don’t want a massive amount of business cards laying around with no value – it doesn’t help you and it certainly doesn’t help the person who is on the card! I keep a database of people who are my rolling network. I meet people ALL. THE. TIME. What’s important is how we connect, keeping that connection, AND most importantly – HOW I CAN HELP THEM! Here’s a great article on networking that makes it so simple!
  • One of the best parts of political fundraising is that the skills you learn doing it are actually transferable to other industries! I have a good number of colleagues who are former politicos who have moved into non-profit fundraising, donor management, development at educational and arts institutions. When you think about the skills necessary for any kind of political organizing, you can see where it can be quite useful in a corporate setting.
  • It’s graduation season so there’s a new crop of recent college graduates on the look out for new jobs and in a few months time, people will be leaving their jobs to start graduate studies and return to the full time student life. It’s the ebb and flow of the hiring process. Here’s wonderful advice on the steps you need to take to find a job, no matter what!
  • Here’s a fascinating article discussing the differences between Men and Women on their charitable giving. The studies shows that single women are more likely to give to charity than single men. Now if that could translate into politics…
  • I need to give a shout out to my very first finance associate, Jian Zapata Kim. She was recently featured by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association in honor of AAPI Heritage Month and from the time she started at my office as an intern, she continues to make the world a better place. She has always carried herself with grace and with such a demanding job, continues to find ways to be an ever ready team player, friend and colleague. I look forward to witnessing her many other accomplishments in the years ahead!

That’s a wrap! Thanks for reading/sharing and let me know your comments! Don’t forget, you can view my video on political fundraising 101 on the Arum Group Facebook page and you can leave me questions!

— Madalene

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v12

I had a terrific time at the NLC training over the weekend. The participants had extremely good questions asking about how fundraising in underserved communities affects your finance plan. Campaigns are constantly trying to break through all the white noise by finding appropriate messengers to serve the message in mediums that are comfortable to the intended audience. Building connections and establishing relationships are the heart of campaigns. I wish the participants much success in their endeavors and the progressive movement is fortunate to have so much diverse talent ready to serve.

Here’s Tuesday Truths!

  • Growing your network while being authentic in your actions can be a daunting task. It helps when you have an interest outside of your field of expertise and proactively tell people about it! I always say that I’m a “Jill” of all trades and the master of nothing because I keep such varied interests in rotation. The ones that stand out for me are eating (who doesn’t like to do that!) so I often get asked where to go for dining options, and my choices in wardrobe attire. When I worked as a manager of a James Beard winning chef’s restaurant, the wait staff would tell me that they could envision me as a cooking instructor (maybe this goes back to my love of teaching!) and people who ask me to help them as a stylist. Obviously all of these interests are outside of my professional expertise, but people identify these as activities where I can excel. This all leads to how you can better network as you progress in your careers. It makes life more multi dimensional and brings another flavor to your character.
  • People often call me to ask me what they need to do in preparation for a run for elected office. I always tell them that they need to massage their network. It’s also important to be  a part of different organizations and to be active as a community leader. It doesn’t necessarily mean be a social butterfly and collect a ton of business cards that never really mean anything to anyone, most importantly you if you’re trying to make meaningful connections. If you need to reset your networking goals, here are 3 tips to make your networking more successful.
  • I’m a little late to this game because I’m already a workaholic but there may still be hope for me yet. I’ve always said that people shouldn’t stay in the office for the sake of looking like they’re putting in more hours. If your work is done, then Buh Bye! This doesn’t apply if you’re an assistant and your boss is still burning the midnight oil but however way you can help in making your boss’ life easier will score brownie points. In every industry it’s a little different how people manage their work life but here’s how you can still advance in your career without being a workaholic.
  • I’m not even in this age range anymore (!!!) but I can tell you that as I’ve gotten older, I’ve also give less F*CKs about what people think (maybe a wee bit and mainly that goes to my long time friends who have always supported me in my goals). I recently visited with a few of my high school classmates (some of them who have become closer friends as we’ve gotten older and some who have been life long friends who have been with me during some turbulent years) and we were reminiscing about how much we’ve changed or stayed the same. What people thought of me then is the same as what people think of me now. I’m quiet until you get to know me and then you realize that I’m a very animated person. The saying about me is that I’m cool but not **cool** as in not very warm. My closest friends have commented that upon meeting me, I don’t necessarily come off as standoffish but I have a guard up that is seemingly hard to crack. Maturity plays a factor of how much you can change as you age, but core personality traits will always be at the heart of who you are as a person. It’s with experience, you learn to become more warm and more extroverted as deemed by circumstances (in my case).
  • Ever wonder what your salary would be if you worked as part of the senior leadership team of a presidential campaign? Look no further – here you go! Does it surprise you that the Kasich campaign is the only campaign that has a female as the campaign manager? How about in the Sanders campaign that no one in the top 10 highest paid employees are women? In the Trump campaign, no one breaks 6 figures and in the Cruz campaign, the Political Director makes $192,000 – the highest paid person of any of the presidential campaigns. #politicscanbefun
  • I know several people who work from home and for some it was their 1st time in that type of situation. They wondered if they could survive the lack of structure that goes with working from home. The physical location of my office is my home but I have staff who come to my office as if it’s an actual office building to work. So I don’t necessarily follow the norms of “Working from Home” and when I don’t have staff, I still maintain some pretty crazy hours. Campaign life doesn’t have a work from home aspect. The camaraderie that’s built working on a campaign builds a stronger rapport of trust and dependence on your team members. Here are some hard truths about that work lifestyle – what do you do if you work from home to maintain structure?
  • When you think you need to re-assess your goals to get to the next level, use these lessons to get you motivated. I’m always re-tooling productivity and trying to find ways to be more efficient. Whenever I get overwhelmed and think I can’t do anymore, I take a step back to find the small triumphs and that gets me excited to take the next step. I work in teams with my clients and we normally discuss strategy as a team but I have to execute it mainly solo so going back to the team to think of ideas helps to create a collaborative space. Knowing that I have colleagues who are supportive in the goal is important in creating a safe place to explore new ideas.

Alright folks – tell me your stories! Thanks for sharing/reading and if you thought this was helpful, tell a friend to subscribe!

— Madalene

 

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v10

It’s #InternationalWomensDay! Let’s celebrate those women who have made it possible for us to live better lives and continue to encourage girls to know their value.

Here’s Tuesday Truths!

  • I’m a bit of wack-a-doodle for getting up at the crack of dawn to work out, even on weekends, but I know that getting my exercise in the morning is the best time for me, otherwise it won’t happen. Sometimes it’s really hard for me to slow down because I know that there’s so much I want to do. Starting my day early allows me to extend the hours that I have to get the most out of life and as I get older, taking naps or taking a break seem like a distant memory. Here are a few ways how you can have seemingly endless energy.
  • When I once served as a mentor to the Running Start Fellows program, their main advisor Arnie Thomas told me that he thought I was meant to be a teacher and he was probably right. Although I have the technical skills and experience as a fundraiser, I truly enjoy my training portfolio that much more. One of the things that I’ve recognized in myself is that I’m a “sharer” which comes to a surprise to most people because I’m an only child (do only children always have such a bad rap?). Nonetheless, I like sharing whatever knowledge I possess to those who are interested in learning. If it’s not knowledge that I share then having time to volunteer on projects that mean a great deal to me is part of that teacher mentality. I may not know a whole lot but I know that it makes one’s life that much more fulfilling.
  • Every once in a while, I get into a mood where I contemplate the old adage, “What am I doing with my life?”. After 40+ years of living on this Earth, I still wonder if I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing or if I’m meant to do something else. To be perfectly honest, I usually get this way when I’m a little overwhelmed. For a time when I had my quarter life crisis, I wasn’t feeling fulfilled and wasn’t sure if I was doing what was right for me. Having the privilege of choice can create fear and paralysis. In the end, it always came down to what I was passionate about and having the belief in myself that I could do it if I created my own path. I know that I will continue to examine my life’s purpose for the foreseeable future as a way to check if I’ve gotten lazy and now I have the perfect set of questions to ask myself.
  • I get really excited when I see AAPIs succeed, especially in the political world because hey, I want to see more of my people engaging in the electoral process. It’s nice to see that it’s becoming more common to see AAPIs running for elected office and winning!
  • I first met Amy Dacey when she worked at the DCCC and I worked at the DNC so I’ve seen this woman in action for a long, long time. Well deserved article touting her abilities to get the job done as the CEO of the Democratic National Committee.
  • Most of you know of my involvement of the Women’s Information Network (WIN) and through that organization, I’ve had such a wonderful experience meeting young women who are doing extraordinary things. I want to give a personal shout out on this #InternationalWomensDay to the women (Katie Breslin, Christy Carter, & Claire Gould) behind a soon-to-be launched podcast called Beyond the Ceiling. They’re telling the stories of women who are making the world a better place. Catch their inaugural podcast on March 10th!

Alright folks, what you have up your sleeves for the upcoming week?? Share them in the comments or drop me a line!

Thanks for reading/sharing!

— Madalene

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v9

It’s SUPER TUESDAY – 13 states and one territory have their primaries and caucuses today – only in DC would there be a happy hour to watch the returns. If you’re a sports fan, you will see that today is the playoffs for the Superbowl, World Series, Olympics, Stanley Cup etc..all rolled into one. In my world that means I have about 8 more months before my vacation 🙂

Here’s Tuesday Truths!

  • Washington, DC is a destination city. It’s a place where there’s a constant stream of people dreaming to work here. Sometimes people fall into positions, but it’s a high probability that people mapped out a strategy to find employment. In an earlier post I shared a great list to where you could find campaign related jobs (here) and now, my friends over at the Campaign Workshop are sharing advice on the strategy in finding a job. Combined it can make the process a little more manageable and can help in a more efficient search. Good luck!
  • As a manager or someone who is in a supervisory role, motivating your team is an essential part of the job. It keeps up morale and helps to quickly identify problems that may not yet have surfaced. I believe that every person has a different reason for doing things and although the team may be on the same page, everyone gets something uniquely personal out of the experience. So although the headline for the article is slightly misleading, it’s really determining how each of us should build relationships so that we can create an experience that motivates us to succeed.
  • It seems that DC attracts young, well-educated single women – check out these numbers! Which leads me to a piece written in New York magazine about how single women hold the most important political clout of any other demographic. Society has placed restraints on women and doesn’t equally count your voice unless you’re married. (I love my momma but she didn’t think I became a woman until I got married and just for that, I held out from getting married even though I was living with my husband for 7 years before we got married and even then, I eloped.) The policies that can affect change are dependent on this demographic using its voice. Not all single women are high income earners and in fact, many of them are single parents who are juggling paying for child care and earning a wage without the ability to schedule their work hours around when the voting polls are open.

Thanks for reading/sharing! Don’t forget to share you comments!

— Madalene

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v6

I’ve had a hectic personal schedule of late and with the professional piece of my life also going full steam, it can be challenging to remember where I’m supposed to be and continue to stay organized! I heavily rely on outlook and google calendar to check and re-check my schedule so that I don’t double book. My to do list is on Trello and articles that I want to read later for the blog or for my own education are dropped into Pocket. What useful tools do you use to keep organized?

Here’s Tuesday Truths!

  • In my intro, I talked about how life is getting a bit chaotic. People comment on my ability to go to the gym and the honest truth to it is that I will become an angry person if I don’t sweat out my anxieties and push my physical limits. It’s good for me and it’s good for others around me to not have so much negative energy emanate from my being. That being said, I schedule my work activities and then schedule my gym work outs around them. I know that my evenings are generally tied up with fundraisers/work obligations and it’s nice to have some spontaneity in the evenings to catch up with friends should an opportunity occur. Who wants to spontaneously ask me to meet them for breakfast at 8am – really no one! I’m also a morning person so I get antsy when I wake up in the morning and there’s no exercise waiting for me. As of late, I’ve had a bit of trouble waking up for my 7am sessions. I usually wake up before my alarm and lately, I’ve been slightly startled when the alarm plays the lovely sounding Hawaiian music I chose to begin my day. All of this being said, I was reminded of my priorities when Randi Zuckerberg talked about choosing between work, sleep, family, fitness, or friends. I made a strategic decision to reduce my workload (it may not appear that way to others!) in that I would only work on projects that I was totally committed. If I had any doubts that I was doing the project for different reasons, then it was rejected. I was making room to do other things, such as my French lessons and even though I haven’t done as much as I would like, I know that it’s more a mental shift than the excuse of not having time that tells me that I should focus on work more than my other interests. I recently spoke with a friend who is starting her own consulting firm and we discussed it’s the feeling of guilt of not being accessible when others are working traditional 9am-5pm work hours. Those of us who have the flexibility should use it and those of you who don’t, I hope that creative scheduling lets you choose how you want to prioritize without the guilt.
  • Last week I shared the story about how the U.S. Senate was run entirely by women during one of the days of the snow storm that hit DC and it reminded me about how women have always had to fight so incredibly hard to get to our positions. It can be a double standard for us and even more so when you’re talking about women who are from underrepresented communities. We are often judged by our appearance and it’s society’s definitions that tell us what is deemed appropriate for our gender. There are days when I sigh in frustration and days when I want to tear it all down, but fortunately I get my act together and help where I can. This opinion piece by Catherine Rampell describes the daily lifetime(!!!) challenges that exist in a woman’s life and you start to wonder, when will it end?
  • I’ve been working with a few women who are at different points in their lives: a recent college graduate, a woman who has taken time off to raise a family and is now looking to return to a professional career, and an experienced political operative who is transitioning to another geographical area and wants to create a new network for herself. All very fascinating people who have one very similar goal: to work in a career field that allows them to enjoy their work and get paid for it! I didn’t have a career path other than find a job in politics after I graduated from Tulane. There was no grand scheme to be the next “fill in the blank” or the where are you going to be in 5-10 years plan. As a person who has had a career for 20 years now, it worked itself out – YAY – so it’s possible to not have a plan and still make a living! It doesn’t sound very together but if you want to get it together, you may want to read this handy guide. As I was reading it, I realized that I was really in the area of “accept that I’ll keep changing” mentality. I’m certainly not the young whippersnapper I was in my 20s and I’m OK with it.
  • I’ve said multiple times that I started my own firm because I didn’t want a boss. After spending years working for someone else, I realized that I had the ability to do things on my own. I didn’t want the structure of someone else’s creation. I worked in the hospitality industry for a James Beard winning chef as a front of the house manager and I learned so much, including the fact that I didn’t want to experience life at someone’s else discretion. It takes a lot of risk to dive off the deep end and swim – lots of people do it and find that it’s not for them. That’s completely a personal preference. To really understand your motivation about your career choices, you really need to ask yourself 2 very important questions. Keep coming back to the answers and you may find yourself in a career that was always meant for you.
  • Deep breaths – this one is a doozy. I break things down into incremental steps. I do it everyday when I fundraise because if I didn’t, I would be overwhelmed in the enormity of my goal. I’m sharing this article about mastering the art of setting goals in 4 steps. Each step is HUGE! I’m not ready to take this tact for fundraising but I may be ready to do it for a different project in my own life. Let’s be audacious together!
  • There are a lot of readers of this blog who are fighting the good fight in the land of nonprofits. It is a place that pulls at your heartstrings and during the good times, leaves you fulfilled and at the worst of times, makes you wonder if you’re clinically insane (#amiright?!??). It is a place where efforts to do good can sometimes but thwarted with the challenges of just running the place – can I get an “Amen” on the fact that I’m sure that a lot of you are working 3 different job descriptions under one job title and getting paid for the job description a step below you. This infographic gets it all right with the myriad ways that nonprofits lose their talent. Perhaps it’s best to check in on your own organization’s grade for each section and see how you’re doing great and how you can improve.

Alright folks, that’s it for this week – thanks for reading/sharing and let me know of your triumphant tales!

— Madalene

 

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v4

If you live in the mid Atlantic region, I hope you’ve dug out from #snowzilla2016! I spent the weekend enjoying the snowfall and utilizing the workout exercises I’ve learned to shovel 18″+ of snow. If I didn’t exercise on a regular basis, I’m not sure if I would have survived the herculean effort it took to get the snow outta of the way. Be safe out there! Let’s get to Tuesday Truths!

  • I sometimes get asked about my fashion attire choices and my clients will sometimes tell their staff to use my aesthetic as inspiration for their professional wardrobe. As women move further into senior leadership, it’s important to address your “look”. Depending on your industry, you want to have the right balance of what conforms to your profession while being true to your personality. Most people don’t even talk about what men wear to work or anywhere else. As long as it’s appropriate, people really have nothing to say but women have always had to live a double edge sword – feminine but not girly; power suit without looking too masculine etc..Female leaders command presence in their clothes and we don’t want our clothes to be a distraction to the ideas that we want to convey. Here’s a great article on how to dress as a woman in the spotlight.
  • We all have dreams that we would like to have realized. Having gargantuan goals means that you need to be able to handle all of the moments where you’re not moving forward. Setbacks happen and it’s what you do when you’re down that will determine if you’re going to reach each milestone to the top. We’re not perfect and there will be times when you want to curl up into a fetal position, BUT we all know that you have it in you to keep striving. You’ve got all the essentials to reach your biggest dreams – you just need to be reminded 🙂
  • Here’s a great infographic of how leadership has changed from the traditional style vs the collaborative style. In my line of work, I find that it’s good to have a mix. Utopia is not quite attainable. Infographic credit via

TraditionalvsCollaborativeLeaders8KeyIndicators_51eecf56702be_w1500

  • I am far from being a #Superboss but I do find that I’m a Nurturer with my staff. I continue to keep in touch with the majority of them, even though they may have ventured off into different fields from politics. They have access to one another through my firm’s alumni group and they continue to support one another. For a lot of them, I was their first “real” boss – the 1st job they had after graduating from college and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them mature and become “bosses” in their own right. They know how important it is to help those who have come behind them. If you’re on the road to becoming management, learn how to be a Superboss.
  • If you don’t already know, I’m a Democrat 🙂 and I thought it was really thought provoking to read this article about what makes Republicans and Democrats different. I have a few very close friends who are Republicans and although we have different perspectives on some issues, I know that they’re all good people. A return to civility could do everyone a little bit of good.
  • In need of refresher tips for searching for a job? Here are some ideas to make sure that you’re using the right tactics to get your resume into the right hands and how to get strategic about your search!
  • On the flip side, here’s what employers and hiring managers are thinking about when they look at your resume and references. Hire for what you need because trust me, it’s much less of a headache. I’ve made bad hiring choices so I’ve been down this road. It’s one that I would rather not travel on again. Heed these warnings and you may get more clarity on your hiring decisions.

Thanks for reading/sharing! Let me know about the best boss you’ve ever had and share what qualities you liked most at your job!

— Madalene

Tuesday Truths 2016 edition v2

The weather has shifted in DC and we’re experiencing a bit of a chill, but we’re prepared to get out to our respective State of the Union watch parties this evening. It’s the end of an era as President Obama will be delivering his last State of the Union of his presidency. I’m sure that it will be a bittersweet moment for everyone who has worked in his administration and who helped to get him elected. In the meantime, let’s get to Tuesday Truths!

  • As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had a reader who was in a dilemma about having a colleague take credit for her work so I offered a few articles to help in resolving the situation. Do you have any additional suggestions?

“What Should I do When my Boss Takes Credit for My Ideas” by Art Markman

“What to Do when Someone Takes Credit for Your Work” by The Muse

“How to Respond When Someone Takes Credit for Your Work” by Amy Gallo

  • As I begin my 14th year as an independent political consultant, the dynamics of the political consulting world continues to change with a rapid pace as corporate entities and campaigns begin to intertwine. For those who are interested in reading about how those relationships work, let’s pull back the curtain!
  • I’ve gone down the rabbit hole reading the weekly newsletter for “NonProfit with Balls” – hilarious, poignant, irreverent honest to goodness truth. If you work in non-profit land, seriously consider signing up for the newsletter because Vu (the author/creator extraordinaire) TOTALLY gets us. His most recent post deals with self care and as an advocate for it, I really understand the need for it but also have told my staff that part of this business involves going to events that aren’t necessarily considered our scope of work but it helps to get the rest of our professional lives moving. I go through it myself, “Do I really need to be at this event?” and I get a flash forward of the outcome and start to question if it means more to stay out another hour+ or go home and start watching my favorite shows on demand. I usually go out, not of FOMO because I can see that it will help to build better relationships when I need to make a call to ask for something down the line.
  • On the flip side of using self care judiciously, it’s important that we’re in this for the long haul and when you’re feeling less than 100%, it’s good to assess if you’re doing these necessary steps for your self care.
  • Recently I had a conversation with a female colleague about her career and her recognition that she needed to tout her own accomplishments more. If you’re feeling stuck and you’ve determined that you need to get unstuck then these 10 tips to get unstuck and move your career forward need to be front and center of your daily life. Above all else, know your value!
  • I know that my readers are confident individuals, but there will be times when self doubt creeps in and you’ll just want to snuggle up with your comfortable blanket and call it a day. When that happens, get your self confidence on track with these 8 tricks.

As always, thanks for reading/sharing and tell a friend to subscribe!

— Madalene

 

 

Tuesday Truths 2015 edition v50

Photo credit via

This may be the last week that Congress is in session so there are last minute and well planned events on the books. I hope that you’re enjoying the holiday season and the promise of the soon to be new year.

Here’s this week’s Tuesday Truths!

  • Who doesn’t look for more efficient time management strategies? I’ve been using 1/2 hour increments to get projects done or to “think” on the creative aspects of my work. Here’s an excellent version of how you can create a similar scenario from a Google email request.
  • There’s always a risk in sharing ideas and presenting a project in its raw state to get feedback. You’re exposing yourself to criticism and commentary however the results of that feedback provide meaning to your creations. Using that information can better define the relationships between what is it that we do and the audience to which that work is created. Learn more on what to do with feedback from your work.
  • I like to promote diversity. As a woman of color, I like to see diversity throughout the leadership in organizations I support. Having worked in government and now working to help elect people who represent the U.S., I’d like to see that representation reflected in the halls of Congress. Unfortunately, the reality is that Capitol Hill is a very white place. Statistics show that communities of color comprise of 36 percent of the country and yet, African Americans hold less than 1% in the senior staff positions of the U.S. Senate. Organizations such as APAICS, CBC Foundation and the CHCI are working to get more diversity into staffing positions which leads to more opportunities and exposure.
  • I have to give a shout out to one of my former staffers, Chris Chan on his role at the Democratic National Convention Committee as Deputy Chief of Staff. After he served his time in my office (I actually kicked him out as part of my Empty Nest program), he went onto the Denver Convention in 2008 so this will be his 3rd convention since he also went onto working at the Charlotte Convention. Kudos to your progress! Of course, I can’t forget my good friend and fellow WINner Cynthia Jasso-Rotunno, who was hired to be Senior Advisor and Director of Government Relations – looking forward to all of the great work you’ll be doing! Read more about the new hires for the Philadelphia convention team.

Thanks for reading/sharing and for subscribing!

— Madalene