My #Maynard200 Takeaways

The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education just held its final gathering of the 2019 class, complete with graduation and assignment of mentors (I'm working with the stellar Sam Martin) to continue our growth. Founded as an initiative to support more journalists of color, the Maynard Institute has expanded to include entrepreneurs, storytellers and those aspiring to lead. The work is ambitious, and the fellows are a gifted bunch.

I was honored to be part of the Advanced Leadership cohort with Amy Chen, Amanda Barrett, Maria Bastidas, Penda Howell and Jahna Berry, five of the most talented people I’ve ever met. Today, I can say I read their bios before I came to our first meeting and was incredibly intimidated; I work in noncommercial media and found these folks to be so brilliant. I was fortunate to discover how down-to-earth, kind and generous every one of them were and are. They listened to stories of my odd-duck media industry with open minds and great ideas. I learned we were not so different in the challenges our various media endeavors face.

Maria was the first to write her takeaways, and I wanted to honor that by sharing my own experience. I told Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, one of the best people ever, how #Maynard200 was not just a game changer, but a life changer. It prompted me to think of my world and my career in new ways. People like Martin Reynolds, Evelyn Hsu and Dickson Louie, among many, welcomed us warmly. At graduation, I thanked them and all our trainers and mentors for helping some of us feel heard and believed in for the first time. I am not alone in that sentiment.

I could pour thousands of words into the importance of #Maynard200 and all I learned. But, just 24 hours removed from commencement, the lessons that stand out for me include:

1. Our core values inform who we are as leaders. It should go without saying, but effective organizers come from a place where our values shape how we work with others. Consider it your ‘true north’ – what do you truly stand for when things are difficult?
2. Audience growth means understanding our place. No matter what we do in media, expanding our audience is central. Understanding where we personally fit into the mission, where we can have the most impact, and what makes us unique are central to that proposition.
3. Good networking is about telling your own story in the context of why you are passionate about what you do. It’s one thing to say I’m-X-and-I-do-Y. But those are often the easiest stories to share. We have resonance when we talk about how our personal stories are reflected in our goals and what we hope to accomplish.
4. Ensure that your self-perception matches the perception of your boss and team. What do you think of when you’re asked about your strengths? What would your team say? What would your boss say about you? Stark differences here may indicate a need to address how you connect with your team, or how you engage supervisors.
5. Getting to the solutions of problems you see is at times a matter of finding solutions to the problems your bosses, stakeholders and boards see. I was sharing with Virgil Smith my worry that some organizations I worked with sometimes see their biggest threats not in areas that are their service, but elsewhere, and how difficult it could be to get them to focus on matters like addressing content or audience. He wisely noted the importance of offering solutions to problems they faced first, as a means of getting to the challenges you identify. Aligning your goals with the organization’s is crucial.
6. You control your narrative. As one who came from a culture where we were taught the needs of a community come first, individual accolades are something I never aspired to. Maynard taught me that sometimes the greatest service to a community may be by making ourselves more seen.
7. Don’t be the person who only shows up every once in awhile, just to ask for a favor. Relationship building is more than approaching people and making requests. Good connections are fostered by researching your colleagues’ work and needs and following up with appreciation, updates, solutions and other commitments to demonstrate your interest and desire to help them. At the same time, don’t not ask for help and guidance.
8. No one will be excited about you and your endeavors if you aren’t. This nugget from Caroline Ceniza-Levine came up in June, but stayed with me, because I think many of us particularly in nonprofit media take it for granted. We assume the work speaks for itself as a public service. Nothing could be further from the truth, because people need reminders, among other reasons. In short, show what you do and the impact you make often and enthusiastically.
9. Don’t be afraid to take on your greatest challenges. When Susan Leath taught us about financial leadership, I confessed to the cohort that my first reaction was terror. I’m trained to write and produce and numbers were never my thing. After Susan’s presentation, I signed up for a Nonprofit Finance certification to be a better asset. I am grateful to her for making this adventure something I embrace.
10. LinkedIn is serious business. I’ve always been more a Twitter guy, so being put on the spot with my LinkedIn profile on a projector for feedback was super humbling as it was illuminating. It pushed me to think about how I speak about myself, what I do for others (as opposed to what my job is) and how I can better communicate my talents.
11. Socialize your ideas first to build consensus. It is common for people to drop proposals and ideas in meetings and not talk about the idea beforehand with people coming to the meeting. Socializing your ideas, or introducing them to others for feedback, wins trust and helps you identify blind spots.
12. Assess your networks often. Would your network think of you, refer you, and know how to refer you if there is something of interest? If not, maybe it’s time to reevaluate those connections and how you may be seen by them.

I’d be amiss not to thank my boss, Sally Kane, for allowing me the freedom and time to continue my evolution. Her encouragement and faith in me has made so much of this possible. I look forward to growing and continuing to support my new friends and colleagues on this journey together.