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S.O.A.A.P Planning Conference

In keeping with our theme at yesterdays meeting, WE MUST NEVER FORGET THE STRUGGLE, I thought it would be fitting for us to pay tribute with a moment of silence, in recognition of the GIANTS who come before...

From another era, 1906-1931 Coleman, Callan and Atkinson the pioneers for "IN THE INTEREST OF COLORED BOYS,"

And

A woman who sat down with dignity on December 1, 1955 so that all black people could STAND UP with pride  Rosa Parks will be laid to rest today beside her husband and mother in Detroit.

Both "The Colored Boys" and Rosa never once UNDERESTIMATED our value as African Americans and instead, dared to believe that we should never...

• UNDERREPRESENTED
• UNDERDEVELOPED
• UNDERACHIVERS
• UNDEREDUCATED
• UNDERBUDGETED
• UNDEREXPOSED
• UNDERCUT
• UNDERMINED
• UNDERPAID
• UNDERPRIVILEGED
• UNDERUTILIZED

I have two messages Id like for you to take away. One is a research study found in this months issue of Harvard Business Review called, Leadership in your Midst: Tapping the Hidden Strengths of Minority Executives by Cornel West, Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Carolyn Buck Luce.

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The other is the 3 FUNDAMENTALS OF SUCCESS. If we had 3 things to share with our SOAAP members, prospects, in career consultations or those we supervise or mentor, these would be my 3 fundamentals of success.

The feature article, Leadership in your Midst: Tapping the Hidden Strengths of Minority Executives, states something we have known a longtime.

Minority professionals often hold leadership roles outside of work serving as pillars of their communities and churches and doing more than their share of mentoring. These invisible lives that we lead outside of our workplace are sources of strengths, yet are invisible because our employers are not aware of what we are capable of doing in our other life.

The study found that because minority professionals have made it in the eyes of the community and have done so against seemingly insurmountable odds, they are viewed as mentors and leaders of choice to young people as well as adults in the community.

They often play high profile volunteer roles in their towns, schools and churches and the amount of time they invest in these roles is substantial.

They comprise the backbone of religious organizations and they provide a significant part of the energy  driving community service in the U.S.

For minority professionals, the work we do outside of work is a fertile source of our continued professional and personal growth. It is here that we can SAFELY hone our leadership and public speaking skills.

Everyone in this room has an abundance of what is called Cultural Capital. Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu calls cultural capital: non-monetary wealth and relationship capital generated OUTSIDE the workplace. Our cultural capital is unusually RICH. Our substantive community involvement develops leadership, strategic and interpersonal skills, hones our core values and builds organizational and communication capabilities  all of which are transferable to and highly valued in the workplace.

So remember, when you are teaching Sunday School, serving as a Deacon or Trustee at church; when you are leading a boy scout or girl scout troop; when you are fundraising for your fraternity or sorority or making an impassioned presentation at a civic meeting, every last one of those skills are VALUED TALENTS that should never be INVISIBLE in the workplace.

In 1952, Ralph Waldo Ellison published his classic novel INVISIBLE MAN. Now, 53 years later, we cannot allow our talent to be purposefully rendered INVISIBLE!

As I thought about the progress challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us as African American professionals, many of you sent me your feedback of things you thought were important as we forge ahead.

I took the liberty to distill your thinking into 3 fundamentals of success. If we had 3 things to share with our SOAAP members, our prospects, those with whom we offer career consultations or those we supervise or mentor, these would be my 3 fundamentals of success:

I. MAKE SURE YOU ADD VALUE

You can add value from any level. We must know how our organization creates value and then determine our UNIQUE contributions.

We add value by:

" Continuously improving our skills so that we can reinvent ourselves as change transformation occurs; as the economy changes; as we get older, as our family grows or decreases, as our interests expand.

" We add value by working hard to produce a high standard of quality and a relentless commitment to excellence.

" We add value by creating our own performance dashboard. Think of a cars dashboard. There are gauges and indicators that tell whether critical functions are working. Is there gas? How hot is the engine? How fast are we traveling? We can design a dashboard for our job performance to see if we are on track and getting where we need to be going.

" We add value by being PREPARED. Far too many people wing it and fly by the seat of their pants.

" We must DO OUR HOMEWORK. Claude Mckay, a Black writer once said, There is no short cut to utopia.

" We add value by replaying our inner tape.

After a football game, coaches review the days videotape repeatedly. They watch over and over again to see what worked, what did not, who executed properly, who did not. They use what they learn to design new plays, improve a players skills and plan the next weeks practice.

We can do the same. We can replay our mental tape at the end of our day. We can spend a few quiet moments thinking through conversations and actions we took. We can reflect on what we learned about OTHERS and about OURSELVES.

We can commit to improving and ADD VALUE.

II. COMMUNICATE UP AND DOWN, INSIDE AND OUT

" We should never use technology to replace, instead of enhance communication. We cannot hide behind e-mail and voicemail to avoid difficult face-to-face conversations.

" NO boss likes surprises. If something happens that concerns your boss, dont let them hear it from someone else.

" Say THANK YOU. When someone does something for you, send a hand-written thank you note. It takes a few more minutes, but the impact will be lasting. Keep a supply of stationary and stamps at your desk.

Say THANK YOU. People will remember.

" Ask your colleagues and team what they think. It always pays off to LISTEN to the intelligence of other thought leaders. It is critical to hear a different perspective. In addition, develop excellent oral and written communication skills.

III. CONDUCT YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK WITH INTEGRITY.

" We all know what The Ritz Carlton, Nordstrom and Starbucks stand for because they invest heavily in building their brand  not just in advertising, but by delivering a consistent experience to the customer.

Nothing strengths a brand more effectively than acting CONSISTENTLY and with integrity. Your NAME is your brand in the workplace. A trusted brand gives you the credibility to get things done for our Clubs. Invest in a professional wardrobe to strengthen your personal brand.

" Reputations are fragile and for us, it may be impossible to resurrect it after a serious misstep.

We only get one chance and when we blow it, were FINISHED! " Surround yourself with people who share your values.

Those are my 3 fundamentals of success:

I. MAKE SURE YOU ADD VALUE II. COMMUNICATE UP AND DOWN, INSIDE AND OUT III. CONDUCT YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK WITH INTEGRITY

Let us remember the words of the Rev. T.D. Jakes:

If you have achieved any level of success, then pour it into someone else. Success is not success without a SUCCESSOR.

I ask you, how will the portrait of the Society of African American Professionals be painted on the canvas of life? It is up to all of us! WE MUST NEVER FORGET THE STRUGGLE.

By: Mrs. Judith J. Pickens, M. Ed. - Senior VP of Program & Youth Development Services
Boys & Girls Clubs of America