One morning I found myself at a coffee meeting with a senior executive at another ministry. He’d previously worked at the Ministry of Finance as well, and we’d had several opportunities to collaborate. “So what do you want to do?” he asked. Well, I told him, you know that I’m a communications guy.
It’s where the bulk of my experience lies,
It’s where I’ve had most of my best successes (“You’ve been part of some of those,” I reminded him). So I’m certainly looking at those types of roles. I’m also looking for ways to leverage those skills in other areas. “Like what?” I’d anticipated the question, so I had an answer ready. Public education, stakeholder outreach, community consultations – something with a strong communications component, for openers.
I watched the light come on in his eyes as he said
Imay have something for you.” Two weeks later, I was in a brand new role, albeit a temporary one. It turned out to be one of the overseas chinese in europe data most engaging, enjoyable experiences of my career. While it, too, eventually ended (as everyone knew it would), it opened my eyes to an important reality of being on the back nine: as we get older, we know ourselves better – our strengths, our weaknesses, our interests, and our abilities.
We become more comfortable with who we are.
So even though the years ahead – like my while incentivizing reviews is hair – may be thinning, I’m in a good place. One of the real benefits of being on this side of things is that I can see things from a long-term perspective. I’d venture to say that makes me a more valuable employee. Larry Till is part of the GovLoop Featured Blogger program, where we feature blog posts by government voices from all across the country (and world!.
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There was a simpler time where people knew the history rich data and story behind the communities they lived in. Today, we have all adopted busy lifestyles that in some aspects have drawn us away from the bond between our neighbors and the community around us. With mass participation in social media, we have become more connected to groups that are part of a larger global network, more so than the people who live next door.