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What's in it for You?

By Carlyne Lynch posted Apr 19, 2012 03:16 PM

  

21st Century Work Skills! 

As business professionals, we often confuse volunteer work with busy work. We talk ourselves into thinking that our workloads prohibit extra, non-work related activities. As professionals looking to add to your business related work skills, this could not be further from the truth.

As technology advances and social structures shift, the global marketplace becomes a rapidly evolving workplace that requires new forms of collaboration and productivity tools. The ability to collaborate on line, learn critical virtual communication skills, post to online discussions, are learned through time and experience. Experts in future forecasting along with visionaries from diverse industries are shedding light on the rapid changing nature of work and work place skill sets:

  • Technological and social developments are creating new forms of work
  • Employers will require workers with new skills and knowledge for jobs that do not yet exist
  • You can prepare for dynamic forms of lifelong employment and new types of online relationships with Chapter members, Regional Chapter members and our National organization.
Extend Yourself

Volunteers are the lifeblood of most professional business groups. Volunteers keep business organizations running, they are its leaders, and they understand well that their rewards are great. We often only volunteer with people we know; friends who need our help, or people we feel comfortable with. We sometimes feel the need to like or want to work only with friends or established mentors. As business people, we must learn to communicate with diversified work forces and not with just people “we like”. We need to learn to respect the diversity of opinions, and search and request alternative viewpoints because that is how solid business decisions are made. 


Establish Goals

Professional organizations are great ways to accomplish these goals. Put thought into which committee or subcommittee you wish to volunteer, write, or contribute to. You need to match your interests, skills (already have and needed), and interview the chairperson or your webmaster to see if you are in accord. You are not interviewing for friends and social partners, but for lifelong employment opportunities: social networking, virtual workgroups, online discussion skills, content authoring to list just a few.

Make a commitment to learn new forms of group collaboration and productivity skills: volunteer with your local Chapter or National organization. Get involved in these life changing conversations! Much of this is common sense, but everyone needs a gentle reminder now and then. I hope you take me up on this business and learning opportunity and talk with us about joining a volunteer team. May the dialog begin…

Portland EWGA Webmaster


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