Interns To The Rescue!

I have been so distracted lately, and it has been very hard to focus. We have been hit hard by circumstances that have affected operations and it has been so easy to get derailed. Thank goodness for our new interns! As an example of how distracted I am, this semester I just gave the interns our strategic goals (one picked the consumer side and the other picked the corporate side) and I told them to determine the best ways to move forward. In the past, I gave much structure and direction, and often Jennifer and I were disappointed at the lack of creativity and innovation. The internships became this task oriented project - which is not what we believe that it should be about. Don't get me wrong: I would LOVE to hand off some of the tasks that drive me crazy (managing distribution lists, sending follow up messages, keeping resources up-to-date, etc.), but I have seen that when someone has a chance to implement their own ideas they either take on the challenge or try to hide as much as possible. My hope is that the interns will make it their goal to understand Verify-ED and Val-ID-ate, and get out there to interact with the public (physically and online) to truly learn the art of networking. This is a skill that is not taught in the classroom, yet it is THE secret to much success.

This semester will either be a roaring success or a blazing disaster. I am crossing my fingers for the success side!!