The gift of time to learn - Fine Point Communications

In reviewing this year’s issues of Refill, I find an unintentional theme: Refill has been the Jiminy Cricket who reminds communicators, as they keep the plates spinning today, also not to neglect tomorrow.

From developing an online resiliency plan to preparing for hiring season to establishing a Plan B for your communications office, we talked a lot in 2022 about anticipating, rather than reacting to, the twists and turns of school life. Communicators who make time regularly to think through the what-ifs will be more effective in a crisis than those who simply adjust to the curveballs in real time.

As we close the year, I want to spotlight one more responsibility that even the best planners in our profession can overlook: taking care of one’s own professional development.

Remember the oxygen-mask reminder that flight attendants give on an airplane? In an emergency, instinct may drive you to helping someone else immediately, but the rational thing to do is to put your own mask on first, so that you remain conscious and able to assist others.

It can feel challenging to leave your school for a conference when work has piled up and colleagues must fend for themselves. But trust me: You serve your school best by keeping your skills sharp and up-to-date. The school looks to you as the communications expert, and professional development sustains your expertise. Putting off this self-improvement for too many years in a row is tantamount to letting your tools rust in the rain.

We’re about to step into a season of conferences, some arranged by organizations and agencies devoted to independent schools, others that focus on particular skillsets or technical interests.

This year, I attended three such gatherings: one that focused on magazine writing, another focused on independent schools, and the third for girls’ schools. Each gave me different takeaways, and collectively they were quite valuable in honing my skills.

The 2022 Private School Marcom Survey Report from InspirED School Marketers pointed up four primary areas that communications leaders want to improve:

Video production;
Search-engine marketing;
Search-engine optimization; and
Crisis management.

Only the last topic, I suggest, would be addressed at a big conference such as CASE-NAIS (the 2023 edition has sold out) or the NAIS Annual Conference. So don’t overlook the small conferences that may zero in on a particular topic. To find these, you need to give yourself some time to do the research and ensure you’d be spending time and money wisely.

One last tip: Networking is an important element of professional development, both at the conference and afterward. You’ll have the opportunity to get acquainted with those who know intimately how challenging this work can be.

Through sharing challenges and solutions, you build not only expertise but also community: One of my most satisfying professional development experiences was in a year-long “mastermind” pod of communications directors from across the country. Colleagues helped me untangle problems and find solutions I was overlooking, and I got to return the favor, too.

The friendships I’ve built with my professional peers have lasted years, and they would never have formed without each of us making the time to go to professional conferences.

All in all, the rewards for training far outweigh the momentary discomfort of stepping away from the office for a brief period of time. Do yourself a favor in 2023, and commit to finding a conference that will serve you well.

Media recommendations

For this pre-Christmas week, here is something lighthearted and definitely off-topic, in case you want a distraction during the holiday season: a few of the books and pop music that moved me this year.

With books, I tend toward nonfiction, with a novel only here and there, and this year followed that pattern. But the best book I read in 2022 was a novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, that knocked my socks off. Here is a shortlist of titles I can heartily recommend:

A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
All About Me!, by Mel Brooks
The Cold Millions, by Jess Walter
The Lords of Wall Street, by Christopher Leonard
Nomadland, by Jessica Bruder
Word Freak, by Stefan Fatsis

I stepped away this year from Spotify as a music discovery service, and Twitter’s decline has had an effect, too, on finding new music. So, although I am an album guy, I will finish the year with only a small collection of songs that dominated my listening. Enjoy!