Look outside the Networking Box

I have been a huge proponent of getting out there and networking with folks in the community.  We tend to gravitate towards what we know or towards what is familiar.  This can get us into a rut and not where we need to be in regards to meeting NEW people and uncovering NEW opportunities where we can help.  Finding a new group or taking someone up on an invitation to a new meeting can help to alleviate or at least counter act the rut.

I am prove of this concept.  Since involving myself with networking and interacting with community members last summer, I have primarily only attended techie type gatherings/events.  Tech After 5, GSATC Learning Lunches, GIS FAUN meetings, GIS/Software Conferences and the list goes on, but one thing is obvious, they are all techie type events.  I enjoy the speakers at these events, I enjoy the subject matter discussed and I enjoy meeting all of the interesting people that attend these events; however, many faces become familiar and the pool of new opportunities can become smaller.  Don't get me wrong, developing relationships and having your face become familiar to others is a good thing and will benefit you in the future.  Look outside the proverbial box and other entire worlds of people and opportunities can appear.

An example of this just happened to me.  Last week I received a phone call from Randi Handshoe of Penrod Services and he wanted to get together to go over a few ideas.  Both of our weeks were busy, but he mentioned that he would be attending a meeting a Michelin Headquarters and asked if I could meet him there.  We would exchange some paperwork and ideas and then I was welcome to join the meeting.  It turns out that it was a Facilities Managers Meeting (IFMA) and I felt that it might be a waste of my time, but I stayed around anyway.  The meeting speaker talked about air handler systems and how they impact a building and I was beginning to feel that I had just wasted some valuable time when I noticed a familiar face.  It was a fellow that I had attended class with more than six years ago.  After the speaker wrapped up, I approached the familiar face, and after a few statements we were both reacquainted and talking.  It turned out that he was the facilities manager and IT director for a large Episcopal church in the Greenville Area.  After talking briefly and explaining that I was involved with social media for business, he told me that the church's Website Manger might be interested in my information.  Voilà,  a possible business connection was made and an old friendship was rekindled.

The point is to not be afraid to get out of your usual rounds of networking and see what other groups are doing.  There is always the possibility of meeting someone that you can really help.

SC GIS Conference in Columbia, SC

I recently had the privilege of attending the SC GIS Conference in Columbia, SC.  One of the key GIS speakers was Matt Hebert, Director of Technology and GIS Director at Site Design, Inc. and he explained how GIS has played an integral role in the on-going planning and design of a challenged area of Greenville, SC.  Natasha Larson, A.S.L.A., R.L.A., also from Site Design, talked about the planning aspects of revitalizing a community.  She and Maxim Williams, Director of Community Relationship Building at Bon Secours Health System and Wayne Leftwich, City Planner for the City of Greenville, were discussing the different aspects of revitalizing a community and how GIS has been such a huge tool for the project.  All were in agreement that without GIS studying and planning for the community would have been a much more difficult task. 

The project is the Sterling Community that encompasses the main campus of the St. Francis Hospital in Greenville, SC.  It is an area rich in history, but has become a run down since the textile industry moved away from the area.  Maxim has taken it upon himself to directly engage the community residents and learn what they feel needs to happen with the community and what will be best to help revitalize the area.  Taking GIS maps that Matt and Natasha developed, Maxim has been able to work with Wayne Leftwich to best utilize the City of Greenville's area that lies within the Sterling Community.  Issues that arose were storm water runoff areas, buildings nostalgic to the area, and where residents that owned their homes were in relation to rental properties and vacant lots.  Here is an example of a GIS map that is being used in the planning process.
This map helps to show everyone in the planning process the different districts of the community that are involved in the revitalization project.  The map also helps to convey the idea of the size of the community in relationship to the area.  And, gives a clear representation of where the St. Francis Hospital site sits in relation to the surrounding community.  Showing these relationships makes it easier to visualize the overall area and plan out how the area can be most utilized from an overall community stand point.  GIS gives the ability to have an overall view of a project and at the same time, GIS is able to give crucial details about particular area.  This power is crucial and necessary to conduct effective planning and revitalization of areas.

GIS has been able to bring together many different community members.  Maxim Williams from Bon Secours Hospital System, Wayne Leftwich from the City of Greenville and Matt Hebert & Natasha Larson from Site Design Inc. have all been able to work together for the overall good of a struggling community, all from the aid of GIS.  The Sterling Phoenix League has manifested itself from the revitalization project of the Sterling Community.  The league is what Maxim has developed to help to overall well-being and rebirth of the community surrounding St. Francis Hospital.

Continuing Education

Currently I am returning to school to finish up a Bachelor of Science degree.  The reason I am doing this is to compliment my years of experience in the Technology arena for the Land Surveying and Engineering industries and an Associate Degree in Computer Technology.  While doing my studies, I have often felt that I should have been doing these educational things all along.  I have found that just by being around other people "learning", that it sparks a huge amount of extra thought and research that often leads to great new ideas or process refinement that helps whatever situation I find myself in at the time.  Imagine the benefit an employer could get from encouraging their employees to step outside the "box" and take on some more education.

Looking back through my work history, education was never pushed or encouraged.  Yes, mentions of education tuition/costs reimbursement were thrown out periodically; however, no real encouragement has ever been given towards additional education in a particular field of work.  This has been extremely short-sighted by ALL the employers that I have worked for in the past.  Furthering education of employees is two-fold.  First, showing employees that you actually want them to learn more about their particular field instills in the employee that his/her employer actually cares about them.  Secondly, you as an employer, will always have employees that are on the cutting edge of new ideas and concepts that can usually help improve business processes and increase profits.  In the end, everyone involved wins.  Employees are appreciative of an employer providing means to better themselves and the employer has happy employees that are up-to-date with training and new concepts.

Education is an investment, either in yourself or in someone else.  Keep this in mind going through your career and it will benefit you greatly!