How to Be a Great Fellow

Have you ever considered how similar advice for a new job is to advice for a first date? Neither did the 2011 class of Inspire Fellows before Lisa Lazarus sat down to talk to us about what it would take to be successful in our fellowship.

Lisa is no stranger to fellowships. Most recently she was a fellow with Education Pioneers, working with District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) in the Office of Extended Education. Even prior to that experience, Lisa successfully navigated several different environments and was gracious enough to share some words of wisdom with us.

Her take: like first dates, new jobs require us to be flexible, be comfortable with ambiguity, communicate effectively and be ourselves.

To illustrate her points, she called on a few examples:

Dominique Dawes

Like Dominique, Lisa says that new jobs require flexibility. Coming from the private sector, many of us are used to more rigid and structured work environments. We must be able to shift as things change, especially since it’s not uncommon that the work we originally set out to complete is not what the deliverable will be several months later.

MacGyver

Though Lisa had never actually seen the show, she pointed out that MacGyver is well known for his ability to be resourceful. She advised us to use our own resources: our supervisors, colleagues, cohort etc. She also advised us to use our curiosity, determination, perseverance and patience.

Barack Obama or RonaldReagan

(depending on your political affiliation)
Her bi-partisan approach for this example was entertaining. The point however was well understood: we need to effectively communicate to be successful. When it comes to written communication Lisa emphasized the importance of taking time to edit. While we might all find that piece of advice elementary, she mentioned that she is often shocked by what she comes across. She also mentioned making messages easy to skim and taking the possibility of a message being read on a blackberry into consideration.

When it comes to verbal communication, she advised us to be extra prepared. She also emphasized raising issues in a way that people are able to hear it, considering that in the nonprofit sector take their work personally due to their passion for what they do. Always provide constructive criticism followed by a Plan A, B and C.

Yourself

Wrapping up her presentation, Lisa pointed out that we must channel ourselves in order to be successful. This includes bringing our passion, knowledge and skill sets to the organization. She advised that we take this opportunity to explore our passions more, discovering what we like and what we want to change. She suggested that we be intentional about how we explore our interests and purposeful about setting goals for our development.

What other similarities do you see between a first date and a new job?