Oldish Dog, Newish Tricks: Embracing Change for Growth

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. — Winston Churchill.

Change is never easy, especially when you reach a (ahem) certain age. But, it’s inevitable and sometimes necessary in order to grow. At least, that’s what all of the corporate change management training I’ve been subjected to over the years has taught me.

The fact is, while I am process-oriented and do enjoy a well-planned strategy, I enjoy movement. In fact, I thrive on it. I bounce from meeting to meeting during the day and trail run in my off time. Probably the Gen Xer in me, when I see something not working efficiently, I immediately want to fix it so things can get moving again.

I’ve held numerous positions in my career, and some would negatively call that a lack of loyalty. I choose to frame it differently. I believe we are placed into situations, no matter how long we are there, to make a difference. I want to leave a company or project better than I found it. If I commit to something, I want to give it my all or nothing. (There’s the Gen X trait again – loyal to a fault). But when I feel I’ve given it my all, and there’s no more that I can give, it’s time to move on.

It’s time to move on, time to get going

What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing

But under my feet, baby, grass is growing

It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going

Tom Petty

I also don’t believe that companies are as loyal to their employees as they once were. While they expect employees to remain company-focused and committed, are they equally invested in employee well-being? One poll by CareerBuilder showed that only 54% of employees think their employer is loyal to them.

This seems to be especially true in communications fields. The creative team is often the first to go when times get tough. No company leader would ever expect the sales team to take on responsibility for maintaining the building’s electrical or plumbing needs, yet communications professionals are frequently called upon to be jacks-of-all-trades with no distinguishing boundaries between PR and Marketing.

What’s a “seasoned” PR gal to do? How does an aging former journalist compete with a younger generation and those willing to do more for less? You continue to grow and learn while understanding your value and refusing to compromise your principles.

It’s more important than ever to keep current with trends and seek out opportunities to learn and grow. I have to remind myself to be humble. Just because I feel like I’ve been doing this forever doesn’t mean I have all of the answers and nothing to learn. Far from it. I look for opportunities to impart a bit of wisdom collected over the years while remaining open-minded enough to know that things change rapidly in this industry.

One achievement I’ve found that helps differentiate in the PR world is the Accreditation in Public Relations. Having those letters behind my name is an outward sign of my dedication, professionalism, and principles, setting me apart as a leader and mentor in the competitive public relations field.

What do you think? Is company loyalty a thing of the past? How can communications professionals differentiate and build their value?