What’s Love Got to Do with It?

Over the holidays, I got around to reading a few books that had accumulated in my to-be-read pile over in the corner of my office. A while ago, I had picked up a book by Tim Sanders entitled “Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends” (2002; Crown Business, div. Random House, New York, New York). Tim Sanders served as Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo! and is now a New York Times best-selling author and motivational speaker. The intriguing thing about the book was in its title: In this world full of high-tech gizmos and very busy people, the author found a way to use a concept like “love” in a business context. For whatever reason, using the universal truth of “love is the answer” in a business book seemed unlikely and was really quite curious.

The premise of the book ended up making perfect sense: Knowledge, sharing, and caring (increasing your knowledge, expanding your network, and sharing your compassion) are the keys to career success. Some of you are currently preparing to enter your chosen profession and others of you are seasoned professionals with thriving practices, yet all of you have one thing in common: You care deeply about your profession and your colleagues, and you want to lead the profession forward in very meaningful ways. Giving money to a cause is very valuable, but giving time is exponentially more valuable.

In his book, Sanders goes on to say that taking a loving and giving approach to your career helps you build a reputation for yourself, gain the attention of a lot of people, obtain great feedback on your ideas, and enjoy the personal satisfaction of helping people. It becomes clear that when you give a little of yourself to others, a lot more comes around in subtle ways.

Success in every profession requires a “killer app”. Those who use love as their killer app, as a point of differentiation in business, will outshine the competition. When you are able to help others become the best that they can be, whether they are a client, one of your vendors, another professional, or a student, you are exhibiting a loving nature and you will grow. Getting actively involved in a professional association allows you to maximize your potential and personal value by connecting with as many people as you can, by learning as much as you can, and by using those connections as freely as possible to multiply your value to others. That is what is meant by love.

Academically rigorous continuing education in connection with a group of like-minded people who share the same passion for the profession are very important parts of creating and maintaining a successful practice, whether you work for yourself or for someone else. Working closely with people challenges you to focus on self-growth. Associations offer a number of ways to help you develop and maintain a number of essential practice skills, leadership skills, and business skills. Members are offered so many things they could never acquire alone such as mentoring programs, political influence, and access to movers and shakers in and outside of the industry. Members have access to scholarships, research projects, and publications that are world class. Joining a flagship association is nothing short of essential for your continuing professional development “tool kit”. The connections you will make, the resources that are available to you, and the advice you will discover amount to an outstanding return on investment of money, time and effort. The support systems are outstanding and instill confidence. Such relationships can be a source of solutions when you are facing business or career challenges.

So, we challenge all members to become member evangelists. Take advantage of a not-to-miss annual conference, a local outreach effort, and all of the educational events that will be held throughout the year. Sign up for a committee in an area that interests you. Run for a position on the board of directors to exercise your leadership skills. Support the current board of directors as they drive the organization ever more towards member-centricity. Give to a research Foundation to support projects and the furtherance of the profession. If you are not already a member of a highly innovative association of professionals, what are you waiting for? No social networking tool replaces the benefits of in-person dialogue and learning that takes place as a result of active involvement in your profession.

Michele Anderson
Vice President
The Center for Association Resources