So proud to “labor” alongside these dedicated NSPRA leaders – SCN Encourager

Hope you’re enjoying Labor Day 2016!

You’re entitled to have fun and kick back, you know.

You do good work.

For one of the noblest of all causes.

Who knows how the lives you touch will go on to shape the future?

Beginning today and through Friday, I will introduce you to a few other members in our school PR tribe.

Some you may already know.
(If so, lucky you!)

For sure, I’m grateful to all of them.

It’s because of them I’m now able to share with you their observations and takeaways from the NSPRA 2016 Seminar in Chicago.

I learned a lot just by curating them.

And I’m impressed by how each of the school communicators featured this week also model this career-related wisdom from Confucius:

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” 

(I think this is pretty cool – and no, it’s not because I’m the only one old enough to have known Confucius personally.)

The 11 school PR pros you’ll connect with this week are among the best in our field.

First up is Delaina McCormack.

Delaina is the Communications Specialist for Alexandria City Public Schools in Alexandria, VA.

She returned from NSPRA with a fresh commitment to free up time for thinking and planning.

“Empower others in the school district to be communicators so that the communications office can focus on strategy, not being technicians.”

Finding the time to do something often means saying no to something else and Delaina challenges school communication teams to make this happen in an article she wrote for NSPRA.

It was called Grow Your District’s Communications Reach with Tough Love.

It’s excellent.

The next awesome school communicator does not actually work in a school district.

Rather, Dane Dellenbach works for many school districts as part of his role as the product manager for Blackboard, a major school communications software services company.

Not only was Dane a popular NSPRA2016  presenter, he has also inspired a plethora (AKA a ton) of school PR conversations on his weekly Twitter chat #K12PRChat.

His Twitter handle is @BBDaneDell if you’d like to jump into the bubbling stream of ideas, comments, and tips.

Somewhat like Delaina, Dane also left Chicago to return home (to Utah in Dane’s case) with “empowerment” on his mind.

“Let go of control and empower others to help. Whether with a company or a district, so many people want to do more and have great ideas. Most of the time, they just need a little direction or nudging to get going.”

Dang good advice, don’tcha think?

I know I’m going to give Delaina’s and Dane’s suggestions some serious thought.

There’s got to be a way for me to get my school communications team to think more strategically, feel more empowered, get better direction, and finally come up with a few good new ideas for once.

And if it’s gonna take some of Delaina’s recommended “tough love” or a bit of Dane’s intentional “nudging” so be it.

That may be the way it’s just got to be.

I might even purchase “no more excuses” t-shirts for my entire team.

 Uh, oh wait… I forgot that I’m a one-person office!

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