If I Only Knew Then: Susan Raymond

Please enjoy the first of our "If I Only Knew Then" series. Susan Raymond (short bio below) was kind enough to be the first to share some of the lessons she has learned so far in her distinguished career. Stick with FLiP for more "If I Only Knew Then" posts in the coming weeks.

I grew up poor.  No one in my family had ever gone to college.  No one held a white collar job except a distant cousin who was a dentist.  No one had ever been farther away than Chicago, a two hour drive from Fort Wayne, Indiana.  So, in some ways I could not have known then what I know now, even if I had tried.  There was no frame of reference.

What does experience teach, from a point of zero knowledge?  If I were young (hold your laughter), what would make me stand out?  Where would I find the intersection of personal satisfaction and professional excellence?  Only at that intersection will you thrive as an individual and as a member of an organization.

First, the only two things that no one can ever take away from you are integrity and knowledge.  Do not ever, ever misrepresent yourself; do not ever, ever guild your work; do not ever, ever claim more for yourself than you would be happy to be asked about by opposing counsel in testifying before Congress with the New York Times taking notes in the first row.  The second thing is knowledge.  Curiosity is the central characteristic of a successful professional.  Never think you know enough.  Never be satisfied with what you know.  Seek all manner of knowledge in all manner of (legal) places.  There is no knowledge that is uninteresting, no knowledge, no matter how complex, that does not deserve your attention, no knowledge that cannot be turned to your use and therefore your advantage.

Second, never walk away from a unique opportunity.  Opportunity comes with risk of failure.  It can also mean separation from the comfortable, from the familiar, from the quotidian.  Do not look back.  Be bold.

Third, never make excuses.  Ever.  When things go wrong, when the mistake is made and your fingerprints are on it, stand up and fix it.  No excuses.

Fourth, networks are all important.  Invest in them.  As much as we would all like to think that life is a meritocracy, it often is not.  What you know is critical (see knowledge above), but having pathways for that knowledge is also important.  Understand that “networks” often means those older and more experienced than you are.  This is not a self-serving statement on my part.  To progress, you need people to carry you into spheres of influence that you cannot access on your own.  You will not be invited into the treaty negotiations on your own merits; only if a negotiator brings you in.  The people above you and in front of you are your pathways.  Manage up.  Know them, understand them, get in front of them, burn the midnight oil to get knowledge they will value.  Invest in and use networks.

Fifth, never stop dreaming.    Always reach for the next level of understanding, the next challenge, then next change, the next revolution.  I have a quote from Ghandi always in front of my desk: “First they ignore you.  Then they laugh at you.  Then they fight you.  Then you win.”

Susan Raymond, Ph.D., is Sr. Managing Director, Research, Evaluation, and Strategic Planning for Changing Our World Inc., a leading consulting firm helping nonprofits and private and corporate philanthropists achieve their goals.  Dr. Raymond is also Chief Analyst for onPhilanthropy (www.onphilanthropy.com), a global resource for nonprofit professionals, and the author of The Future of Philanthropy: Economics, Ethics, and Management, published by Wiley & Sons.

Comments

[Will Schneider]

Thank you for your insights Susan! Invaluable!

[Anastasia Hagan]

Thank you Dr. Raymond for reminding us that our dreams are as close as our fingertips, we just have to make sure we reach for them.

[Lucille Pilling]

Thank you Susan. I am not sure which of your personal insight resonated more. The one I liked best was to be bold! One of mine is how important to me it is to have on-going knowledge and opportunities to learn and with that comes the responsibility of follow-through.