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Building Your "Guru Factor"
By Carl Friesen
Published in Municipal World, October 2009
Have you ever heard that a colleague has been asked to chair a professional task force and thought, “They should have asked me – I know more about it than she does”? Or read an article in a business magazine authored by someone you know and thought, “I really should get some articles published?” Maybe you’ve seen names you recognize on the agenda for an annual conference and thought, “I’ve got a lot of knowledge to offer – I should be contributing to conferences like this”?
What could be missing in your career is the “guru factor.” A guru is a recognized authority, with significant experience overcoming challenging issues in his or her field, someone accepted as a thought-leader. In a municipal context, it could be someone with credibility in an area such as wastewater treatment, pavement design, traffic flow, utility maintenance or any of a host of other fields.
There are great advantages to being a recognized guru – and they go well beyond serving on task forces and giving keynote presentations, although these are well worth while. A recognized subject matter expert gets short-listed when promotions and new jobs become available, they can choose the kind of work they do and they can expect a higher rate of pay. If they work as professional advisors (or are thinking of doing so) they have their pick of interesting assignments and will always have a backlog of billable work.
Try a quick test. Go to a search engine such as Google or Yahoo, and type in your own name. See how many “tracks” you’ve left in the online world – would someone considering you for a job, be impressed?
Planning and building your profile
You can be skilled, knowledgeable and experienced – and still a “best-kept secret,” unacknowledged by your peers. You need to make sure that other people are aware of what you have to offer.
“Begin with the end in mind,” preaches Stephen “Seven Habits” Covey, and your first step is to determine the end result. Are you seeking to build your profile because you are or want to be a consultant in your field? Do you want to change the kind of work you do – perhaps a promotion, or work in another field? Or, do you want to be in better position to give back to others, helping them benefit from the knowledge you’ve gained?
Another aspect of keeping the “end in mind” is thinking through the area of expertise and knowledge you want to be known for. Do you want to be known as a solid project manager, as shown by the case studies you’ll discuss in your speeches and writing? Or, a visionary able to understand the future and help others prepare for it?
Then, think of whom you want to reach – who do you need to have know about you? If you want to be known just within your municipality or region, for example, you can concentrate your message accordingly. If you want to be known within your profession nationally or internationally, you’ll need a wider profile.
Your profile-building toolbox
Like a carpenter’s toolbox, there is a wide range of tools available to you in building your profile. The tools you choose depend on what you plan to build. Here are three of the most useful, powerful tools in your box.
Published articles in business magazines
One of the most accessible tools is the published article in a business or professional magazine.
Which magazine? Choose one read by the people you want to reach. “Municipal World,” for example, is a great way to reach municipal readers across Canada. Or, if you want to reach property managers in western Canada, the magazine “Canadian Property Manager” has a British Columbia edition. If you want to branch into a wider world, consider something like “Public Works” magazine of Chicago.
To find the right magazine, ask the types of people you want to reach what they read. An online search may help. There are also directories and electronic resources available in the main branches of many public library systems.
When you’ve narrowed down your choice of magazines, take the time to read them to get an idea of the topics that the editor wants. Many editors are frustrated by receiving article ideas that are inappropriate for their readers, because the would-be writer did not take the time to review the magazine. Look through some library back issues, or see what the magazine has available its Web site.
When you’ve picked a magazine, your next course of action is NOT to sit down and write the article. You’re likely wasting your time, because the article you write will rarely be of the length, topic and organization that the editor wants. Also, many editors simply won’t take the time to read an “unsolicited manuscript,” which is editor-speak for an article they didn’t ask for.
You are better to send a query letter first. This letter is a mini-proposal for your article, and should have four parts. Describe the topic you want to write about, indicate to the editor why his or her readers will be interested in the topic, provide a brief outline of the article in three or four one-line bullet points, and finally indicate to the editor why you’re particularly qualified to write about the topic.
After you send the letter to the personal e-mail address of the editor, give it two or three days and if you haven’t heard from the editor, call to present your idea verbally. The best response you can hope for is, “Write it and I’ll take a look at it.” The editor will never promise to publish an article without seeing it first. Establish the length that the editor prefers (an article covering one magazine page is generally about 650 words; two pages is 1200-1500 words) and the deadline.
If you can write to publishable magazine standards, are prepared to put aside time to write the article and actually will do so, go ahead and write. If not (and this applies to a lot of people) you may benefit from working with a freelance journalist to interview you and ghost-write the article on your behalf.
When the article is done, send it to the editor and be prepared to work with her or him on changes. Editors know what their readers want, so be patient and willing to be coached on your way to preparing a publishable article.
Public speaking
Speeches, workshops and other presentations are a great way to demonstrate your skills and experience, and for people to get to know what you’re like as a person. While you need to be a competent speaker, business audiences don’t expect a slick, professional-quality presentation. They want information, and provided you can convey it, that’s enough for them to give you an enthusiastic appraisal.
Having said that, anyone can do well to improve their speaking skills. One of the best ways is Toastmasters, a public-speaking club with chapters in many cities and towns (see toastmasters.org for a club near you). Get involved, work through their program and you’ll be a better and more confident speaker.
To get speaking opportunities, the steps are much like publishing an article. Find appropriate venues through people you know, as well as library and online research. Find out who organizes speaking events, and send this person an e-mail describing your proposed topic, why members want to know about it, some points to cover, and your qualifications. If you’ve given presentations before, indicate where and when. One of the biggest mistakes speakers make is sending their proposal too late, after the program for the conference, or the schedule of luncheon speakers, has been long since decided.
Practice is key – by yourself, in front of a mirror, in front of someone who can give you a critical review.
Community involvement
Getting involved in professional or industry organizations is a great way to boost your profile. Serve on committees, take leadership roles, and soon you’ll be well known. If you develop a reputation for reliability and enthusiasm, willingness to mentor others and good ideas, you’ll get noticed by the people you want to reach. Start small, build your profile, and soon you’ll get asked to serve on higher-profile projects.
Building your personal guru factor takes time, and it requires continued effort. But the rewards are well worthwhile, and these include the opportunity to help others become what they have the potential to be.
Carl Friesen is a Senior Associate with emerson consulting group inc., which helps people with expertise to become recognized as thoughtleaders. He is based in Mississauga ON Canada.