Thank you for the trust you have placed in me by electing me
chamber president.When I recall the
many people who have served in this position in the past, I am greatly humbled by
the responsibility.I have such
admiration for so many of the past presidents and I’m struggling to see how I
can begin to fill their shoes.
In addition to learning my new duties at the chamber, for
the past several months I was consumed by another important pursuit.I spent countless hours preparing to take a
4-hour, 225 question exam to complete the stringent requirements to become a
CFRE – a Certified Fundraising Executive. (I work for LDS Philanthropies
serving donors who support BYU-Idaho.)
Almost from Day One at my job, I began hearing about this
exam.Frequently I was regaled with
horror stories from colleagues who had taken it.Some told me to avoid it as long as
possible.Others simply referred to it
as “The Devil.”
One can’t even take the exam until working in the industry
for five years.So as my 5-year
anniversary approached, I began feeling great trepidation about it.Frankly, to say I didn’t want to deal with the
whole thing would be a tremendous understatement!
So I devised a plan to persuade my boss, Dave Richards, to
let me off the hook.I told him I was
too old for the Church to invest the time and money required to prepare for and
take the exam.I told him I wasn’t good
at multiple choice tests, so I probably wouldn’t pass it.I told him I didn’t think becoming a CFRE
would help me become more effective at my job.
Dave wasn’t buying. In fact, he acted like he had heard
these same excuses before.
Well, with more of a sense of relief than excitement, I can
report that last Wednesday I traveled to the testing center at ISU and passed
the CFRE exam.
I’ve since thought about how parallels can be drawn between
my experience with this exam and the realities of running a profitable
business.
For some reason, it’s human nature to dig in our heels and
resist change and innovation.We develop
patterns for success, but over time they become so well-trodden they become
ruts.Eventually, what once were proven
templates become constrictive obstacles.
Unfortunately, failure to innovate - especially in the
current economy – often means death!
I still like a piece of advice regarding change I received
several years ago, although I can’t remember who gave it to me.“When it comes to change, LEAN INTO IT!”
