Why contribution? Contribution is a key component of the personal professional growth cycle as first identified by my friend and business mentor Scotty Bevill; in this model, we move through Awareness, Integration, and Contribution in cycles of growth. Awareness is an initial learning act, and it can be of anything – techniques, ideas, philosophies. Integration is the application of new ideas and assimilating those ideas into the greater whole of self. The cycle does not end there; contribution is the ultimate act to demonstrate mastery of ideas in the personal professional growth cycle – in this stage we give back to our communities – through service, through teaching and demonstrating, through coaching and mentoring. Through the act of contribution, we also often gain new awareness about our environment and about ourselves, thus starting the cycle again. What is your contribution?
Contribution is a valued action and integral part of my own citizenship. I have long supported multiple civic service and professional society opportunities. Since 2004, I have contributed project management, multimedia editing, and content curation to Converging Streams, a community interfaith dialogue program. I am proud alumnus of Ball State University’s Department of Telecommunications and Center for Information and Communication Sciences and have been delighted to give back to those communities through guest lectures and blog posts. I was glad to serve in the founding team and as the first Chair of Professional Development for the Muncie Young Professionals Group and to contribute as a volunteer leader in Central Indiana chapters of the User Experience Professionals Association and the Project Management Institute and from those experiences have been glad to lead the charge in growing and supporting the Indiana Alliance of Professional Societies, a consortium of Indiana area technology and business focused professional societies and user groups. As a leader, I am focused on continued study and application and do so as part of the Leadership Gift community. I am especially honored with the opportunity to give back to those who have given much, providing guidance and assistance to my friend and veteran Chris Bowser’s wonderful Heroes Meeting Heroes.