Austin Hispanic Network Hosts Professional Development Event

By: Rolando Fernandez, IHN Board Member, Assistant Director, Contract Management Department, City of Austin, TX

On October 8, 2014, the Austin Hispanic Network (AHN) and the Austin Asian American Employee Network co-hosted a Professional Development Session titled Excellence in Communication. The session focused on useful and pragmatic strategies for expressing ideas clearly and concisely when communicating to a team, giving a presentation, providing constructive feedback, non-verbal communication, and written format.

The five-member panel of City of Austin executives consisted of Rey Arellano, Assistant City Manager; Jessica Robledo, Assistant Police Chief; Rebecca Giello, Assistant Director Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department; Deven Desai, Chief Labor Relations Officer; and Elaine Kelly-Diaz, Vice President, Customer Services, Austin Energy. The session was moderated by Rolando Fernandez, Assistant Director, Contract Management Department, IHN Board Member and AHN Co-Chair.

The session was attended by over 60 Austin employees and allowed for an interactive dialogue among the panelist and attendees. The panelists answered questions, shared successful and failed communication approaches, provided tricks of the trade, and clearly connected the importance of communicating effectively to career advancement. Assistant Chief of Police Jessica Robledo passionately shared her experience in advancing through the police ranks to become the first Hispanic female Assistant Police Chief in Austin and how her ability to communicate was vital to her career advancement. "You need to challenge yourself by getting out of your comfort level and preparing and having the difficult conversations. Your communication needs to come from the heart, with energy and passion!" Attendees raved about the panel's diverse experience, authenticity in the subject matter, their openness to share both successes and failures, and their care for the professional development of the City's work force. City of Austin team member Kevin Benson noted, "I had many "a-ha" moments and the personal stories shared by the panel members really resonated with me.  I got so many takeaways from the training including, "Know your Audience!" and "Step out of your Box!" that I will put to use in my day-to-day job, with those in my department and as I move forward in my career".

The Austin Hispanic Network encourages professional excellence among Austin Hispanic executives, public managers and city employees through the development and hosting of professional development events.   

How to make the most of being a mentor.

The concept of a mentor was introduced to us by Homer: In The Odyssey, on the eve of his epic voyage, Odysseus leaves his son Telemachus in the care of his trusted friend, Mentor. It is later revealed that Mentor is actually Athena-goddess of wisdom, inspiration, skill, and strategy-in disguise.

Mentors, whether professors or practitioners, play a critical role in the personal and professional development of individuals - in the nonprofit world and beyond. They are also invaluable to society as a whole, as the insight and practical experience they provide pave the roads to success for future generations, enabling them to explore new ground and take on new challenges more swiftly by avoiding some the journey's initial stumbling blocks.

As students, we are fortunate enough to encounter potential mentors on a regular basis. Our experience engaging with possible mentors has ranged from never getting a reply, to getting an introductory email, to learning to count someone as family. What turns an advisor or boss into a trusted mentor, someone whom others turn to for wisdom, inspiration, skill, and strategy? What can you do to maximize your effectiveness as a mentor? Below we present-from the perspective of a mentee-seven habits of highly effective mentors:

1. Humanize yourself. Sometimes the impressive titles on your desk and the awards on your wall can make you seem pretty intimidating, discouraging us from speaking frankly about our problems or asking questions we fear will seem silly. We wouldn't be meeting with you if we didn't already respect and admire you, so don't be afraid to admit your own stumbling blocks. Make yourself more relatable by sharing a big mistake you made, a regret you have, or something you'd do differently in hindsight. Such a confidence makes it easier for us to admit our own struggles and helps us see that failures are natural pit stops on the road to success. Step off the pedestal we've placed you on, and remind us that even the Greek gods could be fallible-like mortals.  

2. Make regular appearances.  Just as constellations offered ancient civilizations comfort with their seasonal presence, you give us reassurance when you check in with us periodically. Sometimes we hesitate to contact you until we have something big to report. Make an effort to keep in touch, especially if you haven't heard from us in a while. An unsolicited email with a link to an article of interest and a line asking how we're doing is a thoughtful and easy way to reach out. One of Jennifer's mentors makes a point to wish her happy birthday every year via Facebook or a quick email. It is a small but powerful gesture that makes him stand out.  

3. Provide balanced feedback. Once you feel you've gotten to know us, give us honest feedback about our performance and personality. This is valuable insight that you are in a unique position to offer. One of Nina's most influential mentors is like a coach. When Nina was having a hard time, this mentor told her that she believed in Nina's potential and listed qualities she saw as her strengths. She shared a few things Nina hadn't identified, and her encouragement changed the way she thought about herself. Even more empowering is this mentor's constructive feedback. She told Nina not only how she could improve, but also gave her specific, actionable recommendations for how to do so. She anticipated the hurdles Nina might face and provided strategies for how to best tackle them.  

4. Ask for something in return. No good relationship is one-sided. You are giving a lot to your mentees, and while many mentors consider the feel-good nature of mentoring reward enough, don't hesitate to ask your mentee for a favor or two. For example, if you're a professor, perhaps your student mentee can write to the Dean about how much she enjoyed your class, advise incoming students on how to make the most of a research internship with you, or serve on a department curriculum review committee to determine more effective ways of teaching the material. We're flattered to be asked and welcome the opportunity to show our gratitude.  

5. Foster community. Establish a sense of community by inviting us and your other mentees to group get-togethers outside the office or classroom. This behind-the-scenes exposure to your world allows us to learn about the many other parts of your life you value beyond work, such as family, friends, and hobbies. Jennifer's mentor hosts a holiday party each year with his family, as well as periodic happy hours at local restaurants. His mentees always look forward to the chance to get to know students from different years, as well as the opportunity to spend time with our mentor outside a formal work setting. Jennifer was touched when another advisor invited her to share Thanksgiving with his family after learning she wasn't going to be able to fly home to see her own. 

6. Make introductions. Just as companies have a board of directors to guide their growth, we benefit from developing a diverse board of mentors or a mentoring team. Like the pantheon atop Mount Olympus, a group of mentors can offer broad expertise and even create the opportunity for new partnerships. Encourage us to think critically about whose guidance can build on yours and address the other needs or facets of our life. Connect us with individuals you know, and ask us if there is anyone else we might like to meet. Make an email introduction, or even better, arrange a coffee break or lunch during which you can introduce us personally. 

7. Be a mentee. Our experience as mentees has been the foundation for our own budding efforts as mentors. Everyone from the middle-school student to the most senior CEO can benefit from being both a mentor and a mentee. Continue investing in yourself and your own development. 

Whether you're a seasoned mentor with many mentees or a new mentor just starting to cultivate your first mentoring relationship, keeping in mind these points will help ensure that both you and your mentees grow and strengthen as a result of your mentorship.

Standard Social Innovation Review reprint June 3, 2013  

http://www.ssireview.org/events  

Investing Spotlight: The Importance of Diversification

It's impossible to predict how the economy and the markets will behave from day to day, which is why it's important to diversify your investments. Since you don't know which kinds of investments will soar and which will swoon next, it pays off to include different types of asset classes - stocks, bonds, cash equivalents - in your portfolio. Such diversification can reduce a portfolio's volatility because winners can offset losers.

Stocks, for example, have historically delivered the highest returns over the long run, but also the most volatility over the short run. For example, $1 invested in the S&P 500 index in January 1984 would be worth $22.82 in January 2014. (See chart)

Bonds have produced lower returns than stocks over the long haul, but they are also less volatile. One dollar invested in the U.S. Long-Term Government Index in January 1984 grew to $15.33 by January 2014. In most years, stock funds perform better than bond funds, but bond funds sometimes do better. And sometimes both types of investments gain or lose value at the same time. Cash equivalents typically have the least volatility, but also the lowest long-term growth - investing $1 in cash equivalents (represented by 30-day T-Bills) in January 1984 would be worth $3.22 by January 2014.

You can diversify your portfolio among all asset classes - with some money in each type of investment - but tilt the focus based on your time frame and risk tolerance.

If your goal is 10 years or more away, for example, you may want to tilt heavily toward stock funds because of the potential for long-term growth. But stock funds can also lose value over the short run, so it's also a good idea to invest some money in bond funds and cash equivalents.  As your investing goal gets closer, gradually shifting more of the money to bond funds and cash equivalents can help lower the portfolio's volatility.  

It also helps to diversify within each asset class. You might want to invest some of your stock allocation in funds that focus on large companies, for example, some that focus on small companies (which tend to have higher long-term returns but more volatility from year to year), and some that invest in international companies (which can perform very differently than the U.S. markets). You can also diversify based on investment approach - some funds tend to specialize in fast-growing companies and some search out undervalued companies that may be poised for a rebound.

You can also diversify the bond portion of your portfolio, because different types of bonds perform differently. For example, high-yield (junk) bonds tend to be more volatile than investment-grade corporate bonds and government bonds. But in 2013, those high-yield bonds performed best because the other types of bonds are subject to more interest-rate risk (as interest rates go up, bond prices go down).

Diversifying your investments doesn't have to be complicated. Target-date funds, while not a complete solution for all of your retirement needs, may be adequately diversified for certain investors.