What Has the AITP Done For Me?

by John Zeman

I was somehow talked into writing and article for the communiqué, and the topic was to present me and AITP. So, after long period of procrastination, I decided that I couldn't put it off any longer and had to get down to it. (I am still wondering how Sharon talked me into this.)

As I sat down to write this, I thought back through the years. I started making a list of all the various experiences and happenings over that have occurred:

• I started DPMA in 1980, at Lewis & Clark Community College. I attended a meeting at the suggestion from a teacher (Thanks Bill). As a student I started attending the professional chapter meetings. Talking with people in different fields, status and careers gave me a view that school would not be able to show me. The meetings gave me glimpse at the world out there and how to prepare for it.

• I have made a lot of life long friends, and met a number of valuable clients. I see at various times, people that I met over the years at meetings and conferences. I have a wonderful collection of memories and stories from years gone by. Attending meetings, conferences, and working the ITec Show is a way of meeting hundreds of people at time. And many of these people have helped me later, and I have helped others. Many of the people I have met, in my AITP career, I have gone into business with and helped other people with their businesses.

• I have been placed in several jobs, permanent and consultant. Through some of the people I have met I have secured several jobs. I was recruited into one job by a person I talked to at a meeting. That conversation, at that meeting, gained me an 80% increase over what I was making. Various consulting positions have sent me all over the world. Also, when I was worried about loosing a job, I sent out a few resumes, to people through out the association, and had several job offers within a few days. My company then decided it was cheaper to keep me.

• I learned how to talk in front of people with confidence, how to work a room, and to have the confidence to walk up and talk to people one-on-one. Over the years I have had to give presentations at the meeting, to student chapter meetings (try a presentation at a student chapter for a workout), to the board, to new member and to other groups. I learned to be a good conversationalist by mostly listening. I Learned how to get people talking by asking questions, and without being obvious about it. Working the ITec show builds confidence, in a hurry, as you are trying to talk with large numbers of people as they walk up (or by). I learned to talk to people by being the greeter at the door. Notice that someone is always standing by the door (or should be) as people are entering the meeting. Try it. I learned how to enter and leave a conversation, to work the room and talk to as many people as possible. The meetings are where you practice these skills.

• I learned leadership, organization, teaching and counseling skills. This is one of the cores principles of AITP as an association. Through holding various board and chair positions within the association, attending conferences and attending leadership training classes, I have learned many needed leadership and coaching abilities, which have helped me though out my career. I learned to build a team and get them to work together. I have learned to include everyone in the team. The many personal, interpersonal and the variety of pure business skills I have learned have helped me improve as a manager and leader. I have learned what I like to do, what I am good at, and what I don't like also. The skill and abilities I have learned has helped me not only in AITP, but in my business and personal life. And one of the more important things that I have learned a tell people all the time is; AITP is the place to practice for your work and business. Messing up here is much better than messing up at work. We are much more forgiving. **I usually mention a quote on volunteering for this.

• I got to do a lot of fun stuff that others miss. I have got to see a lot of different places and meet a lot of different people: National Conferences, Student Conferences, Leadership and Regional Conferences, ITec, working on the St. Patrick's Day Parade (I wont work on the balloon team again), an Olympic Festival, and been introduce to people who have called me for a variety of committees of all types.

• I also got a various awards and plaques, accolades and acknowledgements. These I mention just because many people are looking for it. I have bunches of them. They are in cabinets and closets. I know that I got many of them because of the teams that I had been working with. I don't talk about them much; I am one who does not need to get an award for doing what I feel is right. I learned a long time ago that "volunteering" isn't volunteering if you want something for it. Besides, I always forget to monitor my COPA points, but according to my spreadsheet I have earned a Diamond award, as of 2004. (I can go over the point system at a meeting some time.)

I have found, for the most part, when people ask me about AITP, they are looking for the WIIFM, "What's In It For Me," and I guess this list is my WIIFM list. But, and there always is a "but" involved, the old adage: "You get out of it what you put in," is still true. I have worked on, and in, the association for many years. I have held almost every post a chapter has, and have been asked to go on the national board. Don't expect people to come flocking to you if you are not going to do anything. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always be what you've always been. Get involved.

By the way, if you didn't notice, this article truly shows how the true networking and professional development opportunities have helped me. With this I points to our mission and visions statements:

AITP Mission Statement

AITP offers opportunities for Information Technology (IT) leadership and education through partnerships with industry, government and academia. AITP provides quality IT related education, information on relevant IT issues and forums for networking with experienced peers and other IT professionals.
- Adopted July, 2001.

AITP Vision Statement

AITP is the Information Technology professional organization of choice for providing leadership opportunities, professional development and personal growth.
- Adopted July, 2001.

Learning a new skill ... accomplishing a new goal ... doing anything important in life requires more than a positive mindset, more than an imagined dream, more than a detailed roadmap of objectives and deadlines, and more than luck and courage and intelligence. Success requires time, time requires tenacity, and tenacity requires persistence.

See you at the meeting,
John J Zeman
Zeman Resources Group
12698 Meadowdale Dr.
P.O. Box 38638
St. Louis, Missouri 63138
(Voice & Fax) (866) 208-2226
(Cell) (314) 954-7722
(Fax) (314) 741-0089
JJZEMAN@aol.com
JJZEMAN@myibocs.com

P.S.: And if all else fails. just show up, look awake, sound smart and confuse the hell out of everyone.

Why Volunteer

"Peter Drucker celebrates efforts of companies to develop their people to their true potential by encouraging them to volunteer for non-profit organizations. They are not motivated to do that because they feel they owe something to society, but they earned what they have by providing something that people needed. No, the reason if far more practical, volunteering in a non-profit organization give a person responsibility, let's them see the direct results of his effort, and quickly teaches them to recognize their own values, their strengths, and their true place. That in turn teaches them leadership and self management."
- Corporate Social Responsibility: Guidelines for Top Management. Contributors: Jerry W. Anderson Jr. - author. Publisher: Quorum Books. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1989.