I come from a long line of control enthusiasts. There’s my first cousin, once removed, who—honest to God—wouldn’t eat out of bowls. He’s no longer with us, so the big question (“WHY?!”) may forever go unanswered.
There’s my great-aunt, who divorced her husband when she was 80-something upon discovering he’d been catting around their tiny Texas town for six decades. (He stayed in her house and bed, but never mind.) And, of course, there’s my mom, who’s reorganizing her pantry for the fifth time this week and has her funeral service planned out down to the hymns. All Hail the Power, indeed!
So it’s no surprise that I’ve inherited a desire to take charge. This is one of the reasons I quit the newsroom to become self-employed and, at least hypothetically, be my own boss.
Then along came something I hadn’t anticipated: An opportunity to be a boss myself for the first time in a quarter century. I’ve been president of ASJA for the past two years, an unpaid job that requires me to manage our staff and oversee our volunteers.
I was hoping to get a chance to be the ideal boss who’s been lacking from my life: Kind yet firm, someone who challenges and encourages. You know, a kind of workplace unicorn.
But I also wanted to bring big changes to ASJA, which needed a gentle nudge forward. And at some points, it turned out, a firm shove.
A big time for transition in ASJA
The challenge for ASJA is pretty simple: In rapidly changing times, we must adjust and evolve. We can’t do things the same way we did them 5 or 10 or 30 years ago.
Following in the footsteps of my recent predecessors, I’ve focused on moving us forward into this new era. Here are a few of the things we’ve accomplished on my watch:
- We moved out of our expensive Times Square office, saving us a bundle, and we hired an association management firm to help us run more effectively and efficiently.
- We upgraded our print publication to the ASJA Magazine, which you are holding right now unless you’re reading this online. Nothing during my term as president has made me prouder than this classy, modern-looking and always-relevant publication.
- We continue to hold our annual conference in New York while offering more regional conferences to serve independent writers. These events have drawn hundreds of writers to Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. As I write this, we’re planning a conference this fall in Atlanta.
I’m also proud to have successfully pushed to keep conference costs down. Those who need ASJA the most can afford us the least, so we must do all we can to keep a lid on expenses.
But wait, there’s more!
A few more things:
- We reenergized Client Connections, formerly known as Personal Pitch, at our annual conferences, connecting our members to hundreds of agents, publishers and editors. We are now offering a fantastic new service known as Virtual Client Connections, which links members to editors via live video chats.
- Along these lines, our new Special Interest Groups, better known as SIGs, are bringing members together to exchange information about the subjects they write about and inspire each other to sell stories.
- We continue to push for copyright protections through our pro bono attorneys and our volunteer lobbyist who meets with big shots at the White House and on Capitol Hill.
- Last fall, we revived our long-dormant Conscience in Media awards and gave them to three heroic freelancers: James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who were murdered by terrorists in the Middle East, and Austin Tice, who is missing. The White House noticed and praised us for recognizing these extraordinary writers.
We still have gaps to fill. Our Freelance Writer Search service needs to connect more members to writing gigs. ASJA’s Emergency Assistance Fund needs to become more well known and help more writers in need. Most importantly, we must attract members who are younger and more diverse. Otherwise, we risk extinction.
We’re working on all these things.
Advice for the Bossypants in You
If you’re a boss yourself or may become one, I can give you some hard-earned tips:
- Don’t just rely on email. I didn’t pick up the phone when I should have. Phone conversations could, at least in theory, have de-escalated some tense situations.
- Few people are fully malicious, as one of our board members reminded me during a difficult period of conflict within ASJA.
- Most of us want the best for the organizations we support. We disagree, sometimes heatedly, because we share passion. Emotional battles may be tough to tolerate, but apathy is worse. ASJA, thankfully, is full of people who care.
- Don’t take things personally. Please drop me a line if you know how to do this. Perhaps we could co-write a book. (Just don’t say no. I’m sensitive.)
- Delegate, delegate, delegate. Our former president Minda Zetlin gave me this fantastic advice when I became ASJA’s president. I promptly gave her an assignment, prompting a classic Minda rejoinder: “I didn’t mean me!” And then she got it done.
ASJA’s mission never ends
I didn’t always succeed at letting go of the reins. But now I get to do just that.
ASJA presidents typically serve two one-year terms, and I’m at the end of my second. It’s time for Sherry Paprocki, our wicked-smart (and very patient) vice president, to take over as of July 1. I’ll remain on the board and continue to be a loudmouth. Er, passionate advocate.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to toast myself—and test those familial spirits—by eating something unhealthy out of a bowl.