When the Journey is The Destination – Abhra Bhattacharjee, Chapter President

Advancement, by its very definition, means moving forward. Those of us that work in educational institutions marvel when we think of moving forward in an educational context – rarely is progress linear, easily measurable or enjoyable…especially at the end of the financial year. Moving forward could mean helping your institution build enrollments, or establishing an alumni network or creating a campaign that is memorable and relevant. For those involved in philanthropy, progress is often measured in donors and dollars. Suffice to say that in our efforts to move forward, all of us have more to do than hours to do it in.

How many of us have the luxury of considering how far we have come and what did we do to get there? Are we ever so focused on our goals and targets, that we are missing the journey?

Let me explain. At our school this year we set an incredibly high advancement goal that was well beyond anything we had ever attempted before. It was Big, Hairy and Audacious, and last week, with just 6 working days left in the term, we were only halfway to where we needed to be. We had brainstormed a number of strategies and tactics, we had built a team that we had confidence in and we had a lot of leadership support. It was also stressful because we were deeply committed to the goal and there would be real consequences for the institution if we did not get there. We were doing everything we could, but it was not having the impact we wanted.

Today it is six days later, and we have just blown past that goal that seemed insurmountable a week ago. Having achieved our Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal, and after a much missed night of restful sleep, I realised that there was a lot in the journey that was important. I thought I would share four big lessons I learnt or was reminded of, in the hope that it will spark a thought or reassure you when the palms are sweating and the mouth is dry.

Each lesson is based on a quote by renowned American author and anthropologist Margaret Mead, who is said to have profoundly influenced the sexual revolution of the 1960s (there – that got your attention)

1. “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else”. It was so easy for us to pull our hair out but the scenario I outlined is not a new plot line for anyone who has spent any time in advancement. Sometime we have happy endings, but we always have insurmountable challenges. So when this happens the next time, I want to take a deep breath and draw on the reservoir of experience instead of falling apart and panicking. Trust me, your co-workers will much prefer the former approach.
2. “You learn the value of hard work by working hard” – There are no real shortcuts in our line of work, and always be very suspicious of magic bullets. We did not get to our goal just because we were lucky. We got there because we worked bloody hard…and were a bit lucky. When you do the debrief, remember the harder you work, the luckier you get.
3. “What people say, what people do and what they say they do are entirely different things.” People often surprise you and sometimes they disappoint you. Don’t depend on it, and sometimes you need to get over it. But for goodness sake, stop being surprised.
4. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”. The popular management saying is that culture eats strategy for breakfast. They are right, but it always comes down to people. The right people. The people who work hard and stack the chairs with you. The people that laugh with you and hold you when you feel like crying. The people that help you change the world.

Our fundamental challenges are universal. The shift away from taxpayer funding of higher education-by design or by default-is placing enormous pressure on advancement offices to strengthen other revenue streams, including tuition and philanthropic support. New communications technologies have radically changed the relationship between the institution and its key constituencies. And the growing demand for experienced advancement professionals has made staff recruitment and retention strategies a global concern.

Challenges notwithstanding, this is an extraordinarily exciting time for our field. The demand for our work has never been greater, the respect for our profession never higher, and the role we play at our institutions never more strategic. So remember the journey and don’t forget to look out of the window.

Abhra Bhattacharjee
President SA/NT
Director of Philanthropy and External Relations
Scotch College, Adelaide
abhra@scotch.sa.edu.au