By Stephanie Weese, CFO, MSBO Board President, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services, Livingston ESA
Last month, I found myself in charge of technology for a meeting. I’d say I’m moderately tech-savvy, but definitely not an expert. This meeting had a lot going on—people Zooming in and sharing screens, presenters on-site using slide decks, and more.
At one-point, multiple things were happening at once, and I wasn’t sure what button to click. I hesitated… I didn’t want to lose the Zoom connection, disconnect the audio, or accidentally shut down the presentation. Then, over my shoulder, I heard a colleague’s voice:
“Just give it a go. See what happens.”
She said it so matter-of-factly, without any worry at all. I just stared at her like she had lost her mind. She smiled and repeated, “Just give it a go.”
So, I did. And it worked. Everything ran smoothly, and the meeting carried on without a hitch.
Why am I sharing this? Because I’ve thought about that moment for an entire month. Every time I see the colleague who gave me that advice, I smile. And now, I want to share this message with you.
Do you want to join a committee within MSBO? Just give it a go.
Do you want to run for the MSBO Board of Directors? Just give it a go.
Do you want to apply for that job? Just give it a go.
Do you want to lead a project? Just give it a go.
Now, some of you may be thinking, Well, you could have clicked the wrong button, and all the bad things could have happened. True. But if that had happened, I would have had numerous colleagues around me who would have stepped up to help. It was all fixable.
You get the point. We don’t move forward in life unless we take that step occasionally. If there’s something you’ve been thinking about—something you can’t get out of your head—just do it.
My challenge to you at next month’s MSBO Annual Conference: Just give it a go. Introduce yourself to new people. Ask a question in a learning session. Sit with a different group at breakfast or lunch. Seek out an MSBO Board Member and ask about their experience. You are in control—so just give it a go.