A few months ago, when I was struggling with the decision to leave a comfortable job that I was very good at and join the CA Communities team, my would-be manager someone I’d considered a friend for years prior sent me this Venn diagram. I’d seen it before on Twitter or on Facebook or both. I didn't think much about it at the time.
So many memes, so little time.
But as I continued to weigh my options, I peeked at it again, considered what it really meant and ultimately I jumped from the little circle into the big one. And I did it for no one other than myself. I wanted the new challenge. I wanted to work with great new people. And, I wanted a position I could grow into and within. By leaving my comfort zone, I was making an investment in myself. And it’s already paid off. I’m happier and my life is better for it. Now I’m a community manager and it’s my job to help grow and nurture our communities and customer programs.
From where I sit now, it’s easy see just how my experience changing jobs relates to customers or partners trying to decide whether or not they should join one of our communities. Most of us wake up, have breakfast, go to work (even if it’s just in the home office), eat lunch, get back to work, go home (or leave that home office), have dinner, do whatever it is we do in the evenings, go to bed and then repeat it all the next day. And the next day.
That is the little circle in the Venn diagram. It’s a routine. It’s safe. It’s comfortable. It’s called your comfort zone for a reason. If you’re reading this right now and you aren't already a member (a contributing member, that is) in one of our communities, I’d encourage you to become one today, not because of what your participation can mean to others but because of how it can improve your day-to-day life. Here’s how:
Make Friends Who Can Help You Do Your Job Better It’s easy to forget the social aspect of social media and communities especially when we’re doing it for our day jobs but it’s vitally important. And with CA Communities, the people you meet and interact with are working with the same products you’re working with, facing similar challenges but maybe they've been doing it longer. They can be invaluable resources.
Access Exclusive Content With our community webcasts, wikis, online chats and message boards, you gain access to experience and expertise that you’re not going to find anywhere else direct from the people who know the products best.
Make Your Workday Better We all want our workdays to go a bit more smoothly, right? Maybe a product expert from CA can offer a workaround for a problem you’re having during an online chat. Or maybe your new friend from across the ocean solved a challenge very similar to yours last week. Those are just two examples of how CA Communities can help you do your job even better.
So, join a CA Community today but don’t just join it invest in it. This is a low-risk proposition. By investing your time in the community, you’re really investing in yourself. It will help you get more out of the software investments you've already made and it just might make your day go better, which just might make you happier.
Lenn Thompson is a community manager at CA Technologies, and has been with the company for 13 years in various roles. Lenn is also a wine aficionado and Executive Editor and Publisher of New York Cork Report