The Be Attitudes, Part Deux

Continued from yesterday, and reprised from ye olde Women's Communications Office manual.

BE A VERB
Don’t wait for things to happen. Make things happen. In other words, don’t be a noun. Don’t be a promotion; be a promoter. This relates to the most basic of differences between those who work in women’s sports (or, frankly, any sport derisively labeled as “non-revenue”) and men’s sports. Perhaps not a succinct as this Be-Attitude, but Donna Lopiano expressed this best. The type of people who work in men’s athletics are bankers; the type of people that are successful in women’s athletics are insurance salespersons. Just like businesses needing a banker, the media and audience come to the premier men’s sports of football and basketball. You have to go out and convince people why they can’t live without women’s athletics.

BE THE BEE
Just like a honey bee, cross pollinate yourself by discussing thoughts and ideas with your friends and colleagues. Don’t hold back from intellectual exchanges because the feedback of almost anyone is constructive. Your colleagues can help professionally. Your coaches will point out where an idea might not fit the sport. And if the casual observer doesn’t get it, maybe it’s too complex. Remember the words of Uncle Albert: “What a person thinks on his own without being stimulated
by the thoughts and experiences of other people is even in the best case rather paltry and monotonous.”

BE CONSISTENT
In guide preparation, there is a conscious choice that must be made — to theme, or not to theme. If there is a theme, don’t leave it on the cover. Make sure it can apply to the inside of the press guide in a way that reinforces the theme.

BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE
Your work habits must suit you. Work hard, play hard sometimes doesn’t fit everyone. Some folks need to maintain an even strain. The key is figuring out quickly whether you are a sprinter or a distance worker.

A good approach is to take something from both. Learn to appreciate the power of a looming deadline. Nothing motivates like ultimate fate. At the same time, no human can achieve some tasks without a methodical plan slowly executed over a long period. Again, look at your sports. Nobody gets into shape overnight; don’t expect your major projects or your skills to appear that way. No matter how great the talent, they still prepare. In fact, that’s probably how they achieved that great talent.