Decoding and familiarizing yourself with a new place opens unseen paradigms. Our recent visit to Washington, DC reminded me of the importance of connecting with people and sharing your perspective. In meeting our local congressional staff and taking an amazing tour of the Capitol I regained an appreciation for the importance elected representation. It was a reminder that I have too have served as a guardian for the public’s trust on numerous occasions. I like to believe I have taken the assignments seriously and been effective in sharing my talents. What was enlightening to me was the fact that I rarely received input from the ‘public’ whose trust I was representing. Occasionally, the organization I was serving would stir-up some controversy and constituents would demand action. But mostly it took a focus group, specific invitation, or directed question to encourage feedback.

In the book Tribes Seth Godin reminds us of the importance of connecting with people, keeping it simple, encouraging members of the tribe to connect with each other. So I emailed my Senator with feedback on a piece of pending legislation becoming a more active member of the tribe.

How are your encouraging feedback from your donors, members, volunteers, clients, community?