Ever had what you think is a brilliant idea for something new, then found out someone else had the same idea? Maybe it’s a psychic connection, or just a coincidence, or maybe it’s a sign that it really is a brilliant idea.
Anyway, Suzanne Deatherage, an IABC member at Texas A&M University, and I recently discovered we’d both had the same idea. We’d never met before, but within a couple minutes of meeting, we were excitedly discussing our shared vision for something that we think could be an amazing IABC member benefit, capitalizing on our organization’s global network. Best of all, it’s something we think could be completely member-driven, doesn’t require a lot of work or budget.
Our idea (which is not fully developed, and could use lots of input) is to foster an exchange program that would give IABC members the opportunity to gain experience in different countries, industries or markets. Something like a foreign exchange student or internship, but perhaps more along the lines of peer-to-peer job shadowing.
For me, the idea was born out of my own experiences staying as a guest in the homes of IABC members when I’ve visited chapters in the past year, because I find that the experience is always much richer that way than staying in hotels. And everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve wished I could stay a bit longer, really get to know the market and the people, learn more about the cultural differences, maybe even learn the language. In fact, the other influencer on my thinking about this was Julie Freeman‘s experience last summer participating in a Spanish immersion program that involved living with a local family in Guatemala. What if, I thought, IABC members could do something like that, where members around the world opened their homes to fellow members. Could there be potential benefit on both sides? Could it be a professional development opportunity? Could a company benefit by having a senior-level “intern” who comes in and works on a project or provides free consulting in exchange for the experience and a place to stay? Could a communication professional who is between jobs use this kind of experience to expand their skills, gain knowledge of another industry or develop their resume?
Suzanne actually had the opportunity to participate in a formal program offered by CNN a few years ago, so she brings lots of great ideas from a different perspective, and she’s researched and found other organizations that have done similar things.
We’re thinking that a good next step would be to start an eXchange site and get more ideas and feedback, possibly attract a few folks willing to participate in some pilot exchanges, and go from there. While Suzanne is getting that site set up, I’ll start the ball rolling by asking for comments here, and see if there are others who would like to help shape and drive the idea forward.
Let us know what you think.
UPDATE: Suzanne has launched an eXchange site to continue this discussion and develop the idea further. Anyone interested in working on it, please go to http://proexchange.x.iabc.com/.
I personally like the idea. Students like me would love a real world experience especially in foreign countries. I will keep following this closely to see how well you two work together. Best of luck!
Hey, I think this idea is great. I often wish my agency would allow us to go and experience at the offices in different markets.
I think it could work for non senior-level “interns” too…
I am not an IABC member but for someone like me, I have worked in Media Comms for the past year/18month, an exchange programme would be really beneficial, not only in terms of idea development but also to develop personal/business networks.
This is excellent Barbara. Why is it that when we get older we forget about experimenting, trying new things, learning in ways that get us beyond the peach coloured conference rooms.
I tried this excahnge in a somewhat limited way with two colleagues in the Caribbean (Jamaica and Barbados) and it was such a rich and rewarding experience for all of us. I have also invited IABC member Natalie Lowe to have a similar experience in Trinidad, told her she could stay at my home. She extended a similar invitation to me.
How wonderful if individual efforts like yours, mine and Suzanne’s could be formalised. I would be the first to sign up for any committee/ team that is focused on getting this off the ground.
The exchange is a great idea Barbara. it could work for members with a variety of different experiences and years in the the business. I’d take advantage of it to coincide with an IABC conference in the USA. That way travel expenses would be contained.
I agree that this is a terrific idea for the IABC and its members. The experience would benefit the individuals involved and the organisations that they go back to or move on to in their future careers. Often people new to their communications careers can feel limited in experiences because of a lack of opportunity, basically for being fresh at the crease. An initiative like this would create the needed opportunity to help these individuals to quickly broaden their knowledge and skill sets. I too am happy to be involved in further conversations on this topic.
When I ran a web agency, I did a similar thing with our communication agency — swapped an art director and a project manager with two of theirs for six months. Worked out great
I think this idea is excellent! It would be especially useful for pros who work at smaller companies without many (or any) international offices. I would especially support a fellowship-type program; job shadowing implies, to me, an extremely short-term (1 wk, max) project without hands-on experience with how another company/country does business. To make the trip (and expense, for many of us) worth it, I think the engagement should be at least a few weeks long and involve a least some actual work. And offer it for all levels, not just senior; building an int’l orientation early on really helps shape your business outlook.
This is a terrific idea, and I think you are right in assuming it wouldn’t take too much time and too many resources to accomplish – I envision a separate subsection of the existing IABC job board, but for exchange positions.
Further, I think a lot of companies give thought to this idea but rarely invest the time and effort to set up a formal program. Perhaps IABC could be the “outsource resource” for such a program.
This is a terrific idea, and I think you are right in assuming it wouldn’t take too much time and too many resources to accomplish – I envision a separate subsection of the existing IABC job board, but for exchange positions.
Further, I think a lot of companies give thought to this idea but rarely invest the time and effort to set up a formal program. Perhaps IABC could be the “outsource resource” for such a program.
I think its a wonderful idea that could create a lot of opportunities for a lot of people. Great idea!
Brilliant idea. Really like it – and would be / could be SO effective and produce a HUGE and immediate ROI. How better to broaden… and improve your perspective? In a rut? This would be fantastic.
I’m in. Reminds me of the former corporate sabbatical programs that were done decades ago when managers were “loaned” to other companies. Joanne Kitsos, ABC, actually used a sabbatical program last year, out of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago, to work on the IABC Value of Accreditation Study. What a great experience!
I love this idea and it would be one more reason why I value my IABC membership. I’m not sure how I would afford this, however. So support/tips to help members get grants, funds from their employer, etc. would be a good resource. Perhaps IABC could establish a grant program for this and the recipient/s would blog about their experience as a way to give back.
Hey Barb,
Great idea. I can definitely see the benefits for communicators to shadow a peer, or get a chance to work within a different industry, geographical area etc. Would love this come to live.
Barb (and Suzanne)-
Absolutely will look forward to the eXchange site. Barb & Suzanne– chapters like ours (Tucson) on the border can possibly have unique involvement, engaging with associates right across the border in rich professional Border-related experiences. We can collaborate on programs that tackle issues of significance to our countries as well as to our businesses. Any thoughts from others on talking seriously with partners in Mexico (and other USA border chapters) about a targeted Border Issues program (or subcommittee?) within your eXchange group?
Great Idea!
I think this is a wonderful idea–especially for members who may find themselves out of work thanks to the current economy.
And speaking as an older member (sad to say), I think an exchange program will give us old dogs an opportunity to learn new tricks.
Barb, I think this is a good idea, but I am not sure it will necessarily be as simple as everyone thinks. We talked about having a shadowing programme inside our chapter a few years ago, and some hurdles came up, namely issues related to confidentiality.
From the purely French perspective, though, I can think of some others:
* What insurance would cover the person for mishaps in the host work place?
* The relationship would have to be institutionalized in some way, and that institutionalization might trigger the need for work permits for international exchanges, or at least business visas.
* With regard to the home stay, the French culture is not very open to this concept and in big cities like Paris, space is at a premium, so people may simply not have the space to offer.
None of this is meant to discourage you, but to add an element of realism to the issues that need to be addressed in order to make it work! Looking forward to continuing the conversation.
Incredible idea! An exchange program will offer benefits both to members and value to IABC membership.
As an “experienced” (I hate to say older, as I don’t have that mindset yet) member, I’m always seeking new opportunities to sharpen my skills and broaden my horizons.
Kristen Sukalac raised several good points, especially the insurance topic, as practitioners who are not currently working won’t have existing insurance (and not everyone can rely on a spouse’s coverage). Perhaps a temporary coverage option, such as those offered students who go abroad for limited timeframes to study?
To take this one step further/deeper, I would love to see this piloted first among Accredited members, as further evidence of Accreditation as assurance that the participants meet a GLOBAL standard. This idea has floated around for years – glad to see someone put it out there, Barb!
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What a fantastic Idea, I think this would work on a number of levels and even if it is an exchange site with opportunities listed for Job exchange right across the globe. You can even extend it to ‘vaction’ replacement opportunities, an IABC member could offer accommodation for a couple of weeks while the communicator fills in at a company located somewhere in the world… Hmmmm let’s explore
I LOVE this idea.
Teachers have been exchanging for years and reaping professional and personal development experiences that they can bring back to their home employers, while having contributed to their host employers as well.
In fact, I just returned from a year exchange in Sydney, Australia via my husband’s work as a secondary school teacher. As Kristen S notes above, there are hurdles (and tons of paper work!) to make these kinds of exchanges safe and pleasant for everyone involved, but it is definitely worth it for those with the right mind-set.
Please count me in if this idea gains traction!
I like this idea and volunteer to go to Germany. Looking forward to seeing this develop.
Barb, may I suggest starting with a http://www.ning.com community site to start?
What a fabulous idea! Working for a regionally based financial institution in Australia, I do not have many opportunities to interact with other communications professionals, particularly at an international level. This would be a great learning opportunity, both professionally and personally.
My husband and I have toyed with the idea of moving overseas for a few years to work, but this would be a great first step, a ‘toe in the water’ before taking that huge leap!
this is a great idea. my 2 year experience working and living in london brought me immeasurable personal and professional benefits. in this economy and with the world getting increasingly smaller, i think this idea has enormous merit.
as people will likely come to the exchange with different objectives, i believe the more flexible or customizable you can make it, the better. while some people could not entertain an exchange without having coverage for salary, benefits, and the like, others may be willing to trade some of these for the growth and experience such an exchange provides.
i look forward to hearing more and to participating!
Dear Barbara,
I think your idea is interesting, but one thing i do not understand, how to make profit from this exchange program?
Definitely would be a value-added to membership all around. The parameters, expectations, etc. could be developed as it evolves, from those with experience already through the first few years of experimentation. I think an online registration process would work. Have people willing to host post the expectations for what they want/need from the “guest” and and what they can offer (job, internship, job shadowing, accommodations, funds, etc.); have a place for people to apply for the position, stating what they can offer and what they expect. This is exactly what a truly international organization should do.
A program like this would be excellent for many reasons, most of them already noted.
I like the idea of injecting organizations with fresh energy and new thinking.
Clearly, exchanges would need to be matched up carefully to ensure the “guest” is able to meet expectations and have opportunity to contribute above and beyond those as well.
In this world, we need more cooperation and collaboration among organizations, and this exchnage program would be one small part of making it happen.
Barb,
I love this idea and something that IABC should have done long ago. There are lots of models out there that IABC can follow, including Fulbright, Rotary, university study abroad REEP programs, and the RIAS journalist exchange, to name a few.
I’m familiar with the ones I mentioned, and would be happy to explain more or assist in any way I can if this idea comes to fruition.
Rhonda Snider Collins
Of course, this is a great idea. I wanted to do something like this in 2004 around a job sabbatical, taking six weeks to look at communications programs within associations and nonprofits in Europe. I’m still open to the idea.
This is a wonderful idea! I am a product of being hosted by warm and hospitable families when traveling as a university student on international and national tours with the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus and it made us all appreciate diversity, culture and the global community.The host families helped us understand and experience the uniqueness of each city and country. We returned from each concert tour with so much learning and wide understanding that are good foundation for our being communicators. It will make for friendships across the country and the globe.My brother was in an exchange program some years ago as a young professional and it has helped him in his work and life as well. It need not be too long a stay due to our work duties but then again, it would depend on the program IABC puts together. Do count me in as a vote of yes, and if there is something we can do to help in conceiving it, I will be most obliged.
Very encouraging comments! At the Brazos Valley Chapter in Texas, USA, we’re asking our members the following questions about a possible pilot offering. Could be starter questions for other chapters too.
1. What do you think about the idea of organizing and hosting a visit by other IABC members from around the world?
2. Should we build the visit around an annual big event or program, in which local members could provide behind-the-scenes access or insights? Which ones?
3. What are the skill/technology/specialty areas in which our members have expertise to share or demonstrate?
4. What are the areas of prominence in our community that hold unique appeal in terms of career or cultural exploration?
IABC members, if you’d like to dive more into development of all the exchange ideas (short-term; long-term; peer-to-peer; chapter-to-chapter, etc.) please jump to:
http://proexchange.x.iabc.com/
I agree that this is a great idea – for communicators at any age or stage in their career. All it takes is an open mind and willingness to learn.
Coming from the non-profit world, one twist that I’d like to see is communicators going on exchanges to developing countries to work on projects that would be helpful in that country, in a way that was supportive, collaborative and shared knowledge on the principles of good communications.
This is a fantastic idea. I am looking forward to watching this idea/program develop and moreover the opportunity to participate.
Is this great idea dying on the vine?
Hi Gary,
Well, hopefully not dying, but resting until someone takes the lead. I’m a bit overstretched at the moment with my PhD studies and work and other IABC stuff. Any volunteers to take it and run with it?
Barb