Monday, August 15, 2011

The Secrets of a Downtown Manager

I never intended to be a downtown manager.  In my six years with the Rochester Downtown Development Authority (DDA) as the Marketing Manager, the Director position came available three times and I never applied.  Each time, I would ask myself, why would I want that job?  I never had a good answer to the question, so I stayed in my little promotions world.

Fast forward to 2005.  I had left the DDA two-and-a-half years prior to try my luck in the private sector.  Once again, the Director position was available (fourth time in nine years).  A few downtown merchants tracked me down to see if I was interested in applying.  Of course, I said no.  Why in the world would I want that job?  But for some reason, I actually had an answer this time.  As a matter of fact, not only did I have the answer, but I had a lot of ideas too.  So I threw my hat in the ring.  After two panel interviews and one incredibly painful public interview, no one was more surprised than me to hear my phone ring at 10:15 pm that fateful night to say I got the job.

So here I am six years later, reflecting on this unexpected journey.  I thought I would share a few of the things that I have learned that give me a reason to get out of bed every morning. 

You have to ask for help.  Your job is to make things look effortless, even though you know there are hundreds of moving parts behind the scenes to pull off your programs.  It's easy to fall into the trap of waiting for people to step up because they must know you can't do it by yourself.  It creates a dangerous cycle that is frustrating and self-defeating.  The bottom line is that they don't know unless you tell them.  Communication is the greatest tool that a downtown manager has in their arsenal.

And here's a bonus tip for working with volunteers - never ask them to do anything you wouldn't do yourself.  Whether it's picking up trash, passing out flyers or calling for donations, you better be in there shoulder-to-shoulder with them.  It sets the tone for your organization's work ethic and your volunteer retention will be off the charts. 

Find your happy place. If you are hoping for your Board to swoon every time you land a big donor or present a killer proposal, you'll have a long wait.  The bottom line is that the Main Street Program is not about you (anyone who knows me will realize this is a bold statement for me to make).  It's about the community and everything your organization is doing to make it a vibrant, viable place to be.  It can't ever be about just one person, because what happens when that person leaves?

That's not to say that your efforts are not recognized, but it's up to you to find that place of satisfaction.  Maybe it's a particular committee or volunteer group.  For me, it's my merchants.  This is your place to go to to get your warm fuzzy.  It reminds me of the movie Soapdish (highly underrated soap opera spoof with a star-studded cast).  Whenever the lead character (Sally Field) feels like she is losing her star power, she and her assistant (Whoopi Goldberg) head out the Paramus Mall.  Her assistant pretends to be a fan and creates a frenzy of photos and autograph hounds.  This might be an extreme example, but it perfectly illustrates my point.  Just because people don't tell you every minute of every day that you are appreciated, it doesn't mean that they don't think it. 

You have to love it.  This is not a 9 to 5, punch-your-time-card kind of job.  A friend of mine once told me that being in this business is a calling and I couldn't agree more.  It gets into your blood and becomes a part of your soul.  If you're just doing it for the paycheck or because it might be fun, you're not doing it for the right reasons and most likely, you won't be at your job very long.  Knowing that I have the opportunity to make a difference is all the motivation I need to kick ass and take names each and every day.  That's not to say that there aren't good days and bad days, but as long as the good outnumber the bad, I can handle it.

So what is the most important thing that I learned over the last six years?  I learned it my first day on the job. Taking risks will deliver the greatest rewards.  If I hadn't taken the chance at this job, I would have missed out on one of the best experiences of my life.  I love the people that I am fortunate enough to work with and the amazing projects that keep coming our way.  Most of all, every day when I get out of bed, I am proud to say that I work for Downtown Rochester.


Kristi
The Downtown Geek

1 comment:

  1. Kristi - I didn't know your story until now! Very good history there and I think it is important to point out that you waited until you were ready and knew what you wanted to do. I think your advice fits as a "How to be successful in life" bit. Loved reading it. Agree with everything you said too.

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