I spent most of last week at the European Bid & Proposal Con in Amsterdam in my capacity as the Deputy Chief Examiner of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals.
This is the part of my work where I help other professionals achieve their career goals through industry certification. BPC events remind me of the incredible community of people who show up each day to a job most people say they could never do.
Of the many excellent presentations, one stood out...
Howard is APMP member number 0007 - he’s part of the original pack who started the Association along with other industry legends I have worked with.
Howard created the Business Development Capability Maturity Model which I have used in companies for the last 8 years to help them create meaningful changes in performance.
When I think about legacy and impact, I think about people like Howard and the other dedicated professionals of the industry, like Tony Birch and Cathy Day, along with the cohort who made the APMP a reality. Over the years they have invested their time, their IP and their skills to make the world of bids and proposals a better one. Their work shaped my career for more than a decade.
Howard and others have been very generous with their content, their research and that precious commodity - ‘time’ - to the extent it’s possible they don’t quite realise how many people have been impacted by their work.
In spite of some significant health challenges, Howard traveled from the US during a period when travel is being discouraged. 29 years ago the strategic plan he helped to create included a European Bid & Proposal Con. He needed to be there to see it for himself.
It’s a long time to wait. But he made it, and he presented as passionately as always.
Sometimes it can take longer than most of us have the patience for to see our dreams fulfilled.
Sometimes we’re unaware of the impact we make on others.
Sometimes we don’t know how important our work really is...
With patience, dedication and passion for what we are doing, big things are possible. But we have to start somewhere.
What dream are you willing to see through?
What impact do you want to have?
What would you most like to hear as you face your own mortality?
For me, I needed to tell Howard the work he did mattered to me and the people in my teams for just under a decade. His reply: ‘Thank you! That means so much to me’ along with a hug.
That’s impact; and it’s living a legacy you’ll leave.
Our society encourages us to 10x, to scale, and to be an instagram sensation.
It’s BS!
You can have a massive impact being the best version of YOU.
This past week has shown me that being a Coach is only one dimension of my work and the impact I intend to have. What I truly love is transformation of teams, of businesses and of individuals; and I love mixing it up in different spheres.
Howard’s model, and the APMP Certification program introduced me to the concept of transformation of people and teams in a work context, but I want more.
I LOVE the process of transformation and serving the cause of positive change; and I want to live my own legacy as a way-shower, a change agent and a bridge between worlds.
So that dream you have... will you do it?
Will you commit?
Can I help you?
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