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The ABC List for August 2007
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onu-@iabc.com
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Aug 31, 2007 21:10 PDT
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The ABC List for August 2007
Welcome to the newest monthly edition of the ABC List. The ABC List
serves 658 professional communicators.
This newsletter is a forum for accredited communicators, but more
importantly, those communicators interested in learning more about
becoming accredited, the value of accreditation and the process to
attain accreditation. If you have a question, a topic for discussion or
something you’d like to see in the ABC List, e-mail onu-@iabc.com.
If your chapter is holding a workshop, fun shop, exam prep session, exam
date, pinning ceremony or the like, let me know and I’ll publicize your
event here in the ABC List.
IABC Accreditation: The Global Standard. A Personal Statement.
In this issue:
*** Congratulations to the New ABC in August
*** Coming Soon: Accreditation Month!
*** “Pursuing Accreditation – A view from the path”: Mary Kuhn, ABC
*** 2007 Heritage Region Conference Accreditation Activities:
- Accreditation Exam
- Accreditation Workshop
*** Upcoming Teleseminar: “Preparing for Your Accreditation Exam”
*** IABC Chicago Group Study Program
*** Congratulations to the New ABC in August
- Donald Belisle, ABC from IABC / Columbus
*** Coming Soon: Accreditation Month!
Interested in obtaining your ABC? Accreditation Month begins in October!
Accreditation is an IABC professional development program. It offers
communicators a way of demonstrating their ability to think and plan
strategically and to successfully manage those skills essential to
effective organizational communication. Apply during 1 October – 14
November and your name will be entered to win one regular registration
to IABC’s 2008 International Conference in New York City and other great
prizes. For details, visit: http://www.iabc.com/abc/accMonth.htm.
*** “Pursuing Accreditation – A view from the path”: Mary Kuhn, ABC
Several years ago, a friend and I spent a few days hiking in Chaco
Canyon, New Mexico. The canyon is home to several major ruins,
accessible by long and ancient walking paths carved through the
sagebrush by the Canyon’s earliest Anazazi inhabitants.
We set off on our hike with the end goal in sight, and an inaccurate
assumption about how long it would take to get there. In the pristine
clarity of the high desert, everything looked much closer than it really
was. Nearing what we assumed to be the end of one trail, we met other
hikers on their return journey. “How far ahead?” we asked. The hikers
admitted they didn’t really know. They’d hiked encouraged by the good
view of the ruins, but ultimately were discouraged when they didn’t
appear to be making progress. Ultimately, they decided to turn around.
The problem was, we all had good views of the goal -- but our
expectation of what it would take to reach the end was distorted. My
friend and I decided in that moment that no matter how long it took,
we’d reach the end. Our goal was completion. We did it, and it was
worth it.
That was nothing compared to successfully completing the IABC
accreditation program.
Encouraged by our department head, most of the people in our work team
began the process. We reviewed the steps, and all took off at different
paces. When I began, I assumed it would be a matter of making the time,
following the directions and managing the timelines.
And while that is largely true, it is an oversimplification of the true
journey. Each step of the peer review process requires a significant
waiting period until you find out how your work measures up to the
expectations of the panel. My portfolio made it through the first go
around. Yet when I read the reviewers’ comments, I knew that they were
applying the highest standards of evaluation. Even though I passed that
round, there was much to learn from the comments about what I could do
better. And I’ve kept those comments as reference to assist me in other
projects.
I approached the written and oral examination with some nerves, balanced
by confidence that I know my stuff. Experienced ABCs I’d talked to
prior to the exam all shared the same advice: Manage the time. I heard
that. I knew it was important. And in my first go around, for whatever
reason, I got caught up in the moment and miscalculated the time
significantly. I was nearing the end of the second of three written
sections when the proctor announced our final ten minutes. I raced
through. While every question received an answer, the depth was
lacking. In the end, I needed to repeat a portion of the exam.
That was a blow.
However, the lead evaluator who contacted me with the news insisted that
this is a learning process. He assured me I would make it. I was
grateful for the encouragement and guidance. Once again, the reviewers’
comments were invaluable. It’s great to read what your peers consider
your strengths and instructive to learn about opportunities to improve.
The comments gave me the direction I needed to bone up on specific areas
of our craft.
Scheduling the exam was an exercise in perseverance. With support from
IABC headquarters and the generosity of local proctor Shirley Gilbert,
the test was on. I felt fairly confident after finishing it, having
paid close attention to time. After that, the waiting game began once
again. Waiting for the phone call or email that would let me know if
this time I was successful. A colleague had remarked to me, when enough
time has passed that you’ve almost forgotten you took the exam, that’s
when you’ll hear.
The day I opened my email to see the all caps subject, YOU PASSED, from
IABC was electric. The congratulations that followed continued the
glow. Most important to me was knowing that I had not given up. It
took time, effort and patience. It is worth it all.
*** 2007 Heritage Region Conference Accreditation Activities
An accreditation exam will be held during the Heritage Region Conference
at Northern Kentucky University on Sunday, 14 October 2007, from 7:30am
– 12:30 pm. To register for the exam, please contact Olivia Nucum,
accreditation and recognition coordinator, at onu-@iabc.com by Friday,
5 October 2007.
The Heritage Region Conference will also hold an Accreditation Workshop
on Sunday, 14 October 2007 from 4:00 – 5:30pm at the Embassy Suites
Cincinnati River-Center, Covington, KY.
For more information regarding these activities, please visit:
http://www.iabcheritageregion.com/conference2007/accreditation.asp.
*** Upcoming Teleseminar: “Preparing for Your Accreditation Exam”
On 4 October 2007, Mark Estes, ABC and Jo Langham, ABC will present on
the final step in the accreditation process, “Preparing for Your
Accreditation Exam.” The session will provide insights into preparing
for the four hour-written and half-hour oral exam as well as managing
your time during testing. This teleseminar is designed for anyone who is
already an accreditation candidate, but has value to anyone considering
entering the accreditation process.
Details:
When: Thursday, 4 October 2007
Hours: 8-9 a.m. PACIFIC STANDARD TIME and 4-5 p.m. PACIFIC STANDARD
TIME. You may select the 8 a.m. or 4 p.m. session when you register.
For further information regarding this event, please visit:
http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=800cde79-862a-4df1-a197-e55e3b02885d.
*** IABC Chicago Group Study Program
IABC/Chicago invites accreditation candidates to participate in group
study program
In IABC/Chicago’s accreditation group study program, accreditation
candidates are mentored by Chicago-area ABCs as they prepare their
accreditation portfolios and study for the exam. If your chapter does
not have an accreditation program, IABC/Chicago invites you to
participate in a series of conference calls on the accreditation
process. Details are in the IABC/Chicago FAQ/Timeline and IABC/Chicago
accreditation toolkit. The first conference call on 13 September will
cover developing your portfolio and the ethics quiz that will be
e-mailed from IABC after your application has been accepted. Other
conference calls in December, January and February will discuss
communication trends and each of the exam sections: oral, technical
skills, case study, and philosophy and ethics. There is no charge for
the program.
The 4-1/2 hour accreditation exam will be administered in Chicago on
Saturday, 1 March 2008. If you're interested in joining the conference
calls or taking the exam in Chicago, e-mail IABC/Chicago’s Co-Directors
of Accreditation, Maryellen Thielen, ABC (mthi-@calamos.com) or
Joanne Kitsos, ABC (joanne.-@bcbsa.com).
*** About the ABC List:
This list is a forum for accredited communicators, but more importantly
those professional communicators who seek to be accredited and wish to
learn more about the process and the value of accreditation.
I invite candidates, prospective candidates and ABCs to send questions,
comments and observations to onu-@iabc.com.
You can read the back issues on the Web.
Visit http://www.topica.com/lists/ABCList/read. If you are new to this
list, I encourage you to do so.
*** Do you know someone who would be interested in the ABC List? Pass it
on.
To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to ABCList-s-@topica.com.
*** You can change your address by sending a blank e-mail from your old
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your new address to ABCLi-@topica.com.
*** Professional communicators are invited to subscribe to the
award-winning free Job of the Week e-mail networking newsletter. Send a
blank e-mail to JOTW-su-@topica.com. There are more than 10,000
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The ABC List was created by Ned Lundquist, ABC. It is currently edited
and published by:
Olivia Nucum
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
One Hallidie Plaza Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94102
USA
t + 1.415.544.4721
f + 1.415.544.4747
onu-@iabc.com
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