In August, we started a conversation about common challenges faced by community managers in STEM. On that community call, which also included an overview of our findings and recommendations from the CSCCE community manager case studies project, several participants noted that they often find themselves defending the importance of their work to leadership, human resources, and/or their community members. This challenge was connected to a lack of clarity around what it looks like to turn community management into a lifelong career; not only advocating for what you do today, but making a plan for where to go next.
So, this month we wanted to hold space to continue this conversation with an off-the-record community call co-moderated by members of the community of practice. This is a great opportunity not only to hear from others’ experiences, but also to help the community as a whole chart a path forward.
Join us on Zoom at 11am EDT / 3pm UTC on Wednesday, 28 September (please note that this month’s call will not be recorded, but we will share a blog post recap afterwards with key learnings and resources).
Advocacy for community managers in STEM
When we presented the common challenges identified from our 25 community manager case studies, the “underappreciation” bullet point instigated some interesting conversation both on the Zoom call and in our shared notes document. How are members of our communities, or the organizations we work with, supposed to appreciate our work if they don’t necessarily know what we do? While this disconnect is not just the responsibility of community managers, it does give us the opportunity to frame our work in the way that we chose, and advocate for resources and advancement through that lens.
On our September call, we’ll be holding space for discussion around several aspects of self-advocacy, including working with human resources and building your reputation with colleagues and community members. We’ll also work together to brainstorm actionable strategies to demonstrate just how much you bring to the table.
September’s call
ABSTRACT
Join September’s Community Call to:
- Hear from other members of the CSCCE community of practice about the challenges they have faced
- Consider different strategies for self-advocacy
- Share your own experiences, and brainstorm new ways of demonstrating the impact of your work
How to join
September’s call will take place on Wednesday, 28 September at 3pm UTC / 11am US Eastern Time.
Our calls are hosted in Zoom – simply click here and we’ll see you in the webinar!
Video or not? You’re welcome to turn on your webcam if you like but fine if you prefer just to use audio.
Our community calls last 90 minutes, but we will do our best to ensure that all of the presentations take place in the first hour, in case you have to leave early. The last 30 minutes is generally reserved for open discussion and Q&A with the presenters and other participants on the call. Come for the hour – or for the full 90 mins, as your schedule permits!
Please note: We will not be recording any of this month’s call to empower participants to speak openly about the challenges they face as STEM community managers.
ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY CALLS
Our community calls usually take place on the third Wednesday of every month at 11am Eastern, but occasionally times and dates vary depending on speaker availability so please keep an eye on our calendar of events.
Wonder what we’ve talked about in previous calls? Check out our archive listings, with select recordings available on YouTube.
Not yet in our Slack group? Request to join here.
Further resources
We curate a growing collection of resources for community managers on our website. If you have any questions about our work, or are interested in partnering with us on a future project or call, please contact info@cscce.org.