Committees

Being on committees usually sucks because generally speaking only about 30% of the committee turn up and actually do work.
I left a committee last year, the Women of Influence committee, who organised an annual ladies lunch for Action for Children. Now, most of the people on the committee were fairly influential business women and their names were recognised in Scotland and further-a-field. However, the same principal applied there - not a lot of productive work was done. The meetings lasted 2 hours and everyone thought that their opinion and ideas were the best.
So, having done it for 3 years, without much thanks for all the PR work I did for free and got them thousands of pounds worth of coverage, I stepped down with a view to taking on a new challenge.

I started Aura PR with Flora last November and I wanted to start to raise my profile, as MD, within our industry, throughout the UK. We've had some really nice pieces in our industry publications but I needed to commit my time to something - I started my CPD and realised that if I was on teh CIPR Scotland committee, it would not only contribute towards my CPD but I would start to move within the circles of PR - I was conscious that I didn't want to enter the bitching and slagging that our industry is so famous for.

So, I've been on the committee since February and it's actually been OK. At first I didn't have a clue what I was supposed to be doing, but I now know you've just got to get on with it.

Last night we had the Xmas event at The Caves in Edinburgh. Kate helped with the venue and then I took it from there. The feedback has been really good and I hope people now recognise that not everything has to be so formal.

We've got the AGM coming up in February which I am also helping to organise - a glutten for punishment I think!

I started my own networking group which I talked about before www.dynamicyoungwomen.com and it's now an official company - another of mine! It's primarily based in Glasgow but if I get enough interest, I'll start one in Edinburgh next year.

I bought some Xmas decorations for the office this morning, so I am going to go and hang some, play some xmas music and then head off to go and see Keira's photo shoot.

Bring on the Xmas break, that's what I say!

LC :0)