Follow Stacy on twitter: [ @TAYSHAconsult ]
1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?
I tend to hang out with people that all actively support and encourage each other to follow our dreams and what we want to do, as well as people who have a similar outlook on life – whether it is political, personal or lifestyle we are want to leave the world a better place than when we entered it.
2. What do you do?
I am a Director and Founder of an international development consultancy, Taysha Consulting, we focus on behavior change and communications. I also serve as the International Chair for the C4D Network, an international network of C4D professionals and practitioners.
3. Why do you do what you do?
I know this sounds cliché, but I want to make a difference and to leave the world a little bit better than when I found it. However, as I get older I have realized that there are innumerable ways in which we can all make a difference, it doesn’t need to be something “grand”. I saw this at the funeral of my grandmother who was teacher in a small town in Arkansas, USA. The church was filled with people that she had taught over the years, it was truly moving and inspiring.
The reward of seeing others I work with reach their potential is enough drive to do what I do, but also working in a field where every day is different and presents new challenges keeps my work exciting and fresh.
4. Is this where you thought you would end up?
Not at all. My undergraduate degree is in Business and my first job was in Sports Marketing and I was actively looking for jobs in the area of sports, but I then ended up working in security software (long story). I was always politically interested and active in the United States, so I moved into political and economic affairs after the tech bubble burst in the early 2000’s, it was during this that I decided to return to education and get my Masters’ in International Relations.
After my Maters’ I worked in the British Parliament, which lead me to International Development when the Conservatives where in Opposition in 2007.
It was through the work of the Conservative Party in Rwanda that led me to my work in International Development. I wouldn’t change where I am or how I got here for anything in the world. I feel that my background in the private sector along with government and politics provides me with a unique and valuable perspective for my work.
5. What values are you committed to?
I have a saying, “If I am hired to do the same job twice, then I haven’t done my job.” I am committed to sustainability and the transfer of knowledge. We all talk a lot about sustainability, but I don’t always feel that the actions reflect the rhetoric. I truly feel that the best thing we can do in the field of international development is to actively build capacity and mentor where needed.
The right to freedom is something that I hold near and dear to my heart. I am a true believer true equality and in freedom of choice, expression and speech. I feel these are fundamental human rights.
6. How many hours do you work in a typical week?
My work week is very much determined by deadlines, so the number of hours that I work changes week to week, but when I am at home in the UK I tend to work a typical work week of 40 hours a week. However, when I am travelling “in-country” for projects I typically work longer hours, so a work week is about 60 hours a week.
7. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?
As with most jobs, much of my day-to-day work is administrative, so skills in accounting, planning and project management are extremely valuable. Other skills that are extremely valuable include the ability to think and plan strategically, specialist communications skills as well as research and analysis skills. Additionally, I have found leaving time to for creative thinking is useful for designing new programmes and tools.
8. Are there any negatives to your job?
I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t have a negative in their job. The main negative I have found is the inconsistency and uncertainty to my schedule. I often travel with one week or a few days notice for two or three weeks at a time, this makes it very difficult for planning in my personal life, but it is part of the job, so you learn to deal with it.
9. What is the background of most senior-level executives in your SBCC circles?
There is not specific background of the most senior-level executives in my SBCC circles. Some are academics, whereas others have come from a very practical background in social science, communications or both. Some are researchers, some come from a journalistic background, others come from a private sector background, like myself – so there is not one background that determines those in my SBCC circle.
10. What do you wish you knew at our stage? (IE: entry-level SBCC practitioners)
There is so much I wish I had known at the entry-level! Mainly I wish I had known how little I actually knew. Experience accounts for a lot, and it pains me to say this, because my Dad used to always (and still does) say this to me – so he was right. You are always learning and you can always learn something from someone or a situation.
11. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?
The best piece of advice I have ever received was to always ask for help, because the worst thing someone can say is no, which really isn’t that terrible in the grand scheme of things. Make the effort to figure things out, but don’t wait until something is too far gone to ask for help.
Additionally, we have all had to start at the bottom and know how difficult it can be. We have all had some help or guidance from someone along the way – we are happy to provide that to others, but you have to ask.
12. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
To be honest, I wouldn’t do much differently, I think mainly because I never thought I would be working in this field. I believe that everything I have done has contributed to where I am, so I think if I did things differently I wouldn’t have the same approach.
However, I would advise people who are entering the field from a graduate standpoint to try and volunteer their services and intern wherever possible, because as I said experience accounts for a lot – the job I learned the most from was my internship.
13. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?
Entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should be most concerned about the unintended consequences of programmes. The challenge with our field is its seriousness – we are altering the lives of individuals and shaping the futures of countries, this can’t be taken lightly. When planning a programme/project you have to think through the challenges and outcomes – positive and negative – such as, empowering girls in education programmes and giving girls books and supplies can marginalize boys and result in violence against girls for the perceived favouritism.
14. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?
I am the International Chair of the C4D Network, an international network of C4D professionals and practitioners (www.C4D.org and @C4D_Network). The C4D Network focusses on connecting C4D professionals in person and online to exchange information and best practices. I am also a member of The Communication Initiative Network, Knowledge Management for Development Network (KM4D), the American Evaluation Association (AEA), the Humanitarian Practice Network (part of ODI) and I am an active member of Chatham House in the UK, amongst other local and political groups.
15. What used to be your biggest weakness?
Oh wow, I still have weaknesses, I think I have just learned to realise when they are interfering and to deal with them earlier rather than later – they never go away. I think my biggest one is that I can be quite stubborn. For example, if I put a proposal or approach forward, then I expect others to have a constructive opinion or criticism. I will be hesitant to change my mind if someone is unable to back up their opinion without reason or without alternative approaches.
16. What mistakes have you made?
I have made plenty of mistakes, but I think one mistake I have made, sadly, is being too trusting. You need to always make sure you have some sort of agreement or commitment from clients and/or partners in writing, even if you are working with friends. It isn’t rude to ask for something in writing and will not hurt a friendship, it is business and it protects everyone involved. Remember, just because you are working in international development for the betterment of society doesn’t mean that it isn’t a business.
17. What one thing do you still struggle with?
The main thing I struggle with is saying no. It is very hard to say no to people when people genuinely want your help, but I have found that in order to give your best you have to ensure that you are able to do that and overstretching yourself only means everyone gets a little bit of you as opposed to a few people getting the best of you – which I believe is better in the long run.
18. What traits impress you the most in a working professional, irrespective of their area of expertise?
I will tell what I am not impressed with – where you went to school, how many degrees you have or who your family is – because at some point in time you have to prove yourself.
It is people who work hard, are committed to their work, which means learning as much as they can and working just that little bit extra, people who are principled – you know where they stand, whether you agree with them or not and people who do not see themselves as the victim – people who feel that I don’t care what others think, I can do this – that is what impresses me the most.
19. What are the top 7 technical skills that entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should strive to horn?
- Strategic thinking and planning
- Research – the basics
- Analysis – being able to see how everything fits into the big picture
- Communication skills – internal as well as external
- Administrative skills
- Budgeting
- Monitoring and evaluation – learn what it is, why it is important and the basics
To have success in this line of work you must have belief in yourself and what you are doing, belief and trust in others and most of all you must be able to listen to people and hear that they want and their needs.
21. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?
The best advice I can give it not to focus on the job, but rather what you what to achieve, because there is not just one way you can achieve your goals. What do you want to do – this isn’t a job title – where do you want to work, how do you want to work, what do you want to achieve? Focus on these things and you will be one of the lucky ones who are able to wake up every morning and know they are doing something they truly enjoy.
22. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?
I can’t just say one thing has been my most rewarding accomplishment, but what I find rewarding is seeing the outcomes of a project years down the road, seeing the progress of an individual that I have worked with and seeing a positive change in societies.
23. What factors do you consider most often when planning for the future?
The main factors I consider when planning the future have to do with sustainability. There are a lot of interesting projects that I could work on, but all too often they are not sustainable in the long run. We have to think about what happens when the donor funding is not available, how does a project carry on?
24. What developments in the horizon could affect future career opportunities in this field?
Changes to donor funding and focus are always in flux and directly affect opportunities in this field, for better and for worse. SBCC goes in and out of fashion in donor circles, as do other aspects of development. It therefore falls upon us in the field to ensure that we remain relevant and are flexible to change with the ebbs and flows of donor programmes.
25. Can you recommend a "must-read" book that will help us broaden our skills as working professionals or inspire us to reach our highest potential?
One book that I read when I first started working in international development was The Blue Sweater, by Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder of Acumen. This book is a personal account that reached a chord with me and really shows just how interconnected we truly are as a world. It is a book I always recommend to people entering the field. It isn’t overly academic, which I think is part of its appeal.
26. As a communicator, if you could write a book on a social issue; what would it be and why?
This is a big question and something I have given some thought to. When I did a project in South Sudan on the reduction of child marriage we saw an interesting trend where we surveyed young girls about what they wanted to be when they grew up and without fail they all said they wanted to be a doctor, a businesswoman or a teacher. Now something to note is that there are very few, if any in the places where we were working, female doctors, businesswomen or teachers, which got me thinking. As female international development workers we have a direct and for the most part intentioned effect on young girls in the communities in which we are working and visiting. I think it would be interesting and important to explore this topic further.
27. Which other SBCC maven would you recommend for this interview?
There are a so many people I would recommend for interviewing. I would suggest that you speak with Soledad Muniz, who works for Insight Share, an organization that does participatory video.
28. What's the most valuable question we should ask the next SBCC maven who is interviewed on this blog?
If there is one thing you could change about the industry/field surrounding SBCC what would it be and why?
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