Dear HIPSters:
Over the past 9 months, I’ve talked to a wide range of people - small business owners, filmmakers, students, authors, educators, and politicians. I learned to appreciate laggards (or late adopters) and explored topics such as awe, human connection, and play from watching my son and nieces being their amazing selves. I even had a few stories broadcasted on our local radio station, like this one about youth serving on school boards.
Good start…but where does HIPS go from here?
A friend and coach, Meg Gluckman, taught me the value of doing periodic “evaluations” on projects or work to look back and ahead to what’s next. Below are the questions she asked me. I found her questions could apply to evaluating almost any past project, job, or opportunity. Meg shared her learning publicly for a class she had taught (which inspired this post). I hope my responses to these questions may be helpful to anyone who is reflecting on the pros and cons of a past project or is transitioning into something new.
What Worked?
What Didn't Work?
What To Do Differently?
What part of this am I most proud of?
How was I resourceful in creating this?
What challenge am I most proud of overcoming?
What was the most helpful thought?
What would I say to my future self when I am trying to create a new result?
1. What worked
a. Thank you to HIPS readers & listeners! It’s been great to connect with new readers and a growing community. Your support means A LOT to me. I appreciate you!
b. A common thread connecting the conversations and posts is learning why & how others carry out & communicate their ideas on topics like financial literacy, disability rights, technology in schools, youth leadership, advocating for incarcerated adults, or building a fan base for collegiate baseball. HIPS guests have written books, directed movies, or helped to pass legislation to advance simple or more complex ideas that are making a difference in others’ lives. Other guests have launched businesses and non-profits or pushed their fields in a new direction to help shed light on a social issue or unmet need. It’s been amazing to learn from so many talented and committed people.
c. Moving beyond the “see what sticks” approach. Parker Huffman talked to me about serving as General Manager of the Portland Pickles baseball team. He and other guests described how they found themselves needing to pivot to get beyond “what sticks” to build a sustainable model aimed at making bigger changes within a community or organization, or in one story, for a whole state.
Huffman shared the following in an interview I did with him back in July:
"I think for a number of years, it [our process] was a lot of throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. As we've continued to grow, we've noticed what works and what doesn't work. At this point, it's very thought-out and systematic with the timing of our in-game, on-field promotions, but it's all been a series of trial and error. Today, we know what works and have a system in place that we follow pretty strictly.”
The Portland Pickles have succeeded in building a loyal community of fans and now attract top talent from college players across the U.S. and internationally.
Similarly, Tom O’Leary found himself having to develop an entirely new approach to serving and reaching the customers of his pub when COVID-19 mandates shut down in-person service in all bars and restaurants in Portland, Oregon in March 2022. Oregon State Senator Sara Geilser-Blouin and David Palmieri both shared strategies they used to navigate through challenging policy issues encountered when passing state legislation or responding to emerging church policies.
I’ve certainly appreciated learning about what has sparked and sustained guests’ passions to improve their communities or organizations. Without exception, all the guests have shared roadblocks along the way, but each one has found a path forward despite some big challenges.
2. What didn’t work & 3. What to do differently?
- A big hurdle in writing and recording interviews is finding the time to create, edit, and revise work. Making stuff always requires more time than I expect, especially when curve balls arrive unexpectedly with a growing family of 5.
+ I’ve tried to embrace the mantra of “good enough is enough” and aim to “merely ship the work” without getting too attached to outcomes or how stories or interviews may land with readers or listeners. I’ve also learned to appreciate natural constraints which have compelled me to use my time more wisely. Here’s a post I found helpful on this topic paying attention to your attention span.
- I run up against technological hiccups frequently, but I have gradually streamlined the production process, especially for podcasts. Nonetheless, I have lost audio clips or ended up with poor audio recordings despite my best efforts to prepare in advance.
+ For editing audio, I have found Descript has helped to simplify audio editing. I’ve also used Evernote for organizing questions and notes for stories. Here are the notes I prepared before talking with Adam F.C. Fletcher who had just written a book on Modern Youth Leadership that I really liked (note: this will only be legible on a desktop;-).
- I definitely have caught myself rambling A LOT on tape when asking guests questions (kudos to some really patient guests). Here’s an awkward, but clear example. Note: reviewing audio transcriptions really draws attention to these long-winded, runaway questions…along with other verbal tics..ugh.
Me: “Mm-hmm. And then, like, with, um... I mean, because you've, you've, you've seen a lot, I'd say, more than I have in this life. Um, I guess I'm just curious, like, like who, uh, who, who have been your guiding lights?”
+ Fortunately, I’ve learned to shorten the “runaway questions” (a bit) and let silence work its magic by writing down a list of questions in advance and letting guests think before I jump in to reframe or rephrase a question.
Key lesson: learn to trust in the questions and have them work for you.
4. What part of this am I most proud of?
It’s gratifying to create work and share ideas with others. As I experience the ups and downs of making a career shift at this moment, it has been rewarding to delve into topics I never would have otherwise. Learning how to use virtual reality to overcome a fear of heights, hearing about how inmates are selling coffee-laced artwork outside of prisons, or how two brothers ended up funding and producing a compelling documentary about the U.S. stock market. These are stories I’ve been proud to share with others.
5. How was I resourceful in creating this?
The experience of generating topics or finding guests for HIPS helps me scratch an itch to keep learning about my community & the larger world around me. HIPS has created a good reason to have conversations or write about ideas that I ordinarily would not have explored. To me, refining a vague or abstract idea feels like it always requires a combination of resourcefulness, patience, and a willingness to go where a story or idea leads you.
6. What challenge am I most proud of overcoming?
a. Getting past a blinking cursor (i.e. blank page) and merely shipping the work.
b. Figuring out how to record and share interviews (1,370 podcast downloads and counting)
c. Tracking the passage (story) of a bill into law (Senate Bill 819 was signed by Oregon’s governor in July 2023)🤗
7. What was the most helpful thought?
My friend, Meg, also taught me a lot about paying attention to thoughts and noticing how they can shape my feelings and actions. A few helpful thoughts related to HIPS have been:
Keep going, regardless of the outcome
Writing clarifies, connects, and clears the head & heart
Lean into what inspires, surprises, or confuses you most
8. What would I say to my future self when I am trying to create a new result?
Keep exploring new ideas and meeting new people
When you get stuck, don’t panic, the next story will always find you
Focus on what’s possible
Always aim to make your work collaborative and FUN
All done.
Thanks for joining me for my first evaluation.
I tried not to revise much of what I just shared. I do think this evaluation captures some of the main lessons I’ve learned from HIPS since I started it in January 2023.
Looking ahead…Calling change agents
In the coming months, I am hoping to continue to tell stories of “change agents” serving young people in schools and communities. Here’s a quick definition of a change agent…
So, if you are (or know someone) supporting or leading others in schools, communities, or other youth-serving organizations (e.g., coach, administrator, teacher, researcher, or organizational leader… etc.) I’d be interested in learning more about your experiences - especially related to equity and access.
Please consider sharing potential topics, questions, or guests you might like to hear about in the coming months.
As always, you can find me at eoinbastable@gmail.com
You can also add comments by clicking on the comments bubble💬 below.
Thanks for reading & listening.
Be well and stay curious.
Eoin