“Those who speak most of progress measure it by quantity and not by quality.”
~George Santayana
This year’s NASPA Conference was held in Orlando, Florida at the Orlando World Resort & Convention Center, March 16th-20th. This was my fourth NASPA conference and as I attempted to recuperate (for anyone who has ever attended NASPA, you know exactly how tired I was) and reflect on what I learned, I was reminded about the importance of quality over quantity.
We stress the importance of networking and making connections but sometimes put too much focus on the quantity of the connections that we make. We count the number of business cards we received and the number of followers we received at “such and such” reception or tweet up. Our profession has a tendency to measure our progress by quantity, not by quality. Sometimes we fail to remember the importance of the quality of those connections and how meaningful they should and need to be. This occurred to me this weekend, as I was preparing to email everyone I received cards from and realized I only had 7 people to email. I thought to myself, “why do I only have 7 cards, why didn’t I connect with more colleagues, is this all I have to show for my lack of sleep and four days in Orlando away from my family”. Dramatic, I know. But then I snapped back and realized it was about the quality of the connections that I made, not the number of cards I received. Now, this is not to say that if you received 20 or 30 cards then you didn’t make meaningful connections. This is just to simply offer a different perspective of what is most important when we talk about networking and creating an impressionable brand.
The meaningful connections that I made involved Dr. Nicole West of the University of South Florida and Dr. Juliana Mosley of Edward Waters College, both of whom I met at the African American Women’s Summit. I connected with Dr. West during a roundtable discussion, where she shared her story about her decision to pursue her Ph.D. With my desire to be a VPSA* one day but my current lack of interest in acquiring a Ph.D., she encouraged me to pursue my Ph. D when I received the message that the time was right for me. Dr. Juliana Mosley of Edward Waters College and I connected during another roundtable discussion about work/life balance. Dr. Mosley challenged me (we shook on it) to establish date night with my partner and to apply the same principles from my professional life to my personal life in order to achieve better work/life balance.
During a reception, Mr. Mauriell Amechi of The Ohio State University shared his triumph of overcoming foster care and his journey to obtain a Ph.D to become a professor of higher education. His story and will to achieve as a black male in student affairs is an inspiring motivator for me to always strive to be better. At the NPGS KC* business meeting , Ms. Kim McAloney of Oregon State University, a fellow NUFP* Alum and member of the NUFP Board, took the initiative with me to assist the NPGS with creating a pathway for NUFP Alums to stay involved in NASPA. I also connected with Dr. Gail Cole-Avent of the University of Miami who volunteered her time for a Candid Conversation sponsored by the WISA KC* and offered to be my mentor. Dr. Cole-Avent helped me to see my experience in Academic Affairs as an asset and not as a pigeon-hole. She encouraged me to continue to be a risk-taker and keep leaning in. Last but not least, Ms. Melanie Harris of the University of South Florida, one of my mentee’s and fellow NUFP alum, who I spent some much needed time reconnecting with while discussing life, eating good food and sharing our goals since she has left for graduate school.
Of course, I spoke to more than 7 people and connected with more than these 7 individuals but these conversations were the most memorable. The quality of the connections that I made and the knowledge that I gained has given me a greater appreciation for life and the opportunities that have been afforded to me. Meaningful connections lead to lasting impressions that can never be replaced with a business card.
~Stay purposeful!
*VPSA – Vice President of Student Affairs, NASPA – National Association of Student Personal Administrators, NUFP – NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program, NPGS KC – New Professional & Graduate Students Knowledge Community, WISA KC – Women in Student Affairs Knowledge Community
Brandy S. Propst 
You provide great insight and wisdom on the importance of networking with purpose. Quality connections are connections that will last.
Jalonda! Thanks for your support! I think we could all use a refresher on the purpose of networking and what we hope to get out of it. Stay purposeful! Brandy
Brandy, thank you for this insightful and reflective blog post. It was truly a pleasure to connect with you and some your colleagues to reflect on our individual journeys as young professionals in student affairs. In retrospect, I shared the same reflection about the quality of the connections that I made during my first NASPA conference. I look forward to fostering our professional connection in the years to come.
Reblogged this on BLKakademic and commented:
During the 2013 NASPA annual meeting, I had the pleasure to make acquaintances with Ms. Brandy Propst, a student affairs professional at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In the following blog post, she shares insightful reflections about the importance of considering the quality of the connections we make, rather than just the quantity.