On being an advocate

protest concept with megaphoneI spent this past weekend at the Comp Laude Awards and Gala, where I volunteered to help facilitate some collaboration sessions on advocacy-based claims management. Don’t worry, that’s not what I’m going to talk about… exactly.

During these sessions it became pretty clear that there’s great power in being an advocate for people. It’s personally satisfying. In the case of worker’s compensation, it seems to save money over the long term. It creates happier workers. But in listening to all of this, I realized that it’s universal. There’s very little greater power than in advocacy – in not just doing for others, but in helping them get what they need to do things for themselves.

There are so many areas where this applies. Raising children is all about advocacy – it’s giving them what they need to succeed in life. Being a good leader and manager is all about advocacy – making sure your team has what they need to succeed professionally. Political activism can be about advocacy, particularly when you’re working to help a group of which you’re not a member.

I came away from these sessions with a desire to be an advocate every day, in as many ways as I possibly can. In my role as a leader and manager, I advocate for my team and my colleagues to get what they need personally and professionally. In my role as a father, I advocate for my child’s needs. As a partner, I advocate for my girlfriend’s needs. And in life, as I see those around me who are suffering from some injustice or need, I will advocate for them as well.

I hope you do the same. If we all take time to take care of each other, to be that small voice righting wrongs, this world will be a much better place.

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