Going it Alone and Going it with Others

Going it Alone and Going it with Others

by Vern Schellenger, CEO Contacts Count   2/11/25

Darlene was doing cutting-edge work designing and delivering successful virtual classroom learning events. As Darlene had more and more success with virtual classrooms, she realized that the lack of resources to help other learning professionals in this area. “Why aren’t there more books out there on this topic?” she wondered. Her thought soon morphed into “Why don’t I write a book about virtual classrooms to help others?”

 Going it Alone

While Darlene had published blogs, articles, and chapters in other’s books, she had yet to embark on an individual book project. So, true to her get-it-done attitude, Darlene set aside time each weekend to begin the writing process. To help her understand how to best approach writing, she read articles, watched videos and read other books to glean valuable information. She interviewed thought leaders in this area, outlined her chapters, and began writing.  Although she was making progress on her own, she still had a long way to go.

Going With Others – Part 1

During an Association for Talent Development (ATD) event, discussions with fellow members about work projects and interests unveiled a shared aspiration among them – to write their own books. So, they organized a get together and shared ideas to motivate each other how to realize their dreams of becoming authors.  Sharing her aspirations with like-minded individuals invigorated Darlene, yet, as time progressed, she grappled with the investment of personal time and the fortitude to persevere. Nonetheless, she remained steadfast in her commitment.

 Going With Others – Part 2

Months later at a session at an ATD conference, Darlene struck up a conversation to the person seated next to her. Inspired by the speaker’s work and authorship Darlene felt motivated to express her own aspirations of publishing a book. The words tumbled out of her mouth, and she felt a bit silly because the book project felt like a faraway dream. However, it turned out that the person next to her had a publishing background and she offered to connect her with an editor. After a quick exchange of emails, Darlene connected with the editor who requested an outline of her book so he could take it to an upcoming publishers conference in New York.

Within two months of the conference, Darlene secured a book deal with a reputable publisher, and she was on her way to realizing her dream. A year later, her she celebrated the publication of her work, “The Successful Virtual Classroom.”

Based on Darlene's story which will you choose - Going it Alone OR Going it with Others?

Going at it alone, Darlene was able to make progress to get her initial idea in motion. However, on her own she found that she could only take the idea to a certain point. Talking to ATD chapter members helped to make her realize that others were also facing similar challenges and sharing ideas was quite motivating.

And the final push to get the book published was going out on a limb and speaking to a stranger. Sometimes Darlene wonders what would have happened if she hadn’t opened her mouth that day. In any case, that connection was the lynchpin to getting the book published.

 Sharing your goals with others may seem daunting, but it’s a way to discover mutual interests and can serve as a source of motivation. A fortuitous encounter with an individual can be just the catalyst you need to realize your professional ambitions.

Darlene - used 5 of the 8 Contacts Count competencies.  Can you pick them out?  Interested to find out which ones she used?

 Thoughts, comment, questions – vern@contactscount.

About the Author

Vern Schellenger, President and CEO of Contacts Count.

Contacts Count is the premier coaching and training organization dedicated to helping you use the power of human connection to transform your career, business, and your life.

Vern is dedicated to empowering professionals and entrepreneurs with the strategies, skills and tools to master networking (even if they are introverted and don’t like networking events). His vast experience includes such roles as HR VP and CLO at Dunkin Donuts, VP & Director of Professional Services at Lee Hecht Harrison, and SR VP of Human Resources at American Bankers Association.