#evan austin

[lead150-sme-blog]

*Insert generic title here*

First off, I hope all of you appreciate the irony of my title. Oh how witty I am. I digress. Starting with question 1 from the article, I think a few things in my early life really contributed to the leader I am today. I’m an only child, and I think growing up “alone” gave me a strong sense of who I am. When you have no siblings to interact with, a lot of your childhood is spent deep inside your own imagination. I think that time gave me an opportunity to develop an authentic personality. Being an only child also probably grew my ego a little too big and lead to some of my weaknesses as a leader, but I wouldn’t change my childhood for anything. The second huge factor in my early life that made me ME is the influence of my mom. That isn’t to say I didn’t have a great relationship with my dad as well, but my mom taught me the value of being open, accepting and sensitive to both my own emotions and those of everyone else. My sensitivity allowed me to read the feelings of people I interacted with, and quickly connect on a deep level. One of my favorite things to do is to talk about my insecurities and failures, because it makes me feel better, but also because I know it disarms those around me and facilitates an authentic, trusting relationship. 

Moving to the present, I’ll be completely honest: I haven’t really had much of a chance to exercise my leadership in my job quite yet. Washington is a very rigid and hierarchical place, so it’s pretty hard to shine. It’s also a hard place to be an authentic leader. There are just simply many things you cannot say and cannot do in many contexts, because of political implications. However, as I get more comfortable in my role, I intend to push boundaries. My goal for the next week is to communicate to my superiors in the office my love of writing, and that I think I can make an honest contribution with that skill. 

To continue to grow as an authentic leader this summer, I want to first be a good follower. I’ve met a few older interns in the office, and I think I can learn a lot from one especially. He’s become a mentor to me, not about the job, but about life in general. So for now I’ve just been listening and paying attention, and when he leaves in a few weeks, along with the other interns, I think I’ll be ready to step into the spotlight. To keep growing over the next year, I’m going to just look at everything I do in life as an opportunity to improve myself, and I’m going to ask people for honest feedback. Like a lot of the figures mentioned in the article, I sometimes have issues taking criticism. I’ll be working on that in the years to come… 

[managingoneself-blog]

Managing the dapper individual known to me as myself

My perceptions of myself are always changing, and I think that’s both good and bad. It’s bad in the sense that my personality can be somewhat malleable, and I struggle at times to be completely authentic. I think it’s good, though, in that I’m adaptable, and I truly believe you should focus on utilizing different attributes depending on the environment. This lesson has been extremely relevant so far this summer, and I think it’s a critical lesson in managing oneself.

Since Rice is heavily weighted towards math and science types, I feel like my linguistic talents and comfort speaking publicly allow me to stand out when I’m at school. But strengths are relative. In DC, I suddenly feel like I don’t stand out at all, because everyone is a poli sci major, everyone is charismatic and everyone is articulate and rhetorically talented. So, to manage myself and perform the best, I’ve been altering my gameplan, trying to find other personal traits that might not be as universally possessed here. Not to generalize, but in my experience so far a lot of DC staffers and interns are style over substance type people. And so I think my biggest contribution on the hill can be made in the intellectual department. I hope to thrive using my intellectual gifts. Whereas at Rice my personable nature makes me stand out and my intellectual capacity makes me fit in, the opposite is almost true here. It’s funny how roles change.

As far as my learning style, I’m definitely a writer. I have an awful memory it seems, and so I make lists and set reminders about everything. Listening simply does not work for me, and reading not a whole lot better. I think I’m naturally pretty distracted, and so I need a more active mode of learning for things to stick. Reading and listening are just too passive.

The process of finding out where I belong has been a journey of finding out where I don’t so far. But I think that’s pretty common. I’ve had a few jobs, including this one, in the public sector, and I’ve found out that working in the public sector isn’t for everyone. If you’re not a fan of bureaucracy (and things happening slowwwwwwwwwly) with not much direct impact, the public sector can be frustrating. I used to think I wanted to be a diplomat, but then I realized I’d probably die before seeing anything I do make a real impact. Government is similar. That’s why I lean towards law, because a lawyer can make or break someone’s life in the amount of time it takes a case to be processed, which is not much relatively.

To close, I think self-management needs to be managed itself. I feel like over-managing yourself is limiting who you can be. If you only play to strengths you won’t develop any new ones. So I act strategically sometimes, and others take risks and develop myself further, even if through failure.

[perfectmentor-blog]

... what mentor?

Ok… so maybe I’m being bit dramatic. I’m not trying to be a ruckus maker or a muckraker. I am, however, tryna give it to y’all straight up, 100% uncut to the gut. So hopefully that isn’t an indictable crime. What my title alludes to is the fact that I haven’t had much interaction with my mentor so far, and I don’t see that changing. Dustin and I spoke of this fact in our visitation meeting. Now, I want to be clear that my lack of a meaningful relationship with my mentor is not as much a reflection on her as it is a reflection on the way things work in congressional offices, or at least in mine anyway. That’s because my “mentor” is really just the intern coordinator, or in other words the person in charge of getting us to do the mail and the other menial tasks we primarily undertake. So I can’t really speak much to the topic of superior-subordinate mentoring relationships. However, and to employ a cliche, in every piece of shit situation there’s silver lining. Woops. I’m being dramatic again.

See, my situation isn’t really shitty at all. It’s just different. And that’s where the silver lining comes in. Unlike most of you, I work in an office with 5 other interns who serve, more or less, the same exact purpose as I do. We’re supposed to be interchangeable, and we share a lot of the work. This is the part where Dustin cringed. He cringed (I think) because the traditional vision of the SME, or at least as I understand it, is about having an individualized superior-subordinate relationship with a wise and experienced mentor. Well, I’m proudly here to say that the SME can be a valuable experience without that seemingly all important component. But Evan… how?!?! 

Well, children of the world (and Domo), I’ll tell you. What I’ve lost in a traditional superior-subordinate mentorship relationship I’ve made up for in peer to peer developmental relationships. The truth is that when you enter the professional world you’re most likely not going to be treated like a special snowflake leadership Rice intern. You will probably be one of at least a few entry level newbies vying for that coveted senior position discussed in the “Partner” reading. And as the “Myth” reading emphasized, the superiors in your firm might not be interested in mentoring you at all. And even if they are, they might prove completely incompatible as a teacher and a role model. If and when that is the case, like it is for me, your relationship with your peers becomes critical to your development. In my peer interns, I’ve found emotional support at times and unsettling competition at others. Sometimes we fight for work, sometimes we share it graciously and sometimes we try to dump it on each other. I’ll be honest. My peer relationships have been a mixed bag. But each positive and negative aspect of my dealings with my peers has been a learning lesson. 

So no, I might not find some old suit in the office to show me exactly how to climb the ladder this summer. But that’s fine with me. When I leave, at least I’ll know a lot more about how to make the most out of the most common professional relationship: the one with your peers.

[successasfailure-blog]

Hello white America assassinate my character

That’s some hip-hop sociology to start us off tonight folks, and you should find it quite appropriate. I’m currently on a bus back to DC from my home in the suburbs of NYC, so all the talk of Riverdale Country Day and elite suburban entitlement hit pretty close to home. And it’s all spot on. And it worries me. Because I’m not exactly an exception. 

When asked about the adversity I’ve overcome, I don’t know what to say. I got dumped. That sucked, but nothing uncommon. I failed my road test. Embarrassing, but not exactly earth shattering. So I’m not the grittiest guy in the grotto. I know I’m blessed to be in the position I am, but I can’t always feel that blessing, because I don’t know any different. I really do have moments of gratitude, and they make me supremely happy, but I know many people would probably be much more grateful than I am to be where I am. Being privileged really can spoil your happiness. I guess that’s why they call it being spoiled.

I will say that I think this summer has really helped me improve on my self-control, which needed work. Having to budget myself for the summer has really made me aware of my uncontrolled spending habits, and I’ve realized I don’tneed a lot of what I buy. Self-control also comes into play a lot in my job, because the Senate is a pretty serious and formal environment, and what you say can be a huge deal. I hear staffers talking about stupid things past interns have said or done all the time. As a naturally goofy goober, I’ve had to control myself a lot. 

I’d also like to note that I think Rice may fall short the same way some of these elite NY private schools do. I’ve argued about this often. The college system creates wonderful and supportive communities, and when you have a problem you can go to the Masters or RAs. At Rice we really have multiple layers of safety nets and a comprehensive support structure. I know what you’re thinking. All of those things seem good, Evan, so what the F is the problem yo? Well, in the real world there won’t be a built in support system, or a welcoming community you immediately belong to. Rice is utopian, but things ain’t so dandy beyond the hedges. Maybe I’m just pessimistic. But at larger schools students are forced to fend for themselves and find resources on their own. And despite all the ills of greek life, my friends who’ve gone through the struggle of the rushing and pledging process seem much grittier because of it. Now, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else for college, because I really do love the community and amenities Rice provides. I just hope I’m ready for the rude awakening when I graduate…

[managingboss-blog]

Brandishing your mosses

Sorry about the title today guys. My wannabe-cowboy roommate who shall not be mentioned is loudly playing his guitar and singing country music next door and it’s scrambling my brain. Ok… I think he’s stopping. Feel free to continue any time bud. It’s not like you’re disrupting my creative process or anything. Texans… 

Anyways, I found the article today to reinforce a lot of what I’ve learned over the course of the summer. As my title so clearly alludes to, I have multiple “bosses” in the office as opposed to just one. While that fact has in some ways detracted from my ability to develop a really strong subordinate-superior relationship with anyone individually, I feel like I’ve been exposed to a variety of managing styles and have been able to approach my various mentors in a variety of ways. I know that I personally like to ask a lot of questions and shoot for as much communication as possible regarding an assignment. What I’ve found is that while some people are happy to answer questions and prefer an open dialogue like I do, others prefer more for me to take on the assignment without much discussion and are happy with whatever I come up with. While working under the second type of boss can make me uncomfortable at times, I try to do the best I can to understand and accommodate how they want me to go about my work for them. 

What I think is the most important lesson to be gleaned from the reading is the importance of taking an active role in your relationship with your superiors. It’s easy to sit back in passivity and wait to be mentored or told what to do. I’m definitely guilty of that at times. What I’ve started to realize, though, is that I’m only really going to get as much work as I seek out, and so I’ve been much more proactive in making it known to those above me in the office that I’m bored and would love to do something other than fold envelopes. Not that folding envelopes is above me. I’d be happy to fold envelopes for the rest of my life. 

I’ve also tried to communicate to my superiors that I like to write and I like to think I’m good at it, so they know to give me assignments that involve writing if at all possible. Sometimes marketing your strengths to your superiors is hard, though, because I don’t want to step on toes. I’ve read things written by people in the office that I think I could improve on, if only stylistically. But I decided that it would probably be unwise to go on a grammar-nazi blitzkrieg. So I’ve tactfully chosen times to market my strengths. And that’s all I’ve got this week. In the quite recent words of Walter White, we’re done when I say we’re done! Which is right now. 

[failuretolerant-blog]

the only "f" word i know is filibuster

Hello my fellow 'merkans. I bought a patriotic bowtie this weekend so I think I'm cool now.  I plan to call it my brotie. Be on the lookout for it in the fall. I won't disappoint. In any event, let's get on with this bidness.

Quite frankly, failure doesn't really seem to fly in the District of Columbia. And that's because mistakes and politics go together like vodka and raisin bran crunch. Like Jimmy McNulty and being an adult (if you don't watch The Wire shame on you). Like a gaggle of geese and the opera. Get it? While the reading mentioned a few former presidents that learned from their failures, almost all of the failures cited happened before the candidate entered the political realm. That's because the profession of politics is so influenced by votes, and so scrutinized by the media, that one mistake can cost a politician his career. This is the reality of American hyperdemocracy, in which a candidate NEVER stops campaigning, and is never truly insulated from public opinion (except in the Supreme Court, which leads to innovative risk-taking like that of Justice Roberts.) So, in my office, we do everything in our power to fight failure, not embrace it. Our constitution set up the government to intentionally operate at a sluggish and deliberate pace, and implemented numerous failsafes against any big mistakes (separation of powers, checks and balances etc.) So, we tend to leave the innovation to the private sector, where there's more room for creativity and failure is far less impactful. 

One of the ways political offices prevent any significant failure is by allowing the inexperienced little to no real power or influence in decision-making. The only ones making real decisions for a Senator are top-level staffers, with years of experience in the pressure-cooker that is our nation's capitol. And the only politicians willing to take risks are the lame ducks in their last term. And even lame ducks face pressure from party leadership not to go rogue and try something unprecedented. The stakes are just too high. I'm not going to make a political statement here, but rather a statement of fact. Look at President Obama's stance on the war coming in to office. He promised to immediately pull the troops out. But then you're faced with the possibility of another 9/11 or worse if that strategy fails. There's no such thing as a market exercise in foreign policy, so the President backed down from his risky stance and basically upheld the status quo. That's politics. At best, failure will cost you reelection. At worst, millions of lives. In Washington, you don't really have the luxury of learning from learn your mistakes. Because, odds are, if you made that big mistake, you don't reside in Washington any longer. 

Sincerely, 

The Brotie Bohemian