Bonus Content The Gardian E-news – April edition

Q & A with Emily Thomas, assistant director and membership manager, Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education

Q: Would you rather sky dive, bungee jump or climb to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and why?
A: Bungee jump. It’s a bucket list item of mine that gives me butterflies just thinking about it!

Q: If you could live someone else’s life for a day, who would it be, and why? 
A: Being a fan of taking risks and not afraid of pressure, I’d choose the president. For starters, it would be a humbling experience understanding what the president and his team are tasked with on a daily basis and the obstacles in their course. And due to my curious nature, I’d also be very interested in learning “behind the scenes” tidbits about being president.

Q: Learn: What’s one subject you’d like to learn more about?
A: Coding. HTML, JavaScript, C++, all of them.  

Q: Network: Social media or face-to-face? Which form of networking is better and why?
A: I prefer face-to-face but in today’s world with associations serving communities far from their home office, social media is the way to go.

Q: Transfer: Tell us about an experience in which you learned something new and then applied it to your personal or professional life.
A: I immediately think of the various Stephen Covey courses I’ve taken (think: “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”) One course in particular, “Speed of Trust,” taught me 13 specific behaviors that, when implemented, will promote trust and in turn lead to lasting change within an organization. After the course, I brought the materials back to my office and led my department in focusing on one new behavior each week to build a more cohesive and trusting team. I still look back on the trust cards today for dealing with tricky situations.