Sara Serves
I’m not sure how up-to-date you are with today’s lingo. I try to keep up, mostly because I have six young adults (mine and my husband’s) ranging from 20 to 28. I pretend I know what they’re talking about… most of the time. So when the “youngs” say someone is serving, they mean it in a whole new way.
But let’s take a step back.
As a verified middle-aged person, I still think of “serving” in the traditional way. According to Merriam-Webster, to serve means:
• To be of use
• To be favorable, opportune, or convenient
• To be worthy of reliance or trust
• To hold an office or discharge a duty
My goal this year as VLGMA President: to be of service: to you, to the organization, and to our profession.
If I can support you in any way, reach out. Really. I mean it.
📧 saraemcguffin@gmail.com
📱 434-661-8030
I would love it if I heard from you. I know that managers are TERRIBLE at reaching out. We mostly keep it to ourselves, unless you are like me, and take it home to your spouse. And, even before we get to the manager’s seat, we often think that we can’t ask for advice or help because it says that we need help to do the job,
This simply isn’t true. What is true is that we are better and more able to address issues in our communities when we have a circle of people that we can rely on.
I’ve got a short list of folks I call when I’m ready to bang my head against the wall. They always pick up. They listen to my rants, help me strategize, or just say, “Yup, that sucks.” Two are Senior Advisors, one is a Regional Support Coordinator, the rest are amazing colleagues I’ve met along the way.
If you don’t have a person on speed dial yet, call me. I may not be your person—but I’ll help you find them. We’ve got Senior Advisors, Support Coordinators, and a deep bench of experienced colleagues who’ve been there.
Yes, this job is hard. But what a privilege it is to serve. We make our communities better, even on the tough days. I may not always get it right, but I try to move the needle in the right direction, and sometimes I even succeed.
And truthfully? My favorite calls are the ones where I get to help someone else make their community better. That’s service, too, and I love it.
So if you need an ear, a shoulder, or someone to scream into the void with?
Call me.
Call another manager.
Call a Senior Advisor or a Support Coordinator.
We’ve got you.
And if you’ve stuck with me this long, let’s go back to that lingo.
With the young crowd, “serving” means something else entirely:
To bring it. To work the runway. To show up fierce.
“Did you see her serve? She owned that room.”
Or, on a particularly tough day:
Serve (verb): To deliver a swift and decisive round of ass-whoopin’. 😄
Let’s be real, Urban Dictionary isn’t always workplace appropriate, but my kids usually use “serving” with me in the best possible way. Either I look fabulous… or I’ve been out here kicking butt and taking names.
Let’s keep serving in all the ways.
Have a great day, my friends. And truly, give me a call. Because you need to, or because you want to.