AACPM – Opportunities Available, Knowledge Gained
By Ronald L. Buchholz, CPM
ronbuchholz@charter.net

Most – especially Academy members – who have earned their CPM credential tend to limit the application of CPM Program lessons learned and skills attained to their public sector management positions. That is unfortunate. They are missing out when not applying those lessons and skills in non-traditional settings and situations. Re-thinking that premise can open up new opportunities to realize their fullest potential.

Throughout the past several years, there has been ongoing discussion and consideration given to the benefits of Academy membership. Most members tend to think of benefits in the traditional terms of conferences, training, networking, mentoring, socializing, newsletters, scholarships, awards and the like. During these discussions and deliberations, a number of Academy members, including myself, have been promoting the biggest and best benefit – the more intangible one of meeting CPMs and other people from around the country and forming both professional and personal friendships with them.

These friendships often provide opportunities to learn new lessons and gain new knowledge and insights. This will benefit all of us in our professional and personal lives and as well as in pursuing our dreams and avocations.

Let me share my personal experience to better explain:

A number of years ago, I had the very good fortune to meet and get to know Bill Herman from New Hampshire when we both ran for positions on the Academy Board in 2002. We had met briefly during the conference and HOD meeting in Scottsdale the previous year but really didn't get to know each other until the conference in Atlantic City. This continued during our years of service on the Academy Board. Today, we are the best and closest of friends.

While serving together on an Academy committee, Bill and Ardie Davis from Kansas met each other and became good friends. I got to know Ardie over the next several years and finally met him in person in Kansas City during the 2004 conference. I now count Ardie as a very close friend as well. Three very different persons with widely varying backgrounds and experiences, living in distant parts of the country became best friends as a result of our being CPMs and Academy members.

I soon learned a major part of Ardie's life was devoted to barbecuing and that he is nationally recognized as a BBQ expert. He has even developed a BBQ persona –  Remus Powers, Ph.B "Doctor of Barbeque Philosophy."  Ardie is a charter member of the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) founded in 1985. With more than 11,000 members, the KCBS is recognized as one of the premier BBQ competition sanctioning organizations.

Ardie became a BBQ mentor to Bill Herman who has himself become a Certified BBQ Competition Judge. Ardie has also served as a BBQ mentor to me.

In 2008, Ardie undertook a new book-writing effort with co-author Paul Kirk to find and document the best BBQ places in the country. He asked me to visit and sample the offerings of the BBQ restaurants here in Madison, determine which was the very best, write a review of that restaurant, and then submit it for consideration in the upcoming book.

Like many people, I have had a life-long dream and ambition to be a published writer. Ardie's request gave me the opportunity and stimulus needed to finally pursue that dream. (I do freely admit that having to sample BBQ at a number of locations in Madison was a great side benefit as well!)  I completed my assignment, found the best BBQ place in Madison (Smoky Jon's # 1 BBQ), authored a review article, took photographs, and submitted my material for inclusion in Ardie's and Paul's upcoming book.

The rest of the story – my review and photographs were selected for the book! I am on my way to fulfilling my lifelong dream of being a published writer, albeit I am just a contributing author at this time. The book America's Best BBQ was published in April 2009, sold out the first printing of 30,000 copies in the first few months, and the second printing is doing so well that a third printing is in the offing.

Our friendship and mutual interest in BBQ resulted in Bill, Ardie, and I getting together twice here in Madison since November 2008. Because of the very strong book sales, the publisher scheduled a book signing event at Smoky Jon's when Ardie and Bill traveled here to Madison this past November. During these get-togethers, we enjoyed our friendship while sampling the cuisine from Madison's numerous restaurants, brew pubs and establishments.

Pictured left to right: Ardie Davis, Smoky Jon Olson, Joel Latham, Ron Buchholz

At the book signing event, owner Smoky Jon Olson, Pit Master Joel Latham, Ardie and I signed copies of the book while sampling the best BBQ in Madison. The book signing provided the three of us an opportunity to talk with Jon and Joel. We gained a better understanding of the challenges they face as small, private sector businessmen, especially in the very competitive and volatile restaurant market. It was not surprising to hear that private sector small businesses face many, if not most, of the challenges and problems we face daily as private sector managers. Jon talked about the challenge of establishing a high quality product and service. He spoke about the ongoing task of hiring, training and retaining high quality, dedicated workers focused on providing the best customer service possible; facing budget restraints; keeping costs in line, staying competitive; and trying to balance his career and personal life. Do these challenges sound familiar to you? They should because these are exactly the same challenges we all face every day in our public sector careers. Bill, Ardie and I left with a much heightened appreciation and understanding of the similarities between overcoming challenges in the public and private sectors.

And so, the opportunities available and lessons learned are:

• Three Certified Public Managers® with very different personalities and experience and from distant parts of the country have become  the best of friends;
• Encouragement and opportunities afforded by our friendship have broadened and enhanced our professional and personal lives;
• The knowledge and skills we learned while earning our CPM designations transcend and work equally well in facing and overcoming the challenges in the private and public sector; and
• Life-long ambitions and dreams can be realized and achieved if you seek out every opportunity presented to you, especially if those opportunities are non-traditional or out of the norm.

I challenge each of you to re-evaluate your CPM experience. Seek out new, innovative and non-traditional ways to grow, learn and achieve.

(America’s Best BBQ by Ardie Davis can be purchased through the AACPM website www.cpmacademy.org by clicking the Amazon link and searching by book title or author.)

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