“How are you?” “I’m great – how are you? How’s work?” “Good, good… staying busy.” *family* *travel* Have you ever had the above conversation? I know I have… many times. Too many to count. It’s a good conversation, at least it’s a good beginning to a conversation. But where do you go from there? I’ve spent almost my entire life NOT being outward-focused (by outward-focused I mean you strive to listen to others more than you talk at others), and I’m by no means an expert on this topic, but if you’re interested in just a couple of my thoughts, please keep reading: 1.) Be present. I’m not naturally good at making conversation with people, but rather I actively prepare for it. When I’m headed to a social gathering, I’ll often think of who will be there, what’s going on with them, and various conversation topics to have with them. This is because I’m an introvert and I have to do this to push myself outside my comfort zone; you may not be like this at all, but rather you may be energized by the presence of others. Other times, I’ll be at my desk working hard when someone walks over and would like to have a conversation; I’m more caught off guard than the first situation. Wherever you are, or whatever you’re doing, try to take a moment to be present with the person you’re talking with. Look away from your computer screen, stop thinking about what’s for lunch, and be there for this human interaction. Or if you’re working on a deadline and can’t talk, say that. 2.) Ask questions. A funny thing happens when you ask questions: you get an opportunity to get to know someone on a much deeper level than you may otherwise. a.) Don’t be afraid. As you get to know someone, we often visit topics where we’re uncertain if people want to talk about certain things, so what we tend to do is to completely avoid those topics. What I’ve found instead is that generally… people want to share and talk about the experiences they’ve had. And if people don’t want to share, they’ll tell you that. b.) Be curious. Be genuine and learn why people are the way they are, strive to understand their experiences, what makes them unique, and understand their perspective on the world. I think you’ll be surprised more often than not about what others have to say. 3.) Strive for empathy. When you listen to your friends, family, coworkers… you make them feel special and important. Sometimes you’ll chat with people for minutes and minutes and they won’t ask a single question… and that’s ok. Albeit difficult, we also want to share our experiences and be heard, and it’s important we seek those outward-focused people in our own lives who’ll listen to us and offer empathy. But sometimes the nicest thing you can do for others all day is to ask a couple questions and know they appreciate you listening. I’m excited to serve all of you over the next year as President of the Arizona Section of ASCE. We have a great organization of people who have donated countless hours of time to the advancement of our profession. Do you have any ideas how we can improve ASCE? Do you see a way to advance our profession through ASCE, but just need some funding? Is there an educational outreach or public service cause that’s important to you, but you just need some volunteers? I want to hear from you. Let’s work together and continue to build on our strong foundation. Please join me in thanking Fausto Burruel for his ongoing service to the ASCE Arizona Section. Fausto has planned and organized multiple successful conferences, served us diligently as ASCE Arizona President, all while becoming the Deputy Director at the Town of Marana and being an active parent to three kids