Heather Butscher

I think that going into a situation knowing that you're not going to have all of the answers right at the beginning and building the right team around you to help address whatever community or health issues that you're going to be addressing is so important. Having that trust in those relationships is a core value that I try to bring to every situation, whether I'm at my work or in some of the volunteer roles I've taken on over the years. I really believe in building relationships with people and building rapport, which as a social worker is the crux of what you want to do, and I've carried that with me throughout my career.

My grandfather told me as I was going into my working career, after I'd graduated college, that people are not going to remember what you did, they're going to remember how you reacted to situations. He said, just think about that over the long term of your career. How you work with others and how you respond is really going to make a bigger impact than one single decision you might make. That's really stuck with me to build relationships with people and build a rapport, and as a social worker, that's the crux of what you want to do. I've really just carried that with me throughout my career.

I would say build that network around you, both in the workplace and outside of the workplace, because you have to be able to step away as well. Whether you're also a mom and you need a group of other working moms, or if you're at an earlier point in your career and you want young professionals around you who can commiserate about the daily work life, build those networks. And then at work, make sure that you have a team, or a confidant, or someone around you to support you. Those relationships are so important, especially for women, because that's how we're built and engineered, to be relational.

It's ever-changing in the sense of how donors want to give. I've seen a shift over the last 10 to 15 years where employees want to be more involved and connected to our mission through their work. We've gotten away from the old model of purchase a table or put your sign on an event banner. Now it's, can we volunteer, and can we work alongside you? So monetizing volunteering has been a big shift that we've had to adjust to as organizations, and creating those opportunities. It's beautiful because it helps us to get creative about how we can make sure that people feel engaged with our mission, which can be harder sometimes, especially in an organization like American Heart Association where we have a lot of research opportunities and people don't know the great work we're doing in the community. But now we're out there and have people out with us doing hands-only CPR and things like that.

The most important value to me is really about how I treat others and respond to situations. My grandfather's advice has stuck with me: people are not going to remember what you did, they're going to remember how you reacted to situations. How you work with others and how you respond is really going to make a bigger impact than one single decision you might make. Building relationships with people and building rapport is something I've carried throughout my career. I also try to live by doing good work while treating others how you would want to be treated. That's how I really try to approach everything I do.