Five ways to give back in the Anaplan Community
The biggest thing I’m grateful for in my career is the Anaplan Community. Not just in the sense of this technical website — community.anaplan.com. If it weren’t for all of the people willing to share their knowledge, support others’ growth, and challenge ideas, I wouldn't be in business as an independent consultant. In this spirit and with the upcoming U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, today I highlight all of the ways you can give back to the Community. This list isn't only for Certified Master Anaplanners or even Certified Model Builders — everyone can give back in this Community. You don’t have to have a shiny badge or a special title! Just a little experience, maybe a bruise or two from tripping over something when working on a model, and the willingness to help others on a challenge you have experienced.
Five ways you can give back in the Anaplan Community
- Reply to questions in the Platform forums.
The fastest, most on-demand way to give back is to reply to all of the great questions from Anaplanners in the Community forums. I frequently surf the Platform forum in hopes of finding questions I can answer, or follow-up questions to ask in replies. More often, I find myself learning something new. A question never goes unanswered for long, so set up email alerts and a special folder in your inbox to keep up with the wild amount of knowledge being shared on the forum. - Write an article on something you learned.
Everyone has unique knowledge that has yet to be written about in Community in the blog or How To sections. Even if you are a very new model builder, I encourage you — as you learn — to look for ways to share this knowledge back into the Community. I’ve recently been searching for documentation on how to handle annual transitions on product models in Anaplan. If anyone knows of an article like this, I can’t wait to read it. Otherwise, be on the lookout for an article from me coming soon! - Mentor a new Anaplanner.
I can confidently say this is my favorite thing to do. Watching people grow and upskill in this career path brings back the feelings I had when first learning the platform. Seeing the light bulb go off for folks experiencing an “a-ha!” moment is a sweet reward in exchange for the patience this giving method requires. - Host a networking event.
No experience or special permission is required for this one. All you have to do is set up a Zoom link, create an event on LinkedIn, and show up. Or, if you are excited about seeing people in person again, reserve a space at your favorite bar/restaurant/coffee shop/local library! - Participate in an Anaplan-hosted event.
This doesn’t require giving a big presentation. Consider assisting with a booth (in-person) or helping with a breakout session (in-person or virtual). At Anaplan Live! in 2019, I helped organize and hand out gear at the Certified Master Anaplanner booth. This was an excellent way to meet other Master Anaplanners and hear about the awesome projects they were working on.
There are so many opportunities for all of us to do more to get involved! This list is a call to action. I am looking forward to contributing in additional ways, and I hope you'll join me in sharing knowledge and supporting the growth of other model builders.
Leave a comment, and share how you’re giving back to the Anaplan Community or in other ways!
Comments
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You're such a great role model for the Community, Clarissa. Thanks for leading by example and continuing to pay it forward, we're grateful for YOU this holiday season!
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