7. Respect the Past
and the Future
There's a growing culture of shorter attention
spans, and the need for things to happen now.
Yet, attention is one of the greatest gifts we can
give one another. I believe that if someone isn't
willing to give you even 15 minutes of their time,
then you really have nothing to learn from them.
Throughout my career, I've had both male and female,
and both personal and professional, mentors who
have paid quality attention to me, helping guide and
shape my perspectives and decisions. I did not always
listen to them or ask for their input, but I surely
benefitted from their attention. I believe we have a
responsibility to nurture the younger generations and
provide support when possible—whether it's a call for
advice, a reference for a past student or employee, or
influencing change through our work in various ways.
I also think it's important to know the history of
our field, including the people who came before
us who have years of experience and knowl-
edge—not just technical knowledge, but an
understanding how to navigate the social and
political arenas of each aspect of our industries.
People often ask me: Who is the next generation? For
our field, the characteristics that I'm seeing include
entrepreneurship; creative thinking; certainly more
women; a more informed appreciation for diver-
sity (both applied and social); and an appreciation,
desire, and demand for more work-life balance.
With coauthor Liza Paqueo of the U.S. Forest Service,
Dr. Bardekjian contributed a chapter, "Beyond Trees:
Growing International Stewards in Nontraditional
Ways" to this publication, informed by their in-depth
exploration of cross-cultural collaboration through the
USFS Office of International Programs.
If someone isn't willing to give you even
15 minutes of their time, then you really
have nothing to learn from them.
26 CityTREES
