Dining with Della: Pamela McDonald at Nightingale
October 24, 2016
Pamela and I met up for lunch at Nightingale, a fairly new trendy spot that looks better than it feels. The concept behind the name - "inspired by Aesop’s Fable of the Hawk & the Nightingale, which tells the story of a hungry hawk who chooses to keep his tiny nightingale instead of waiting for a bigger bird to come along: it gives us the proverb ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’". Our salads were okay but not anything spectacular. I would rather go there for a happy hour cocktail than a meal.
Pamela has been the Director of Communications and Education for the BC Securities Commission for three years. Over her career, she has worked for major companies such as Bell, Telus and the Toronto Port Authority. When I met her in the late 90s, she was former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's special advisor for BC. One of her special talents then, which continues today, is connecting people to do good things.
Her work for the Securities Commission is all about creating a more informed investor. They are having great success with online tools that educate the public about investing and even about themselves as investors. They make it fun with surveys and tap into areas such as understanding fees or your risk threshold. If you want to know more, check out this recent interview she did for The Vancouver Sun.
What one bit of communication impacted your life?
About four or five years ago someone told Pam she was really good at what she did. It was not like it was the first time she had been recognized for her communication skills but for some reason this time it resonated in a different way. She thought of herself in the public affairs realm and as a people connector who got things done but had not appreciated the full scope of her expertise.
As with most people, Pamela is a product of her childhood. She was destined to be a ballerina... a serious ballerina. From receiving a scholarship at age 5 and then being sent to boarding school in England by the age of 10, she was getting life lessons early. Pre-teen Pamela cried for the first two weeks. It was a rough go. The other girls were a tad mean and short sheeted her bed. But, the experience gave her tenacity and strength. Ballet was a highly critical environment where you are never good enough. At the famous Bush Davies School of Theatrical Arts she learned about the concept of "break you or make you". Obviously, it helped make her. The world of ballet gave her determination but also some early heartbreak. At 18, she hurt her knee and the doctors said she had to quit dancing.
She rebounded. No matter what she did, her career path kept leading her back to communications. After completing the securities course and working for a stock broker, she decided that was not the place for her. Another colleague suggested she would be good at communications so off she went to London and got a job in a financial PR firm.
She heeded advice both times and the results were good. Pamela is quick to credit others and praise her colleagues for their support and ability to see her talents.
What did not work...
When Pamela came back to Canada she took a job with someone who was disreputable. There were a few others over the years who were overly tough on her and not supportive at all. The types who take credit for other people's idea.
She learned to never work for someone she did not like or people who did not want her to succeed.
(Note from Della: I continue to be surprised by managers who undermine people in their teams. Bad bosses must be incredibly insecure or incompetent.)
What if...
What advice would you give to your younger self to enhance your ability to communicate with others – and why?
Pamela would advise that young woman to trust herself and have more faith. As she notes, it is not easy when you are young to see all the possibilities ahead. Pamela believes mentorship is also key. As her stories illustrate, comments from mentors/colleagues helped focus her efforts.
She stressed not comparing yourself to other people and the huge value in working with the right people. I can tell Pamela walks the talk. When she tells me about her own team, she beams.
(Note from Della: A final thought - Pamela is one of those people who never brags about her influence. Her connections and ability to make something happen is bar none. My personal anecdote is a case in point.
In 2002, Queen Elizabeth was touring Canada to celebrate her Golden Jubilee. There was a grand lunch at the Hotel Vancouver and I got an invitation. What surprise! I could not figure out how I got on such a prestigious invitation list. Was it my volunteer work for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards? Did one of my clients get me on a list? The mystery continued at the lunch. I knew a few people attending but could see by their stature why they were included - a First Nations Chief, CEOs of major organizations, media personalities, political leaders and community influencers. Finally, a few months ago, I find out who put my name on the list. Pamela! We were at lunch with another good friend and somehow got around to sharing "royal" moments. Pam laughed when I shared mine still pondering the purveyor of the invite. She said someone had joked it was the "friends of Pamela" lunch. I might have figured it out if she was at the lunch, but after organizing it all and doing all the inviting, she had to go out of town. Only Pamela. So self-effacing yet powerful.)
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