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AGCAREERS.COM
AG & FOOD CAREER GUIDE
YOU KNOW MORE THAN YOU THINK
But you might still become victim of the Imposter Syndrome. Here’s how to avoid it.
by Owen Roberts, Ed.D., University of Illinois, Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications.
C
onsumers’ interest in food
production is shining a new light
on agriculture – and on people who can
talk about it publicly, from a podium, on
social media and through traditional
media.
This is an amazing opportunity for
agriculture, and for you. Agriculture is
constantly diversifying, and journalists’
endless quest for new sources may lead
to your door. They want to hear real
stories and opinions from a breadth of
people in the field.
Similarly, you may decide now is the
time to tell your story and proactively
seek out opportunities to have your
voice heard.
If either scenario sounds like
you, congratulations! Welcome to the
community of people who are accepting
the challenge of publicly portraying
agriculture accurately and widely.
This role is no longer exclusively
for someone else, like official
spokespeople. The community needs
as many people to join as possible
in agriculture. If consumers, decision
makers and others are anxious to
understand more about the sector from
the very people who make it hum, why
not jump at the chance to oblige? Why
not tell how sustainability, safety and
profitability intersect on farm?
But first, be aware of a few facts.
Some journalists are headline hunters
and have burned farmers before, but the
vast majority rise to their role of telling
accurate, balanced stories. Now that
doesn’t mean they will always be your
friend or present agriculture in a positive
light – expecting them to be on “your
side” or pro-agriculture, is a mistake.
But it also doesn’t mean you need to
be instantly suspicious of their motives.
They want to know what the public
wants to know, and research by entities
such as the Canadian Centre for Food
Integrity tells us the public wants to
know more about food production.
Here’s something to remember:
Connecting with the public with or
without the media’s involvement means
you will get asked a lot of questions.
You may be unfamiliar with some of the
topics. After all, given the breadth of the
agri-food sector, how many of us can go
in depth on its entirety?
Intrinsically, that makes sense. But
unfamiliarity can lead to self-doubt and
a spiralling rabbit hole from which it’s
hard to emerge. It’s a scenario in which
a devil is perched on your shoulder,
incessantly asking, “Who are YOU
to speak about a multi-billion-dollar
industry?”
This is called
Imposter Syndrome
.
It was identified decades ago, defined
in part as “an internal experience of
intellectual phoniness.” It can send its
victims running for the exits, missing the
chance to raise agriculture’s profile, not
to mention, their own.
Imposter Syndrome can be
avoided. The key to avoiding it
is to talk about what you know and
avoid or defer on areas you don’t.
For example, I know about
communications. So when I get asked
questions about certain technologies
(genetically modified organisms,
for example), I offer to discuss
communication issues surrounding
them, but that’s it. I will refer questions
about the science of technology to
people whose professional lives are
immersed in it.
Maybe you’re not an expert yet
in a particular field. But you know
more than you think you do, like
your understanding of the culture of
agriculture, which is perfect for telling
certain stories.
You can explain family-farming
values, such as sustainability and how
generation after generation has kept the
family farm productive by emphasizing
sustainability.
You can explain how crop protection
and animal health is vital to farming
operations, and how technology –
government tested and approved – is
used by farmers to keep plants and
animals out of harm’s way.
You are not an imposter when you
talk about what you know.
If you ever need help working with
the media, you can always seek advice
from communications professionals
at commodity organizations and
elsewhere. They’re eager to have
people in the field acquire or further
develop communications skills.
AG
Seize the opportunity!
You’re the real deal.
PHOTO: Kentoh/iStock/Getty Images Plus