Kate Haughton on career, life and everything in between

Kate Haughton is a force of nature. She walked around the room with a purpose in every stride. It was as if there were cartoonish light rays radiating off her body. As participants for the Woman’s Summit slowly trickled into the room holding their lunches, I overheard her decline lunch; she was passing out her business cards to the few that were in the room.

Kate is the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications for University Advancement. Her illustrious career – including being the Worldwide Program Director of Social Business Performance Marketing at IBM, made her the perfect candidate to give us a workshop about tips to find our vocation, own our voice and thrive. Afterward, when I approached her, she had a firm handshake and gave me her undivided attention. She was a busy woman no doubt, but she still made time.

It was very nice of you to personally hand out your business cards to everyone and invite us to come to you for advice and a chat. What motivates you to reach out to the BC community even with your busy schedule?

To whom much is given, much is expected. I have been blessed to have a career full of many rich experiences that have taught me a tremendous amount. It’s my duty, obligation, and, quite honestly, my privilege to be able to connect with students and impart the knowledge I have gained over the years.  

Speaking of your schedule, you seem lined up for the week when we were trying to arrange a time, and from your stories, you had only taken one break in your entire career! Have you experienced a burnout before?

Unfortunately, yes. I have a tendency to live life to the fullest and burn the candle at both ends of the stick which can easily lead to burnout. This is both a blessing and a curse.

How do you find time for yourself with a busy career and family life?

I make time.  It’s not easy to get up early and journal or go to the gym before my day at the office starts but taking care of my body and mind is really important to me.  Carving out time to practice good self-care makes me a happier, healthier person and a more effective leader.

Juggling competing demands for my time is nearly impossible without a strong support system. I have a phenomenal husband who works from home and is able to help lighten my load.  He makes the lunches in the morning, drops my daughter off to gymnastics after school each day, and ensures that my children are fed before I arrive home from work.  

Is there any advice that you would like to give to working mothers?

Go easy on yourself and don’t try to do everything perfectly. Perfection as a working mother is simply not possible. That said, it’s really important to plan well and prioritize. My children had a wonderful way of helping me to reestablish what’s truly important to me so I could focus my energies on those things.

You gave a lot of useful advice during the workshop. Your second tip talked about doing what makes you uncomfortable. You mentioned being confident even when you are self-critical. This really resonated with me as I tend to be very self-critical of my work. How do you be confident and deal with critical thoughts, when you have them?

I have always been self-critical. I have a Type A personality and know the journey of perfectionism far too well. Every once in a while, when I least expect it, my own perfectionistic motivations creep up on me. I’ve learned to silence my inner critic and honor my true inner voice who only wants the very best for me. 

I would also say, stop trying to prove yourself to gain the validation of others. It’s simply not worth it.  Be who you are. Show the world your authentic imperfections. Be your own best friend and have confidence in your abilities. You really do have the potential to do incredible things if you only believe in yourself and the power of your God-given talents.  

And on to the third tip, you highlighted the importance of networking. Some may think that networking on the basis of finding a job may come across as insincere. What is your view on this?

It all comes down to properly managing your expectations and being sincere about your requests. If you can think in terms of gathering information, rather than asking for something – like a job – directly, you will be fine. The most successful networkers are genuinely interested in learning from other people.  My advice would be to ask about the other person first, try to find common ground, and decide what you want to know before you network. When networking, ask sensible, targeted questions that show the other person that you value their time. Remember: The best way to be an interesting person is to be genuinely interested in others. 

You had talked about finding your own passion, doing what makes you uncomfortable, networking, knowing yourself and your own voice and supporting one another. The workshop was originally intended to be ten tips. Briefly, what were the other five tips you would say to BC?

• Never say no to yourself

• Commit to lifelong learning

• Treat others as you would want to be treated

• Be courageous enough to be vulnerable

• Cling tightly to your faith and enjoy the journey

As the Executive Director for Marketing and Communications for University Advancement, you must have done quite some projects for BC.  I had actually watched many of the wonderfully shot videos when I was preparing to go to BC! Could you tell us a favourite project you have done for BC since you have been here?

I’d love to! It’s our Greater Heights Fundraising Campaign. Here’s the website: http://greaterheights.bc.edu/

Launched in September, my team is responsible for all facets of the marketing campaign (social, web, video, print, email, events, stewardship). It’s a fun and exciting project that continues to bear fruit for Boston College.

Finally, to end off with a fun note – if you could give advice to yourself in college, what would you say to yourself?

Loosen up and stop worrying so much! Have a little faith and know that everything is unfolding exactly as it is meant to.