Celebrating Your Labor

9/1/17 Celebrating Your Labor

Toil. The Grind. Making a living. Working like a dog. We have so many idioms surrounding work because it’s a huge part of our lives. You come to work every day and spend 8 to 10 hours doing what you do in your chosen profession. Maybe that profession is your “calling,” and maybe it’s just how you pay the bills every month. Either way, I know you put your best into it. You try to be creative in solving problems and use integrity in your decisions. You labor.

You are a laborer. Whether you work with your hands or sit at a desk, you are producing and processing and helping all that goes into making our economy work and making our nation better. When you give it your all, you are making a difference. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote that, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” We certainly uplift in our work. We strive for those who need our support to get to a different plane. Education is the single greatest factor in upward social mobility. We labor for good. 

'Tis the Season

6/15/15 ‘Tis the Season

Things Happen. They just do. Thanks to the Byrds, we are probably all familiar with Ecclesiastes 3 in the Hebrew Books of Poetry- “To everything there is a season.” The series of events and happenings we experience daily shouldn’t be viewed as our “life.” Truly, I think life is what we do with each of those situations: how we are prepared physically and psychically, how we react, what we believe about the meaning of such, how we interact with others during each situation- especially the dire ones. Most of our situations, though, are not dire but, simply, the next steps on the path through this life we craft with every decision and action.

How appropriate that on our minds right now are two momentous life situations- a birth and a retirement? Both are simultaneously an end and a beginning. Both are cause for celebration and tears. Both can be daunting and full of joy. Both are days that will be remembered for the rest of people’s lives.

We may be less familiar with the last verse of Ecc. 3… “²² So I saw that there is nothing better for people than that they should be happy in their work, for that is what they are here for, and no one can bring them back to life to enjoy what will be in the future, so let them enjoy it now.” Let’s savor and enjoy this moment and make it a great and better life- i.e. ... a great and better workplace.

For the Love of the Work

2/13/12  For the Love of the Work

St. Valentine’s Day... We think about love this time of year. In English, we really have one word with multiple meanings. Love for significant other/s, friends and family easily (Greek-Agape).  But.. Don’t forget school, geographic location. Or, job and work (Greek-Philos)?  Is there a difference between “I love my job”, or “I love my work”? The semantics of language are as important as the time of year in directing when and how we think about things.  Certainly our job is the vehicle by which we accomplish our work.  We know our jobs because we have job descriptions. But our work is what we DO at our jobs and may be less easily defined though just as important to consider and define if we are to accomplish it. My work is the sum of the activities that I do to facilitate student success. Personally, I love (philos) the work that I do. This makes my job worth some of the hassles and pitfalls that go with a typical job. Also, though, I LOVE my co-workers (agape and philos). I don’t want to ever lose sight of the importance of doing the work with great and growing skill and in a loving way.  Consider this quote…”When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”- John Ruskin. Happy Valentine’s Day!        

Accommodations Requested

2/9/15 Accommodations Requested

 

In my mind, I draw a distinction between fairness and equity. It's a difficult distinction because we usually think of them synonymously. I believe that we should all have the opportunity to get to the same playing field so we can be treated fairly. But, I perceive that a fairness doctrine requires treating everyone the same. It is best when we are treated equitably; when our individual needs are considered equally. This keeps everyone on the same playing field. Really, a community college is an epitome of equity. We provide a great service and opportunity that almost anyone can afford with the progressive and equitable help of financial aid. Once people can get to the game and onto the field, they can show their desire to play hard and perform well. They may still need further accommodations as tools to be successful, but those don’t give an advantage. They make the playing field level.

 We have rules in our work and other parts of our lives as well. All of us ask for accommodations or exceptions depending on our special circumstances. And, hopefully, those are granted when we need them because, according to Derrick Bell, “A rule without exceptions is an instrument capable of doing mischief to the innocent and bringing grief -- as well as injustice -- to those who should gain exemptions from the rule's functioning.” We sometimes need that extra consideration. As a leader, I must always work to find a balance between the varied needs of the varied interests and stakeholders. I don’t like to get caught up in a fairness game, because it may not be to everyone’s advantage to treat everyone the same. I must make accommodations where possible to find equity.

Morale?

11/18/11 Morale?

A number of years ago, our college president said in response to a question about morale following a cut of 20 employees that morale is the responsibility of the individual. Hmm… My immediate thought in that emotional moment was that he was crazy and wrong. But, after some reflection, I think that what he was getting at is that we must all choose how we react to emotional and distressing situations; that we are responsible for our own emotions and reactions. Clearly we are. We will have change. We will have very stressful days. But, we don’t have the luxury of sulking in a corner with our pouty lip sticking out. We have customers and students to serve. We must put on a positive face so we can give them a positive experience. The good news is that, even with the occasional difficult and stressful days and a few tough customers or interpersonal relationships, this is a wonderful place to work. We believe in supporting each other and many of us have connected as friends as well as coworkers. I think this comes through with our customers and students as well. Or, maybe it doesn't need to. What they see is that it is a nice place to do business and meet their educational needs. I hope your morale gets a bit of a boost just knowing that our many stakeholders think this is a really great institution/company to be connected to and served by. They've chosen us and YOU are one of the reasons they have! I am thankful for you!

The importance of work

8/1/11 The importance of work

Over the last couple weeks, you've spent dozens of hours working at Delta College. The main reason you were here, of course, is to be able to get a paycheck to put food on the table and pay your bills. But, work does have it's advantages. A positive work environment is a great social connection. People who have good relationships with their coworkers are healthier on almost every measure. We spend a lot of time with our coworkers- sometimes significantly more than our significant others. This should also remind us that the people we work with are also our "customers". We can approach our coworkers with the same commitment to great service as we do every day with our external customers.  I appreciate the relationships I have established with you. You make my day every day!