My Favorite Books of 2022
Must Read Books For College Leaders This was a good year for reading. I’m on track to read 78 books; 130% of my goal. I’m a sucker for reading challenges, which probably began in the 1980s with the summer reading program at the Chelmsford Public Library. I loved recording the books I read each summer. […]
Use (and practice) your personal scripts
Communication Tools For Higher Ed Leaders “Let me think about that and get back to you.” “That’s interesting. Let me look into that.” “Let me look at my calendar before I commit to that.” What Are Personal Scripts—and Why Do They Matter? Personal scripts are phrases you have developed, and practiced in advance, that you […]
Are you a multipotentialite?
What is a Multipotentialite in College Administration? A multi what? Multi-potential-ite. A multipotentialite is a person who has many interests and creative pursuits In How to be Everything, Emilie Wapnick talks about how people with lots of different interests don’t fit into the traditional career framework of specializing in one thing. I’m energized because I […]
Are you working towards the right goals?
Aligned Goal Setting for Higher Ed Leaders Raise your hand if you have ever advised a student who was in a major because their parents told them it would lead to a good living, but their heart was somewhere else. Or, have you stayed in a job that you were miserable in because the salary […]
Do you have an Honor Roll Hangover?
How Perfectionism in Higher Education Shows Up I was once told by a respected colleague that I was responsive and accountable to a fault. The comment made me chuckle. I take pride in dotting all of my i’s and crossing all the t’s (and just to prove this point, I will admit that I just […]
Making the World a Better Place One Book at a Time
Books for Higher Ed Admin Have you ever seen a child reading a book at a party? I love that kid. When I see them, I smile and look at them enviously. They are doing something that isn’t considered acceptable for adults to do – reading amidst a group of people being social. I Have […]
Why I Keep a Commonplace Book
Commonplace Books for Women Leaders I have a terrible memory. I envy people who read a book and can relay the author’s ideas or the plot years later. I just don’t have those brain cells available to me. Hence, the commonplace book. I do remember (ha!), reading Steven Johnson’s Where Good Ideas Come From: The […]
What are your MITs?
Setting Priorities for Women in Leadership Priorities for women in leadership aren’t always urgent, but they are essential. Here’s how I use MITs to stay focused on what matters most. In Josh Kaufman’s The Personal MBA (I read multiple books at once; a topic for another post), he talks about your MITs. I’m not quite […]
Say Yes to Rest
Rest for Higher Ed Professionals: A Necessity Over the weekend I read a New York Times article about pandemic fatigue. The author cited recent studies and polls of people across the country who were experiencing a lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, and “an unpleasant cocktail of boredom, dread, and exhaustion.” It resonated. Despite a fairly […]
Wintering
Post-pandemic reflections for higher ed professionals I can’t wait to eat in a restaurant. Hug my parents. See my friends. I miss being on campus. But, I don’t miss my commute. I wonder, how anxious am I going to feel congregating in groups? Have I lost my in-person social skills? Wait, am I going to […]