A Message from Ujima Donalson
Assistant Vice President, Total Talent Management
We keep saying and hearing that we are living in unprecedented times. In fact, they’re so unprecedented that sentiment now seems inadequate! The optimism that many people felt at the beginning of a rare “double date” year like 2020 faded as COVID-19 took hold, and we now find ourselves living in the kind of times we heretofore had only read about in history books.
Back in March, the pandemic felt like it might bring a pause or hiccup to our normal routines and business operations, yet now the anniversary date of when we stopped our regular “in-person” life is fast approaching and our expectations of “returning to normal” have changed. So, where do we go from here?
Although it feels like we’re the little engine that could, I’m sensitive to the fact that many of us — in POD, across the University, and elsewhere — have been pumping along for eight months now. Like me, you might have starting noticing increased burnout and cynicism along with distractions and a general lack of motivation. You also might have noticed a decline in people taking time off. Perhaps these are related?
Folks need to take a break! But in a world where travel is limited or restricted, many of us aren’t taking annual leave. Some of us are not even taking sick time when we’re sick because we figure we are home and can log on for a few hours as to not get behind in our work. This is red flag territory and is absolutely not sustainable. I encourage you to be vigilant with yourself and others: encourage time away, model work-life balance, promote self-care.
Here are a few other practices my team and I have been implementing:
- Be intentional with connection. Especially in this virtual world, we need to make the effort to reach out to others.
- Even when you feel rushed, take your time. Communicate clearly and seek to clarify as needed.
- Demonstrate grace and patience with yourself and each other.
- Be flexible; stay open to learning, stretching and growing.
A final thought. As President Cauce talked about in her annual address, we don’t want to “recover” back to a broken status quo. Let us not forget that — despite the turmoil and heartbreak many of us have experienced this year — the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and chronic racial injustice have propelled us into an entirely new place. We now have the impetus, as well as the permission, to re-envision how we operate as a University and as a society. Let’s not squander this precious gift.
As we enter a different kind of holiday season, we take gratitude with us as we prepare for a different kind of year ahead. Let’s not just plan for a return to “normal,” let us plan to co-create something new together. Chaos can be the birthplace of innovation; I ask you, what are you creating? I encourage you to pause; take the breaks that you need to breathe. Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and take this chance to make things better than ever.
