Lessons from the Ice

Ice Climbing. Think about it for just a moment . . . . . 

I would guess that most of you could quite easily use the activity of ice climbing to share lessons about leadership, supervision, working with students, and so on. You might talk about "overcoming obstacles," "going for the top," "pushing yourself," "getting support from others, and all that jazz that would come from the use of the metaphor 'climbing a mountain' to explain the concept of leadership.

Here is what I would share as Lessons from the Ice.

Contemplate

Contemplate

Contemplate on what you about to do - and what you have done. This is my favorite picture from my ice climbing trip this winter. I'm not even sure who took it - a student who was also on the trip most likely. I certainly look the part of an 'ice climber' - but here is where I paused. I took a moment, a brief moment, to think fully and deeply about what I was about to do. This was certainly not the first 'adventurous' thing I had done - but the moment and the activity deserved pause...

When is the last time you paused to consider the impact of your work and what you have learned along the way?

Companions

Companions
Companions make the journey. I was lucky enough to go ice climbing with a dear friend, Amy Howard. She is my friend, my sounding board, my confidant, my devils advocate, my champion, my kick in the pants. As a professional in higher education I have the great privilege of working some truly amazing people - students, student staff, professionals, and faculty alike. I know that how I do my work can make their jobs easier - and they deserve that from me - along with my thanks.

Who are your companions and how do you thank them for joining you on this journey?

Care

Care
Care for yourself and others. When ice climbing crampons are a piece of necessary equipment. For work and life, self-care is necessary equipment. If you love your work as I love mine, it would be fairly easy to work long days and offer to help with every possible idea and project - - - and then you would fail. 

How do you build balance into your life and into the lives of your colleagues?

Cherish 
Cherish what you have been given - the gifts and challenges alike. 
Look at the picture below...  What an amazing gift to be at that place on that day. Were there and are there challenges? Of course - every day - but along with the gifts, challenges inform and define who you are as a professional and as a person. 

What have you learned from the challenges and gifts - and how do you cherish and use the lessons of both?

Cherish

This thing with spring

First of the Autumn Blaze Maple 

There is, as you might imagine, this thing with spring. After a long winter everyone is anxiously searching for signs that spring is actually a thing. 

Spring is also a time when many are sharing what have become the traditional notions spring. We hear talk of 'rebirth,' 'a fresh start,' 'a new beginning,' and so on. 

For those who work in Higher Education, or Education at any level for that matter, spring is most certainly welcome - but welcomed as a sign of the end. 

Semesters and quarters are drawing to a close, summer plans are being made, and soon our students will be ours no more.

With the end in sight, how about a different beginning?

Crabapple Tree Blossoms

Take time to look back- We learn by doing and I'm certain that you have done a lot this year. What have you learned? Where did you succeed - and why? How did you crash and burn - but what can you pick out of the ashes? Take the time now to look back, reflect on your year, and learn.

Be proactive and do it now- Did you just finish professional staff hiring? Evaluate, redesign, and rewrite now. Did you review your RA selection question right after you finished? Have you looked over your lesson plans lately? What about your professional or student staff training. You should have applied your lessons learning eight months ago. If you wait until you need it again, you have wasted a year.

Be thankful- Like every year, I'm guessing that you have had great days - and those days that were much less than grand. Be thankful. We have seen many of our students grow - and some fail. Be thankful. We have worked with some incredible colleagues - and maybe a few who have growing to do. Be thankful.

We all have things to learn. Take time to reflect, put what you have learned into practice now, and be thankful. Happy Spring.

The Gift of Mattering

Spring has arrived and in the past few months I have received a number of incredible gifts. To be honest, it is a little difficult to share how these gifts have made me feel. My first thought was something like "I can't believe it..." This was quickly followed by feelings of warmth, love, gratitude, and most importantly, humility. "I did that?"

Those who know me understand I'm a bit of a sentimental. I pin my work - my calling - and the experiences of others on my heart. I'm not ashamed to admit that while writing this, more than a tear or two has been shed - it just means so much.

Before I share my gifts with you, there are three points I need to make. When you see the gifts I received you will understand...

Care more than others think is wise. This notion is part of a larger quote that has guided my work for a number of years. Don't be limited by what others may think - the investment of your heart is worth it. Yes, you will be disappointed and at times hurt - but care more than others think is wise.

We must be relational in all that we do. Our RA staff, our student desk staff, our Administrative Assistants and Custodians, our trade-craft crew, our supervisees - and yes even our every day student - these are our colleagues. Yes, there are most certainly times when you must be direct - times when "no" is the best answer - when people may push every one of your buttons. Remember that every single person matters - and they need to know they matter. How you do your work will help them be better professionals, colleagues, people. These people matter.

Teams are not built through the indomitable will of the person in the room with the biggest title. They are built through trust, normalization of conflict, commitment to each other and the intended outcomes, mutual accountability, and a commitment to results. And it takes work and care-

For you who are reading this - you matter. I sincerely hope you have heard/felt it. Where ever and who ever you are - please know that you do matter. And to those who have given the gifts I have received - thank you - I cannot say how much these notes have meant to me. You have helped me remember that I too matter~ 

And the gifts I have received:

From Alison: Troy - Personally, I know that my college experience was deeply enriched by that couch. I wouldn't be the person I am right now without that couch. But really, we all know "couch" is really just code for "amazing mentor sitting across from you while you sat on the couch and talked/laughed/vented/sobbed".  Miss you so much, Troy.

From Laura: Troy -From a perpetual couch-sitter...someone who didn't think she could ever make it...  Someone who got flowers on her graduation day from someone stationed across the world. Someone whose life was changed by you. 

From Emily: Troy - You gave me this perfect little tidbit [quote from Citizenship in a Republic speech] just as I was starting my last semester of college. I have never forgotten it and still it pushes me to try, to fail, and to dare. For this and a million other things, thanks. 

From Gretchen: Troy! Hello! I'm in a communication course and this week where we're dealing with the people who are important to us that we care about- and you are on my list. I want to connect with you and share about what's happening in life! What's a number I can call to reach you? Love, Gretchen

From Andy: Also wanted to thank you more in general terms for your commitment to mentoring and helping people grow in ways that they might not even know that they needed to. If that makes sense? I feel that our conversations helped me put form and structure to what we did.

Universitas Magistrorum et Scholarium

Universitas Magistrorum et Scholarium

• Our Community of Teachers and Scholars

Another calendar year has come to an end and like many educators around the world, we have closed one chapter and begun another in our journey to support the learning of our "scholars." Last semester, quarter, or term is over - our students took a much deserved break - and most are back at it.

With the beginning of a new term, this is also a time when many are considering the accomplishments of the past semester or past year. As most staff and faculty in higher education are very, very busy - maybe a bit of context as you reflect on the last semester/year - and move forward into spring semester and what 2013 has to offer.

Consider our beginnings... 

The University of Bologna, by all reasonable accounts, was founded in 1088. That date, 1088, provides us all with a sign post in time per se~

• 1088 - One thousand five hundred seventy-four (1574) or so years after the time of Gautama Buddha
• 1088 - One thousand and ninety-two (1092) or so years after the birth of Jesus
• 1088 - Five hundred and eighteen (518) years  after the birth of Muhammed
• 1088 - Eighty-seven (87) years  after Leif Erickson settles in present day Canada
• 1088 - One hundred and thirty-nine (139) years before Genghis Khan dies
• 1088 - Four hundred and four (404) years before Columbus comes to North America
• 1088 - Five hundred and forty-eight (548) years before the founding of Harvard College (present day Harvard University)
• 1088 - Seven hundred and seventy-five (775) years before the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in the United States 

There are of course many, many, and many again other important events in our history that could be added to this list. This list however, helps us to understand that important things happened before us - and many will happen after us. 

Whatever your profession or calling, you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. If you work in higher education as I do, your particular institution likely has a rich history (some good and some not so good) that should help to guide your institution's future. Let me provide a couple of quick examples:

University of Minnesota, Morris - my undergraduate Alma mater - was originally an "Indian" school. In hindsight many would point out that "Indian" schools were created to help Native Americans assimilate into the growing European-American culture - and do away with the original cultures of these people. With its history in mind, students of Native American descent attend UMM tuition free. 

Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) - a place I worked for 10 years - was founded by Swedish, Lutheran immigrants so the new arrivals would be educated to meet the needs of the new world. For more than 150 years the small college has valued justice (along with other values). Today when students, staff, and faculty discuss the meanings of 'diversity,' 'multiculturalism,' and 'justice,' they remember that they began as an immigrant school.

So my questions for you: 

• What do you know about your institution's history (your school, business, non-profit)?
• What are your institution's espoused and lived values - and how were they adopted?
• What can be learned from this history and the formation of these values?
• How should your institution's history and values guide your work and does it? 

It is still early enough in 2013 to call this the beginning, and it is certainly the beginning of a new semester or quarter in higher ed. 

• Now is the time to look back and look forward. 
• Now is the time to add to the list of important events like the ones you see above. 
• Now is the time to know that important events are both large and small - and they are all important.

Now is the time - so here is to our Community of Teachers and Scholars - our Universitas Magistrorum et Scholarium. Have a great start...now

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Loss in Newtown~

A good many people have already commented on the horrific lost of life in the small town of Newton, Connecticut - and a good many more will add their thoughts, opinions, and theories from now until another such event happens. That is hard to say - that this will likely happen again - but unless we as a nation decide to do something courageous - it will happen again.

This note however is not about the politics of the 2nd Amendment - but I may share Some Thoughts Concerning the topic at a later date.

When I heard the news about what happened in Newton - I simply could not believe it - I did not want to believe it. That is what I kept saying to myself the entire way home - "I can't believe it, children. I can't believe it, kids. I can't believe it, an elementary school. I just can't believe it."

Most who will read this know that I have three wonderful kids - Emily who is in middle school - and Max & Sophie who are both in elementary school. My Sophie is 7 years old - the same age as many of those beautiful children who were lost this week. Every weekday she sits in a 1st grade classroom - like everyone of those beautiful children who will not unwrap their gifts this holiday season. My Sophie~

I cannot imagine how horrible this is for the parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, teachers - for those now former classmates - in some way children no more.... I am so, so sorry for your loss. The President is right - our hearts are broken. I'm so sorry...

Oh Captain, my Captain~

There is this incredible book – a book I have shared with very few - those who I believe truly understand what it means to be an educator, to live the great leadership question: how do we make everything more personal?  As I consider what it means to be “the new guy,” I borrow some from this work of art to share my thoughts~  Thank you Mr. Whyte.

“Oh Captain, my Captain” For Whitman this was a cry to Lincoln to be the stabilizing, organizing force the country so desperately needed at the time. 

Don’t we all need a captain of sorts? Someone to rely on - someone who will take care of us without making it too obvious - someone to wake in the night and do what needs to be done? And when times are tough, someone to step to the front and take the blame when everything goes wrong – shielding his or her crew?

Whenever we attempt something difficult there is always a sense that we have to wake some giant slumbering inside ourselves, some greater force yet hidden from us. We look to be better by looking for a better version of ourselves~  I am looking.

I am the new guy, well “a” new guy. For some I imagine that I am now the Captain – but a captain cannot succeed alone. Each of us must find our own “Captaincy,” wake that giant and choose to say YES as loudly as we say no. 

I understand that I have been selected to be a Captain – but not “the” Captain. I understand that I have a responsibility for the success of my crew – but I am not alone. I understand that I matter – but more importantly, they matter…   Help them know that they matter~

There is a couch

It was early - very early in the morning. The phone rang about 1:30 this morning - then I had to call parents about their son who had been taken to the hospital. I couldn't go back to sleep - go figure...  Too many thoughts of the student, those parents shaken out of bed by my phone call, their worries, thoughts of the worries I have about my own children - as well as plenty of other thoughts about my job.

My job, my work, my vocation, my 7:30-5:15 with lunch at my desk and evenings after my kids go to bed job, my calling...

Back in Minnesota, there is a couch. It sits in a small office with one window up on the hill in St. Peter. Many people know the couch- In my time with the couch, it served many uses - storage shelf, coloring table, sorting machine, footrest, hiding place, meeting room, Sabbath space, study nook...

Most of the time however, it was a safe place. Many have shared their joys, their sorrows, their anger and frustration, their secrets, their dreams - their hearts - on the couch. Many have called it magic - some I imagine, have quietly cursed having had to sit there~

I am thankful so many found time to sit on the couch - to share outside of themselves all that they were living....  I treasure every moment  and I hope those who have known the couch have benefited from their time with it. My 10 years with the couch is a gift I can never repay~

Here in Colorado, there is a couch...