Taking Care of Ourselves and Each Other
By Mindy Kornberg, Vice President for Human Resources
Your role as a leader right now is, as you know, difficult and will be getting more so. From modeling budget cuts and contemplating program eliminations to championing efficiency initiatives and making sure enough resources are in place to cover baseline services—if your job is like mine, it is stressful and can be unpleasant at times.
I’d like to share with you two strategies for managing through this winter and spring as we prepare our own teams for the coming round of budget cuts. I wish I could lay out some magical organizational theory for you that would make the road ahead suddenly smooth. Instead, I can offer two simple messages that I hope will ring true.
The first message is to take care of yourself. You are going to face a myriad of challenges, some that may require agonizing decision-making. Even though you may have been through this process last year or the year before, take the time to talk through challenges with a mentor or coach. If you don’t have someone at the UW you feel comfortable speaking with, consider seeking the advice of a professional coach available through POD, or taking advantage of UW CareLink’s phone consultation services for managers.
Taking care of yourself also means not letting work become all-consuming. Please make time for your family and friends and for your health. Trust me, this budget crisis will not pass you by if you spend your lunch hours taking a walk rather than sitting at your desk, turning off your buzzing smartphone during a family dinner, and making time for activities you enjoy.
My second message is to be kind. Kindness costs nothing and we can generate it ourselves—making it one of the few resources we do have under our control. After a difficult meeting, take a few moments to acknowledge the complexities of the situation and ask team members to be kind to each other. If colleagues are complaining about each other, remind them that there may well be more to a situation than they know and encourage thoughtful dialogue.
As leaders we may feel that we hold exclusive rights to the burden of the upcoming budget cuts, but faculty and staff at every level can feel the same stress—fearing for their own positions or the loss of resources needed to accomplish their goals. Make sure to model a positive yet realistic attitude and communicate clearly and often. Kindness can mean making time to attend a team’s meeting to take questions, making sure your door is open as often as possible for people to drop by with questions, and making sure employees who are having difficulty coping are reminded that UW CareLink is a great (and confidential) resource.
Months of uncertainty are bound to take a toll on morale. It is not going to be easy, but I hope these two simple reminders will be of help as you navigate the course before us.
RESOURCES
- UW CareLink's Phone Consultations Services for Managers
- POD's Professional Coaching Services
- UW CareLink's Confidential Counseling
