We all have good habits, and bad habits -- but have you ever wondered how you really change your habits? A couple years ago, I was listening to Rachel Hollis’ Girl Stop Apologizing -- and I started thinking more about how habits are formed, and more importantly, how we change our habits. In this work, Hollis challenged her readers to make one small change to their life - set a time to exercise, stop drinking coffee, or start reading 30 minutes a day (as examples). She challenged her audience to commit to implementing this change for 70-days straight (no exceptions, requiring a complete restart if you failed on one day). She claimed that this would automate the habit, allowing you to no longer think about the action. So, I tried it -- I committed to no soda for 70-days straight (a hard task for someone who was consuming 6-10 Coke Zeros daily). I made it for nearly a month, then took my daughter to McDonald’s - order a meal and a Diet Coke. And, before I realized what I had done, I consumed the Diet Coke. It was so automatic, that I never thought about what I was ordering or drinking - until it was too late. It was my habit to order a diet coke, when ordering fast food. So, I failed. I had to start over - Day 1. But, I did. And, I now no longer (for 2 years) consume Coke Zero like water. The challenge worked, my habit to grab water instead of soda is formed. What does this narrative have to do with leadership? Everything. We all have good and bad habits in our worklife, just as much as we do with our personal life/health. The more we can train ourselves to make new habits, healthy habits - the better version of ourselves we can be. In the last couple of years, I have taken the idea presented by Hollis (the 70-day challenge) and applied it in aspects of my professional life - from setting aside regular time for professional growth, to creating morning/evening rituals or workday startup/shutdown rituals, to setting boundaries. It has revolutionized my productivity - my life - and most importantly my mindset. Early in my career, I had friends and mentors, like Ann Rudoff and Dorothy Harton, who were constantly reminding me to set boundaries on my work life. They both knew I loved working, and would honestly have no problems taking work home (and working throughout the night). They, however, were worried that I would miss out on my children’s childhoods - because they feared I was creating unsustainable, unhealthy - bad habits. They saw a future for me - that I couldn’t see, because I love the work I do. What I was unable to hear/see at that time in my career, as a young faculty member, is that setting boundaries was not about doing less, it was about doing more. It was about making sure you are spending your time doing the right things. It was about giving the best version of yourself to both your professional and personal life. This concept of doing more, by doing less - really sunk in once I read (and reread) Michael Hyatt’s Free to Focus. One of my mentors, Dr. Karla Leach, strongly suggested I read this work before assuming my current position as Vice President for Learning and Student Services at Northland Pioneer College. She told me it was full of information she wished she would have known before transitioning into senior leadership. So, I started reading it, and found it to be very interesting (and then put it aside). Then, 3 months or so into my position, I decided to pick it up and reread it, and to really think about how to be productive (rather than busy). My administrative assistants and I used the supplemental material and worksheets to gain insights into our roles and responsibilities. It was through this reading, and my use of the Full Focus Planner that I really started learning how to maximize my time. In the Full Focus Planner, Michael Hyatt provides two places for what he calls a “Streak Tracker” to help hold yourself accountable with your habit goals. You can find these on either the Goal pages or the monthly calendar pages. I have found this to be quite helpful when setting habit goals - like invest in reading leadership books for 30 minutes daily, invest in 30-45 minutes of exercising daily, invest in setting boundaries/times for checking or responding to communications, et cetera. The visual is telling - and it gives you a great sense of accomplishment as you see the pages fill up with check marks. With professional habit-goals, I have also found it beneficial to enter into a challenge with your team. As an administrator, we have a responsibility to influence and shape those we lead -- and oftentimes our bad habits become the bad habits of those who report to us as well. For instance, if you are on email during meetings because you believe you need to be constantly connected (just in case), then your direct reports are on email. This means you and those that report to you are only 50% present during the meeting (and also importantly during their responses to email). This leads to breakdowns in communication, i.e. missed information, misunderstandings, and a lack of productivity. In addition, if you are responding to or sending emails/messages late at night or on the weekend, your direct reports will feel the need to respond and/or do the same. Thus, I have found it beneficial to share your communication expectations with your direct reports, and to challenge them to break the culture of being connected 24/7 to their email. It is more important for you (and your reports) to invest in quality communication. Mean what you say, and say what you mean -- make it count whether you are responding during a meeting or an email, give 100% of your attention to the task. I have challenged all my reports to set their own boundaries, and to do it for 70-days straight. This hasn’t been an easy challenge, indeed I failed at it many times myself. But, I am on a streak right now -- 57 days and going strong. It was hard, when I failed at 45 days, and had to restart. But, it is much easier this time around. I am going to make 70-days, but more importantly - I am creating a more sustainable habit of focused, productive work for both myself and those who report to me. (Keep in mind, this also requires defining an emergency and providing ways for reports to contact you, in my case my cell phone, if something is needed immediately - as I am only on email every 2-3 hours each workday, and not in the evenings or weekends. Your reports need to know how and when to call/text so that you can address time-sensitive issues that cannot hold for 2-3 hours or that arise after hours or on the weekend.) So, if you have been trying to set a new habit for yourself - try committing to it for 70-days, enter into a challenge with colleagues or friends, and create a streak-tracker to hold yourself accountable. Changing your habits -- automating good habits in place of bad habits is possible. It just takes some action for a short time (2+ months) before it becomes automated, and you will no longer have to think about it. The choice is yours!! #leadershipdevelopment #womeninleadership #setnewhabits #fullfocusplanners “When the action is the hardest to do, right at the beginning, your habit memory is learning the most” - Wendy Wood Good Habits, Bad Habits
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Since last week I neglected a blog post, as I embraced my rejuvenation time during the Thanksgiving break, I have opted to post twice this week. Throughout my career (and education), I have been fortunate enough to find superb mentors who have guided and shaped me into the person I am today. One of these mentors - Dr. Tom Isern - introduced me to the “rule of three.” I first met Isern while I was working on my Master’s degree at North Dakota State University (NDSU). His reputation for mentoring scholars, and his commitment to rural, regional history lead me to apply to NDSU-University of North Dakota’s joint doctoral program, with the intention of working with him. It was, and continues to be, an honor to have worked with him during my doctoral studies. I will forever remember when Isern introduced me to this really simple concept - stick to three arguments, points, or ideas in your writing, your speeches, or any other communications. We were sitting in Jitters Coffee Bar for our weekly Coffee Klatsch reviewing an essay I had recently submitted for assessment in his Coyote Culture course. He pointed out that my writing while good, could be much improved by sticking to three points as people can typically recall a beginning, middle, and end (or first, second, and third). Isern noted that two points is not enough, and four become too much. It was the first time it clicked -- and I began to adopt a formula to writing. Here’s an example of my basic outline for a 5-paragraph essay. I use this for writing book reviews and short papers. I extend it for articles and book chapters. My former students will recall it as the standard, generic template I provide them with all essays. It works, try it.
Then, Dr. Leach invited me to spend a week with her at the Wyoming State Legislative session in 2019. This was a pivotal moment - I was so excited and honored by this opportunity. And, right before I left the house, I decided to grab the planner. Something told me that if Dr. Leach was going to invest the time into mentoring me for a week at the legislative session, then I should attempt to use my Full Focus Planner. This decision has revolutionized my life -- as now I cannot go a day without my Full Focus Planner. Here’s the thing - it’s more than a planner. It’s a mindset. The planner is about setting goals annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily. It’s about developing a process to consume your daily responsibilities in digestible chunks. And, surprise, surprise - it utilizes the rule of three. Annually, an individual sets no more than 10-12 goals, so they can focus on 2-3 each quarter (and a quarter is 3 months). From this step, the planner is set up so individuals can identify 3 corresponding weekly goals; and then 3 corresponding daily goals. This process allows individuals, I have found, to stay focused on their goals; and to avoid falling into the traps of only putting out fires, or checking emails/slack. Furthermore, at the end of each week and quarter there is a reflection section. These sections are essential for maintaining a growth mindset, and for holding onto your sense of accomplishment (your energy). Far too often, people end their day or week feeling discouraged because their to do list seems longer than it did at the beginning of the day or week. Writing down what you want to do helps you hold yourself accountable. Stacking your tasklist, and aligning it to your larger goals helps you prioritize the right work instead of the busy work. Still skeptical? If so, I challenge you to try the planner for one quarter - really invest - I bet you’ll be surprised at how, when used properly, your life changes. (PS: This doesn’t replace Outlook, rather it supplements it. There are video tutorials that really are essential for maximizing the effectiveness. And, for those homeschooling right now, there are student (college/teenage) and youth (pre-teen) lines.) #leadershipdevelopment #womeninleadership #fullfocusplanners #mentorship “Achieve more by doing less.” - Michael Hyatt Recently, I finished reading Personality isn’t Permanent: Break Free from Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story by organizational psychologist Benjamin Hardy. As I started reading this work, I was initially skeptical because Hardy seemed overly critical of personality tests, like Meyers Briggs and True Colors. While I realize these tests are not 100% accurate, I have come to appreciate the insights that one may glean from them - especially in a) understanding yourself and b) understanding those on your team. For instance, as a Division Chair at Western Wyoming Community College (WWCC) and Vice President of Learning and Student Services at Northland Pioneer College (NPC) I have implemented using Clifton Strengthsfinder to create an understanding of our identities. In the past 10 years, I have completed this assessment personally three times: once as an instructional designer, once as a faculty member, and once as an administrator. My top five strengths largely remained the same (four of the five), but shifted in order. Presently, my strengths are: 1. Learner, 2. Achiever, 3. Focus, 4. Responsibility, and 5. Analytical - residing in the categories of Strategic Thinking and Executing. I like to plan and do - which is so true. By using this assessment as a tool for self-reflection and sharing, I have been able to create an understanding (both internally and externally) of my personality quirks, and of the personalities of those who report to me. While I tend to use only Strengthsfinder in my teams, I am familiar with other assessments as well. Below are my results from a few others:
In Personality isn’t Permanent, Hardy takes issue with utilizing personality assessments as defining tools (not as learning tools). He points out dangers exist when people start to view their personality as fixed/static, rather than something malleable. “Who you become is a choice,” Hardy writes, “which only you can make” (5). As a lifelong learner, and career academic, I can completely get behind this interpretation of personality. Throughout my career, for instance, I have reinvented myself time and time again - in an effort to grow and challenge myself. Upon completion of my doctoral degree, for instance, I started my career at WWCC as an Instructional Designer (and adjunct history faculty). Two years later, I reinvented myself, becoming an Assistant Professor of History and Political Science. Five years after that, I transitioned from an Associate Professor/Department Facilitator to a full-time administrator, as Division Chair of Social Sciences and Education. And, a few years after that, I reimagined myself yet again, taking a Vice President position at NPC. If I am being completely honest, which is all I know how to be, I struggled choosing to transition from faculty to administration. As a tried and true faculty member (with more than 10 years of full-time faculty experience), I was hesitant to leave the classroom for meetings and struggled with the accusations associated with “going to the dark side.” Ultimately, however, I decided I had the courage to say “yes” to myself - to my goals and aspirations. Throughout my career, I watched administrators come and go with little to no experience inside the classroom, and slowly began to believe that with my experience as a seasoned faculty member I had something unique to offer higher education - leadership rooted in a true understanding of students and faculty. Through works by Brenè Brown, such as Braving the Wilderness and Power of Vulnerability, the mentorship of folks like Dr. Karla Leach (former President of WWCC), Dr. Tom Isern (North Dakota State University’s Distinguished Professor), and Dr. Dudley Gardner (Professor of Emeritus from WWCC), and motivational TEDTalks - i.e. Dr. Daria Willis’ “Having the Courage to Say Yes” - I have become not only comfortable, but also proud of my ambition and goals. I have decided to be vulnerable and brave, and to own who I am and who I want to be. Saying “yes” to myself has been empowering and energizing. I am proud to serve students, faculty, and staff wearing an administrator hat, and aspire to one day serve as a community college president. Administrators, I have discovered, are educators - they are educators of higher education needs, wants, and desires. Per Hardy, “in order to become a new person you must have a new goal - a purpose worth pursuing” (8). Throughout his work, Hardy reminds readers to stay focused on who you want to be (your future self), rather than who you are - hence his issue with personality tests (as they are focused only on the now). This reminded me of a work I read earlier this year - by Ozan Varol - Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life. In this book, astronaut-turned-professor Varol recognizes that far too often people (and organizations/institutions) fall victim to complacency. Being content with the status quo, limits growth and innovation. To break through these limitations, individuals (organizations/ institutions) must be visionary (or future focused) and willing to innovate. They must be willing to risk failure. They must not let fear drive them. They must be committed to being the best version of themselves. It is investing in yourself - your goals, dreams, and ambitions. As Hardy concludes, “personality isn’t permanent, it is a choice” (230). Personality isn’t Permanent is a phenomenal read - and a work I would recommend for anyone who struggles with self-limiting beliefs, or imposter syndrome - or anyone looking for suggestions on how to make the necessary changes to support goals and ambitions. This work provides a great reminder that we are all the authors of our own story. We can choose to focus on the obstacles (or traumas) in our lives, or we can flip the script and see the opportunity. I believe that now, during this global pandemic, this work provides a great reminder that we do have choices - and our choices will shape our lives, our mindset, our personality. We cannot (or should not) lose sight of tomorrow, as we deal with today. #leadershipdevelopment #womeninleadership #growthmindset "Life is a classroom. You're here to grow. You're here to live by faith and design. You're here. You're here to choose. The choice is yours. Who will you be?" -- Benjamin Hardy. PhD |
AuthorDr. Jess Clark is a trained historian and higher education leader passionate about leveraging technology, including AI, to enhance learning experiences. A lifelong learner and servant leader, she empowers educators in the digital age. Through her blog, she shares expertise on educational leadership, curriculum development, and integrating technology in higher education, inspiring administrators and educators. Dr. Clark's commitment to embracing emerging technologies like AI reflects her belief in technology's transformative power in shaping the future of education. Archives
April 2024
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