Some grew, others didn’t
Do you remember two months ago when shelter-in-place caused many people to have more free time to think? Social media channels were filled with inspirational posts about re-evaluating our lifestyles, priorities, choices, and habits. The lockdown was supposed to be a time for deep transformation and growth. But not everybody took the time to become more self-aware and make positive changes.
Some higher ed. administrators used the same coping mechanisms they already had and continued the same habits, whether they were healthy or not. Under pressure, their unhealthy patterns grew stronger.
Common patterns
1. Being disorganized: Administrators who, under normal circumstances, are reactive, scattered, and unreliable, became even more difficult to work with because they created chaos and blamed it on COVID-19.
2. Not taking responsibility: Administrators who make excuses when they cause problems that could have been prevented, continued not to own their actions and decisions. They kept finding events to blame, or even worse, attacked the people they let down by accusing them of not being flexible enough or understanding enough.
3. Seeking perfection: Administrators who are haunted by the fear of making mistakes experienced tremendous discomfort from not being able to work the way they prefer and struggled with being forced to settle for less-than-perfect processes.
4. Needing control: Administrators who do not trust people to do a good job agonized at the idea of not knowing how their employees were spending their time. They scheduled an excessive amount of zoom calls and demanded detailed activity reports, which reduced productivity and efficiency, and of course, negatively affected morale.
5. Emotional outbursts: Administrators who easily get overpowered by their emotions such as frustration, impatience, or anger, reacted even more mindlessly because they were under more pressure and did not know how to keep their calm.
6. Poor communication: Administrators who do not clearly communicate the direction they take and the expectations they have, were even more difficult to work for than before. Their direct reports had to operate without direction and did not receive much needed reassurance and support.
7. Craving certainty and predictability: Administrators who have a strong need for certainty and predictability struggled the most because nobody could predict what was going to unfold, week after week. Even now, nobody is really sure of what will happen in the fall. These administrators experienced high anxiety and drained their energy level by over-thinking and trying to get answers that are not available.
8. Negative outlook: Administrators who have a tendency to picture in their minds the worst-case scenario spent too much time and energy fearing the future instead of trying to come up with creative solutions. Feeling helpless and hopeless stops their brains from being able to make good decisions and innovate.
A call for courage and ownership
No one is perfect. Nobody is expected to be perfect. However, it seems reasonable to me to require higher ed. leaders to have the courage to look at themselves and observe their own thoughts, actions, and decisions. Administrators who are afraid to engage in self-reflection cannot call themselves leaders. Leadership requires self-awareness and willingness to receive feedback from others.
Next time you talk about or think about an issue and you hear yourself blaming it on COVID-19, please pause and ask yourself what you could have done differently to create a better outcome. This is not about self-judgment, guilt, or shame. Do not make this personal. The point is to learn and grow, not condemn. Focus on strategy and decide how you will do things differently in the future to obtain better results. You have chosen to work in education. Live your values and keep learning and growing.
Let’s partner
Some of you may have gotten insights from this article on what you wish to transform within yourself. Others may feel a bit discouraged because these patterns aren’t theirs but are exhibited by their supervisor or other people on their leadership team. While you can’t force people to change against their will, you do have the power to change how you interact and how you are treated. Whether you would like to work on your own leadership development, or on how to have more influence in your professional relationships, I invite you to click here to schedule a time for us to talk. We will discuss your current challenges and how I can help you become more empowered and improve the situation. Talk to you soon!
About the author: Dr. Audrey Reille has empowered thousands of professionals through one-on-one coaching, group coaching, speaking engagements, and online courses. Audrey is the go-to coach for leaders in higher education administration. She empowers them to thrive by reducing stress, optimizing strategies, improving professional relationships, and developing a strong and empowered mindset.