Planners’ Picks
A collection of resources from CSN planning committee members worth mentioning
This week we’ll improve on our email communication, make progress on our long-term goals, and deal with those achievement junkies on our team.
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||| Resources on Communication |||
How to Set Boundaries with a Chatty Colleague
You might think you’re being generous or patient by listening to a chatty coworker talk endlessly, but you’re simply letting resentment fester that’s toxic to your emotional well-being and productivity. The author offers advice for setting boundaries with a talkative colleague in a compassionate, diplomatic way that still allows you to get your work done: 1) Preempt their request, 2) drive towards a close, 3) perfect the art of interruption, 4) come from your perspective, 5) direct dialogue to a certain time, and 6) have a big picture conversation.
https://hbr.org/2021/11/how-to-set-boundaries-with-a-chatty-colleague
Email Signature Best Practices
Think of your email signature as a digital business card. To help you make a good first impression (and meet accessibility standards), University Marketing shares some tips.
https://it.wisc.edu/news/sign-off-in-style-email-signature-best-practices/
6 Ways to Start an Email, and 6 to Avoid
Inboxes are swamped with incoming and outgoing emails throughout the day. According to Campaign Monitor, an email marketing platform, the average person sends and receives 121 business and consumer emails per day. However, not all of those messages are read, or are read from beginning to end.
To capture your recipient’s attention, you’ll need to craft a purposeful salutation and opening sentence. Here’s more on how to start an email professionally and effectively.
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-start-an-email/
||| Resources on Self-Leadership Development |||
7 Brutal Truths About Leadership Not Too Many People Want to Hear
If you’ve ever experienced great leadership, you probably remember how that person — your boss — made you feel. Because true leadership, at its core, is a matter of the heart. Starting on the journey toward great leadership demands having to face some brutal truths about what truly defines leadership success. However, it may not be what you want to hear (or read).
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/great-leadership-brutal-truths.html
How to Make Progress on Your Long-Term Career Goals
Most of us would prefer to think long-term about our careers, rather than just veering randomly to snag perceived opportunities and avoid pitfalls. But how can you adopt a strategic lens when you might not be entirely sure where you want to end up? The author offers four strategies: 1) Start by figuring out what you don’t want. 2) Pick one direction as your “provisional hypothesis” for where you want your career to go. 3) Double down on foundational skills and knowledge that will make you better, no matter what direction you ultimately decide to pursue. 4) Take stock of your emotional and mental energy. One of the most important elements in thinking strategically about your career is understanding that our lives operate in cycles — the author calls it “thinking in waves” — and we have to recognize where we are in that process.
https://hbr.org/2022/03/how-to-make-progress-on-your-long-term-career-goals
||| Resources on Work Culture & Team Development |||
How To Manage ‘Achievement Junkies’
We all know people at work who love to impress and never say no to additional tasks. They are our Achievement Junkies.
We tend to assign more and more to these folks because they get things done. But rarely do managers wonder why these workers may be pushing themselves so hard, or what will happen if these people keep running at such a breakneck pace.
Achievement Junkies may genuinely enjoy pushing boundaries and seeing what they can accomplish, but they may also be facing feelings of self-doubt and perfectionism that drive them in dark ways. When fueled by a critical internal voice, over-achieving can be a trap. It can lead to overwork and some very real personal tolls, including burnout.
||| Upcoming Events |||
Student Employee Appreciation Week: April 11-15
The second full week in April is National Student Employment Week. We invite you to start planning how you can celebrate and recognize the talented student employees in your unit and/or division during this week.
To help in recognizing your students we have organized free in-person celebration events. Please feel free to share the following opportunities with your students:
- Monday, April 11th from 7-9pm – Free Trivia Night @ The Sett, Union South
- Tuesday, April 12th from 5-7pm – Free Ice Skating & Pizza @ The Shell
- Wednesday, April 13th from 6-9pm – Free Glow Bowling & Games @ The Sett Rec, Union South
In addition, we have created a “toolkit” full of ideas and unique ways you can communicate appreciation to your student employees. This includes in-person and virtual gathering ideas, email templates, and unique ways to give individual and team shout-outs. Please feel free to utilize these resources and share with others in your circles. Thank you for recognizing your student employees!