Vol. 3, No. 17: Controlling, Altering, and Deleting

My series of thoughts shared on Thursdays since late summer of 2022 have sometimes seemed like a bit of a hodge-podge. The beginning of this time period was at the end of my time on a sabbatical that followed more than eight years as part of the dean’s office.? The move from one school to another within my university in 2013 had been a large transition.? The move was not just between schools but between being “just faculty” (with many roles as a faculty member) to “faculty and administrator” with a lot more emphasis on the administrator part. As an administrator for the 8? years in that role, the school itself went through major transitions that I played a role in.? In 2021, those who have known me for a while are aware that I returned to a “just faculty” role, and in 2022, the multiple parts of that role kicked in.? Each step was a transition. Each day in life is part of a continuing transition and growth for me in my professional life—and personal life.

So, my thoughts on tHERSday now are about transitions and leadership with observations from my life in transition for me and the organizations I am a part of, observations from my leadership experiences, and observations drawn from the world around me that shed light on how I might lead better.?

With that, this week’s thought will be a simple one reflecting on something from the world around me that I saw at a craft show last weekend (there are many of those where I live as we approach the holidays).? Reminding those who saw the art of the old days of pushing “control-alt-delete” on our keyboards to reset a computer, the piece of artwork said, “Control yourself, alter your thinking, delete negativity.” Simple advice, especially when moving through my own transitions or my organization's transitions that can lead to extra stress.? A good reminder for me of how much control I have over my world.? Technically, I have absolute control over nothing but myself. I can choose what to think. And while I cannot delete all the negativity around me, I can control how much negativity I add to the world.? I try not to be toxically positive while bringing positivity to my personal experience, my interactions with others in an organization, and my leadership in an organization.??

What do you think of the ideas around what we can control, alter, and delete?? ?What do you control, alter, and delete as you go through or help your organization go through transitions?