Thank You #Sachat

I started using Twitter in 2008. I was convinced by a friend & colleague that it was this fantastic social media tool. So I tried it out. After about a month I was hitting a rough patch personally and I realized that releasing that on twitter wasn’t the most productive so I deleted my account. I soon jumped back on the twitter wagon and commenced once again with my tweeting.

Around February or March of 2009, I started seeing and hearing about this thing called “#sachat” – while I had joined twitter before her, my GA, Becca, was starting to get actively engaged in this community and she shared with me that there was this online community forming around Student Affairs and I should check it out. So I did. Now I really can’t imagine life without it.

What I have gained from the #SAchat community is beyond the scope of anything I could have really imagined and sometimes it is difficult to put into words what all it has done for me as a student affairs professional. Even today as I was conducting a “tweetorial” for a few members of my staff, I laughed thinking about where I was just about 6 months ago.

I have created numerous friendships with people in the SAchat community, both professionally and personally.  There are people that I was able to meet at ACPA back in March that I cannot imagine NOT knowing now as I reflect on things. I have so many more colleagues in the world of Student Affairs than I could have possibly anticipated.  It’s amazing when I’m just thinking about an idea and how I can put it out there in the twitterverse and gain instant feedback, advice, ideas, etc. from so many amazing professionals. It’s almost like working in my “Dream University” – because let’s face it, if I could create my own institution, you would all be there.

I have mentors.  That might sound silly, but not since I was an undergrad have I really felt that I had people I could look up to in this field (besides the ones I already had from UG days).  And I know I am surrounded (we all are) with students that seek us out as mentors, but I am constantly reaffirmed of how much we as professionals all need mentors as well.  #SAchat created that for me. It reaffirms my life’s purpose DAILY. It makes me a better SA professonal.

So THANK YOU Debra & Tom for creating this community. My life – professionally and personally – has been enhanced and developed more than I could have hoped.

Being a Non-Greek Greek

It’s that time of year when Formal Recruitment is happening for our Fraternity and Sorority Community. A time of year that I never had experienced as an undergraduate student. I had heard about it, had friends that were involved with Greek Life, but I chose to not join a sorority. It’s not that I thought there was anything wrong with it, I just involved myself in other areas of campus life and never felt like I could fully commit to another organization. It didn’t stop me from being a part of Greek Life activities from time to time. Attending lip sync competitions to support my friends, hanging out in chapter rooms, and even having friends in a sorority that would invite me to their “Crush Parties” just so I could hang out with all of them.

When I started working at B-W part of my job was to assist with some of the formal recruitment logistics. Checking grades, sending out letters, and other miscellaneous items. It was definitely a learning experience for me and the Director of Greek Life at the time must have thought I did a good job because the students involved in the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society decided to induct me as an honorary member.

As time progressed my involvement in Greek Life has grown wider and deeper. I am deeply involved in Women’s Formal Recruitment each year. I understand the language. I understand the processes. I somewhat understand the need for balloon ceilings. 🙂  The entire process has been really educational for me and it’s experience that I appreciate gaining as a Student Affairs professional. There are moments where I could probably fool anyone into thinking I was a Greek Sorority woman just because I understand. I’ve counseled women through their choices during recruitment. Encouraged them in the importance of “trusting the process” and being who they are and knowing they’ll find the right match in the process. I’ve stayed the late nights working on bid matching and quotas and seeing the tears of decision making from potential new members.

I’ve had students tell me that I am the most Greek – Non-Greek person they know. One of the funnier moments was having a potential new member ask me how I made the decision on which sorority was the right one for me. I felt kind of bad when I had to tell her that I actually wasn’t in a sorority.

I guess however, in some version of reality, I am a sorority woman. This time of year I get to be a Rho Gamma (our name for Recruitment Counselors) and I get to spend a week with about 22 AMAZING sorority women, helping other potential sorority women find their place in the Greek Community. The other day I got my first official Rho Gamma block letter shirt and I was totally pumped. I made no secret to hide it and I think the VP of Recruitment for Panhellenic Council got a total kick out it. But I wear my Rho Gamma shirts with pride (and this year I even get to wear a Rho Gamma cardigan! – BONUS!).

One way or another, I’m grateful for the experience I’ve been given in my job and the amazing women I get to work with in the Greek Community. I get to be a part of an amazing sisterhood every September and it’s an opportunity that I never regret.

F-O-R-E-V-E-R

Today I took the day off from work because I seriously have been there FOREVER. F-O-R-E-V-E-R. Every time I say the word forever, I have to laugh and think of the movie “The Sandlot”.  I took a poll on Twitter a few weeks ago wondering what movie perhaps I should reference in my next blog post.  Not that I want to make it a habit of always using movie references when I blog, but there is a lot of fun in that whole process. Plus, the Princess Bride post when over really well. People liked the idea of using The Sandlot, and I spent some time really thinking about how I might go about referencing it in relation to Student Affairs.  And the main word I thought of was “transition” and how students coming to college was like coming to the sandlot.  Not knowing anyone for the most part. Not sure how to always fit in. But as I reflected and looked for inspiration, I felt like this post had other ideas in mind as well, more specifically related to my own transition into a new semester and new projects, especially working at a small college, where I never really saw breaks between semesters (especially the summer) to make a more significant notation of my own transitions.

I’m exhausted quite honestly. My attempt at being a “Student Affairs Superhero” has come to show me that I’m just an average human as well (as are most superheroes). I hit a point this week, where I felt like the kids in the Sandlot when it was really hot outside and all the soda pop in the world couldn’t solve the problem.  They were tired, and sweaty, and cranky, and Benny, their fearless team leader said:

“Anyone who wants to be a can’t-hack-it pantywaist who wears their mama’s bra, raise your hand.”

And everyone raises their hand.

I’m at the point where I had to raise my hand and take a day away. Yes, I should probably take more than just ONE day away, but at that point in my week I new I’d had enough. I was a complete pantywaist.

I knew though, that if I didn’t get myself out of this situation, I would find myself in a big pickle. Not as bad as Smalls ruining his stepdad’s baseball signed by “Babe Ruth” but I knew I needed to refocus myself. I was having an “I’m tired of my job” kind of moment. But then I paused, made some tea, ate some chocolate, and realized my own transition back into the academic year.

My students are having similar transitions. They have seen the other kids playing in the sandlot, admiring how well they seem to work together. I can only imagine that is the perspective of the incoming first-year students as they watch the upperclassmen interact together at campus events, in the college union, or in the residence halls. They know the lay of the land. They know how to play the game and here is that first-year students that isn’t even quite sure about the basics.

Other students are having different kinds of transitions. Some are transitioning into their senior year reflecting on the fact that they have one more year left. I had a student lose a parent. Another dealing with issues that need counseling. Others dealing with friend pressures and finally recognizing that the right thing isn’t always the easiest, but understanding what needs to be done. I’ve had students start talking to me about how they can have a job like mine, and others that just want to be a part of something bigger than themselves and ask for my help. In Student Affairs we are in one constant transition I am coming to discover. Perhaps I knew that all along, but reflecting on my purpose and focus in SA has led me to think about it much more than I have in the past. So in those moments where I think I can’t hack it, I remember that it’s beyond me now.  The game, the sandlot, isn’t just about me. It’s about the students on my team.

My job, our job, as Student Affairs professionals is to show them how to play the game.  We are the Benny’s of the SA Sandlot.

Smalls: How do I catch it.
Benny Rodriguez: Just stand out there and stick your glove out in the air. I’ll take care of it.

How Orientation is Like “The Princess Bride”

The Princess Bride is probably one of my all time favorite movies. I remember that my dad rented it for my birthday one year and I fell in love with instantly.  It’s a movie that is constantly quoted when I am with my family, and I think if my dad could have been Inigo Montoya in real life, he would have done that in a heartbeat. So, why the comparison to Orientation?

The Grandson: A book?
Grandpa: That’s right. When I was your age, television was called books. And this is a special book. It was the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father. And today I’m gonna read it to you.
The Grandson: Has it got any sports in it?
Grandpa: Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…
The Grandson: Doesn’t sound too bad. I’ll try to stay awake.
Grandpa: Oh, well, thank you very much, very nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming.

I feel like this quote summarizes how each of our Orientation sessions start. Mostly with some incredulous new student questioning everything we are about to share with them.  And quite honestly, they will try to stay awake (some not so successfully).  But a lot of times I feel like the Grandpa trying my hardest to prove to these students that Orientation is exciting.

As we tell the story, walk the students through their orientation, we encounter a variety of characters.

The Buttercup’s will say “Orientation Leader – this ice breaker is stupid, let’s do something else.” or “Orientation Leader – can you show me where every single one of my classes is located?” or “Orientation Leader – I know I would know the answer if I read the schedule, but please tell me anyways.”  And our Orientation Leader, Westley, will do his best. Not sporting a mask, or clothed in black, but rather an embroidered college polo and gold name tag – our OL Westley will simply respond with an “As You Wish.” Because, the OLs are our heroes. They aren’t the original OLs, but the learned from the previous OLs, who learned from the previous OLs, all the way back to the original Dread OL Roberts. And our new student Buttercups will start to fall in Orientation love.

“Inconceivable” some doubters will still say though, and our OL Westley will fight him to the death.  NEVER go up against an OL when school spirit is on the line! [yes, technically that was Vezzini, but it works better with the OL]  But see our OLs are training to withstand those that try to kill their spirit. And with that, OL Westley joins the other OLs Inigo and Fezzik. OLs like to work in teams. Which is good, because they help each other make it through the day.

We teach the new students the ways of campus.  Ways to see the signs of troublesome encounters, like pop quizzes [flame spurt], finals week [lightening sand] and the R.O.U.S’s [Really Obvious Undergraduate Stupidity].

Sometimes though our brave OLs face the annoying Prince Humberdink’s who think they are entitled do to what they want, and of course the evil sneaky 6-fingered people of the world. [6-fingered people are those new students that talk at 6 levels louder than normal in the middle of the Residence Hall at 3am.]  So then the OLs have to storm the Res Hall.

But then, you see it. True Orientation Love. Better than even Miracle Max himself could have provided. And the new students look forward to happily ever after at college. [note: this process will need to be repeated for maximum effect]

As for our OLs? At the end of the day we aren’t dead, just mostly dead.

Orientation – The story of an “I” masquerading as an “E” & Other silly tales.

First off, let me just say that @CindyKane nailed it with her recent blog post, “Orientation: Not Your Average Life” – every word of that was so true and it could not have come at a more perfect time in my own professional life. Having just completing our Orientation Leader Training as well as our first Summer Orientation overnight for the summer, I’ve had quite a bit to reflect on in regards to Orientation.

First off, while it may not always be known to those who see my “goofy” side, I am walking around this earth as an “I” (in regards to MBTI – for those not familiar) so when it comes to Orientation I know I have to bring out the “E”.  My supervisor does the majority of the tasks that involve being loud and boisterous and in front of 500 people at a time, while my strengths lie in the organizational, nitty gritty details of Orientation. So when I meet a parent and they tell me their name, I generally respond with “Oh, your son is Matthew” or “Oh yes, Sally and Jane are your daughters.” And I always get a genuinely surprised response to my mental memory capacity. And then I’ll spend 15 minutes walking across campus discussing their life stories because I encountered them on some sort of personal level, one on one. Herein lies my strength. I’m not the one when Orientation is over that the students will say “I LOVE YOU! YOU WERE AWESOME!” (some seriously said that to my supervisor – but that’s what you say after seeing his crazy antics) But I’m ok with that.  I’m ok with the fact that I’m not up in front of everyone and that they will all know who I am when Orientation is over and done.  But to watch a parent walk away from me with a new calmness and smile on their face works for me. This orientation session allowed for little down time, which wore me out, but I found those quiet moments by myself or with one of my Student Directors to reenergize and regroup.  So that my “E” could really tear it up on the dance floor.

While I’m still waiting to get official evaluations back from my Orientation Leaders, I also have reflected on my experience with all of them during our training week. If anyone knows of a job in Student Affairs that is just leadership training and development all the time, please let me know so I can apply.  This is my favorite part of my job, hands down.  I hear from a lot of other people involved in Orientation and they will spend up to 2 weeks training their student staff.  I often wonder if we should take more time with our student staff in order to best prepare them for their positions as Orientation Leaders.  We basically start on a Tuesday afternoon and they have Orientation Session 1 that Friday morning. So pretty much 2.5 days of training.  So am I really preparing all of them (only 4 of which have had the OL position before – out of 16) for what they are about to face full force when new students and their families arrive?  But then we have a wrap up, and I hear things like:

“You all made me step out of my comfort zone.”
“This was one of the best experiences of my life.”

And then I have a new student who writes on an eval:

“My orientation leaders were absolutely wonderful, they treated me as their equal and respected the opinions I offered. They made it their first priority to include every group member into the discussions and ice breakers.  They answered all of my questions completely as well as answered questions I did not know I had.  They were great and made me love orientation.”

In other words, Mission Accomplished.

Last week and weekend was one of my most tiring yet.  I started every day with an alarm buzzing at 6:30am and didn’t get home until after midnight each day, falling asleep closer to 1:30am. Having the “go-go-go” mentality all day long did not help my “I” replenish that much.  I depended way too much on my daily morning trips to Dunkin Donuts. But I also have to say that I don’t know if I have every laughed that much in my life.  Once you hit those late hours in the office, double checking keys and room assignments and labels and any other little detail possibly imaginable, you tend to get a little slap happy.  So quoting movies like “Wayne’s World” and “The Princess Bride” seem normal, as does having your NODA Intern (@BrianLeDuc) singing “Dream Weaver” from across the office. (Sorry Brian – I had to say it) But I watched the team gel together into this unbreakable force.  My Student Directors just stepped up to the plate and hit it out of the park.  The entire team welcomed Brian and Mandy (our interns) right into the mix almost instantaneously. And even when we had some rowdy kiddos (aka new first-year students) in the Residence Hall that Friday night, we still found time to laugh and giggle before having to put on our “Mean face” as Abby put it. When it came right down to it, I found myself laying in bed with really sore feet and brain overload, smiling at the amazing group of students I get to work with all summer.

Just one of my favorite photos from the weekend.

Don’t Ask Me Until After Orientation…

As anyone who works at a small college can probably attest to, it’s a very “Multiple Hats” way of life.  You’re not just in charge of one aspect of college programming, rather you are in charge of maybe 3, 4, or 5 (or more?…yikes) different major items throughout the year.  When I think about it, it reminds me of a book I had read when I was a kid called Caps For Sale. (Simply because the illustrations showed him walking around with hats stacked on his head. Maybe a long shot in terms of making a comparison, but that’s the visual I had.  But back to my point…I wear a lot of hats.

Right now, as many of my other #sachat friends know, it’s Orientation time.  Which for the past month has meant that my other hats have not really been worn, even though many different people would like me to put one on when it’s convenient for them.  NOT convenient for me.  But this year, as we have established new protocols for our Orientation registration process, as well as other items, I feel busier than usual dealing with Orientation-related items. But it’s the little details that keep me from dealing with anything else.  The little, mundane, sometimes annoying pieces that have to be done whether we like it or not, and there always seems to be someone else that comes along to make it more difficult.  I laughed reading a post from @cindykane the other day about her campus painting the benches for the Orientation Day.  Because that is just one of things that keeps us moving & rolling our eyes behind the scenes.

Last year it was the main parking lot being repaved & lines repainted days before we began.  This year we were told we had to keep the windows in the residence halls shut since they would be tearing up the parking lot – and in a non-airconditioned residence hall in the height of the summer that’s not the best scenario.  So we scramble to find a new space to sleep 215 incoming first-year students.

Then it’s tracking every one’s registration.  And how many things we have to limit.  So I run the report.  Check to see if they are a Conservatory student (we can only advise 24 per session), and then check if they  advise in our Learning Center (we can only have 32 of those per session) and then keep in touch with Academic Advising to see when other major advisors are at their limit for a session. Then I have to track their special needs.  Allergies so they need airconditioning.  No peanuts.  No gluten. Vegetarian. Vegan. Medications. Cat allergies (that put a major damper in our late night programs….).

Then you revise every piece of literature you give them.  Then we stuff the folders.  Label the folders.  Label the booklets.  Assign the overnight space.  Match all the keys with a key holder and a swipe card and trading cards and OL photo IDs for each person in their color group and make the name tags (color coded by group of course) and you label the envelopes that all of those items go into and then you have to make sure they all have their advising appointment in their book.  And you put the giveaways together.

And just when you think you are in a good spot.  The phone rings.  Change my scheduled session.  The phone rings.  How do I check my email? The phone rings.  The soccer coach said I didn’t have to go to this orientation.  The phone rings.  Wait…can I tell you my entire life story?  And before you know it, another day is done in the office and you haven’t done a single thing that wasn’t related to orientation.

So, I just keep telling myself, wait until after this first Orientation Session.  Then I’ll sport another hat, or two, or three.  And of course, I’m not ignoring those other things completely…I work on balancing.  Like keeping up with my Book Club for teaching this fall.  And emailing multiple facilities so you have some place to take students on a retreat.  But for now…don’t ask me until after Orientation, because chances are, my time is needed talking to new students, or calming the fears of parents sending their children off to college, or sitting down with my Student Directors @A_Orchard & @k_rife to talk about ice breakers, or with my Graduate Interns @brianleduc & @ameans912 to be a mentor in their process, or just simply to have a good laugh with my supervisor @BWMarcWest and complain about all my previously mentioned rants.  I really wouldn’t trade any of it.  Each day brings new challenges and joys.  And on those days where I just don’t want to do anymore work…well, that’s why I generally keep a pint of ice cream in the freezer for those orientation-overload emergencies.

Practicum Internships: How to Do It Right

Dear Graduate Students,

I think it’s probably fair to say that all of you, at some point in your program, have to do at least one practicum internship as part of your course requirements.  Even if you have a “full time” assistantship, chances are you are doing one, two, or even three other internships to further expand your knowledge base and gain experience to help you as a professional.

I’m new to advising graduate students, but I am not knew to working with them in the student affairs environment.  I’ve seen GAs that I would consider fantastic, cream of the crop, can’t wait to work with them type people AND through the spectrum to the ones I might ask “Are you sure this is what you want to be doing with your life?”  So in terms of directly supervising graduate students, I tried to gather my observed knowledge and put it to good use as a supervisor.  I think it’s been helpful in understanding the type of supervisor that I am and also, what my expectations are for my current and future GAs.

The practicum internship is something I consider to be different from those that I will supervisor regularly during their two-year stints in my office.  You only have the practicum intern in your office for a semester.  About 150 hours.  10 hours a week.  Not a whole lot of time.  So from a supervisor prospective, it’s sometimes difficult to figure out which projects that EVERYONE can benefit from during the internship.  I think sometimes that challenge may prevent some people from taking on an additional graduate intern, during a very busy academic year.  Which is exactly what happened to me this past Spring Semester.  Like many of you other professionals reading this post, Spring Semester just sucks.  Plain and simple.  A lot of times I feel like I am barely thinking straight myself, let alone thinking clearly enough to mentor a graduate student through their internship process.  And in all honesty, if I hadn’t had the RIGHT kind of graduate intern, I would have felt more crazed by the semester than I normally do.  However, I did have the right one, and based on her experience in my office, I thought I would share with the rest of you, how she got it right and made my life a whole lot easier. AND she even learned a thing or two!

Have a CLEAR idea of the kind of experience you want to have.
When pursuing your internship, make sure you have reasoning behind it and personal/professional goals for yourself.  This is not something that your internship supervisor should make up for you.  It should be a collaborative process so that both parties can gain the most from the experience.  Knowing WHAT the intern wants to know helps the SUPERVISOR come up with the appropriate projects. The learning outcomes you should have can be more easily assessed when you start with those in mind at the beginning.  Then you will also know that you achieved those goals. I was able to check in with my intern and make sure she was having the kind of experience she WANTED.

Ask Questions
This is huge.  Ask if you don’t know.  Ask if you want to know more.  Ask if you want to know how things are done.  Why things are done.  What’s the history?  Who works with that office? How do we collaborate?  This can only help you to LEARN.  And that is the entire point behind your internship.

Look Beyond “Required” Tasks
You are going to have specific tasks and projects you will need to accomplish as part of your internship, BUT do you take the time to look BEYOND those projects into what other types of experience you can gain while you are interning in an office?  PLEASE DO! As long as you are getting the other items on your list done, feel free to look at other opportunities to expand your knowledge base!

Talk to People
Don’t just talk to your direct supervisor.  Talk to other people in the office you are in.  Talk to people in the Division.  Talk to people outside the Division.  Getting to know other people just helps to expand your network.  Don’t live in a hole in the office you will be interning in. It’s ok to come outside and meet people!

Connect with Students
You work in Student Affairs, so DUH – meet the students.  I told my intern during her first week, not to just stick to her computer but to come out and MEET the students.  And she did.  She talked to them, learned about them, let them know who she is.  And in turn, but week two, when she entered the office, they would welcome her as if she had been her forever.  You don’t have to be their best friend, but you have to meet them where they are sometimes, so learn how to do that.

Have Fun
Yes, it’s a job, but don’t forget to ENJOY it.  Laugh, joke, have a good time.  Working in Student Affairs is a fantastic job and you can’t let the long hours and late nights get to you.  Enjoy those ordinary moments. You can get the job done and have fun.

Those are just a few of the many tips I or any other supervisor could provide regarding your practicum internships.  You have a small amount of time in which to make a big impact, so make the most of it.

Also, you can follow this awesome Practicum Intern on Twitter! @aSarahWood 🙂

Olchat – Being a Moderator was Crazy Fun.

So we had our first OLchat of the “Twitterverse” last night from 7-8pm (EST) and really had a great time.  It wasn’t quite the turn out of #SAchat, but nonetheless – we had great conversation and share some great insights. 

Being moderator for the group was really quite fantastic.  I admit I was nervous about being able to do a good job, so I commend those that moderate #SAchat and following ALL of the great ideas and insights shared every Thursday.  It really is quite the undertaking.  But I’m hoping that we can share moderator duties as #OLchat develops and grows.

For those that want to see the transcript you can get the file here:

OLchat5_3_10

For somereason the transcript generator site that everyone mentioned failed to acknowledge our chat – so I did it the old fashion way.  Which took a while, but heck – I wanted you all to see it! 

I’ll keep everyone posted on future topics and chats.  I think right now we are going to try and do it bi-weekly, but we may switch it up once the summer really hits, since after all – we are in “Orientation Mode” at that point and our time is limited.

Thanks for everyone that participated in making our first chat a success!

Being Reaffirmed of My Purpose

The last few weeks have been pretty challenging.  I have had more than my share of stressors at work.  Luckily I also have a great support group of friends in the field that are going through similar things, so I had some incredible people to lean on when I really needed it.

I have had some situations arise with students, where it broke my heart a bit.  Some things I was more directly involved in than others – but nonetheless, for a few moments, I questioned what I was doing and if I was doing it well.  Not that I was ready to throw in the towel or anything, but it was a low point and all a bit exhausting.

But then I find those things that reaffirm what I am doing.  They reaffirm why I chose Student Affairs as my career path.

One such moment happened that really got me focused on the positive.  I had my Orientation Leaders fill out information sheets asking several questions that will go on our websites and in publications to show our incoming class of students.  It is something that we started to do last year as we expanded some of our efforts in that area.  I am always interested to see what it is they are looking to gain from the experience, why they are excited and really, what motivates them as individuals.

At B-W, our mascot is “The Yellow Jackets” – so one of my questions is “Why are you proud to be a Yellow Jacket?” I won’t name the student specifically of course, but after writing and crossing out several answers, he simply wrote “Because being here made me who I am.”  I immediately felt what I like to call “Supervisor Joy” – a moment where I am so moved at a student’s response to something that I can’t help but think – THEY GET IT.  THEY REALLY GET IT.

And luckily, I have those moments more than once a year.  Of course they don’t happen every day, but they do happen.  And each time they do I am reaffirmed of my purpose as a Student Affairs professional. And at that point it got me moving in a new direction with blogging and wanting to create a place where we can see “Supervisor Joy” from all over.  For those times when perhaps we need reaffirmation more immediately and cannot wait until one of our own students does something.  We can instead be motivated by the stories our other colleagues are having, and then also be able to share our own.

Sound interesting? Well I started the blog: http://supervisorjoy.wordpress.com

Give it a click & let me know if you want to be a part of the “Supervisor Joy” movement.  An “Affirmation Project” I suppose you could call it.  Either way, we all need a little reaffirming every now and then.  But it will also give us an opportunity to share those moments with the world.  Our students are doing amazing things – even beyond just helping us recognize our own purpose on this earth.  Let’s share it.

Do you “Play” at work?

I was talking with a friend (who was also a former B-W employee) and we were discussing how we used to “play” at work.  And I told him that I didn’t think I could work in an environment where I didn’t get to play.  That was the thing that kept me going during my day.  The thing that brought me into work some days.  And it got me thinking about how other people might “play” while at work.

Our office at B-W embraces the idea of play.  It stems from my supervisor following “The FISH Philosophy”.  You may have heard of it or you may not have.  But basically, the philosophy was born out of some guy’s head based on the work environment at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington.  There are four parts:

• Be There
• Make Their Day
• Choose Your Attitude
• Play

They all tie into the idea of customer service.  We use this idea in training our office staff, orientation team, and others.  But what I’m focusing on this time is PLAY.

Do you play at work?  I guess you should start by defining what you consider “play” to be. It can really be different for everyone and will often depend on the type of work environment that you have at your institution.  I’d like to think that every office would have an opportunity to play at least once a day.  I feel lucky that I do and I started to laugh thinking about some of the ways I play and perhaps, if given the opportunity, they are ways that you can play too.

• We like to dance. Almost every day we stop for about 5 minutes, blare a song from my computer speakers and just “dance it out” as we say.  It’s especially good on stressful days. We had 7 people in my small office one day.
• We have the Office Olympics each year.  Students and staff participate in events like “Post-it Note Jousting”, “Email Speed Challenge”, “Wheely Chair Races”, and many more.
• We play practical jokes on my supervisor.
• We are ok with taking time to be social. Our conference table is used for more than meetings. We share meals, we play games, we just enjoy each other’s company.
• For about 2 weeks straight we had nerf gun wars. (that’s probably more on the extreme end. but what do you expect when someone leaves nerf guns in the office? – we are still finding random “bullets”)
• We once hid Dwight Schrute faces around the office – we focused on the things we learned from Dwight. It was helpful that I also had his bobblehead in my office.
• We utilize our flat screen TV a lot.
• Even in our individual offices, you’ll find games, funny photos, Mr. Potato Heads, big stuffed animal fish, anything that shows our personality and provides a welcoming space for our students.
• We give high fives.  We hug.  We celebrate successes. We laugh.

And with all of that, we get our jobs done.  We still have time for all the other things on our lists.  All of the meetings and appointments that are not always the highlights of our days.  But in Student Affairs, I really think that you need to play.  Following the people that I do on Twitter, I think that many of us obviously find ways to “play” daily during our work week.  Not everyone plays the same, but we find the things that work.  And that is what’s important.

So I challenge everyone to make sure you have time to play.  Reflect on that and what it brings to your office staff.  What it brings to your students.  What it brings to you.  And if you can’t show that “play” in your office, bring it to Twitter every now and then.  We’re all just hanging out in a big “online playpen” anyways.