Back-to-school is here. And it is hectic. Between the print pieces for travel season, the flyers for campus events, and the business cards for new faculty, MarComm teams are busy this time of year.
One of my favorite things about back-to-school is that it signals a fresh start. It’s our chance as leaders to try new approaches or make shifts to help us manage the work better.
That said, it’s so easy to get caught up in the chaos during back-to-school season and miss the opportunity to reset and capitalize on a new season. To help me this year, I’m making a few new year’s resolutions this season to help me better work through the year.
New Year’s Resolutions for Back-to-School
Attend New Events – As a MarComm leader, it’s important to be part of the campus community. I go to several events throughout the year, but my goal is to attend five new events this year. My hope is this will help me better understand campus life and the experience of UA Little Rock students, faculty, and staff.
Change Up a Meeting – I don’t want to meet just to meet. That’s why I’m looking at the meeting our team has. Are they stale? Are they beneficial? Depending on those answers, I’m going to be revisiting meetings and trying to adjust so the time we’re spending is valuable.
Build A New Relationship – Another goal I have this year is to build additional relationships. There are so many people on campus, and I could be better connected. However, I’m trying to approach this with intentionality and make sure I’m building relationships that can help my team be better equipped to do their work.
Quit Doing Something – So often we talk about more. Strategic planning, retreats, and meetings always seem to be an additive process. That is good. However, it’s also okay to quit doing things that don’t work well to shift those resources to things that matter. This year, my goal is to do a better job at looking at what things can come off my plate.
Say Thank You – All too often, I get busy and don’t say thank you enough to the people who make things happen. We all have wonderful partners on campus and dedicated members of our team that we work with. This year, one of my goals is to be better at pausing and thanking those folks for all their work and partnership.
What About You?
What resolutions are you considering to begin this academic year? Be sure to add a comment, and let’s keep the conversation going!
And Carrie On 