The Sunday Meeting

Last week, I described the most common factors that negatively impact the productivity of new faculty: technical errors, external realities, and psychological obstacles. I'm glad they were useful to many of you as a way to evaluate your progress this semester and identify what's holding you back. This week I want to focus on dealing with some of the technical errors by suggesting a concrete strategy that has been helpful for many of the faculty I work with individually. As with all strategies, you may want to try it out, see how it works for YOU, and then adapt it to your particular needs, workload, and lifestyle. 
 

The Sunday Meeting is one hour of time at the beginning of each week that is devoted to pro-actively planning your week. The purpose is to make sure that all the things that contribute to your LONG TERM SUCCESS get done and that you don't get distracted by seemingly urgent (but unimportant) tasks throughout the week. During your weekly meeting time, try the following five steps: STEP #1: BLOCK YOUR TIME COMMITMENTS OUT OF YOUR WEEKLY CALENDAR The meeting starts by blocking your research and writing time, classes, office hour, and meetings out of your calendar. If you haven't tried it yet, you may want to schedule your research and writing time first thing in the morning (before checking e-mail, prepping for classes, and responding to everyone else's needs in your workplace). STEP #2: CREATE YOUR TO-DO LIST Write out all your to-do items for the week including the short term tasks you need to get done, as well as the strategic tasks associated with your long term research agenda (this is where your semester plan comes in handy). Many of the faculty I work with categorize their to-do items under the headings "teaching," "service," and "research" to make sure there is an appropriate balance and that they are not just attending to the immediate demands of teaching and service while letting the more important tasks (research and writing) go undone. STEP #3: MAP YOUR TASKS ONTO YOUR TIME Here's where it gets ugly! Turn back to your calendar for this week and assign each of your to-do items to a specific block of time. Inevitably, you will have the same devastating realization each week: you don't have enough time to complete all the tasks on your to-do list. Breathe deeply. This is the perfectly normal reality of academic life. No matter how frustrating it is, it's far better to pro-actively deal with that reality at the beginning of the week then to walk blindly into that realization at the end of the week. STEP #4: PRO-ACTIVELY MAKE DECISIONS Knowing that you have more tasks than time, consciously decide how you will spend your time this week. You may need to prioritize the tasks on your list and I suggest using the criteria by which you will be evaluated for tenure and promotion as your guide. For the remaining tasks, you have many different options! You can: delegate, lower your standards (for non-critical tasks), compromise, re-negotiate deadlines, and/or let go of unnecessary tasks STEP #5: COMMIT TO EXECUTING YOUR PLAN Of course, the best laid plans can be thrown into disarray by unexpected circumstances. But having a clear plan and genuinely committing to its execution are essential to moving forward each week.  The Weekly Challenge

This week, I want to challenge you to do the following: Take 60 minutes and try having a Sunday Meeting (even if it's Monday!) If you still don't have a calendar, it's time to acquire one. Order one or download my free and simple version. Gently acknowledge that having more tasks than time is normal for life on the tenure-track and it is not an individual shortcoming or personal flaw. Review your calendar and tasks before saying "yes" to any new commitments this week. Re-commit yourself to 30-60 minutes each day for your writing. If you haven't determined your semester goals, it's not too late. If you need some support, motivation, or community, join us on the discussion forum. If you need an intervention to get your daily writing habit started, consider The Academic Ladder's Writing Club. I hope this week brings you the willingness to try some new pro-active strategies, the creativity to adapt them to your unique situation, and the comfort in knowing that you are not alone in your struggle for time and balance. Peace and Productivity, Kerry Ann Rockquemore Associate Professor African American Studies and Sociology University of Illinois at Chicago KerryAnn@NewFacultySuccess.com