I have been working in education for a long time and have been through the many changes that inevitably come with time. For community colleges, change is constant as we strive to meet the ever-changing needs of students and the community. Change is good and is usually an indicator of progress. Change can also be exhausting.
You have likely felt it yourself and seen it in the team that you lead. According to the Harvard Business Review, the post-pandemic workforce will continue to implement transformational changes at an average rate of 10 planned initiatives per year. There are many reasons to implement new ways of doing things including trying to achieve efficiencies or realize greater impacts for students. Regardless, changes mean disruption and additional work. Doing many in a short span of time can lead to initiative fatigue.
The multiple missions of community colleges can drive more change for your team and they may be feeling the effects. From physical exhaustion to decreased productivity, this phenomenon is worthy of your attention as a leader.
This commentary comes from the new issue of the Community College Journal, published by the American Association of Community Colleges since 1930.
It may be that there are too many initiatives or a lack of resources that create a seemingly constant stream of additional tasks that just cause burnout. Maybe your team isn’t excited to jump into a new program or do not seem invested in the implementation of new ideas. It can take on many forms, but the symptoms of what has become known as quiet quitting will become visible.
If change is a constant, then how do you effectively prevent this burnout and continue to advance the programs and services that will help your students? In my years as a community college leader, I have found that returning to the fundamentals is always helpful.
- Include people in the process. Seek and listen to their input as you are developing and implementing changes.
- Communicate effectively. Clearly articulate the program including why it is important and how it is going to produce a positive impact.
- Prioritize. When multiple changes are occurring, ensure that the team understand the priorities and timing. Be sure to allow time for feedback and adaptations that best serve the intended purpose.
- Provide needed resources. Determine the needed time, human, financial and physical resources needed for success and provide them to the best of your ability.
- Be ready to pivot. As you implement programs, be intentional about a feedback loop and prepare to pivot as needed.
- Recognize and reflect. Be sure to close the feedback loop by communicating the outcomes and meaningfully reflect on the positive while working collectively to address any negatives.
- Say thank you. With so many changes, you may seem to move from one to the other quickly. Take a moment (or two) to thank those that make things happen.
And, don’t forget about your own initiative fatigue. As a community college leader, you juggle all the internal and external forces that impact your college creating your own web of multiple priorities. It is important that you have the time and space to reset and reflect. It is critical that you take that time and space to recharge so that you are energized for the next change and the team can see a model of leadership that values not just the product of the work but, more importantly, the people that do the work.
