Hey friends— I’m baaack!
For the last couple of weeks, my time and energy has been consumed by soaking up the last days of summer, worry, and anxiety-- in that order.
Remote 3rd grade learning has commenced -- and I find myself in a new role that I never anticipated. In fact, I might just update my profile to read "Executive Assistant to 3rd grader".
Essential Responsibilities
Ensuring student is on-time to all meetings
Gathering and printing all necessary documents and supplies for daily meetings
Making sure lunch is provided daily
Troubleshooting any IT or technical issues during online learning
Managing calendars to ensure student is connecting on a regular basis with her quaranteam friends
Arranging transport and supervision during outings outside of the office (I mean, home)
Other duties as required … i.e.: bedtime song singing, reminders on not bringing computer into the bathroom.
Basic Qualifications
Being a grown up
In fact, I kind of feel like I'm working for Miranda Priestly.
Literally, I get shooed off— ALL THE TIME.
(nod to Devil Wears Prada)
Make no mistake-- I know I am not alone in this. I know everyone is affected - whether they are parents or not. The parents are trying to navigate working and supervising. Some with multiple kids. Lawd, you deserve a medal.
Others who do not have kids or single are picking up more work, and probably feeling resentful of their teammates from time to time.
Every situation is unique and independent-- and while I try to feel like I'm special in my circumstance-- I know I am not.
Brains are on overdrive; stamina is being tested, and the energy exerted on a daily basis is unsustainable.
As an HR professional used to assessing talent on a regular basis… I see a new performance schematic unfolding that looks like this:
The new performance visual. Some days I’m crushing it.
Other days, I’m getting crushed.
Credit: @LizandMollie
And as I zoomed into our school's Curriculum Night yesterday-- and there was a phrase that caught my eye.
“PRODUCTIVE STRUGGLE”
Shout out to the teachers @ Burr Elementary in Chicago!
If I had heard that term a year ago, I would have had no clue at what that meant.
In fact, given that my world had become pretty myopic after 18 years in the same company-- I probably would have laughed at it.
In my world, "productive" and "struggle" would not have belonged in the same sentence. It was either/ or.
And frankly, I likely would not have had much patience for the struggle.
But observing teachers and students play through remote learning; I'm starting to get it. No 8-year-old is supposed to know how to upload assignments into google docs and respond to emails like they’ve been at it for decades.
They are building stamina after the weirdest summer of their short lives.
They are trying to learn independence. And they are learning through their individual and collective "productive struggle".
By doing and by persevering.
In the workplace-- there are always difficult problems that come up that require stamina and effort-- and I’ve found that the concept of perseverance can take on a negative connotation. You may have said these words aloud… I KNOW I have.
why is this so hard?
why can they not get it done?"
what is taking so long?
Because as leaders, we sometimes forget about the lessons of learning by doing — and become focused on why the desired outcome has not been achieved.
So my reminder to myself and all of you-- is to allow the process of productive struggle to play out a little longer.
Let your employees and teams solve by doing and trying new solutions.
Let your tiny humans at home be tiny and work through … the work!
Provide support and let them build confidence.
And to persevere.
Because productive struggle = development.
And at the end of the day, isn't that what we want for all of our teams? (and kids?)
It ain’t pretty, but we're getting through it. #2020
Be well, stay well.
J
PS: I know this is much easier said than done. Wine helps. Cheers.