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Trust the process. What is your process?

When times get confusing, having a solid process can be very helpful.  To help, you could:

  • Embrace change yourself and be patient helping others to adapt
  • Avoid pushing others (or projects) too hard or too quickly

It may be difficult for some to accept that rituals and habits have changed.  To help, you could:

  • Build new and appropriate processes for the current times
  • Avoid clinging to old ideas that just can’t be used right now

By looking at your process, you can build clarity as you notice and choose how you will react to crisis and change.

-RG

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Think The Best

Think the best of other people. Other people greatly influence us, whether we like to admit it or not.

You have most likely noticed that people may have left your circle recently because of quarantine and this can cause concern. To help, you could:

  • Be willing to reach out to these other people and share more often
  • Other people may not be doing well. Be sensitive to the feelings of other people and how they are coping. Simply ask others: How are you?

You may also be worried about people you love who are not with you or those who are worse off than you are.  This can also cause heightened levels of anxiety. To help, you could:

  • Identify simple and realistic ways to help other people
  • Avoid overextending your giving to others, again simply asking someone how they are is helpful

-RG

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Workplace Diversity

Leaders must understand a variety of complicated and sophisticated components within their environments. One critical component is that of cultural sensitivity. Now, more than ever leaders must be sensitive and aware of not just the workplace culture but also how people of varying backgrounds interact with each other. Cultural sensitivity can help improve office morale as well as attract top talent who will contribute to a healthy workplace that is productive. Here are a few tips to improve workplace productivity.

Seek differences in perspective

Poor assumptions can lead to many conflicts in the workplace. A few factors that can shape perspectives are gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnic background and political opinions/beliefs. Whenever in doubt about a difference of opinion in the workplace ask the following questions (in your own words, of course) before responding:

  • How did you arrive at this conclusion?
  • Can you help educate me on this by directing me to the most recent literature?
  • Is there something that you think I need to know about this?

Don’t shy away from awkward conversations

At work it is tempting to ignore the cultural differences and focus on the bottom line or other established goals. However it is important to take time to have an honest conversation on the differences. Chances are this will result in new and fascinating opportunities. For example, while discussing your differences in culture you may discover there is a need that you can support in a different and unique way.

Celebrate everyone

As a leader it is your job to celebrate everyone, especially those from different cultures while making sure they are part of the unified vision and mission of your organization. On a regular basis remind all of your employees about your core ethics values and morals. Celebrating the many different cultures ensures that no one is felt alienated or ignored.

The productive team of employees are those who will feel supported, appreciated and validated. Your role as a leader is to make sure that your organization knows this message: everyone’s voice is important and must be heard.

Employees who understand each other can resolve the differences quickly and focus on being productive members of the team. Good leaders should always keep the lines of communication open and understand all members of the organization.

-RG

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Top 5 List – Be More Efficient Working From Home

Top 5 List

For remote workers, working from home can increase efficiency and reduce commute times while allowing for more time to spend with family. The problem is that there can also be more distractions such as kids, household chores, and running errands. Here are five ways to help you feel less stressed and more efficient while working from home.

Have a designated work area – Don’t use the sofa or the kitchen table — have a room (with a door) to call your own. Train your family (including pets) to know you are unavailable when the door is closed.

Schedule your time – Set aside blocks of time during each day for work, chores, meals, errands, and especially “me time”.

Keep set hours – It can be easy to take a few hours off in the afternoon then work until midnight. The problem is that this can lead to you working too many hours or not enough, resulting in either exhaustion or a lack of business growth. Try to keep your hours in line with the rest of your co-workers and others in similar types of work.

Have a second office – Studies have shown that a change of scenery can make you more productive. On occasion, grab the laptop and head off to a library, coffee shop or quiet park for some caffeine induced creative thinking.

Attend networking and other social events – It’s easy to become solitary working from home, making you unmotivated and uninspired. Meeting new people will not only keep you sharp, it may even bring in new ideas or ways to approach your work.

-RG

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Working From Home

Going forward many of us may be working from home, for the summer…or the rest of 2020. This is the current state of affairs we are faced with. The coronavirus pandemic is and will be pushing many skilled workers to home offices. Time will only tell if we will be returning to our pre-pandemic offices or not. 

Those that have a history of working remotely report that they enjoy the freedom to manage their schedules, work anywhere and little or no commute. If you find yourself in need of a home office to function as your primary work place, here are a few things to consider.

Setup a focused workspace

A top priority for working from home is to ensure that your designated work space is equipped properly, comfortable and has good lighting. Additionally, you’ll need to have a comfortable and supportive chair as well as an area large enough to accommodate your computer and paperwork needed for each work day. TIP: If your work space is small or dark, consider hanging a mirror to bring in natural light.

Establish a routine

Those in leadership positions report that they worry remote workers will be distracted by household responsibilities or social media. However, when surveyed most employees report that when they are working from home, the challenge is more about breaking away from work. TIP: Schedule several 15-minute breaks during the day for light chores or set timers as reminders to get up and move around throughout the day. Finally, consider making a clean break from work at the end of the day by working out, playing with kids or pets.

Stay connected

Employees that enjoy remote work report that they do miss some of the routines of a shared workspace, including bonding with co-workers like coffee breaks, lunches and celebrations. TIP: Intentionally schedule meetings to replicate the in-office experience. For example, coffee hours or happy hours are a great way to keep remote workers in the loop, boost morale and stay connected.

Tips to quickly create a home office

If you find yourself in a position to quickly set up a remote work space, consider:

  • A desk with plenty of space
  • An uncluttered area or bare wall to serve as a background for virtual meetings
  • A computer with a built-in webcam, microphone and speakers
  • Noise canceling headphones
  • An internet speed of up to 30 Mbps for downloads should be fine
  • Check with local internet service provider for best pricing options
  • Sufficient outlets to keep devices powered up
  • Printer and printer paper
  • A room with a door that you can close
  • Plenty of natural or artificial light
  • A solid wi-fi connection – (a hard-wired connection, if possible)
  • Locate a solution for free file storage – OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox etc.
  • Online productivity tools that allow for low barriers to collaboration with colleagues (Google or Microsoft)
  • No or low cost video conferencing and project management solutions
  • Lastly, develop a plan to keep your hardware and software updated and secure 

-RG

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Get Organized

Have you ever started a work week only to realize that you are already dreading what lies ahead? It’s the first day of the work week and your calendar is already packed, there are endless emails, piles of papers and a long to-do list waiting for you.

This is a common feeling for many people. In fact, it’s common for work to feel overwhelming and unorganized. It is difficult to do our best work when we are overloaded with too many things to do and too many distractions. We just can’t be closer to the work we’d like to do, when we feel that we have little control over our days.

When it comes to your workspace don’t let clutter interfere with your daily schedule or your digital life. Create an office space and a digital world that you can enjoy.

Start with the physical workspace, clean up any books, paperwork and miscellaneous items like supplies and electronics. Keep only the things that are essential for your job and discard everything else.

Clean up your inbox, the apps on your smartphone and the files on your computer. Try to free yourself from constant notifications and the frustration that may come from never being able to find what you need.

Change your calendar to make more room for the work that truly matters. Learn how to say no, so that you have freedom to say yes to what you’re going to enjoy and what’s most important.

Eliminate, automate and delegate the less significant decisions that can take up a lot of your energy so you can focus on critical decisions.

Bigger is not always better. Build a small number of meaningful relationships within your network.  A smaller set of high-quality connections can offer the support you need to do your best work.

Prioritize your most important meetings and avoid those that waste your time. Be prepared to actively listen and be supportive of others’ ideas. In general try to keep the meetings small in size and short length.

No matter what your job is, share information, speak up when you have something to add and connect with your colleagues. Avoid teams that are loaded with personal drama and conflict.

Once you’ve made these adjustments, you will be much more comfortable and be able to do the work that you love. A more organized schedule allows you to dedicate attention to projects that will make a difference. You’ll embrace challenges and become more enthusiastic about learning new skills. The changes that come from healthy organizing will work magic for you!

-RG

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Top 5 List – Tips To Avoid Sending An Angry Email

Top 5 List

Have you ever sent an angry email only to later wish you had not? The “send” button gives fewer opportunities to allow cooler heads to prevail. As opposed to writing a letter, placing it in an envelope and walking to the mailbox. 

Here are five tips to help you avoid sending out an email that can ruin even the strongest relationships.

  • Set your goal. Are you writing this email to persuade someone to change their mind, request better service, or just to vent? Focus on the goal of your message and what you hope the outcome will be.
  • Use a word processor. Write your email, to help correct spelling and grammar errors. This will add that extra step that could keep you from sending it too soon.
  • Don’t write when you’re emotional. Pet the dog or cat, if you are a pet owner. Go for a bike ride, make a healthy snack, do anything to clear your mind. This will allow you to focus and organize your thoughts. Perhaps, wait a full 24 hours.
  • Get an outsider’s perspective. Have someone else read it and provide feedback. Send it to a trusted friend or colleague for their honest opinion. 
  • Choose a face-to-face method of communication. Humor and sarcasm can often get misinterpreted when delivered in the form of an email. Pick up the phone or arranging a personal meeting can be the most efficient, mature and effective way to resolve issues.

-RG

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Check-In With Students

There are many benefits to deploying a check-in exercise with students during the semester. Soliciting input from students can influence the students view as it relates to their roles as members of the learning community. This type of targeted feedback can also be valuable for both students and instructors about the learning and teaching that is taking place.

What do you want to learn about?

Faculty should ask themselves what they want to learn more about. When creating the questions to assess students, consider the different areas about the type of information that you hope to gather. It might be helpful to revisit the course outcomes and the strategies that were implemented to determine what input from students would be the most helpful.

Also consider questions that encourage students to be specific and self-reflective. Some examples include:

  • What is working well for you in this class? 
  • What are you struggling with? 
  • What is helping you learn? What is not working? 
  • What could the instructor change to improve your learning experience in this class? 
  • What could you do differently to improve your learning experience in this class?

Faculty might also consider a series of Likert scale questions

(1-5 with 5 = Strongly Agree and 1 = Strongly Disagree):

  • I am engaged in class
  • I learn the most from the lectures
  • I learn the most from the textbook
  • I am worried about my performance in this class
  • Technology has made this class challenging
  • I understand what I need to do well in the class

This type of information can be collected in a number of ways. For example, a quiz created in the LMS or a survey tool like Qualtrics or Google forms.

Share the responses

An important part of this process is to share the findings with the students in class. When results are reported back to students, this signals that their ideas have been considered and emphasizes that their time and thoughtful feedback is appreciated. Faculty value the students’ time and place an elevated level of importance on this exercise.

Look for the positive things that students have shared. It is important to know what is working well. Then move on to the areas of improvement. 

As the feedback is being reviewed, attempt to sort the feedback into different categories. Are there common themes or overlapping comments being made? Identifying patterns can help efficiently make improvements. 

Let the students know that you’ve read the feedback, what you learned and that what you will be adjusting based on their input. Thank students for their comments and invite them for ongoing participation in helping to improve the course. Consider providing an overall summary of common ideas and areas where you’ve identified conflict between student perspectives. Ensure that you’ve provided a brief account of which of their comments are most common as you act upon them and also inform them that updates will be made to the next iteration of the course.

Of course there is no perfect time to deploy a check-in exercise. Many faculty have shared that a midway point of the courses is a good time to do something like this. Other faculty have shared that they do this 2 to 3 times throughout the course depending on a variety of factors.

-RG

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Help Wanted

Once you have set aside the time and have the energy to dig in and create or improve your online course(s)…don’t do it alone. Ask for help. Take advantage of the many resources and support teams within your institution. If need be, look for help from others that may be outside of your institution. Here are a few ideas to consider:

Mentor – Look for an individual who has some experience teaching online. This doesn’t need to be a formal mentor relationship, just someone who’s been down that path already who can share some words of wisdom. Teaching online courses is a skill that is unique from teaching classes in person. Take your time and find someone who is comfortable teaching online and learn from their experience. Be selective and look for someone who is thriving and willing to share not only their successes but some of their failures.

Colleagues – Remember you’re not the only one trying to create an excellent experience for your students. Look to your colleagues who are also trying to be excellent online teachers. A great way to discover new strategies and ideas is to interact with those who are also wrestling with the same teaching issues. If you have regular meetings with your colleagues you might consider adding a brief 5 to 10 minutes Block of time to simply share a tip or strategy related to online teaching. Another strategy that many faculty find useful is the idea of a shared reading experience or a book club. Other faculty have pursued workshops, faculty showcases, and conferences to learn more about what other faculty are doing within online education. The bottom line here is to commit to learning and learning and other faculty members.

Instructional Designer – While you are the expert in your field you might consider seeking help from an instructional designer or a learning designer. Individuals that work in these roles are experts in effective online teaching and learning. This relationship could consist of a conversation over a cup of coffee, a 15-minute conversation to brainstorm new ideas or a longer meeting(s) that include a complete course design or redesign. Designers can significantly improve your experience and enjoyment with online teaching. Your students will be glad that you invested the time and energy.
Teaching online for the first time may feel overwhelming. Start with the basics and take your time. Once you have that first course completed it’s time to improve. Start with small things to improve upon… pick just one thing. When you’ve completed that first thing, simply move on to the next. Experienced online faculty will tell you that your course is never perfect.

Take your time and commit to constant revisions. Seek new and better ideas…always!

-RG

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Myth Buster

There are many online teachers that are dedicated to the modality and have figured out some great strategies and best practices. However, there are a few myths about online teaching and learning that still exist. Here are a few:

**Teaching online is not an enjoyable experience

Many teachers in higher education don’t see online teaching as a rewarding experience. In fact, many teachers report that teaching in-person is a much more rewarding and enjoyable experience. Perhaps this is because teachers that have made the switch to on-line teaching find they are doing much more administrative work than expected. If teachers simply log on, grade student work, review discussion posts, and manage other basic functions it may seem that this modality is not going to be enjoyable.

Teaching online courses can be very rewarding. From my own experience and experience of some of my closest colleagues, I would say that a majority of the online students are not only working but are also caring for children or other members of their families. These students take online classes because it’s the only way for them to pursue higher education. Many online teachers report getting a closer glimpse into the personal lives of their students, those experiences, and those challenges that the students choose to overcome when taking online classes. An experienced colleague of mine recently told me that the opportunities provided by a classroom without walls and across great distances are how they find joy in teaching online.

**Teaching online classes doesn’t work

In 2017, EDUCAUSE conducted a survey on faculty and information technology and discovered that approximately one-half of these faculty didn’t agree that online learning was effective. There is plenty of evidence that online courses can produce student learning outcomes that are comparable to those in-person courses. This evidence continues to roll in year after year. Just like any in-person class, the high-quality on-line versions will require excellent on-line teachers. It is the responsibility of the teachers and the designers with which they work to create a highly engaging and effective on-line classes.

**Students that take online classes are lazy

Some students that take on-line classes may put in a minimal amount of work, and just enough to get by with. Does this mean that lazy students are more likely to take an on-line class? Or have we as educators created an environment on-line that contributes to this type of student disengagement? Things to consider:

  • Are we offering these courses to a student population that is more likely to be working and raising a family?
  • Are we offering these courses to students who do not have the adequate equipment to be successful?
  • Are we asking faculty without experience in on-line education to lead these courses?
  • Are we presenting an unorganized and confusing course design that is less than appealing to the students?

Any one of these items can make on-line learning a challenge. A combination of two or more of these items can be a disaster.

Successful online learning requires a certain level of skill that some students simply do not possess. This means that on-line students must be able to manage their time well, motivate themselves, direct their own learning, and seek help when it is needed.

Successful online teaching requires that faculty make an extra effort to help those students persist. This takes awareness of the challenges of on-line education as well as careful thought, expert planning, empathy, and a high level of comfort with technology. 

**Online courses can run on auto-pilot

Some on-line teachers subscribe to the idea that on-line courses, once created, can simply be run by themselves and students can successfully meet the objectives. Maybe this is because online courses take such a tremendous effort to prepare before the very first day. In theory, all assignments, activities, discussion prompts, and the gradebook should be created in advance so that students can see everything from the first day. Unfortunately, some online teachers feel that students should be able to walk themselves through the on-line course without much engagement or guidance from the teacher.

On-line teachers should plan to guide their students through the course by being active and engaged weekly. Best practice includes blocking out time on the weekly calendar as if you’re attending the class in person. Be available, post announcements, reply to discussions, and grade students’ work on a regular basis. Just like an in-person course, teaching online requires continuous involvement from the teacher.

-RG