I Hear You

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. 

-Tony Robins

Communication is a tough game. It's tougher during a crisis, and even tougher when trying to communicate with so many different people. Over the last several months, I have tried to communicate with all of you as effectively as I can. I have attempted to be inspirational and supportive as we face these challenges. I'm afraid I have been ineffective in a lot of ways. I assure you this ineffectiveness is not due to a lack of desire to be effective. I am, by nature, a positive person. It isn't to say that I don't have negative thoughts, moments, days, weeks. I do. I simply try to avoid staying in that place for very long. I am also, by nature, a fixer. When I am in a negative place, I attempt to fix it. When those around me are in a negative place, I attempt to fix that too. I suppose that is what guided me into administration to begin with. I saw my colleagues struggling, and I wanted to be in a position to fix it.

During the course of this pandemic, I have attempted to be inspirational and encouraging as a way of boosting your collective spirit. I have spoken with all of you individually to better understand the nature of your stress as a way of figuring out how to fix it. I've never struggled to understand why you are stressed on a macro level. It is obvious that you are stressed for a myriad of reasons. My goal has always been to better understand the effect each individual stressor has on each one of you to better understand what I can do to provide the most effective "fix" for the group. I apologize if my attempts have fallen short or come across as tone-deaf or dismissive. That was never my intention.

Let me take this time to assure you that for those who feel like the hill is too high and the distance to the summit too far, I hear you. For those who feel like they are working harder than ever before yet feeling less effective than ever before, I hear you. For those who feel like the pressure to be everything for everyone is more than you can take, I hear you. For those of you who wake up feeling like the last thing you can do is show up to work and keep pushing forward, I hear you. I feel all of those same things. I try hard not to show it because I feel like my role as a leader is to lift you all up and showing those things, giving into those same feelings in myself, just isn't an option. 

You are all very different. You all need to hear very different things from me as we face this challenge. I am here for you. I want you to come to me with your concerns. I can't fix them all, and I know that is frustrating and deflating for you. I assure you that it is for me as well. I did not accept this job to fail to do it effectively. I will continue to attempt to learn and to lead as best I can because that is what you deserve.

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