The Knowledge Inside our Heads

This morning I was engaging in an online discussion for one of my courses on the topic of technology in Student Affairs and Services.  One of my classmates, a Residence Life Coordinator, mentionned that she sometimes has to cover the front desk shift if someone doesn't come in, and she finds it frustrating that she has to go through weeks (or months) worth of logbooks in order to look up any key information.  This brought me to post the following on twitter: 'reflection: if someone had to do your job for a day/wk/mth, are you organized enough that they could do so successfully?'
I went for a run and while doing so, a blog post began formulating in my mind, and I came to realize that in many cases, it may not be our level of organization that is the problem, but how good we are at sharing (read: documenting) the knowledge inside our heads.  As far as organization goes, I think it's safe to say that we are doing fairly well on that end, we keep track of budgets, meeting notes, learning outcomes, program plans, etc.  I recall a Student Life Coordinator in my not-so-distant past being extremely proud of cutting the number of Orientation Week planning binders from 20-something down to 15 or so in one year).  We are also great at sharing best practices within our organizations and with each other, but how good are we at sharing the knowledge inside our heads?
Going back to my earlier tweet, I think in many cases, our countless notes/binders/logs would allow someone to successfully take over our jobs for a few days/weeks in the event we were not able to, at least as far as the mechanics of it goes.  Events would run smoothly, programs would be successful, meetings would be attended, etc.  But if we had to be absent for an extended period of time due to unforeseen circumstances, would that person be able to successfully do our jobs or would they spend the time going through the motions, but missing pieces here and there?  Would they understand the dynamics between certain departments/individuals?  How would they find out that you have a go-to contact for facilities/room bookings/catering?  I know none of us want to think of ourselves as replaceable, or make ourselves seem that way, but are we guilty of being 'selfish' with our knowledge?  With all the technological possibilities out there, how can we ensure that we are being transparent enough with ourselves to ensure the success of our organization, even if we can't be directly responsible for that success?

From the start line

Definitely new to this whole blogging experience, but that's been a familiar theme in my life recently.  In the past year I have finished a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Biology after hopping around the science field for 8 years, finally entering the 'real world' as so many like to put it; I began and finished a contract at UOIT helping to develop their brand new Student Affairs unit, a far cry from the research and labs my degree prepared me for; and I took up running, after being relatively inactive since I stopped dancing over 10 years ago (aside from the occasional New Year's resolution gym stints).  Needless to say, my life lately has been comprised of many firsts, and many new beginnings.

On January 1st, I ran my first 5km race with my dad (who recently became a marathon runner at the age of 52) and looking back at that experience, I realize that there are many parallels between running and life itself.   A race isn't just an event, but a process that requires months of preparation and tons of support along the way.  I started training in mid-October, gradually increasing my time and distance each week, making changes to my eating habits, ensuring I had the right clothes, and right shoes to be able to make it to the start line, and hopefully the finish.  When Dad and I finally drove out to the race, I couldn't help but feel excitement, surrounded by all those people who were there for a million reasons of their own.  When the horn went off, sending us on our way, I was ready to go, and quickly set myself into a comfortable pace for the run.  At about the halfway point (during the second of three hills), the excitement began to wear off and my body started fighting back.  My legs were getting tired, and my lungs were screaming for me to stop, but with Dad running alongside me cheering me on I knew I couldn't give up.  I finally conquered that third hill, and made my way along the final stretch; and even though I felt like I couldn't take another step if my life depended on it, nothing will ever beat the feeling of crossing that finish line for the first time, knowing that I had acheived my goal (with a time of 00:29:09 no less).

Life (at least what I've experienced of it so far) seems to follow a similar path.  We set our minds to accomplishing something, whether it be some minor or major change, task or challenge.  We do the research, go through the planning process, make sure we have everything in place to be able to succeed and all before the actual event takes place.  When the time comes for us to cross the proverbial start line, we feel ready and we give it everything we have to ensure our success.  Along the way, we undoubtedly hit a few bumps (and maybe even some roadblocks), but we have our support system to help us past those hurdles (and, as a certain Student Life Manager always says: the back up plans for our back up plans).  In the end, we (hopefully) achieve our goal, or some variation of it, and we make it across that finish line.

As I now commence training for my first 10km race, I begin a new path, looking to find my place in the Student Affairs profession.  And though I may not yet have all the tools I need to succeed, I know that my personal cheering squad will be right there with me along the way.


“For every runner who races to win there are thousands for whom running is not a test but a therapy, not a trial but a reward, not a question but an answer.” ~ Dr. Sheehan