Full Description
This self-care action plan is written for today's higher education professionals regardless of rank, tenure, or stature.
Being a successful professional takes stamina, and successful individuals can only sustain their momentum for as long as they maintain their well-being. Approached in a thoughtful and personal way, this book identifies self-care challenges faced by professionals in higher education and provides strategies for building a rewarding, long-term career.
The authors identify the root cause of issues that impact well-being to achieve professional sustainability. Each chapter provides background information on a topic, engaging activities to explore the topic in greater depth, and reflective questions for self-evaluation, and the final chapter offers guidance to help readers design their own self-care plan. Chapter topics were selected based on the authors' interactions with professionals, information from the field, and trends in higher education. The topics include communication complexities; role clarity; lack of control; the need for meaningful recognition; lack of confidence in leadership; the need to trust others; building personalized professional growth opportunities; recognizing "job creep"; and the inherent challenges of high-achieving professionals.
Book Features:
Recognizes the unique challenges faced by those working in colleges and universities, guiding readers through the process of creating a self-care plan.
Inspires readers to consider the root causes impacting their professional sustainability in higher education and assess where there might be room for self-care growth.
Includes activities and reflection questions to prompt and guide introspection and engagement with each topic.
Useful for anyone working on a college or university campus, including community colleges, 4-year institutions, or specialized educational organizations.
Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments xi
1. You Matter 1
Why You Need a Self-Care Plan for Your Professional Sustainability 1
Self-Care 2
Professional Sustainability 3
A Vision for Self-Care and Professional Sustainability 4
Why Professional Sustainability Can Be Challenging 5
Are You a Leader? 6
Why We Wrote This Book 7
Definition of Terms Used Throughout This Book 9
How to Use This Book 10
Conclusion 11
2. Communication Complexities 13
Why Do We Struggle With Communication in Higher Education? 13
When and Where Did You Learn to Communicate? 14
Our Expectations for Perfection Are Created Through Experiences 14
Constant Contact in Higher Education 16
How Communication Impacts Our Self-Care and Professional Sustainability 18
Activity: The 7 Cs of Communication in Higher Education 19
Conclusion 22
Reflection Questions 22
3. Role Clarity or Lack Thereof 23
Why We Struggle With Role Clarity in Higher Education 23
The Full Plate of Workload 24
The Confusion of Role Clarity 24
Am I Being Too Nice? 25
Don't Let the Ambiance Fool You 26
Activity: Considering and Protecting Your Talents 26
Conclusion 30
Reflection Questions 30
4. Lack of Control 31
Why Do We Struggle With Lack of Control in Our Higher Education Careers? 31
Lack of Control on the Individual Level 34
How Lack of Control Impacts Our Career Sustainability and Self-Care 35
Activity: Circle of Control 37
How to Use the Circle of Control 39
Conclusion 40
Reflection Questions 40
5. The Desire for Meaningful Recognition 41
Why Do We Struggle With Meaningful Recognition in Higher Education Careers? 41
Assumptions About Recognition 42
What Is Meaningful Recognition in Higher Education? 44
Finding Purpose in Performance Evaluations 45
How Lack of Meaningful Feedback Impacts Our Self-Care and Professional Sustainability 46
Activity: Identifying Your Recognition Style 47
Conclusion 49
Reflection Questions 50
6. Lack of Confidence in Leadership 51
Why Do We Lack Confidence in Our Leaders in Higher Education Careers? 51
What Happens When We Lack Confidence in Leaders? 52
Accidental Leaders 53
How Lack of Confidence in Leadership Affects Our Self-Care and Professional Stability 54
Activity: Building Trust From Within 54
Conclusion 56
Reflection Questions 56
7. Delegation 57
Why Do We Struggle With Delegation in Higher Education? 57
Why We Resist Delegation 57
A Culture of Mistrust 59
How Lack of Delegation Impacts Our Self-Care and Professional Sustainability 60
Revealing the Secret of Freedom 62
Delegation Determination 62
Activity: Delegation Blueprint 63
Delegation Checklist 65
Conclusion 66
Reflection Questions 67
8. Professional Stagnation and the Need for Individualized Growth Options 69
Why Do We Struggle With Professional Development Offerings in Higher Education? 69
Growth Does Not Occur Without Intention 70
Changing Needs for Professional Development 70
How Professional Development Impacts Our Self-Care and Long-Term Professional Sustainability 72
Activity: Creating Your Own Professional Growth Plan 73
Conclusion 75
Reflection Questions 75
9. "Job Creep" and High-Achieving Professionals 77
Why Do We Struggle With Our Increasingly Demanding Workload? 77
"Job Creep" and the Unmanageable or Unpredictable Workload 78
Being a High-Achieving Leader in Higher Education 79
Assumptions About the High-Achieving Professional 80
How Job Creep and High-Achieving Traits Impact Our Self-Care and Professional Sustainability 83
Activity: Balancing Your High-Achieving Traits Seesaw 84
Conclusion 85
Reflection Questions 86
10. Creating Your Self-Care Plan for Professional Sustainability 87
How Do We Do It All? 87
Envisioning Your Path Forward 88
Impact Statement Prompts 90
Adding Self-Care to Professional Impact and Sustainability 91
Formalizing Your Self-Care for Professional Sustainability 93
A Living Self-Care and Professional Sustainability Plan 94
A Call to Action 95
Some Last Notes to the Reader 95
Appendix 97
References 99
Index 105
About the Authors 113
