Thanks for stopping by. At that last program meeting, I sensed you were getting frustrated. You haven't been here all that long and maybe my perspectives will make you happier in the short run — and keep you around for the long haul. I'm not going to try and convince you about the issues that arose. Instead, I am hopeful that my insights as a veteran might help you understand how decisions are made around here.
It is perfectly natural for people to see things in slightly different ways. My belief is that what is important is to distinguish between the possible and the unrealistic. This is completely different from issues of right or wrong. The reason is that if someone new to our organization, such as yourself, is quick to take offense and sense an "injustice" about something that's going on, the frustration is only going to grow if you don't know where to invest your energy. I am not suggesting that you give up on your ideals. Instead, if you position yourself on the wrong side all the time and nothing ever goes your way then you'll kill yourself from the stress. What I am going to offer you are three options that are always available. As long as you use these as way to filter your ambitions, you can avoid needless stress.
Let's think back on the program meeting. The crux of the issue was adjusting courses so that the sequence was more in line with what other places have undertaken. You proposed that we switch the timing of field experiences. In fact, if memory serves, you wanted to move the big clinical a whole semester earlier and create a capstone course for the following and final semester. There was not much support for that idea. I really don't want to rehash the various arguments and personalities. Instead, just as an exercise let's explore together three general options as I see them.
Option 1: Keep with Tradition. It is generally not a good idea to try change a system that serves us well. Change for the sake of change just does not make sense. Now if our accreditation found us to be out of compliance then it would be prudent to make adjustments. In this particular case, we have a steady stream of students who come to us fully of enthusiasm and leave very happy with the program. We don't receive many complains and the occasional problem is dealt with without fanfare. But in the end, the program first developed in the 1980s continues to serve our population and constituency. Once you come to recognize these factors, then you will avoid getting all worked up when you have the ambition to switch things around.
Option 2: Choose to Do Nothing. I know this may sound contradictory because doing nothing might feel like giving up. But it IS a choice we have. Think about it: when somebody claims they are "pro-choice" that does not mean every woman decides to get an abortion. Instead, they have an option -- which includes not having an abortion. T
he option of doing nothing and exercising that option is one of the greatest freedoms we have in this country. In fact, it might be worth contemplating whether we ought to exercise that choice more often. Cicero wrote "He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing." And the greater writer Oscar Wilde claimed: “To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual." If you are looking for a challenge and you wish to be recognized for your intellect, then the option of choosing to do nothing is a huge one to consider.Option 3: Follow the Tradition of Doing Nothing. This can be a real win/win option because it takes the best features of Option 1 and Option 2. You might think of it as 1 + 2 = 3. Choosing this option not only creates the least disruption but it honors the traditions of our place. For me, this is my default and look how happy I am. I have almost no stress and life is good.
Do you feel better now that we've talked?
