Carpe Diem (Cheryl’s way)

If you know me, you know I’m not a “seize the day” kind of gal. I like to think about it carefully, do a little research, talk to people, and then create a file that I stack somewhere on my desk…likely on top of an existing pile. Most of us know when we are in need of finding new ways of doing things, but we don’t usually know what to replace the old behavior with. Sooner or later, though, doing things the old way just doesn’t make sense and new, untried options become more appealing.

Things have been coming to a head for me in my work over the past couple of years. We have had a number of changes with the way our grants are being handled at the federal level, which has had a huge impact on my daily work life. The implementation has been astoundingly time intensive for me. Not only has oversight of grants changed, but we are learning that competitions are fewer and farther between, which has huge implications for us and the students we fund in our programs.

The University has weathered much of the current economic crisis well, thanks to excellent leadership from our administration; but in looking to the next biennium, it is clear we are not out of the woods. We must grow our programs  and look for new ways to accomplish our work if we are to continue to succeed. Most of us recognize that change is needed, but we don’t know what to do, and the learning curve is daunting when you feel like you are just keeping your head above water.

So over the past couple of years, I’ve had my eye out for things to help me in my work. I discovered the book Getting Things Done and have been slowly but surely implementing organizational tactics that are saving my sanity. I have a new administrative assistant, nay co-pilot, who is a breath of fresh air. We are both a little nerdy about Excel and spreadsheets, and I thoroughly enjoy working with her. After struggling with new grant reporting procedures, I think I’ve finally gotten the data whipped into a manageable system. I found a book about networking for people who hate to network (I think I was in a book store in DC avoiding making eye contact with others). It gave solid tips on networking designed especially for introverts.

Then there was SERID (Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness). Julia Smith and I were invited by Bedarius Bell to present at the SERID conference in October. This is not the best time for us since the our term begins at the end of September, but something moved me to say yes. Bedarius mentioned that the preconference workshop on branding presented by Kristen Jacoway has changed the way Alabama Rehab does business (just google her and get ready to be impressed with the search results). I didn’t even know what he was talking about, but decided I would go. That workshop had a similar impact on me. It completely changed the way I view social media and networking sites. She provided concrete steps that made the process doable and helped me to see the different ways that it would support my work.

Gee, Cheryl. Welcome to 2005.

So here I am, blogging about what I know, what I am learning, and hoping others find some community here. Over the coming months, expect to see blogs about hearing loss, communication access, and our professional development programs;  tips about grant administration; updates on my progress for (gasp!) going paperless; and whether or not the effort I put into this newfangled social media is delivering the goods! I hope you’ll feel inclined to share your tips with me, as well!