"They did not measure their joy in goods sold, their egos in bank balances, nor their loves in what they cost.” - John Steinbeck of Mack and the Boys in Cannery Row

Today, I find myself looking back at the day-long celebration at our university last week devoted to recognizing our staff and the importance of their having access to opportunities for appreciation, recognition, and professional development. This is the sixth year we’ve set aside a special day for this purpose and it was our 50th annual staff awards luncheon. I realize that I’ve attended more than half of these! I’m grateful to work at a place that makes it a priority to support the growth of employees and to recognize their accomplishments.

I was especially inspired to write about this day by the theme of this year’s event, “Developing from Within”, and the sub-themes of growing, learning, celebrating, contributing, promoting, developing, and serving. I very much liked the emphasis this year on how we can seek to balance the stress and demands of our work with activities that support physical, emotional, and mental wellness, and with opportunities both to make a difference and to recognize that we are.

I think it is vitally important to pay attention to how we can keep our balance in situations where we must deal with high rates of change, demanding deadlines and expectations, and limited resources. Especially for my colleagues in IT, these have been nearly constant characteristics of our work lives and they can be very challenging. I was grateful this past week to hear speakers emphasize strategies and concepts that will help us all have patience with ourselves and others, strive to bring our best to our work while accepting that with innovation comes the need to accept, and learn from, failure, and to be ready to ask for, and accept, help from our colleagues.

As I think about this need for balance this morning, I’m remembering a technique a dear friend shared with me to take 30 seconds for a “mindful moment” from time to time during the day. I’ve been practicing this and find that it helps me quickly get back on track when stress and chaos begin to loom large in my day. I particularly liked a metaphor they shared that keeping our balance can be like moving with the waves in the ocean. I spent hours as a young man enjoying the surf. Keeping my balance as the waves rolled by, and diving through them when necessary, is an idea that feels natural to me. I find it helpful to remember that I was able to thrive in an environment where my power was vanishingly small compared to the power of the ocean, to be able to embrace that power, and surf in its beauty. Compared to that awesome power, the challenges I face at work seem much more manageable! It’s also lovely that I find myself thinking of my friend with gratitude each time I pause for a “mindful moment”.

Among the sessions that offered staff ideas to help them grow from within were those devoted to wellness, building and strengthening interpersonal connections, some useful skills, and making a difference. From exercise, diet, and financial wellness, to collaborative relationships and conflict resolution. From technology tools and communication, to key aspects of servant leadership. The day provided many good choices and I heard lots of positive comments. I particularly enjoyed the keynote, servant leadership session, and yoga sessions I attended.

I was also happy to be one of the speakers at the event. I shared hints, tricks, and tips for enjoying Yosemite National Park in an updated version of a presentation I had provided several years ago. I was glad to have a good turnout and to hear many positive comments about that session. For me, time in nature is an important part of keeping my balance, honoring my values, and making time for what really matters. Along with meditation, music, and time with our loved ones, spending time in the natural world is one of my favorite things. I hope that many of my colleagues will take time to enjoy the beauty and peace of Yosemite and the Sierra, and return to work refreshed and with a new perspective.

Another aspect of supporting the growth of our staff that we’ve been spending time on lately is looking for ways to bring them together that help us all work better together as colleagues. Along with programs for staff-initiated professional development and leadership development being championed by our new CIO, we are talking about staff appreciation events that allow us to have some fun together, and about more focussed retreats and team-building sessions.

One aspect of these discussions that has caught me a bit by surprise is the challenges of planning these activities. These range from simple logistics, to how we can honor the preferences of different employees, and even concerns about how those who choose not to participate in optional events might be at a disadvantage. One of my colleagues raised this concern in the context that there have been “optional” events outside normal working hours in the past that employees didn’t feel were truly optional. Their perception has been that those who participated were looked on more favorably by management than those who chose not to.

I'm not entirely sure what answers will best address these concerns. I do think it will be important for us to find ways to make it clear that we truly do mean optional when we use that concept and to act consistently to demonstrate that this is true. There will be some optional activities that are purely meant to provide some fun way to express appreciation for employees' efforts and an invitation for optional participation in these should certainly not result in any specific disadvantage for those who choose not to participate.

That having been said, there may be advantages from participating in these activities, such as gaining a better understanding of, and comfort with, coworkers, and I don't think we'd want to avoid providing the activities simply because some employees gain these advantages and others choose not to. Similarly, there are other optional activities that could provide a significant advantage over time to those who show the initiative to participate. Some examples include pursuing the professional development activities we offer and volunteering to participate in collaborative activities with other departments on campus. While it is vital that we ensure equal access to these activities to all employees, and a fair and consistent selection process when not all volunteers can participate, I think it is OK for these to benefit employees who choose to engage and participate.

In the end, I’m convinced that life is most fulfilling and complete when we work to live instead of living to work. While work is one vital part of a balanced and meaningful life, and the opportunity to do meaningful work is very satisfying, my experience tells me that we are happiest and healthiest when the greater purpose of life is to act on the love we feel for our family, friends, and community, and on the wonder we experience in communion with the natural and spiritual elements of this world we share.

Looking back on the past week, I feel great appreciation for the learning and development staff that planned our staff training, appreciation, and recognition day and for the volunteers who made that day possible. Most of all I feel gratitude for my loved ones, and especially my wonderful partner Sue, for helping me continue to grow from within and for loving the man I am growing to be with each passing day.