Should You Take On That Additional Project?

SHOULD YOU TAKE ON THAT ADDITIONAL PROJECT?
A reflection on saying “yes,” and on learning how to say “no”

To provide some background for this post, I work at a small liberal arts college. We are a handful of faculty, staff, and student affairs professionals who serve a campus of 1,300. We often are asked to go above and beyond our daily duties, rolling our sleeves up and doing the work that needs to be done. I also have a tough time saying no, which is something I’ve been working on over the past six months. I've noticed that as I take on additional projects and initiatives, I do my best to be cognizant of the quality of work that I'll be able to produce - and this guides my decision to become involved (and determine my degree of involvement). Pursuing other projects, and the opportunity to collaborate with professionals and faculty that I don't see every day, is an enjoyable aspect of the work I do as a professional. I have, however, begun to learn my limits over the past year and figured out how to say, "no," when I realize that I may not be the most suited for a project or I know that I can't devote my time to do the best work possible for our College and our students.

I understand that there are always additional factors at play when we are asked to take on other projects (sometimes, things simply need to get done - whether or not we can step up and provide our best work and/or we understand that other things will be shuffled around), but if you have some say in the process and your level of involvement with the project, here are some suggestions as you reflect on tacking the project to your to-do list. For continuity's sake, I'll discuss these points through the lens of a recent project I've taken on, overseeing our office's annual program assessment process with the Director.

DOES THE PROJECT ALIGN WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

Related: Does this project require skills that you want to develop for the future?

When I decided to step up and oversee the focus group process for our office's annual assessment report, I first reflected on my skill set, my experience, and my professional goals. I had taken a semester of assessment as a graduate student and had lead some informal focus groups in the fall. Did I want to go a step further and take on formal assessment, with the guidance of Institutional Effectiveness? I realized the legwork that the assessment process would require, but upon further reflection decided that I would need a strong background in leading programmatic assessment to move towards mid- and upper-level #SApro roles. Assessment is not truly in my wheelhouse, but I saw the chance to collaborate with a (GREAT) assessment professional, learn from her insight and feedback, and grow my leadership and analytical skills in the process.  

So, take a few moments to reflect on your short- and long-term goals. How would a project like this fit in with where you view yourself in a year? Five years? It seems like a lot to consider before taking on a project, but you never know what other initiatives, ideas, and projects will be set in motion as a result of this particular work.

WHO WOULD YOU BE COLLABORATING WITH?

Building on my previous point, consider who you'll be working with on this project and be strategic where possible. It doesn't always shake out in this way, but by collaborating with departments that you don't normally work with you can deepen your network, produce a higher quality product, allow you to apply their insight and feedback to your own work, and identify additional references (you never know!). Adding another project to your to-do list, especially one outside of your comfort zone, is daunting - but, the benefits of working with others can outweigh the additional workload and time spent in meetings.

Part of the reason why I took on our program's annual assessment process was the opportunity to work more closely with our VP of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness. She's a seasoned veteran in her functional area, and serves as a great example of a strong woman in the upper administrative levels of higher education. She's sweet, smart as a whip, and there's so much that I can learn from her. I'm absorbing so much assessment knowledge already!

HOW CAN THIS INFORM YOUR CURRENT WORK?

We talk about the importance of "transferable skills" in higher education all the time. So, when considering a new project, think about the skills that you might gain or sharpen as a result of the experience. In addition to your long-term goals and the skills that you want to improve for future endeavors, consider some of the short-term costs and benefits of taking it on. In my example, learning about the assessment process had a significant set of long-term goals, but I could also find ways that the project would positively impact my daily routine in my current role. The assessment process has been a constant reminder of the importance of documenting and tracking participation and engagement over the course of the year - a "common sense" practice, but one that can be lost in the fray of a hectic semester. This process has directly informed my work already, and I can't wait to witness additional short- and long-term benefits.

What's your thought process when taking on a large-scale project? If you had the chance to choose to take on a project or not, what would be your criteria for participation?

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Kimberly White is the Internship Coordinator for the rise3 Initiative at Birmingham-Southern College, an experiential learning and critical reflection opportunity for students in the domains of faculty-student research, internships, and service-learning. She also serves as the BSC Campus Advisor to the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, Alabama Alpha chapter. She is a recent graduate of the HESA program at Boston College and resides in Birmingham, Alabama. You can find Kimberly on Twitter at @whiteoi, on LinkedIn, or on her blog (Leadership Development and Life in the Yellowhammer State).