Lessons Learned: Commitment is...

As a facilitator, as a recruiter, as a leader one thing harsh lesson I learned was: not EVERYONE can do what they signed up for. I used to take low turnout/feedback/membership personally. I thought, somewhere in the process, I aspired too much or recruited too many folks. However, I'm learning that just because people sign up for things doesn't mean people will follow through with that.

It's not always people forgetting they signed up to commit to something. It's not just people wearing themselves too thin and not being able to commit. Sometimes folks have emergencies or an illness that prevents them to keeping commitments they made months in advance. Other times, people just drop the ball. Smile, discuss and converse away! Those who came were eager to learn and make sure to keep spirits high and work with those stayed committed.

Lessons Learned is a RAPP Blog initiative intended for folks who hold formal leadership positions in RAPP programs to share what they're learning through their process

Lessons Learned: Support Each Other

One thing I noticed was the huge support and visibility RAPP gets when we partner up with other organizations. The past year, our Program Coordinator has worked with Residence Halls (and put on an amazing Sizism meeting). We also worked with RAs and TAs for multiple workshops entitled, "Let's Talk About It". We took members of RAPP to get Safe Zone Training and this summer will have some RAPPmates going to Secular Zone Training.

                                                              ARJ Leadership Dinner!

These opportunities allow us to work with other groups at UC campus and will not only gain exposure for RAPP but also get folks from RAPP involved in other opportunities. I think it's good to have leaders diversify their portfolios (I learned that in LCoB) as far as what they attend. It builds awareness on organizations and drums up interest!

Lessons Learned is a RAPP Blog initiative intended for folks who hold formal leadership positions in RAPP programs to share what they're learning through their process

Lessons Learned: Little Details Add Up

Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things. I am tempted to think there are no little things. - Bruce Barton

Recently, I was reminded that little details add up, for better and for worse! I need to balance this knowledge with my tendency toward harmful perfectionism. 

As a RAPP intern, I am often given several assignments that appear to have nothing to do with one another. When completing them all at once, I found that it is easy to skip a step or miss some of the finer details. On the flip side of that, my ongoing battle with perfectionism makes it easy to get lost in a single detail. I lose focus on that fact that these tasks are all interrelated and without one, the others tend to suffer. In the future, it will be important for me to find a balance between hitting all of the details and getting lost in just a few of them.  

Lessons Learned: Redo It. Just Do It Again.

After two months of being RAPPORTless, I was so excited to finally return to UC for the second semester and start with a RAPPORT meeting. I set up the Facebook Page, invited all 50 of the people on my list (not many friends ay?) and Rebecca rounded out the invites. In the end, there were 20+ eager folks ready to get back into the RAPPORT swing and learn some Social Justice Values.

Then this arctic thing happened and classes were cancelled the first day back. And the day after.

                                                             Thanks alot, Santa!

In my mind, (and out loud to Rebecca), I said "well, we can just move the meeting forward two weeks and keep the event the same. Well, no. People had forgotten about the event and thought we cancelled it! In the future, it's good to just remake the event on Facebook and remind folks again that way. Once they've said their coming, we at least can keep a better count of approximate people!

Lessons Learned is a RAPP Blog initiative intended for folks who hold formal leadership positions in RAPP programs to share what they're learning through their process

Lessons Learned: Positivity and Planning

"Nothing will work unless you do." -Maya Angelou

Over these last few weeks, I have done some deep reflection involving the completion of my work. I am well aware that there are many stresses that have the potential to effect my positive energy and success. Lately, white supremacy culture and the idea of perfectionism. Reflecting and realizing that all my life I have been conditioned and expected to lead in ways represented in white supremacy - and I've done it well. 

I couldn't figure out why it was that when I missed a deadline - even if it's only by a an hour or so, I was completely unmotivated to do my work and found myself completely scared of negative ramifications (which in reality were ones made up in my head to happen, but never did). Instead of doing the work and pushing through, I would almost always allow myself to feel this unbearable guilt about the task not being completed. Of course, I have to recognize that this is a process working towards correcting this behavior - however, I already feel some improvement. 

After I returned from my recent trip to Cancun - I got home and realized that my planner was no longer in my luggage. My planner - my lifeline, and sometimes the only thing that keeps me organized was missing. Inevitably, I missed a deadline - since I didn't have it right in front of my face. I spent hours thinking about how I could've let this happen - instead of switching my thinking to what I can actually do about it. Once I did that, it was amazing how things happened! I went into the office - there was no paper, so I asked about it and got some instead of dwelling on it! I painted a simple and effective banner for the window - and I even messed up a few times and didn't take the time to rip up the banner and start over - shew!  

With this lesson I learned, not only does perfectionism prove to be extremely damaging to my work ethic - it is also an extremely hard system to navigate, but it's not impossible. I got the banner up a day late - and get to leave it up for an extra week. I even had some help from some great RAPPers to help me reach the top of the window. Take a deep breath and relax - it will all work out as long as you put forth the effort. 

Lessons Learned is a RAPP Blog initiative intended for folks who hold formal leadership positions in RAPP programs to share what they're learning through their process

Lessons Learned: Don't Underestimate, Don't Procrastinate

When work is particularly out of my comfort zone (for example, designing a tri-fold board using a new marketing technique), it's particularly wise to not underestimate the work involved nor procrastinate.

Recently, I was given the task of designing the new look for RAPP's promotional tri-fold board that we use during tabling events. How hard could it be? Well, I am an information technology major with a love of history. I also enjoy reading fantasy novels and watching bad television in my free time. Nowhere in those last two sentences did I mention design or marketing. This leaves me wondering why I felt so confident when tasked with designing this board.

In my over-confidence, I procrastinated and worked on other things. I kept saying to myself that I would finish everything else first and only then would I have time to concentrate on the board. Well time flew by and there I was, rushing to complete my assignment with almost no time left. In hindsight I should have worked on the board first to gauge my productivity, especially considering my inexperience with this kind of work.  

Lessons Learned is a RAPP Blog initiative intended for folks who hold formal leadership positions in RAPP programs to share what they're learning through their process

Lessons Learned: Don't Be Afraid to Accept Help

 “Be brave enough to accept the help of others.” - Melba Cosgrove

When a colleague offers help, it can be wise to accept that help if you can. You can benefit from the strengths they bring. Accepting help from a friend or colleague is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. 

I was recently assigned the task of designing some marketing material for the RAPP program. Though out of my comfort zone, I was excited to begin and quite proud of my new responsibility. However, a week into my work it became a different story. My pace slowed and I felt my brain turning to mush. A colleague of mine offered to help me and I turned down their assistance. If I had genuinely not needed the help that would make sense, but I did and I knew my pride was a factor. My project did finish on time, but it likely would have been even better had I accepted the help of my coworker.   

Don't let pride come in the way of a better final product. The task is always more important than your pride. 

Lessons Learned is a RAPP Blog initiative intended for folks who hold formal leadership positions in RAPP programs to share what they're learning through their process