I have been contributing to this blog on a weekly basis for nearly 10 months now. I have always approached this space with a mindset of what information or perspective could not only help individuals reading this, but also how could it benefit the system in which we all operate. I have discussed topics I thought might be relevant to you, the reader, with the hope that I could add a bit more awareness and intentionality around issues that impact all of us.
We endured a monumental transition in work and life over the past 16 months. Each of us had a different relationship to the pandemic. At some level all of us had to navigate changes and challenges, whether it was merging home lives with work lives, changes to parenting and schooling, or navigating the fear – or at the very least, the discomfort – of continuing to work on-site amid a pandemic. Now we are yet again standing at a liminal point in the future of our work.
For the next few weeks, I plan to use this blog space as a place to discuss shared challenges we will face as individuals and as a community as many of us return to some form of on-site work. I know you could be spending your time or attention doing any number of things other than read these posts and I do not take that for granted. If you choose to continue to follow this blog during this transition process, I will do my best to be open with you as a fellow community member, to offer support, to offer challenges to the way we think and operate, as well as discuss tools to help us all navigate this time effectively, productively and compassionately.
For this first post, I would like to start this series by making two acknowledgements that I think we all need to be carrying with us.
Acknowledgement No. 1: We all have a different relationship to this period of time
No two individuals in UC Merced’s community are in the same situation or have the same perspective about moving to a new normal for our working lives. Some of us are excited to get back to something that resembles what the world was like pre-pandemic and to be around people again. Others may have completely different lives and circumstances than before the pandemic, that perhaps leads to a desire of having a work-life structure that is different than pre-pandemic life. Even still, for some of us the pandemic may have not changed our work lives all that much, as many have been showing up on-site every day. On top of that, we all have different comfort levels, anxieties, hopes and fears that accompany COVID-19 and on-site work.
I want to acknowledge that we all are approaching this transition from varying vantage points. None is right or wrong. They just are. We need to recognize this so we avoid slipping into an us vs. them narrative. We are all people coming from a variety of circumstances, backgrounds and experiences.
Acknowledgement No. 2: Kindness and compassion shall prevail
Transitioning to our new business as usual, whatever that looks like for you, may prove to be as difficult as our transition to working through the pandemic. Let us remember that this is a new challenge and transition full of excitement and anxiety. None of us has walked down this road before and it is going to bring up different things for us all. Whether you are adjusting to a new work schedule, been denied your requested schedule, had to make difficult decisions about others’ schedules or are just getting used to new ways of operating and collaborating, we will all have our own challenges to navigate.
We are in a situational phenomenon – we are all being put in a situation that will pose its challenges. Let’s try to remember that underneath our roles and priorities at UC Merced, we are all just people trying to navigate this situation.
In fact, when challenges arise for you, consider focusing your blame at the situation, not at the people involved. We all will need extra kindness and compassion in this transition and at the end of the day, we will get through this just like we did last year. And we will all remember and be thankful for those who were kind to us and treated us with compassion in the midst of this challenging and exciting transition. I hope we can bring this understanding into our business operation decisions moving forward.
I hope you continue to join us next week as we discuss some common dynamics and conversations that you might need to have during our transition to working forward . If you have specific questions or need support with your unique situation, feel free to reach out.
Luke Wiesner is the UC Merced Conflict Resolution Coach , a private resource for staff members who are interested in having a partner to support workplace challenges or conflicts. This service is voluntary, and you can partner with the coach by yourself or with fellow university employees.
