I did a little experiment this fall semester, and haven’t shared this until right now.
You may be curious on what I mean by this, but I wanted to explore whether or not a theory and discussion I had with a good friend of mine (also a great colleague!) could be achievable.
I always have great conversations with fellow friend / book author / #SMprof rockstar Carolyn Kim. Carolyn is someone who is really a true rockstar in the field in and out of the classroom. She writes books, produces research, consults, and much more.
However, one of the discussions we have had over the past few years is this concept of not work/life balance for professors, but work/life harmony. How can we – as professors who are being asked to do more with less all the time – achieve this? This is especially difficult when you add in the category of professors who teach social media, and are expected to be experts in research, teaching, and consulting in the industry on the latest and greatest trends.
This was the focus of my experiment this fall semester, and I have to say – I think I have found the perfect balance.
How was this possible? Here are some of the lessons:
Staying away from the BS. Yep, we are starting with this one. We preach honesty in our field, but rarely do we see people being honest about calling out the issues that need to be addressed in our field. They do this because they are afraid of the consequences and what could happen.
If you are afraid, the status quo will remain. You sometimes have to be brave and stand on your two feet and say “Houston, we have a PR community problem.”
This is one of the beautiful things about being promoted to full professor. You can say no to some things – and have the opportunity to voice your opinion about some things. Over the last few years, I have made it known there are some things that have been happening in academia that are not right or fair – especially as it relates to dynamics happening at academic conferences and the PR community.
For example, I did not attend AEJMC for this very reason because for the last few years, instead of being evaluated on merit and the actual work, internal politics came into play. Same thing for awards – like in track and field, I always earned the awards I got and had to go beyond what was expected. I cannot compete in awards that are based already on alliances and friendships. I will never win that battle – and that is okay. Because at some point – when you become so good you can’t ignore – if they continue pulling these antics, it’s on them for what they are doing.
So, as a result, I have spent more time engaging with communities, organizations, professors, students, and professors who are making a positive and impactful difference this fall. The conversations, relationships, and opportunities have been some of the most impactful I’ve had in my career – influencing my work and teaching in new and exciting ways.
My recommendation is to chase merit and impactful achievements, not programs, professors, and organizations relying on their marketing and promotional materials to convince you otherwise. This of course has not made me popular with some organizations and leaders of certain groups – and that’s okay! This needs to be said. Times are changing, and no one has time for HS antics and favoritism based on pre-existing friendships and program connections.
So what is the solution? Go where you are appreciate and stay away from things that really do create a lot of BS for everyone. It’s very liberating to realize that you can do this – because at the end of the day for tenure and promotion – no one is going to care which conferences or orgs you participated in. They care about the impact your work has had in the field. This will truly be a game changer for you.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Investing in places, people, and organizations that really matter. I had a few people think I would slow down after getting my promotion. Well, I am being more selective on the projects and opportunities than I have done previously, which has been great. Working on a handbook, several research projects, and speaking to classes who are using both of my books has been a lot of fun. Instead of focusing on the quantity of projects (there were some years where I had about 10+ things going on), I am focusing more now on quality projects with researchers and colleagues that are amazing to work with.
I also have taken more of a step back from academic conferences and gravitated more to professional networks and communities. Why? Because of the value that is given. Until academic organizations wake up and realize they have to evolve with the times and offer programming that is based on the needs of all of their members, they will continue to see a decline in their membership.
I did attend and present at NCA this year, and this panel focused influencer marketing with Brandon Boatwright, Kate Stewart, and Sydney Dotson (a UofL graduate student). This panel was FUN! I am excited to see what the future generation of scholars and graduate students are going to be doing in their careers. However, like all things – you have to mentor and support these rising stars so they can achieve their goals. This has been extremely rewarding.
Balancing your day equally. I did something different this fall term with setting clear scheduling boundaries related to work. I used the focus and do not disturb features on my phone and computer and it was set for 6 pm every night (except for my night class). I did make sure to schedule time for exercise and hobbies outside of my work. We have heard a lot of about balancing your work – to the extreme where you have to work 24/7. It’s all about doing a little bit each day.
For example, I am pretty religious when it comes to working out. This has been true for me ever since my track and field days. I have been doing OTF and Peloton workouts for the past few years, and it’s been a game changer for me. Taking this time for yourself can make a huge difference in the quality of focus and work you are able to produce. I have had some of my best work created this fall semester after I finished a workout. It does not have to be fitness that you do – but taking time to allow yourself to have fun, create, and relax is time worth spending.
Quality > Quantity of time on social. I’ve had a few people say it looks like I am active 100 percent all the time on social media. Not really – I do set times for my self to make sure I do not spend all day on social. When I am on social channels, I make sure I focus on the quality of interactions, conversations, and content I create rather than the quantity of time I spend. As a result, I have had pretty successful results in making the most of the time I am active on social.
Embrace the wa of your home. My parents have always said your home should be your sanctuary, and you need to protect this at all costs. This was something we did growing up, and I have tried to do this as well wherever I have been in my career. Creating a positive space for yourself while being kind can help with your production and overall mood.
This is not something new I tried to do for the fall, but something I think should be noted as a key factor. We thrive when we have safe and positive spaces, so whether that is designing a space that lets you be creative or makes you happy – you got to invest in this. You got to create a space that is positive and not full of drama.
I did a lot of home decorating in my house this fall semester, and it’s really coming together (only took me a year to get it all done!).
Balance is key. I do a little work each and every day – but if there are times where I need to take a break and what I would call in track “an E-Day” – I would. You got to check on how you are feeling and see what you can do to move a step forward on projects or other activities. There will be days you will only be able to write one sentence for your project (guilty!) – and then there are days you can write an entire novel. It’s all about balance and doing a little bit each day.
Summary
As a result of this approach of really creating a nice synergy with my work and life, and it’s paid off as an experiment. I have had one of my most productive years, and I am very happy and relaxed. We had one of the biggest clients I’ve ever had for class with Brown-Forman – I was probably the most relaxed I’ve ever been.
Work/life harmony CAN be achieved. You have to see what works for you, and realize that some of the choices you make may not be ones you have heard of.
I will continue these practices heading into 2022, where it will again be a busy and productive year, but on the terms I have set to achieve work/life harmony.
Hope you all are doing well and have a great day!
Best Wishes,
