my manifesto

the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking.

hello, from a moderate introvert 

1. There's a word for "people who are in their heads too much": thinkers
2. Solitude is a catalyst for innovation
3. The next generation for quiet kids can and must be raised to know their own strengths
4. Sometimes it helps to be a pretend extrovert. There will always be time to be quiet later
5. But in the long run, staying true to your temperament is key to finding work you love and work that matters
6. One genuine new relationship is worth a fistful of business cards
7. It's okay to cross the street to avoid making small talk
8. "Quiet Leadership" is not an oxymoron
9. Love is essential; gregariousness is optional
10. "In a gentle way, you can shake the world" 

-courtesy of, Quiet

lover of the jay oh bee

new job. current job. no matter what job. 

how do you keep your work relationship romantic and interesting? 

be bright: Shineeeeee bright like a diamond <> Come on y'all. ADPi? Diamonds? I just had too. There are going to be tough days at work, thats never gonna go away. But guess what? It only makes you stronger. Reminding yourself how much you love your students, colleagues and/or the positive aspects of your job is the strongest medicine. Let the great things about your job shine bright over those that might be bringing you down. I know, easier said than done. I challenge you to try. (don't worry, you're not alone, I'm challenging myself too). What if you were the only positive being in your environment? Think of the change and influence you could have? BOOM. 

be humble: Don't do your work for other people, do it for yourself. Don't be inspired to excel because your colleagues are watching. Don't be a show off. Do good for you. Be inspired to inspire others to find what inspires them. Let me say it one more time, because I didn't say it enough, inspire. Personal satisfaction feels awesome. Right?  Be the silent storm of excellence.

be nosy: Silly readers, gossip is for the Real Housewives of Orange County. Save all that drama for yo mama! I'm talking about learning. The learning should never stop. Dedicate yourself to learning something new everyday, every week, every month, whatever floats captain jack sparrows boat. There is so much out there, why not question the status quo? You might learn something new, yeah? 

be grateful: Unemployment. Its a scary thing. Trust me, I'm on the job search and the thought freaks me out everyday. Remember to be thankful; count your blessings. You might not love the entirety of your job, but remember this: there are plenty of people that would kill to be in your position. Be grateful for the opportunity you have been given and take full advantage of the possibilities that could come from it. 

be innovative: Become a fascinator of ideas. new ideas. big ideas. small ideas. When something great is done, see how you can make it better. Peer over the horizon. There are so many possibilities. Andy Warhol said, "They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." Jump on it, jump on it, jump on it! Be a catalyst for change. 

there is so much more. 

how do you stay in love with your jay oh bee? 

ISFJ

It was a typical wednesday morning at Pacific. Cloudy with a mist in the air and the sound of Burns Tower (oh, how I'm going to miss early mornings at Pacific)

Housing & Greek Life All Staff Meeting. You know what that means?! FREE BREAKFAST. Who doesn't love a breakfast on the house? 

Anyways. It was a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator kinda day. 

I've been looking forward to this day for a while. 

I'm proud to say that I know myself pretty well; my self estimate was right on (yes, I gave myself a pat on the back)

mad props to Ben Ellis. He knows me too well. He too was spot on. 

Introversion. Sensing. Feeling. Judging. 

Quiet, friendly, responsible and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home. 

FI (introverted Feeling): Honors individual values and standards regardless of context. Strives for harmony with self; gives priority to being true to oneself. Determines if power is being used appropriately. (Beebe)

BOOM. That's me y'all. 

My friends, Myers & Briggs would describe me in the following words:

Accommodating. Detailed. Devoted. Loyal. Meticulous. Organized. Patient (I don't agree with this one). Practical. Protective. Quiet. Responsible. Traditional. 

I: Preference for drawing energy from one's inner world of ideas, emotions and impressions

S: Preference for taking in information through the five senses and noticing what is actual

F: Preference for organizing and structuring information to decide in a personal values-based way

J: Preference for living a planned and organized life

so, how do I incorporate this into my leadership style?

1. expect myself and others to comply with organizational needs and structures

2. follow traditional procedures and rules conscientiously

3. eye for detail to reach practical results

"If you don't know what an extravert is thinking, you haven't been listening. If you don't know what an introvert is thinking, you haven't asked." 

ask me, wat it do? 

my five step plan

As student affairs professionals, we are the advocate, the coach and the inspirational mentor to lead our students to extraordinary success. I believe that every leader exercises in each of the five practices that Kouzes & Posner (2012) describe, however there is potential for a single practice to act as a dominant guide. I like to describe my leadership style as setting the example and “walking the talk.” You need to be able to know who you are and what you believe, before you can say what you’re going to do. The ability to follow through on your actions builds credibility and allows your integrity as a leader to be exemplified through those actions. My integrity as a leader and as a professional in not something I take lightly or would allow to be compromised. In order to achieve this status, I have aligned my everyday actions, conversations and interactions based on my core values: honesty, respect, trust, faith and loyalty. It is through my values that I know I can make extraordinary things happen. I know that through my core values, success is in my future. These values act as my “moral compass” directing me in my actions and conversations within student affairs. I believe that “you can be authentic only when you lead according to the principles that matter most to you. Otherwise you’re just putting on an act. You will not have the integrity to lead” (Kouzes & Posner, 2008, p. 31). Being clear on my values makes it easier to have those difficult conversations and make those hard decisions with the men and women of the Greek community, as well as the students I meet within conduct officer meetings. The values I possesses guides my conversations to action. I constantly remind myself that through my actions and decisions, I must always be exemplifying the values of my person, otherwise my integrity and credibility will be compromised; how is that setting the example? Being able to “walk to talk” can be difficult, but having established your core values and the commitment to expressing those values through your daily actions, will inspire others to follow in your endeavors. Albert Einstein said, “setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.” (Kouzes & Posner, 2009, p. 58).  I thrive off knowing that I am staying true to myself and that I have the ability to influence others to follow in these shared values. I thrive off having purposeful conversations with students and witnessing the connections made and the action begin as they continue moving forward. At the end of the day, if I can inspire just one student to identify what it is that they value most and to reflect on how they can align their actions with those values, I know that I have set the example; that I have modeled the way.

Leadership is not just about the values that you hold to be true, but also the values of those that I work with directly and indirectly. I find that my leadership style is most effective when my supervisor, my department and the university values align with my own. When you are part of a team that searches for similarity within personal values, I believe this only makes the team and the students you work with more successful. While I believe in accepting the diversity among my colleagues and accepting others values, as they would mine, I find that success is made through the discovery of shared values. “Leaders ensure that everyone is aligned through the process of affirming shared values—uncovering, reinforcing, and holding one another accountable to what ‘we’ value” (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 58). I don’t see my leadership style existing within an environment that isn’t aligned to my values or accepting of the idea of a shared values system. I need to feel comfortable in an environment where communication is the key to departmental success and building relationships is encouraged.  Without these two entities, I cannot begin to articulate how to respect my colleagues if I am not given the chance to understand how they work or what they value the most. I believe that without knowing someone’s values and beliefs, how is it possible to trust what they say and do?

I approach decision-making within my team as I would in any other interaction with a student or colleague. I encourage all to provide input, feedback and perspective, while this is team process, all voices must be heard. This is exemplified through my approach of playing devil's advocate. I believe that through this technique I empower my colleagues to make better decisions, avoid groupthink and ensure that our shared values are being represented through the decisions; the decisions we make as a team reflects not only are our teams values, but what the values we hold as individuals and if that decision does not correlate with what we and/or I believe, this is compromising my teammates and my own credibility and integrity.

What attracts me to Kouzes & Posner (2012) five practices is the idea that all leaders have the ability to work within and attribute to each practice. While we might show strength in one area than others, we still have the ability to exert the practice of all. After taking the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), I found that “encouraging the heart” was not an area I exacerbated through my practice. I was rather surprised when I got the results because I always thought I was an individual that valued recognition, encouragement and pride for the extraordinary things being done by my colleagues. I have come to realize that if I want to see hard work, results and productivity, I must provide my colleagues and team with one source of encouragement: love “What sustains the leader? From what source comes the leader’s courage? The answer is love” (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 272). I want to shower my team, colleagues and students with compassion, encouragement and recognition; I believe that this effort I have the right to expect them to be at their best. Though encouraging the heart, I believe that I can “stimulate efforts to reach for higher levels of performance and to aspire to be true to the visions and values of the organization” (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 275) I want to inspire my students and colleagues to challenge the status quo (just a little challenge the process thrown in here) and provide a helping hand to find the courage to do the things that they have never done before (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).  

“Not enough people make enough use of the most powerful but inexpensive two-word rewards” (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 294). I have witnessed countless colleagues and students worry too much about extravagant recognition and forget about the impact that a simplistic “thank you” can have on a person. Making an individual feel appreciated for their hard work reaffirms their confidence in their abilities and makes them feel partnered in the success of the team. Saying “thank you,” is the simplest way to take a few extra minuets out of our days to appreciate and recognize the work that our constituents. I don’t think this something that I do enough and I don’t think it is something I witness within my work environment. I want to challenge myself to take the time to thank those that have made large contributions to our team successes, like Kouzes & Posner, (2012) mentioned, a simple “thank you” can go a long way. 

1. clarify values. done

2. set the example. done

3. experiment and take risks. done

4. recognize contributions. need improvement 

5. celebrate the values and victories. need improvement

whats my game plan?

- I am dedicated to showing my colleagues and students that I believe in them and their capabilities. positive reinforcement, that is all. 

-goal setting. GOAL setting. GOAL SETTING. I want to make this prevalent within my team, after all, it does contribute to what people think of themselves and what they can accomplish, right? 

-feedback, feedback, honest feedback. I will never lie to someone about the feedback on their work, how can you do better, right? But, constant feedback, no matter the kind, there will be constant learning and improvement. 

-close/connected relationships. get to know what drives your team! everyone is different, no one is motivated the same way. how do you show you truly care? get to know your students likes/dislikes, what motivates them & focus on each individual. it'll make a better team, i promise. 

-i love being creative, why don't i do it more? i don't just mean tangible gifts (yes, those are fun too) but those don't always send the message: YESSS! You are so competent and trusted as a employee or student leader! why not a formal mass email? ehh, ehh! that would be nice, right? I gotta stay creative and savy! 

group think

group think. what do y'all think about that? 

there are positive benefits of the decision-making process within a team/group dynamic

however

can the social nature of the group lead to poor performance? 

sure can. 

Groupthink, which happens when in-group pressures lead to a deterioration in mental efficiency, poor testing of reality and lax moral judgement. 

the pitfalls of groupthink has the inclination to transpire within a highly connected and unified team dynamic in which members are drawn to the idea on compromising rather than assessing the problem accurately and creating ethical solutions. 

what are some of the symptoms behind groupthink?

rationalization. morality. stereotyping. pressure. self-censorship. invulnerability. 

leaders of a group can only aid in the creation of groupthink. as leaders, we must maintain the ability to:

allow solutions and consideration s that might not necessarily be in our own favor, but could be just or more effective within the problem we face with our group, team, department, etc. 

so, how do we avoid the pitfalls of groupthink? 

1. devil's advocate. (Danny Catalano- you know i'm notorious for this method). In order to improve the quality of group decision-making, I always present the other side of the spectrum, challenge the process, ensure that my team is looking at all sids of the "solution" rather than just one. 

2. invite and allow for outside opinion or "a fresh eye never hurts." encourage feedback, difference in perspective, a challenge and/or call for other solutions outside of your team dynamic. 

3. you have a big team or little team, doesn't matter! shorty, break it downnnnn. create smaller groups within your already established group or team dynamic. allow for each "branch" to discuss the problem/issue/data and possible solutions. come together and reconcile all solutions created and discuss the ideas and then consider the possibilities of all. 

dreamers walk with me

it was just one year & five months ago I started my journey @ Pacific. 

it was also the first time that I took, StengthsFinder 2.0

remember that post? walk with dreamers

ya, it was a good one. 

please, refer back if you would like too. 

you'll see the change that has been made within seventeen months. 

Futuristic: "Wouldn't it be great if..." You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow. You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and who cherishes those visions.

Consistency: balance is important to me. I am keenly aware of the need to treat people the same, no matter what their station in life. I don't like to see the scale tipped too far in any one person's favor. selfishness & individualism= no-no. What do I find offensive? When some people gain an unfair advantage because of their connections or their background or their "greasing of the wheels." I prefer an environment where people know what is expected--predictable and evenhanded. All is fair. Now, each person has a chance to show their worth. 

Discipline: my world needs to be predictable, ordered and planned. yes, I impose structure into my world. my focus is on timelines and deadlines. I tend to break long-term projects into a series of specific small-term plans. I need precision. I like to feel in control. Other may resent my need for order, but its okay, not everyone feels my urge for predictability. My dislike of surprises, impatience with errors, my routine, and my detailed oriented personality can be seen as controlling behavior but really its just a method for maintaining my progress and my productivity. 

Competition: is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people's performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hallow.

Focus: "Where am I headed?" I ask myself this question everyday. I need a clear destination. If I lack one, I get frustrated. So, this is why I set goals. On a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. These goals serve as my compass. My focus is powerful because if forces me to filter. Focus forces me to be efficient. Lets flip this, shall we? This focus causes me to become impatient with delays, obstacles and even tangents. I think this makes me a extremely valuable colleague. I keep everyone on point. 

things change. leaders grow. and now, I'm blossoming. 

model the way

i'm a model the way kinda gal
don't get me wrong, I enjoy the act of inspiring a shared vision just as much as the next SA professional
but, in this case, Im a strong candidate for the way of modeling (act not the profession) 

my position as a greek residence director is granted

but it's my behavior that earns my respect

in order to model the way I need to do two things:

must clarify my values by finding my voice and affirming shared values

&

set the example by aligning actions with shared values

so, lets discover the values held by little miss student affairs enthusiast, shall we? 

dependability. humor. integrity. trust. loyalty 

why these specific values? what do they mean to me?

I thrive in a laid-back, relaxed, its okay to laugh and have a good time, work environment. 

I want to look forward to coming into my work space and working with my colleagues and students that make up that enjoyable work space. 

Humor is Gods gift to those who want to make life even more interesting 

why not laugh while you work? (not whistle, laugh) 

This can lead to strong relationship building - personal and professional. 

It takes me time to build trust and its only through expressing my own values of loyalty and integrity to my colleagues that I can begin to align their feelings of both said values in order for the foundation of trust and dependability to be formed. 

How can I depend on someone that I don't trust? 

How can I trust a colleague if they don't show strong qualities of loyalty and integrity?
thats a toughy.

I don't just talk the talk, but I walk the talk. 

I live my values through every aspect of my life - personal & professional. 

I express the importance of loyalty and integrity through my own actions in order to gain the trust of my colleagues, friends, and students in the hopes that there is a strong bond of trust and dependability being  formed. 

Coming into my position @ Pacific. I wanted to be taken seriously as a professional and wanted to be seen as a dependable colleague. 

When it came to a work project, meeting, event, etc., I always expressed my honest & credible opinion when appropriate. I remained loyal to to my promises, commitments and through my actions, I earned the trust and dependability of several of my colleagues today. 

its a feeling of freedom. micro-managed is not my thing. hey! at least I'm being honest. 

oh, and yes, this was all done with a few jokes and heavy sarcasm along the way. 

gotta keep it funny, come on.  

#sajobsearch

here i am. Saturday evening in a busy downtown coffee shop

 there is only one thing on my mind. 

job search. 

many of my colleagues would agree that this has been a recent topic, consuming thought, etc.

some might say, wow, you're looking pretty early? 

ya, ya, ya. its january. i graduate in may. but whats the hurt in searching? 

nothing. 

its exciting, overwhelming, frustrating & unpredictable. 

when did i get to this place? 

the job search is for grown-ups, right?

oh, wait. that's right. I'm 24 years young. ya, i think its just about that time. 

104 days. 22 hours. 53 minutes. 

Megan Garrison, M.A. 

that has a nice pretty little ring to it, doesn't it? 

i never thought i would think that the day would come. this wasn't my "plan" 

life happens. things come up. doors close. windows open. and i jumped. 

i guess this is how i have been trying to approach the job search. 

there might be some closed doors but when i find that open window, ill be jumping head first. 

fraternity & sorority life, student conduct, student activities, alumni relations, new student orientation, admissions, study abroad, advising

leadership development, drug/alcohol education, residential life

born & bred california girl. gotta keep in on the west best coast. at least for now. 

i'm keeping my eyes & ears out for ya. 

this girl is in the 

#sajobsearch

leadership libs

I received the best mail in the world to procrastinate at my desk today.
shout out to Campuspeak. leadership libs are my jam.

let me share with you my awesome story.

The Life of a Leader. please remember. this=mad lib.

I just got out of the worst meeting of my entire life! Panhellenic was having a last minute meeting with the University President to discuss Lip Sync.

Seven showed up wearing a green hot dog costume.

We even ran out of bacon, which is the most popular snack.

Everyone knew Danny Catalano ate it all.

The meeting took place in the Housing & Greek Life Office, and it was slippery.

It smelled like toes.

The Recruitment Vice President stood up and said, "ERMAHGERDDDD!!!

We have a huge problem.

The fish is missing.

We don't know what to do."

If things weren't bad enough, the fire alarm went off.

Everyone started to cry.

After everyone was safely evacuated, we got locked out of the building and had to finish the meeting in Fat's Bar & Grill.

It was hard to get back on track because turkey's were running around campus eating everyone's fingers and the marching band was practicing Jack Sparrow by Lonely Island for the next big lacrosse game.

Next we discovered that no plans had been set for the upcoming Delta Desserts.

If Joanna Royce-Davis knew about this meeting, we would all be in serious trouble. Next week's meeting has to go a lot better than this one!

this was hilarious. thanks for the Thursday laughs. 

a philosophy of leadership

First, what is leadership?

I'm sure there are 125,985,989,765+ definitions. 

But, the only one that matters right now is,

Megan Elizabeth.

Before i get into my "i study leadership" ramble, let me provide some perspective 

on the purpose of this message. 

As of now, I'm in the midst of my last course for my MA program.

Educational Leadership, EDUC 285.

I have been asked to blog about certain facets of leadership. 

You can thank this class for getting me up and writing (on this blog) again.

As of right now, I'm reflecting on:

what is my leadership philosophy & how has it developed over time?

&

What values have guided my leadership philosophy?

Before I get started. I want to go back to my initial question, what is leadership? 

Look in my bookcase and you'll find at least ten good reads discussing different ideas of leadership. 

I always find myself pulling out Lincoln on Leadership.

Yes, I know. It  must be the History nerd deep down inside me that's yelling for it. 

It was this quote from, James MacGregor Burns, that kept me reading...

Leadership is leaders inducing followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations--the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations--of both leaders and followers. And the genius of leadership lies in the manner in which leaders see and act on their own and their followers' values and motivations. 

This makes me think. 

Did the leaders (or follows as they're described) buy into the other leaders why? 

These leaders didn't buy into what their fellow leaders were doing, it was because of their purpose

their why. 

There are no set guidelines for a leader to follow.

we have our own styles; our own way. 

My leadership philosophy is 

that if a leader knows their "why" they will create positive and impactful change.  

This might all sound familiar. Its because it is. 

I have been inspired by Simon Sinek, Start with Why. 

People don't buy into what you do or how you do it, but WHY you do it. 

While many leaders within a team  dynamic might identify with the same or different "why"

the sole purpose is to identify & to know your "why"

identifying with a "why" comes with purpose, passion and power. 

your "why" drives your purpose, which increases your passion 

...and that my friends gives you the power

to create positive change.

The values that have guided my philosophy have been instilled in my person since I was a child. 

Loyalty. Honesty. Trust.

I was always taught that you cant get through life without these key components in every aspect of life. 

It was these three values that I hold dear to my heart 

They led me into an organization in which I found

values alignment. 

within the alpha delta pi creed it states, "developing faith and loyalty"

Loyalty & honesty is what allows me to trust another. Trust in their person and too believe in their

why?

So, now I ask you readers. What is your "why?"

Remember, it's not what you do or how you do it. but WHY you do it. 

get out into that crazy world and find your why.

now.