The Briar Patch: Thorny Challenges for Directors
Vic Pantesco, Ph.D
Nibbled Away
The Thorn
OK. It is Friday at 4:00 and your "favorite" informant about yet another matter needing attention cannot wait to break the news to you that the recycling guy is in the clinic Ð again Ð when he has been informed numerous times that he should not be in the clinic. So you cast a wistful glance to your doctoral degree neatly matted and framed (it's just visible over there behind a pile) on the wall, and descend the stairs, either mindfully breathing deeply or flexing for battle, to confront the offender. No, you did not get a doctorate for this, and yes, you have just been nibbled.
Nibbling is no small matter in the Director's array of challenges. In the scheme of things they are small, but as annoying as a paper cut these nibbles jab and add up. There is a certain baseline load of stress we all carry, and one of those is the nitty-gritty's. A partial list could be: printer problems; no more batteries; parking (!) or other turf squabbles; the system is down; the push bar on the main door is stuck (still); not enough sand on the ice, and many others having their own particular places of annoyance and fatiguing ability. Go ahead, take your nibbles pulse, and leave enough time for breathing or some suitable distraction after. Which leads to-
To Dull the Pain
Establish a local chapter of nibbled-to-death-anonymous. Seriously, though, having one or two folks with whom you can close the door and just vent about the nonsense seems to help (duh). My administrative assistant has one of the greatest laughs and a keen eye for the absurd. I also had an email exchange a little while ago with Kim Lassiter about our "favorite" nibbles and found that refreshing and facilitative of a shift from grouse to "oh well."
In the spirit of paradoxical intention (thank you Viktor Frankl), I occasionally indulge in feigned rapt paranoia at someone's plotting to use up the toilet paper in the bathrooms way too fast for our budget, and it is time to put video cameras everywhere!
Much more successful are overtures and reminders to staff and students that life has an uncanny way of being imperfect, that gratuitously throwing an extra cup of sand on the ice is much appreciated and reflective of collaborative trusteeship of facility and safety, and that the Director is very happy when the nibbles are spread around.
