Icing on my Cake

As we move into a new year and contemplate what it holds for us as stakeholders in the educational enterprise of CSI, we certainly share a concern for a future that promises less in terms of financial resources and more in terms of students to be served. While that may sound like a recipe for cooking up a negative attitude, I find quite the opposite to be true. We are just one of a very few items on the economic menu that continues to be in great demand in lean times. Instead of being concerned that the demand for our goods will diminish and thus our jobs may become dispensable, the need for “us” has never been much greater.

Even with this knowledge that we are needed, the additional demands placed on all of us will sometimes be a little overwhelming. In expectation of that, I would encourage you to consider some of the following:

You are likely to experience some frustration, but know that “we” are in this together. In the case of CSI, “we” not only refers to employees but to the other stakeholders equally important to the mission including students, legislators, and taxpayers. Assigning blame to one group or another for the current circumstances is simply foolish as we all ultimately have the same motivation and goals. Difficult times often precipitate less cooperative relationships, sort of a “digging in and taking care of our own” mentality. In fact, as we well know, these times call for greater cooperation, greater empathy, greater patience, greater civility, and greater selflessness. We are often referred to as the heart of this community and now, more than any time in our institution’s history, we also need to be the hope, the spirit, and the strength of this community and valley.

The College of Southern Idaho is ideally positioned to influence our community’s response to the current economic crisis. Our growth, not only in terms of student numbers, but also evidenced by the construction of new buildings, the growth of scholarship funds, and addition of programs, should be a optimistic beacon flashing in all of our faces. But, and I emphasize this by noting it is a big but… our influence is best delivered by our attitude. The College of Southern Idaho is NOT buildings, or money, or programs…it is a collection of many you’s, me’s, and we’s!

What makes us different from the other educational institutions in this State, in fact different from most other entities, is that we are motivated by a love for what we do. Bear with me a few more words while I explain that assertion. Several years ago, I had the good fortune of listening to one of our campus guests, Hyrum Smith, talk about motivation. He gave examples of our behavior if we are motivated out of a sense of FEAR…we HAVE to do this or that because if we don’t, we may be in trouble, or disappoint, or lose. He compared that to our behavior if we are motivated by a sense of OBLIGATION…we OUGHT to do this or that because it’s traditional, expected, or prescribed by practice or policy. Finally, Hyrum described our behavior if we are motivated by a sense of LOVE…we WANT to do this because it’s an opportunity, a blessing, a desire, or a passion. When I am tired or discouraged, I often go back to these thoughts to reframe my attitude. I work at CSI because I love to serve students and share time and effort with all of you. I know that I am…we are…blessed to be employed, double-blessed to be at CSI, and triple-blessed to have the opportunity nearly every day to help someone else. I had a strong lesson in perspective just a few years back and it helped me understand that there is little I need for sustenance beyond God, family, and friends. Serving at CSI is just a privilege I enjoy…sort of the icing on my cake. I suspect the same is true for many of you! XOXO