Good Fences Make Good Neighbors:

1. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Work-Life Balance in Research Administration

2. Presenters • BrigettePfister, MHRD, CRA • Director of Sponsored Programs for Humanities & Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University • bspfister@vcu.edu, 804-827-1359 • Trisha Southergill, MPA, CRA • Director of Grant Support Services at Clemson University • priest2@clemson.edu, 864-656-6208 • Jennifer Shambrook, PhD • Director, Grant & Contract Management Office at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital • Jennifer.shambrook@stjude.org, 901-595-6017

3. Today’s Agenda • The Current State of Affairs • Where Do We Want to Go? • Strategies to Get There • Q&A

4. The Current State of Affairs • High Stress • Poor Health Habits • Overwork • Doing More with Less? • Burnout

5. In the last month how often did you: Perceived Work Stress Survey • Feel you had too much stress at work? • Get upset over something unexpected? • Have to deal with irritating hassles? • Have to deal with stressful events at work? • Have to deal with ongoing problems that never seem to go away?

6. (N = 1,084) PWSS Results

7. Stress Vulnerability and PWS

8. Stress Resiliency Factors and Low PWS

9. Health Behaviors & Perceived Work Stress

10. Is it getting any better?

11. Where Do We Want To Go? • Realistic Expectations • 8-hour work day? • Stress Reduction • Improved Health • Home Life: • We’d Like To Have One! • Healthy Boundaries • Successful Performance at Work • Improved Relationships

12. Where Do We Want To Go?

13. Strategies to Get There • Stress Reduction • Taking Care of Yourself • Problem Solving • Staying Organized

14. Stress Reduction • Take a minute to reset • “walk to the ice machine” or just have a moment of silence • Keep soothing triggers in your office • Family photos, hot tea, music, a knitting basket.. Whatever it takes! • Exercise! • Vent • ..but not too much – no one wants a Debbie Downer!

15. Taking Care of Yourself • If you have a long commute: tune out travel and listen to audiobooks or music you find relaxing • Eat Breakfast • Eat Lunch • While at lunch – take a 1 hour vacation from work. No email! Having a real break will help you be re-charged for the afternoon. • Get sleep – we all know being rested (8 hours of sleep) will make you more productive (and alert!) for the following day.

16. Problem Solving • PRO Method of response to common problems: • Proactivity • Reactivity • Operationality

17. Problem Solving • Proactivity: long term problem solving • Organize! • Reactivity: short term, immediate reaction • Plan ahead whenever you can • Learn to anticipate problems • Operationality: servicing relationships and finding the learning moment • Checklists and Job Aids • Know who to call

18. Staying Organized • Find a system that works for you • Electronic (Outlook, MS Project, ImageNow) • Paper (Franklin Covey, the good old fashioned legal pad) • Daily Task Lists • Prioritize: Urgent, Important, or “Would Be Nice to Get to It” • Organize your calendar and set reminders • Be Consistent– Standard Operating Procedures are really helpful

19. More Strategies • Planning and Workload Management • Dealing With Endless Piles of Paper • Streamline Decision Points • Healthy Boundaries

20. Remember the 6 Ps: • Prior and Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance • Needs Analysis • Who is on my team? Are the right people in the right positions? Where do unrealistic expectations exist? • Get Buy-In From Leadership • Do your homework. Be prepared to explain how change benefits the institution as a whole. • Establish Procedures • This way everyone knows what to do in a given situation (or at least where to go to find out!) • Ensures consistency of practice

21. Workload Management • Don’t Overbook Yourself! • Pad your calendar to allow for travel time, bathroom breaks, and sanity checks • Make Commitments Carefully • Let Others Deal With Their Own Stuff • Do One Thing at a Time • Manage Expectations • Remember, it’s called the extra mile for a reason!

23. Dealing With Endless Piles of Paper • Clutter = Unmade Decisions • Procrastination = Fear • Put Things Away Every Day • Four Things You Can Do With A Piece of Paper: • Take Action on it • Give it to someone else • File it away for later (but only if you are going to need it) • Throw it out!

24. Streamline Your Decision Points • Save your brain power for the big stuff! • Never Reinvent the Wheel • Eliminate frivolous decision points in your day

25. Healthy Boundaries • You are the CEO of your life. You are in control. • It is OK to say “No” • It is OK to take care of yourself • It is OK to be honest about what you can and can’t do

26. What Happens When You Set Boundaries? Long Term Pushback Naysaying Fear ..but your needs start getting met Your concerns start being heard Respect Understanding Appropriate Consequences Improved Relationships Short Term

27. Benefits of Boundaries • Less Stress • Improved Relationships • Better Health • Higher Morale • Better Work Performance • And Many More!

28. Questions? (Now’s your chance!)

29. Presenters • BrigettePfister, MHRD, CRA • Director of Sponsored Programs for Humanities & Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University • bspfister@vcu.edu, 804-827-1359 • Trisha Southergill, MPA, CRA • Director of Grant Support Services at Clemson University • priest2@clemson.edu, 864-656-6208 • Jennifer Shambrook, PhD • Director, Grant & Contract Management Office at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital • Jennifer.shambrook@stjude.org, 901-595-6017

30. Thank You! Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Work-Life Balance in Research Administration