Ready to Rumble?

“Let’s get ready to rumble!!!” Did you ever imagine I would start a post with that phrase? I didn’t. Did it make you smile? I did. It’s also a good summary of the last few days and many of our meetings this semester. And guess what? This post includes a podcast, or better yet, a Ted Talk, and AI. Let me explain.

Tuesday night I left the office after a long day. I had 7 meetings, which ended with a good Zoom meeting with one of the newly tweaked BOG Committees focused on Graduate & Executive Education, and there was also a long Faculty Senate meeting (thank you, Senators). As I was driving home Adam Grant re-aired his TedTalk iterview with Brene Brown (another one of my favorites) about vulnerability. It’s good; you should check it out. There’s a point in the interview where Brene talks about “rumbles.” That’s what she calls hard talks. Then, on Wednesday at the President and Provost’s meeting with deans and chairs to talk about preparing for the enrollment cliff, Brene’s “rumbles” came to mind again.

According to Brene:

A rumble is a discussion, conversation, or meeting defined by a commitment to lean into vulnerability, to stay curious and generous, to stick with the messy middle of problem identification and solving, to take a break and circle back when necessary, to be fearless in owning our parts, and, as psychologist Harriet Lerner teaches, to listen with the same passion with which we want to be heard.

And according to Bing (had to work AI in):

A rumble is not a fight, a debate, or an argument. It is a way of communicating with respect, empathy, and courage. A rumble can help us to understand ourselves and others better, to learn from our mistakes, to resolve conflicts, and to grow as individuals and teams.

Thank you for taking the time to listen and to engage in “rumbles” to grow as a team and to work together so we can all be better.

I look forward to more “rumbles” in the coming year as we refine our mission, branding, messaging, and seek ways to move forward – together.

YOU make a difference.

Ponder this…