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Clarity By Subtraction

I finished my Annual Review document on Monday and submitted it to Suzanne. Before submitting it, I asked Carrie and Stacey to take a quick look. They both commented that we’ve done a lot in the last year, but Stacey added another thought: I’ll paraphrase, “There’s a lot on your agenda next year; can some be eliminated?” I pointed out that as dean, sometimes my role is simply to facilitate, but her point was well taken.

Then, on Wednesday, Greg McKeown shared this:

1-Minute Wednesday No. 204: The Hidden Satisfaction of Subtraction | LinkedIn

Ouch. There it is again, and they are right. I do tend to take on too much – spread myself too thin. I think others who are reading this are in the same place. I need to be more intentional to find what really matters, where I can uniquely make a difference. Perhaps you find yourself in the same place? You might consider looking at your long list of responsibilities and focusing on the areas where you can make unique contributions.

I think higher education, in general, has the same issue. We add much more than we subtract. We stretch ourselves too thin, and it’s easier for us to do it because of our public mission. But it can keep us from making a maximum impact.

Over the next few weeks, I will revisit the concept of Weniger Aber Besser. And in the fall, we will make this a regular topic of conversation. We will look for ways to do “less but better” to make maximum impact together. A blog post on subtraction takes a short period of time, but practicing subtraction will take much longer.

YOU make a difference!

Ponder this with me …