SSA Blog #003     By Michelle Drew     November 2, 2005

I am beginning to see how much more leeway there is in using this blog format, So are things are looking good, but we are still scratching around for a background design that won't slow us up too much. It seems a good time to mention a few words about Sean. We met him in Honolulu last year with his friends and business partners, Derek and Lisa. The businesses through which they are connected are Psych Tracker, an innovative therapy tool, and getmentalhealth.com, both of these businesses present assistance in the empowerment of the mentally ill and those who care for/about them. We are truly pleased to be "in cahoots" with these fine people. Do give their websites a look at for some great information and resources.
http://www.getmentalhealth.com and http://www.psychtracker.com


All Good Thoughts

Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games
with ourselves, but deal in our privacy with the last
honesty and truth.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the arena of human life the honors and rewards fall to those
who show their good qualities in action.
Aristotle

We make a living by what we get,
we make a life by what we give.
Winston Churchill

Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All
life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the
better. What if they are a little course, and you may get
your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get
fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice. Up again, you shall
never be so afraid of a tumble.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

You and I want our lives to matter. We want our lives to
make a real difference -- to be of genuine consequence in
the world. We know that there is no satisfaction in merely
going through the motions, even if those motions make us
successful, or even if we have arranged to make those
motions pleasant. We want to know we have made some impact
on the world. In fact, you and I want to contribute to the
quality of life. We want to make the world work.
Werner Erhard

Soft Shoulder Advice by Michelle Drew

HI Michelle,

I work at a uni but it is tough going- no ivory tower. The workload is incredible but the thing I find really difficult is the treachery of colleagues. You hear things about how academics operate but I never really understood it was true until I saw it for myself. People steal copies of articles, books you have borrowed from the library, your ideas and take every opportunity to humiliate you and keep information from you. I find it so stressful that I can barely bring myself to take the challenge to do research because I have been constantly undermined and stolen from so many times. I don't think I am a shrinking violet and I have the intellect but little time to do research work due to high teaching load. The little I do is taken.

I am really overhwhelmed by this as I cannot play these vipers at their own game. Is there a place for kind people in this environment. I recently had a younger colleague to mentor and I gave generously and caringly. Now that she has learned w hat she wants she has turned on me and has become a bully. People like this thrive in this environment. It is not just the odd "village gossip" that one has to put up with but it seems to be the rule not the exception. The main rule is to steal and then the onus is on you to defend or protest through official channels about the appropriation of work or ideas.

 I am fully stretched doing work and battling in a tough environment that is not student friendly. To have to watch my back with colleagues who are meant to be on my team or who share my office is really more than I can cope with. The boss of the unit is the worst offender and sets the tone for this to be rife. I wonder if you or other people know if it is possible to have real colleagial support and learning in a modern uni environment.  It is meant to be about knowledge, learning and enlightenment but it is anything but.

How is a nice person to survive in such a place? Should I just give up and get out? Does this mean that the only intelligent people operating in unis are the nasty ones and if so what does this mean for the future of ideas and learning?
Molly

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Dear Molly;

It is a good time to reevaluate your job and career skills and opportunities. Different work environments do benefit certain personality types, both by virtue of the type of work that is done, and the nature of the individuals at a particular worksite. If  this is a career for you, look around at other opportunities in your field. It may just be that it is a bad fit with that office.

If you are havng difficulty working with people in general, look for a career working from home. Now that the internet market is expanding, there are many jobs that can be done from home.

The point is that you are oing to spend a lot of time working and it should be a tolerable situation for you, maybe even a good one. Don't feel trapped. It can be somewhat of a bother to look for another job, but it is a small price to pay for enjoying your work day, and being able to come home and enjoy your life.

sincerely, Michelle