SA Matters

One of the most difficult tasks is advocating for one’s self. In a society in which assertiveness can be mistaken for arrogance, reaching a solution in which both sides believe they have achieved something can seem impossible. Communicating clearly in the midst of conflict can be very difficult, and believing that we can advocate for ourselves successfully can appear to be a specialized skill reserved only for the well-schooled.

Editor's Note: We’ve decided to bring SA Matters to a close with this issue. I want to thank you for your readership as well as wish you the best in your continued work with students.

There is a Buddhist saying that suggests that life is difficult, but if you can handle the small stuff, you can learn to handle the big stuff. This saying holds great resonance for Joan Santini, of Coach JoanRaye, Inc. Her life is a testament to the formative powers of being put through the crucible of adversity.

 There are 86,400 seconds in every day, and those seconds must be spent; they cannot be saved. How you spend those seconds is time management.

Nichole Hall is programming coordinator for the career center and mountaineer leadership program at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. She points out that good time management allows you to meet deadlines, achieve more, complete work better, and have more free time.

Many leadership theories address the dynamics of leadership when both organizational leaders and members intend only the best for their organization. But what do you do when your organization is being damaged by indifference, those little intentional or unintentional slights that shut down discussion and hamper productivity?

Kathy Obear, president of Alliance for Change Consulting, offers some suggestions for dealing with this behavior:

• People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes. Approach the situation calmly.
• Relate to the person who made the inappropriate comment or executed the dismissive behavior. Treat them how they want to be treated.
• Remind the group that they are practicing values that they will use in later life as well as in the organization.
• Find out what is going on with the person by engaging them in a dialogue.

Why do students participate in service, and what do they get out of it? Who is more likely to participate and reap larger benefits? Ron Chesbrough, President of St. Charles Community College and past vice president for student affairs at Hastings College, set out to find answers to these questions with a mixed-methods study. He participated in an email interview about his findings.