One Good Thing: 10Jun25

You may have noticed but, I will come out and acknowledge it - I missed a few weeks of blogging.

I’m wrapping a contract and, though my time is drawing to a close, the work will continue after I’m gone. So, I focused on setting the team up for success by leaning into writing my exit binder and having brainstorming meetings. When I came back to the blog, though, let down and disappointment in my inconsistency were about to boil over. I paused and considered the progress I made in other areas. I shifted my focus - I gave myself some grace!

So, for this week’s one good thing, I want to talk about the importance of being gracious in a work environment that may be short on that particular virtue. 

Any time I approach the last days of a role, I consider my career trajectory. I was reflecting on the roles I took on in graduate school. As many of you know, working and taking classes is no cakewalk. In the middle of my first year of my doctoral program, I worked three jobs and had four 3-credit classes! I went to the gym almost every day of the week, as well. So, when I was late a team meeting for one job because I wrote it into my calendar for the wrong time not once but two weeks in a row, not only was I embarrassed, I was exhausted.

It’s hard to be an analog girl in a digital world. 

My boss for that role sat down with me. I just knew I was going to be let go. Instead, she actually produced a list of fellowship options. She said my workload was unsustainable and that I would be less likely to be tardy for her meetings and stressed about coursework if more of my expenses were covered. And she wasn’t wrong. The next year, I was awarded the Southern Regional Education Board fellowship. As a result, I only had coursework, and I was able to participate in more extracurriculars and volunteer opportunities that would inform my research. 

All because of a little grace from my employer. 

Being gracious can open so many learning opportunities. Whether you’re implementing a new policy or updating a strategic plan - or you’re writing a blog with a small readership for a one woman LLC - remember that grace can go a long way in new and changing ventures.