I pen this blog as a reflection of the various international days that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) celebrate each year, in particular wellbeing often being a sector-wide theme that touches all staff and students – this December, as many of us, I have also been reviewing the last 12 months, and identifying any shortcomings on which I can improve into 2024.
Being an independent researcher and consultant, it is a privilege to have a self-paced week, which immensely took care of my mental health. Nonetheless, I still occasionally find myself in situations similar to the toxic environment that I had experienced when I was a staff in HEIs. I often say that universities nurse the foundation of all other sectors – and how our HEIs are run, is how other sectors will be run.
So this blog is one of reflection – what to leave back v/s what to carry forward into 2024 and beyond.
What happens in 2023 stays in 2023!
⚠️One of the incidents I am leaving back in 2023 is the unreasonable deadline set by some collaborators. One such incident happened to be the request to review a 22-page draft, within 4 days – fair well, it was a very strict yet manageable timeline; however, the document was full of typos and grammatical mistakes, lacked structure, and was by far a below-mediocre piece of work.
What I did? I chose to not participate in the review – I felt so much power in saying NO to additional, unpaid work!
👉Wise word to my future self for 2024 & beyond: Keep ignoring requests with unreasonable timelines, especially mediocre works!
⚠️Another incident worth leaving behind in 2023 is the lack of integrity and lack of accountability displayed by collaborators. How often has someone told you they would do something, and they never do it? Tomorrow never comes!
What I did? After 10 months of an unfulfilled promise from a collaborator, I simply stopped believing their words on all projects that they brought forth!
👉Wise word to my future self for 2024 & beyond: Request advance fees to be cleared before the start of any collaboration, and request invoices to be cleared within 10 working days of the end of my services. And stay away from any project that does not value my time!
⚠️2023 marks the end of helping those who do not want to be helped! As a mentor and coach, I have often offered my support free of cost to students and staff within HE. They all appreciate our initial chat, and then request more formal chats, only to not show up and take responsibility for their own growth session.
What I did? Ignore and move on. There are many people who genuinely want my time and support.
👉Wise word to my future self for 2024 & beyond: Help only those who want to be helped! Save only those who want to be saved!
What’s worth repotting, with added compost for 2024? 🪴🪴🪴
✨Continue to foster a growth mindset and continue to collaborate with people who are willing to grow too!
✨Expand my connection – strangers remain strangers until we decide differently!
✨Continue to challenge the status quo – I do not need to follow the crowd blindly!
✨Keep showing up and keep my word – one compliment that I have heard several times this year has been “Everyone needs a Teeroumanee in their team”, “There is only one Teeroumanee”, “You are light years ahead”. For 2024, I will continue to show up with integrity in my work.
I am ready to carry these with me into 2024, they are what make my palms sweat!
Impact Coaching & Mentoring (ICM) for Leaders 