Kindness through Clarity

Original Post: January 31, 2024

This week's wisdom is about clarity.

Clear instructions make a difference, as I'm sure we've all experienced when working to put together toy, a piece of furniture, or install the software.

lear directions help us get where we are going faster.

Clear feedback helps us redirect our efforts and achieve our goals more easily.

But what is clear to me isn't always clear to you. 

This point was driven home to me recently, as a student asked for help with an assignment, characterizing the instructions as "vague".  My initial thought was...how can step by step instructions be considered vague? Then I caught myself and leaned into what the student was saying...that they just weren't sure what to do and they wanted to do it the right way. Which is the absolutely best thing for any student to want! Of course, I might want my student to try to do it before asking for help...but that can come later after they trust that not getting it right the first time isn't a bad outcome, and they can redo it after my feedback.

As women in technology, as allies, as colleagues, let's be as clear as possible in our communications, AND...let's be ready to provide more clarity when folks don't seem to understand. Here are some examples: 

"Please don't dismiss my ideas during a meeting without asking how I reached that conclusion. It undermines my credibility. Thanks"  

"Yes, I know you don't mean to, but I've noticed that Joe has now started doing the same thing in meetings with Tonya." 

"Let's think through this list of job requirements, maybe we could move some of these into the preferred category, so that a more diverse set of applicants would apply?" 

Do we actually need to say digital scholarship experience is required when we are only hoping a new hire will do that work? " 

"Did you know that women are more likely not to even apply if they don't meet every single requirement?" 

As Brene Brown says...Clear is Kind. 

All the best,

Holly

WIT Weekly Wisdom: A  message for SUNY WIT list subscribers on the topics of Connecting, Learning, Stretching, Teaching, Reaching, and Balancing. 

Have a suggestion for a WIT Weekly Wisdom message? Contact Holly Heller-Ross @ hellerhb@plattsburgh.edu

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