Hello all,

This week I'm sharing a cartoon that really made me think and a note about future posts.

You can see the cartoon online if you use Instagram, or find it on page 40 of the August 3rd, 2026 New Yorker Magazine at or through your local library.

It's an image of a father and his young, wary looking son, staring down at a rug pulled over a heaping pile of invisible stuff, with a caption that reads, "One day son, everything I swept under this rug will be yours."

Yup. I can just imagine the response..."Gee Dad...uh...thanks?"

Because most of us sweep things under the rug. What this cartoon points out is that eventually, things come out from under the rug!

And those things that we don't deal with, that we try to hide away, can get passed on as someone else's problem, likely becoming a problem for someone we don't intend to burden.

So, think about the issues, sticky problems, lingering frustrations, unsaid worries, or unfinished projects that you've been sweeping under the rug. Most of us will think of several.

And if any of those include issues caused by a discriminatory or less than inclusive workplace environment, pulling them out into the light is the only way to prevent them from getting passed on to others.

Yes, sometimes our perceptions don't reflect the full reality of a situation, we can make our own erroneous assumptions, and we need to be careful to check our perceptions before raising issues. Asking a colleague if they've noticed the same thing you've noticed can help. However, if you're an "only" (the only woman, the only woman of a specific ethnicity, the only person of any given religion, the only young person, or any other "only"), be aware that others may not ever see or feel what you are seeing or feeling unless you make them aware.

According to this resource on Workplace toxicity: What is it and five tips to cope with it from the University of Alabama at Birmingham:

"The United States surgeon general has acknowledged workplace toxicity as a major threat to public health because toxic workplaces are associated with chronic illnesses such as depression, heart disease and cancer, among others....

“If you see something, say something,” Gorman said. “Sometimes mistreatment gets swept under the rug, and abusive managers can lead with fear and intimidation that can make employees afraid to say anything. But the odds are that, if you feel mistreated, others in your workplace will too.”

“It is important that, if we find ourselves in a toxic work environment, we do not contribute to it,” Gorman said. “If your co-workers are talking about other co-workers, don’t engage in the gossip. If disrespect is the norm, break the mold by not piling on because, if you do so, your complaints of a toxic workplace may not be taken seriously.”

Sweeping things under the rug creates a lot of tripping hazards my friends.
I'd love to hear about ways you've found to bring things out into the light.

---

And, this important note about future WIT Wisdom posts:

Now that we have some SUNY WIT Campus Chapters across the state, we are changing the regular WIT Weekly Wisdom posts into a monthly SUNY WIT Program Newsletter. The newsletter will feature regular updates from our chapters, information relevant to the community and connected to a monthly theme, upcoming professional development opportunities, and a little bit of WIT Wisdom from me. I'm excited about this new format and hope that you will all stay subscribed to the list and keep encouraging others to join!

All the best,
Holly

Speak Her Name in Rooms She Isn’t In

Hello All,

This week's wisdom comes from Kae Harrison, Program Support Specialist with the SUNY Center for Professional Development.

Kae is a thoughtful, values-driven professional who cares about people, cares about doing good work, and is always trying to learn and grow. Skilled at seeing the bigger system behind a problem while still paying attention to the people affected by it, she’s passionate about removing barriers for people who need support, especially any marginalized or historically under-represented groups.

---

Speak Her Name in Rooms She Isn’t In

One of the simplest and most powerful forms of professional advocacy requires no budget, no committee, and no formal authority. It requires only a moment. It’s practical without being transactional.

When an opportunity arises, speak positively about a woman who isn’t in the room.
Recommend her.
Mention her expertise.
Share her accomplishments.
Connect her name to the opportunity before she has to advocate for herself or before she has to ask someone to be a reference.

Too often, professional conversations happen behind closed doors. Someone asks, “Do you know anyone who would be good for this project?” or “who should we ask to lead this” or “who has experience with this topic?”

Those moments matter. Careers can change because someone replies “Oh, you should talk to Sarah”, or “Aaliyah would be excellent at that” or “I’ve worked with Anh before. She’s incredibly capable”.

Those recommendations often last only a second or two. The impact can last for years.

The beautiful part about advocating for others is that it costs us almost nothing. We lose nothing by acknowledging someone else’s talent, hard work, or expertise. In fact, we strengthen our professional communities when we become known as women who notice excellence and are willing to point it out.

It’s positive without being performative. It gives us something concrete to do. First, you notice the moment, then you speak up. You can do it, starting today. Small actions can create ripples we never get to see. You may never know how much your comments mattered.

Professional advocacy doesn’t require perfection. It simply requires us to pay attention. Who do you know who consistently does excellent work? Who solves problems quietly? Who deserves more visibility? Who would benefit from someone else recognizing her strengths?

Then, when the opportunity comes – speak her name.

---

Great advice from one of our SUNY colleagues! Thanks Kae!

All the best,
Holly

Short Anchor Lines: Why a "Rising Tide" Isn't Enough

Hello all,

Are you seeing headlines like this one: Schools are Cutting Women's Scholarships Even When They Don't Have To and wondering what's happening? I certainly am!

I'm not a proponent of the zero-sum game type of thinking. I'm more of a rising tide lifts all boats type of thinker... that is assuming that some of the boats aren't tied to a shorter anchor line, and therefore unable to rise! And assuming that all the boats are equally seaworthy, and none of the boats are carrying more passengers along than others. But wait... that's exactly how it is...

Even with a rising tide, some boats can rise faster and easier than others because of their structural differences.

So there is still work to be done even in a rising tide.

And WIT is here to help!

WIT is for everyone interested in making sure the rising tides (the training, promotions, projects, mentoring, raises, visibility, access to new technologies...) aren't only lifting the employees who are already floating well. That's what WIT is for. Not exclusionary, because this is an "all hands on deck" situation.

• If you see a colleague with a short anchor line, see what you can do to help.
• If you notice a colleague who isn't getting to training and conferences, see what you can do to help.
• If you observe the same colleagues on high-visibility projects or committees while others are left out, see what you can do to help.

And don't stop doing equity and inclusion work, because you don't have to!

All the best,
Holly

Building Critical Thinkers: Translating Parenting Wisdom into Workplace Coaching

Hello All,

I had a conversation recently about the difference between rules and guidance, and realized that my thinking on this was quite different from the thinking of the other person's.
I see these as distinct, they were seeing these as the same, just dressed up with different words. One pretending not to be a rule.

But I truly think that these are different. And that reminded me of some of the common sayings we use at home and at work with children and with colleagues.
With children, I've certainly used this phrase "be careful" without providing any useful details that could help a child actually be safe, until I learned better phrases such as the ones covered in this image.
I saved this image years ago, but still go back to it as a reminder regularly.

And then I wondered, what would this look like in the workplace? I put that very question to Google in AI mode, and here is the result:

My prompt: "locate a workplace example for a supervisor or coworker that corresponds to this image of language instructions for parents." and then my followup " provide the source for your response" gave me the following information to share with you.

"Instead of telling a team member to "be careful" or "don't make a mistake," supervisors and coworkers can use language that builds situational awareness and prompts proactive problem-solving.

Help Your Team Foster Situational Awareness by Saying:

• Notice how... the client reacts to that pricing, the system logs spike during deployment.
• Do you see... the conflict in these project requirements, the bottleneck in this workflow?
• Try adjusting... your presentation speed, the testing parameters, the communication frequency.
• Try leveraging your... data analysis, past campaign templates, cross-functional partners.
• Can you track... the shifting market trends, the negative user feedback, the scope creep?
• Do you feel... confident in this timeline, aligned with the broader stakeholder group?

Help Your Team Problem-Solve by Saying:

• What's your plan... if the vendor misses the deadline, if the server goes offline?
• What can you use... to automate this manual process, to back up your hypothesis?
• Where will you... document these compliance risks, allocate the remaining budget?
• How will you... address the executive pushback, scale this feature next quarter?
• Who will... sign off on the final budget, support you if you hit a roadblock?

The workplace examples provided in the previous response are an original, direct adaptation of the parenting framework shown in your image.

Framework Source
The original graphic and language framework, "What to Say to Kids Instead of 'Be Careful!'", was created by author and blogger Linda Akeson McGurk for the website Backwoods Mama. Her guide focuses on fostering risk-awareness, physical competence, and autonomous problem-solving in children during outdoor play.

Workplace Adaptation
Because there is no official corporate version of this exact infographic, the previous response translated McGurk's core structural categories directly into professional management equivalents:

• "Foster Awareness" was mapped to "Situational Awareness & Risk Assessment" in the workplace (monitoring workflows, deployment logs, and client reactions instead of slippery rocks or poison ivy).
• "Problem Solve" was mapped to "Proactive Contingency Planning" (planning for missed vendor deadlines or feature scaling instead of navigating climbing boulders or crossing logs).

This translation aligns with modern agile management, coaching methodologies, and psychological safety practices where leaders are encouraged to ask open-ended, active-learning questions rather than issuing vague, anxiety-inducing warnings like "don't mess up."

I hope this is useful information, and would love to hear from you if you think it is...and if you think it isn't!

All the best,
Holly

Knowing What Can Wait: managing Energy, Priorities, and Summer Zucchini

Hello all,

This week...it's hot and humid!

While I am busy at work, and getting through my daily checklists, and participating in my library's AI July professional development with gusto...I'm also taking it a bit easy the moment I get done work.
Pick up my dad's groceries...of course.
Go to Wednesday night trivia with my retired library peeps...yes, I can do that.
Repaint the hallway...nope.
Extra chores...nope.
Garden projects...nope.
I'm just expending the required minimum distributions of energy. Remembering that there will be time later for things that aren't both important and urgent.

And I hope that you are saving your energy for the important things also.
Try The Eisenhower Matrix, (also referred to as Urgent-Important Matrix) technique or others you've heard of to get through a draining week or month.

Finally, in case you have a vegetable garden or CSA share, here's some super Zucchini recipes from Jim Wilson/The New York Times:

"Our Best Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini is summer’s gift. Embrace it with simple grilled zucchini, crunchy fried zucchini, ever-popular zucchini bread and all the options in between."

View the recipes.

All the best,
Holly

From Students to Staff: What Do We Need to Thrive?

Hello all,

I recently worked with a few librarian colleagues to plan a library orientation for our summer EOP students, always a fun, smart group of young students.

Our plan focused around giving them a headstart on the fall semester with important knowledge about the library services, spaces, and staff who are all here to help them achieve at their best level. We created a brief study preferences survey designed to break the ice and get them thinking about what they needed in order to be successful academic students, so that we could then highlight all the different ways the library meets a wide variety of student needs. We also asked questions about their research experiences and ways they like to get help.

That started my thinking about what all of us need in order to achieve at our best level as employees. What do I need? What do you need? What does your colleague need?

If SUNY employees are like SUNY students, (and I know I am), we need a variety of different resources at different times. Knowing what's available to you is the foundation of being able to draw on those resources when you need them. And summer is a great time to do a little exploration of your campus landscape of resources. Career resources, mental health resources, upskilling resources, physical health resources, and so much more are available to most of us.

So, what do you need to be successful in your next challenge? What resources are around you that could help make that happen? Like students needing to know about library services, spaces, and staff, we need to know about SUNY services, spaces, and staff that are here to help us thrive.

Take a look around your campus and talk with your colleagues about strategies and tactics they have used to get where they are, and map out your own network for success.

All the best,
Holly

Picturing Life and Liberty for All

Hello All,

We know that "a picture is worth a thousand words", and art can reach us on levels that other communications fail to do.

This week I'm sharing a link to a series of three posters created in 2017 as part of a campaign to highlight how few women (about 23 %) were part of the workforce in Egypt at the time.

These stunning posters are part of a larger collection focused on Women's Rights as Human Rights. In particular, look at Finding women in [technology / politics / science] shouldn’t be this hard.

Only 23%.

That's not much below where we are now with women in technology in the U.S., with some variation in industry sectors.

Not enough, not proportional, not fulfilling the promise of a country where all are guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

As you celebrate our nation's independence, consider how we can make those words from our Declaration of Independence ever more real for women.

Thanks for everything you do,

All the best, Holly

Navigating the Terrain of the Moment

Hello all,

This week’s post is about the fluidity of effort and the value of clear goals.

I’ve been taking some short hikes this past week. Each time the effort has seemed different; alternatively hard, challenging, frustrating, easy, or glorious. Our Adirondack mountain hikes are buggy, muddy, rocky, steep and occasionally gentle with glorious views and lovely little running streams. So the terrain of the moment certainly influences how I am feeling, and whether I can breathe or need to stop and recover.

I’m doing this because I have a goal. Later in July I want to redo one of the 46 official High Peaks, this time along with my youngest grandson who will turn eight at the end of this month. I haven’t hiked an Adirondack High Peak in probably 20 years, so I’m trying to get stronger in preparation for that.

I'll be 20 years older and certainly slower when I do that hike in July, but I'll also be smarter and better equipped (looking at you waterproof hiking boots!). I'll be using hiking poles on the downhills to protect my knees, and I've learned the value of taking snack and drink breaks instead of pushing through till the top of the mountain like I used to do. I'll be a different person really, so it will be a different hike.

My goal, to be able to share that experience with my grandson, and hopefully set him on a lifetime path of loving the mountains, is one that means a lot to me. So I'll keep training.

Why am I telling all of you this?
Because our work lives and careers often take the same meandering paths as my hikes. And one day at work can be very different from the next day. Things that seemed easy two years ago might seem hard right now. Learning something new might seem more effortful this Wednesday than it did last Friday. A project that you could finish in a month years ago might take three months now because there are so many more customer considerations or integrations or approvals or procurement reviews. Things don't stay the same. Your relationships with your coworkers could seem more challenging or more glorious from week to week, and that is our lives, my friends. That is our lives.

It helps to keep focused on the goals. When we don't understand the goals, or don't believe in the goals every effort feels hard. When we know and are aligned with the goals most of us can push through those challenging times and really appreciate the easier times when we are making visible progress. When you are able to set your own goals, or collaboratively help shape the goals, well that's even more powerful.

So when you're the leader, make sure your team really gets the vision and goals. And when you're the team member, make sure you can get behind the goals.
Work can still be hard, but it might not feel as hard.

All the best,
Holly

A Question for the Community: What Drives Your Professional Growth?

Hello all,

This week, I'm posing a question. 
Why do you engage in professional development activities? What drives you to make the effort?
Doing your job better? Hope for career advancement? Love of learning? Fear of being left out? Supervisory requirement? All of these, none of these, something else entirely? 

I ask because I recently read this marketing blog for a workshop from the Academic Impressions company:

"There’s a belief quietly circulating among higher ed leaders that goes something like this: If I can’t offer my people a promotion, there’s not much point in having a development conversation.

It’s understandable. Institutional budgets are tighter. Headcount is flat or shrinking. Traditional advancement pathways that used to give these conversations a clear destination have narrowed or disappeared entirely. If growth means moving up—and moving up isn’t an option—why raise expectations you can’t meet?

Here’s the problem: That logic conflates two things that are genuinely different. Advancement is a change in position. Growth, on the other hand, is a change in capacity, contribution, and engagement. You can have one without the other, and your team members are already living proof of that—whether or not you’re having the conversation with them about it.

Our research finds that 88% of employees are motivated to pursue professional development simply to be better at their current jobs. Not to get promoted. Not to leave for somewhere else. To do their work better and feel more capable doing it. That motivation is already there—the question is whether you’re meeting it or letting it go unaddressed until it turns into something else."

This made me quite curious. Because, as you know, WIT is working to improve the retention of a diverse SUNY workforce. 

So is professional development an even more significant factor than I realized? Or is this just what a professional development company wants us to believe? 
Is it a significant factor in keeping you at SUNY? I'd love to hear from folks on this topic.

All the best,
Holly

Being a better Allie: Your Visual Choices Matter

Hello all,

Want to help create the expectation of diversity in technology? One way to do that is to regularly include diverse images in materials that you create. 

This week I'm passing along action #4 from Karen Catlin's 5 Ally Actions - Jun 5, 2026.

---

She writes: 

"Did you know that tech company Mapbox created “Queer in Tech,” a free collection of stock photos?

As explained in their announcement:
“We created this photo set to promote the visibility of queer and gender-nonconforming (GNC) people in technology, who are often under-represented as workers powering the creative, technical, and business leadership of groundbreaking tech companies and products.”

There’s also “The Gender Spectrum Collection,” which is free for non-commercial purposes. Their recommended usage guidelines state:
“Images of trans and nonbinary people can be used to illustrate any topic, not just stories related directly to those communities. Consider using these photos for stories on topics like beauty, work, education, relationships, or wellness. Including transgender and non-binary people in stories not explicitly about gender identity paints a more accurate depiction of the world we live in today.”

Representation matters. Join me in bookmarking these sites for future stock photography needs.

p.s. I’ve curated a longer list of sites specializing in stock photos and illustrations featuring people from underrepresented groups. Some are free, and some for a fee. Find the list at betterallies.com."

---

Will it really be that easy? Of course not..., but remember that we all think- "If I can see it, I can be it!" 

All the best, 
Holly

Wisdom for Pride Month: The Sacredness of Twoness

Hello all,

This week's wisdom comes from a short video (25 min) lecture by Lyla June Johnston, on the Sacredness of Twoness. Lyla has been inspiring me with her writing and lectures for a while—I previously featured her and posted a lecture she did at MIT Solve in 2019.

In this talk she gives background and context to the modern concepts of gender that include the two-spirit gender (from the linked Wikipedia Two-spirit page "contemporary pan-Indian umbrella term used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe Native people who fulfill a traditional third-gender (or other gender-variant) social role in their communities.")

Lyla's talk is summarized as follows:

"From ancient times our faith traditions teach us that everything is inextricably united as a sacred whole. This eternal and perennial wisdom is hard to grasp by the human mind, which tends to see the world dualistically: right/wrong, male/female, sacred/profane. The contemplative, non-dual mind, however, can restore our understanding of the interdependence of all things. It holds paradox, and it is unitive. This session will explore how unifying, and balancing the complementary feminine and masculine aspects of Divine Wisdom is essential to our approaching wholeness, and the non-dual mind."

June is Pride month, so this message of the diversity of nature and people is a good one for us to hear again, "together there is nothing that we cannot achieve"

All the best,
Holly

Don't be a Stamp Licker: Use Common Sense

Hello all,

I was once admonished early in my career for doing something that a work colleague thought was a waste of time, and defended it by reminding them that we were told it was a requirement. Their response was something like- "oh you are such a good little bureaucrat, I'm not doing that." And it stung- because following the rules is part of my nature and part of my work practice.

However, over time I've seen enough rule stretching, bending, and breaking to know that not every rule should be followed, and not every person bothers to even try, and that sometimes following every rule means that you never have time to get to the really important things.

I'm not advocating for chaos- just for common sense. Using our own sense of what is important to protect us against following every rule even when it wastes our time or sets us back or obligates us to something that actually harms our wellbeing. Because especially for any underrepresented and under-respected group, following the rules is often still not enough to help us reach our goals. The rules get changed, the hidden rules get applied, or the game itself gets shifted out of reach.

So a recent NYT Opinion piece How to be Old by Roger Rosenblatt caught my eye, and this paragraph below really struck me as important.

He writes:

"6. Don’t compromise, especially a little.
Unless you’re a professional negotiator, don’t compromise. Give in a little, you might as well give up the ship. During the McCarthy era, students were required to submit loyalty oaths to maintain their scholarships. At a meeting of the Harvard faculty, a professor who had escaped Mussolini’s Italy challenged the dean on this matter. The dean responded that signing and sending in the oaths was merely pro forma and had no more meaning than licking the stamps on the letters. The Italian professor stood and said something like, “Mr. Dean, I’m from fascist Italy, and in fascist Italy you learn one thing. First you lick the stamps. Then you lick something else.”

Because I'm not advocating for chaos, I'm suggesting that we surface the problematic aspects of rules that don't serve us well, enlist like minded supporters, and advocate for changes.

As we move into the summer months and maybe get some down time to reflect back on this last academic year, think about the rules you follow and ask yourself these questions: "What, if anything, did I have to compromise in order to follow that rule?" and "What would be better if I didn't have to do that?"

All the best,
Holly

Time for a Work Dance Break! Let's Play it for Change!

Hello all,

This week I'm sharing a resource you may already know about—the Playing for Change organization.

This amazing project brings musicians together from all around the world to play and sing some of our favorite songs.

"Founded in 2007, PFCF was established to create positive change through music and arts education. Our work engages marginalized youth in diverse communities around the world, primarily located in low and lower-middle income countries. These communities are home to great cultural wealth, which we use to create educational and social opportunities."

A few of my recent views include:

• Everyday People
• A Change is Gonna Come
• Guantanamera
• Teach Your Children
• And this one, celebrating the Women of Change Band...

So, watch, listen, feel the emotions, take a dance break at work, and celebrate the beauty and creativity of humanity.

All the best,
Holly

The GPS of AI: Understanding Algorithmic Bias

Hello all,

This week I'm sharing a post from my LinkedIn feed from the amazing Tonya R. Bennett, MLA, ML (She/Her), one of my co-leads in the EDUCAUSE WIT Community Group.

She writes the following:

Let’s break down a term you keep hearing but no one really explains: “Algorithmic bias.”

Think of it like GPS:
You trust it to get you somewhere fast.
But it was trained mostly on highway data, not side streets.
So it keeps routing you the same way… even when a better route exists.

That is algorithmic bias.
The system is not broken. It learned from incomplete data.

Now the jargon, simplified:
🔹 Algorithm = rules the system follows
🔹 Training data = what it learned from
🔹 Output = the decision it gives you

When the data is limited or skewed, the results will be too.

Why this matters:
AI is shaping decisions in admissions, hiring, and student success.
These systems are not neutral.
They reflect the choices behind them.

👉 You do not need to build AI
👉 You do need to question it

Tonya's message is short, straightforward, and a clear call to action. If we want to continue on our path towards an inclusive technology related workplace and society, we need to be paying close attention and taking actions to reduce AI Bias.

All the best,
Holly

Inclusion on Purpose - Snippet #4

Hello All,

We’re now starting chapter 4 of Inclusion on Purpose: an intersectional approach to creating a culture of belonging at work, by Ruchika Tulshyan (2022, MIT Press). This summary below was the result of my AI prompt:

Shine the Light, Then Get out of the Way

• Amplification: Sponsor and credit women of color; create visibility while avoiding performative tokenism.
• Allyship vs. saviorism: Step back so those most affected can lead; support materially (budget, authority, cover).
• Structural support: Build processes that sustain progress beyond individual heroes. [direct.mit.edu]

That is the Gemini summary of the chapter.

“Your crown has been bought and paid for. Put it on your head and wear it.” — Dr. Maya Angelou

This quote is widely interpreted as meaning we should not shrink from using our talents, holding our place, or sharing our ideas…that others fought for the opportunities we now have, and that we ought to use them, and not let them be taken from us.

Tulshyan then shares another story: the story of Laura Gomez, a woman excited for a 2015 meeting with a successful startup founder (p.75). She was looking for a co-founder and technical officer for her technology startup. She showed the potential co-founder her prototype, but he remained silent. He politely thanked her but said he needed more time to think about his next career move.

18 months later, she had raised $2 million in seed funding. Then she discovered that an interested investor had “just invested $5 million in another HR tech company that sounds very similar to yours.” It was the same person she had met 18 months previous. He had been sending "advisors" to absorb her designs and pass them to this competitor. He was actively stealing her ideas. Her legal advisors told her not to pursue action as she could not compete with his financial standing.

Tulshyan says the lesson (p. 77) is not just that there are people who will steal ideas, but that many others might be complicit. When this happens, the system gets rigged against justice. Her message to all of us is not to be complicit! She writes (p.78):

“I urge you to reflect on how you can use your influence to create opportunities for women of color to surface great ideas, advocate for those great ideas to flourish, and most importantly, get duly recognized and rewarded for them.”

Here’s what we need to know:

1. Making sure the right people get credit really matters. (p. 78 to 80)

The prevailing cultural narrative is to be humble and that hard work is its own reward. However, research shows (Williams and Multhaup, 2018) that women of color are often unfairly assigned "office housework" that doesn't lead to advancement. Inclusive leaders must intentionally select women for high-profile assignments.

2. Allies need to use their privilege to advance women of color. (p. 80-93)

I’m going to simply list the actions here, but there are excellent resources online for all of these strategies:

• A. Run inclusive meetings (ensure everyone is at the table/video call).
• B. Designate meeting facilitators to ensure equal speaking time.
• C. Interrupt the interrupters.
• D. Repeat overlooked ideas and point back to the original speaker.
• E. Pass the mic to amplify unheard voices.
• F. Amplify good ideas and credit the original source.
• G. Sponsor women of color for high-visibility projects.
• H. Spread public speaking opportunities equitably.
• I. Redistribute the office housework; rotate these tasks.

Until next month—be well and keep learning!

All the best,
Holly

Protect Your Wellbeing with the Strategic "No"

Hello all,

Do you have trouble saying no? If you're anything like me...and I know I am...the answer is yes.

I've written about this before—but it keeps coming up as an issue for people in IT and IT related fields. The pressure to deliver is intense. The work never ends, the urgent gets conflated with the important, and the pace of change keeps increasing. Despite all our advances in programming and productivity and automation, we can't always keep up.

And what do we often sacrifice in our attempts to keep up? Our own wellbeing. And our long-term success depends on our long-term wellbeing. There are so many reasons for us to protect our time and energy for the tasks and people we value most, and yet we often find ourselves agreeing to things we'd rather not do.

So, we have to be the strategic project managers of our own lives. Being strategic in what we say yes to (assuming we have a choice!) also means being strategic in what we say no to!

There are some resources for us to review as we work to be more strategic in loading up our plates:

The No Club: "Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work. A practical, timely guide for bringing gender equity to the workplace: unburden women’s careers from work that goes unrewarded."

And here's a bonus Leadership 480 Podcast, where professor of organizational behavior, Laurie Weingart, author of "The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work," joins DDI to discuss why saying no at work is such a crucial skill for leaders, especially woman leaders.

Empowering women in tech to say “no”: "Women in tech today still face unique challenges, including the pressure to do more and the need to prove themselves. Simply put, there’s a ‘yes’ problem. Many women feel the need to say “yes” and often the assumption is that we will."

The Gentle Art of Saying “No” At Work: This resource from Cornell University can be one to printout and post in your workplace for regular reference!
"It can be difficult to say “no,” but it’s a critical skill if you are to protect your own priorities, time, and even your mental wellbeing. Saying “no” does not mean you’re rejecting the other person; it means that you’re turning down a specific request that the person is making of your time and energy."

Whatever strategies you use, I wish you all the best,

Holly

Beyond the Spillover: Re-centering Disability in the Curb-Cut Effect

Hello all,

This week's post is focused on the curb-cut effect, defined by B. Reid from various sources in chapter 8 of the book Feminist Cyberlaw (M. Jones and A. Levendowski, 2024) as "an oft-observed phenomenon that occurs when technology designed to dismantle barriers to the accessibility of society for disabled people affords positive benefits - positive externalities or spillovers in economic terms- for nondisabled people." The expressed concern about this is that we can grow to focus on the spillover effects and only prioritize or advance those technologies that benefit everyone.

The chapter argues that there is a real danger of harm to and erasure of the exact needs of disabled people when we rely on the power of the curb-cut effect argument when making accessibility design decisions.

The chapter provides several examples, from actual sidewalk curb-cuts that don't have level transitions or are too steep for actual wheelchair users, to image alt tags used only for the most simplified descriptions, to video captions that fail to describe video scenes without any sound, to audio descriptions that fail to include "visible details about the race, ethnicity, and skin color of on-screen characters" where critical concerns for disabled people are not prioritized. This specific chapter is also referenced in the brief Curb-cut effect wikipedia article.

As we breathe out sighs of either relief or exasperation at the extension to 2027 of the ADA Title II compliance requirements on digital accessibility, I hope that some of us can use this time to assess whether our efforts are paying enough attention to the precise needs of the people we want to serve. Knowing SUNY as I do, I expect that someone has already been thinking that exact thing. As our Plattsburgh EIT Officer John Locke wrote:

"This is not a reprieve from our responsibility to ensure accessibility. Our obligation to provide accessible programs, services, and activities remains unchanged under the ADA, as well as under New York State law and federal regulations tied to funding (including HHS requirements with a compliance date of May 11, 2026). Instead, this extension should be viewed as an opportunity: time to close remaining gaps, strengthen our practices, and continue building the skills needed to create accessible content from the start."

I agree with John!

I'd love to hear more about how our accessibility efforts are mitigating any of the negative impacts of the "curb-cut effect."

All the best,
Holly

Retention by Design: Making Office Inclusivity Part of Your Strategy

Hello all,

This week's message was inspired by a recent Harvard Business Review Management "Tip of the Day" that arrived in my email. As written, it's great advice for companies planning relocations or expansions, or even rethinking a return from remote work policy. And then, I rewrote it to offer some advice for us, as we work to improve our SUNY workplaces using the SUNY WIT Mission: "The SUNY WIT Program's Mission is 'to empower, support, and retain a more gender diverse information technology related workforce within SUNY.'"

---

The HBR Original...

"Make Office Location Part of Your Strategy
Most companies still evaluate office locations using cost, space, and incentives. But those factors miss what actually drives performance. The strongest locations today operate as “knowledge campuses,” where work is embedded in a broader environment of transit, services, and daily life. Here’s how to choose the right location for your organization.

Measure return on place. Evaluate how your location drives interactions, reduces daily friction, and strengthens your industrial and talent ecosystems. Look for environments that naturally create frequent, informal encounters. Assess how much time employees lose to commuting and daily logistics. Prioritize locations that minimize these burdens and surround your team with relevant talent, partners, and institutions.

Build districts, not buildings. An isolated office is a disadvantage. You need an environment that extends beyond your walls. Choose locations that integrate work with dining, wellness, public space, and social infrastructure. These elements signal that you understand what people need to do their best work. Focus on places where employees can move seamlessly between their professional and personal lives.

Manage location as a portfolio. Don’t rely on a single headquarters. Different locations attract different types of talent. Maintain a mix of sites that align with how people want to live and work, and adjust over time as those preferences shift.

Focus on housing. If employees can’t live near work, productivity suffers. Factor in housing access and commute realities when choosing locations, even if you can’t control them directly."

Now, what if we thought about how to apply these principles to the way we configure our SUNY workplaces? And explicitly thought about how to increase inclusivity and the potential for allyship as part of the concept? Here's my start on a reworking of this message.

Holly's Rework: Make Office Inclusivity Part of Your Strategy

Most organizations still assign office space and meeting space access by function, random available spaces at the moment of hire, proximity to service functions, or according to some privilege factor based on hierarchical rank. And although some of us work remote part of the time, we still rely primarily on in-person workplaces. But these factors miss what actually drives retention and inclusivity. The most inclusive organizations leverage differences in knowledge and experience to create the best services and programs for their intended users. Here's how to choose the best connections for your organization.

Measure return on interaction: Evaluate how staff space assignments and access to shared spaces drive innovation, service improvement, cultural knowledge exchanges, reduce conflicts, and promote allyship. Look for configurations that encourage cross-pollination of ideas through casual interactions. Track how frequently employees connect with folks not in their exact area of work, and document the impact of any improvements and changes that result.

Build communities, not silos. An isolated function is a disadvantage. Focus on creating workplace "mixed use neighborhoods" that include elements of the work life that support multiple activities, such as flexible meeting spaces, conference rooms that are shared by support staff and the executive teams, dining and wellness spaces, and possibly even customers. Small changes can open the doors to interoffice community and appreciation for diversity wide open.

Manage locations as opportunities. Don't rely on single buildings for your organization. Different locations offer a multitude of opportunities to see customers and colleagues in a new light, inspire creativity, encourage collaborations, and provide choices that can increase a sense of belonging and improve retention. Maintain a mix of sites that align with the different needs of your organizational groups.

Focus on retention. If employees can't be themselves at work, connection suffers. Factor in preferences for light, sound, privacy, commuting times to other work obligations when assigning workspaces, even if you have limited options. Do what you can with what you have.

So, that's my version. I'd love to hear from folks who have other ideas or have made gains in this area at their SUNY's.

All the best,
Holly

Reflections on the Holocaust and Artemis II

Hello all,

This week was a commemoration of 11 million lives lost in the Holocaust - 6 million of these were Jews, including - we suspect, my grandmother's sisters and their families. Or perhaps they were never sent to any work or death camps but simply pushed aside and perished in another way as marginalized people do in war. So we mourn the lives that were taken and we strive to prevent more losses. We honor the heroes and the righteous who misdirected, resisted, and sheltered. Without them there might have been no one left.

And as we know it is still happening now. We have not been successful in achieving an end to hatred and war. Nonetheless, we need to keep trying. That is the message of the Holocaust commemorations. That we all need to be vigilant and protect those we see getting pushed aside and blamed for woes not of their making. That we need to speak out when we see injustice. To believe in the dignity and beauty of each life.

And this same week, we are celebrating the extraordinary mission and safe return of the Artemis II, with all her crew safely back on earth. With the teams of engineers and scientists and programmers and artists and dreamers that made it happen. The crew...talented, educated, experienced, driven, humble, kind, and diverse. The mission will give us science and art to study and learn from for years. And we must be careful with what we learn, and what we do with all that information.

For technology folks and space nerds alike—it was amazing. And it was a symbol of diversity and alliances, of genders, backgrounds, and nationalities, the way space exploration has often been. Yes it's been a competitive race—and also a cooperative venture. In answer to the horrors of the Holocaust, that hatred and dehumanizing to the point of systematic deliberate plans for total elimination of a people, we have Artemis II.

All the best,
Holly

Courage, Kindness, and Conflict: Insights from Caroline Melkonian

Hello all,

This week's wisdom comes from Caroline Melkonian, a University at Albany Alumna and professional mediator.

The Hidden Signs Workplace Conflict Is Brewing And How Mediation Can Help

"Hidden workplace conflict rarely announces itself. It usually shows up in subtle behavioral shifts before it becomes open disagreement. Here are the most common hidden signs:

Communication Changes

When communication becomes indirect or overly formal, tension is often present. This can look like short, clipped emails, avoiding direct conversation, or delayed responses. Or in the worst case, employees are talking about someone instead of to someone. Once this begins, facts morph into perceptions and trust begins to erode, making it harder and riskier for employees to engage on their own.

Silence

Silence can be a powerful indicator of unspoken disagreement. You may see meeting dynamics shift where employees “save” opinions for private conversations, or no longer seem as engaged as they were previously and passively nod their heads in agreement. This creates false consensus when in reality, concerns still exist or employees are not aligned with the outcomes, creating quiet non-compliance.

Productivity Shifts

Relationship issues are sometimes disguised as productivity issues. You may see increased mistakes, missed deadlines or competing priorities that suddenly feel territorial. If leaders treat a relational problem as a performance problem, they address the symptom, not the cause. When performance shifts suddenly, it is often worth asking not only, “What is wrong with the work?” but also, “What may be happening between the people?”

Have you experienced this? I know I have.

I've even participated in "the meeting after the meeting" when we all expressed our true opinions and shared our true thoughts about the solutions. And I've even felt justified in the moment, despite knowing that that practice does nothing to improve the situation.

So, we have to step up to address issues with courage and kindness.

---

And for your listening pleasure... The Canadian group, The Be Good Tanyas sing Draft Daughter's Blues aka Ootischenia

And long hair comin' down her shoulders
She is tired and feeling so much older
So tear the pages from the family bible
It came down upon the women for survival
It came down upon the women for survival...

All the best,
Holly