Capacity: The ability, space, or power to do, experience, or understand something. Includes time requirements, resources, attention, meetings, personal change, and lots of ongoing planning and execution at all levels of the organization (Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, 8th ed.).
For most of us, issues on campus grow more urgent and complex every day, from student success and affordability to free speech, diversity, and inclusion and from campus unrest to new technologies to the potential impact of the nation's leadership. It seems that no matter what meeting I attend or discussion I am privileged to have with amazing colleagues, the topic of civility creeps into the conversation. Whether we are talking about the lack of it or how to make it more visible, it is clear that civility is an important element in the equation of healthy relationships.
When fear-based decision-making reigns, providing the perfect entree for reinforcing a personal worldview with no room for other possibilities, capacity is stifled and we all lose. Exclusionary practices are the existential threat of our times, providing no sustainability for the future. But it is important that we pay attention to those who will follow us. Given the demands on our time and the many constituents we must serve, we must ask: How can we best navigate the leadership challenges we face? How do we build capacity?
One answer to these questions is certain. To navigate leadership challenges, we baby boomers cannot insist that everyone be just like us and that others go through processes we had to go through. We must make an effort to understand the next generation of leaders and which environments work for them.
I recently reviewed the results of the 2017 Deloitte Millennial Survey (https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/g). The findings have implications worthy of our attention as we baby boomers think about passing the leadership baton in nursing.
* Millennials have been viewed as willing to change jobs more frequently than baby boomers and to follow their personal interests or needs. In actuality, they are becoming less likely to leave the security of their jobs, prefer full-time employment, and demonstrate increasing loyalty and a desire for stability in a world they perceive to be tumultuous and uncertain.
* Survey respondents view business as a positive force for change. They say that, although businesses in general have a positive impact on society, multinationals could be doing more to address society's biggest challenges.
* Generational gaps and potential pitfalls can occur when we fail to both understand and adjust our leadership styles to the behavior and needs of millennials and emerging generations.
* Millennials feel accountable for many issues in society and believe they are most able to make an impact through the workplace. Employers who enable millennials to be involved in good causes provide them with a sense of empowerment and influence.
* When it comes to leadership, millennials prefer leaders who speak plainly, are passionate about their views and opinions, and seek inclusiveness. They also prefer gradual change and do not support leaders who are divisive or radical.
* Millennials also believe that use of technology offers more opportunities than risks.
After reading these findings, I thought about how important it is that baby boomersand millennials work together to bridge our generational differences. We must not let our differences sap our joy in our academic communities and take away the feelings of pleasure and satisfaction that result from meaningful action. Stealing joy impacts our capacity - our ability to innovate, to be efficient, to be great team members, and to promote flourishing environments.
An environment of mutual respect is critical if joy and meaning in work are to exist and if full capacity is to be realized. Paul O'Neill, former chair and chief executive officer for Alcoa, issued a challenge to organizations that aspire to excellence. I am modifying his challenge for schools of nursing with this question: Can each person in your nursing school or department answer affirmatively the following three questions each and every day?
1. Am I treated with dignity and respect by everyone, every day, in each encounter, without regard to race, ethnicity, nationality, tender, religious belief, sexual orientation, title, pay grade, or number of degrees?
2. Do I have what I need, education, training, tools, financial support, and encouragement, so I can make a contribution that gives meaning to my life?
3. Am I recognized and thanked for what I do?
Can you answer these questions with a yes? Can those who work with you say yes to all three? What would it take in your place of employment to get a yes? Model the way forward. Build capacity with audacity!