There's Always Room for Improvement

It’s very late on a Wednesday night… Tomorrow, I will join the other professionals in my Housing & Residence Life office for a day-long retreat. It’s one of my favorite days of the year.
 

For me, personally, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding this day. I find it invigorating to talk about how our department is performing and about what we can be doing better. It’s also a great opportunity for me to personally reflect on how I am doing my job and think about how I can better serve the students I work with.

Tomorrow will be a reminder that there is always room for improvement, there is always room for thinking outside the box, and having fun while we work.

There’s something special about sitting around a table with the other folks in my office and having a good discussion or brainstorming session. At that very moment, everyone in my department will be playing an equal part in contributing to the future of the office.

There are a few things I’m looking forward to discussing with my fellow colleagues. The first of which is our programming model and how we can be more intentional about building positive communities throughout our residence halls. The second is staff morale and how to make sure our RAs are having positive experiences, or what I like to call, “making sure we’re using the appropriate amount of challenge and support.”

What about you?  Do you look forward to staff retreats or planning sessions? What is on your project list of topics to discuss as you enter the summer months?