December 24, 2019
The Holiday Season Part II
A couple of weeks ago, my article addressed the wonderful and ongoing gift exchange between Extension professionals and the people we serve. We provide them the education, research, and facilitation needed to improve their world. In turn, they allow us to practice our profession that we passionately pursue. On top of that, they often profoundly thank us for our effort.
We are now into the heart of the winter holiday season. With that, in this last Tuesday Letter of the year, I ask that you please grant me four wishes this holiday season.
First, I wish that you thank our volunteers for their efforts. They enable us to serve so many more people. Our jobs would be more difficult without them.
Second, I wish that you let your colleagues know how much their work is appreciated and for their support of your work. Everybody in our organization has the primary mission and duty to provide a better educational experience for the people we serve. There are those who do this directly by providing the necessary research, education, and facilitation. There are those of us that do this indirectly by taking care of the thousands of administrative details that enable those educational exchanges to take place. All of the work is critical to our success and the success of the people we serve.
Third, I wish that you add one item to your list of made and kept New Year’s resolutions. In the spirit of “Innovate!”, come up with one way that you will be innovative in your life as an Extension professional in 2020. The innovation does not need to be revolutionary, but it can be. It may be big or small. Examples of being innovative, among others, may be doing a new program. It could be doing an old program in a new way. It may involve launching a new social media campaign. Doing whatever is new for you and the people you serve is being innovative. Talk about your innovative idea with your colleagues. Propose it to your supervisors and get their approval to move forward with it. Email me about it (ghadley@ksu.edu), and then do it!
Finally, I wish you all the best this winter holiday season! Enjoy your time off. Have fun with your family and friends. Remember, there is way more joy in giving as opposed to receiving. Spread that joy around! Remember the less fortunate. Say “good morning” or your season’s greetings to complete strangers. Spread the joy of this holiday season!