5 Chapter 5: Rest, Revisit, Recalibrate

Slowing Down (Resting), Thinking Back (Revisiting/Reflecting) and Switching Gears (Recalibrating) are all very important in the realms of leadership and DEI. Individuals and groups need time to metabolize information and situations, especially challenging information and situations. It is also important for leaders to build in margin, assuming that some, many, or all in a given group might have forseen or unforseen crises or setbacks that make it challenging to “catch up” if the group environment is predicated on stretching humans to their absolute limits (a form of objectification).  You will learn more about this idea of Universal Design in the “Ability” chapter of this book.

Remember, in leadership “the medium is the message”. If an employer asks people to “take care of themselves”, there should be systemic offerings that help make that a legitimate possibility. If an organization says, “it will just take some time”, then time allowances will likely need to be assessed and (if necessary) adjusted to match not only the aims but also the values of the group.

In this spirit, students and instructors might use this week to

• Rest and let material “sink in” before moving on to the next stage of the course
• Revisit any material that they have missed or are still struggling to understand
• Review the participation recommendation form to evaluate how they are “showing up” in the course,
• Review the course outline in conjunction with their personal calendar and make any necessary adjustments needed to successfully complete weekly work and/or major assignments.
• Request a meeting with the instructor to review any confusion, concerns, or accommodations needs/changes, etc.