I know. It’s only August. You are probably wondering why I’m wishing you a Happy New Year. Well, July began the new fiscal year at Clemson and an opportunity to start new things through strategic planning.
During the traditional New Year, people make resolutions or set a “word of the year” or other intentions for how they want things to be different. Most people make these decisions through self-reflection or an acknowledgement that things aren’t quite the way they want them.
Well, as a part of our “new year” cycle, the Clemson Well-being Council went through a strategic reflective process called a SWOT analysis where we collectively looked at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to Clemson through the lens of well-being. It was an eye-opening, thoughtful and heartening process to hear so many leaders across the campus committed to advancing a thriving culture. The team acknowledged our threats and weaknesses are not insurmountable, especially in light of our strengths and opportunities.
When the team did discuss threats and weaknesses, the responses described a hunger for more wellness: they want to see us build a culture of encouraging health and well-being in each other. They’d like to see additional resources for training and education, not only in their personal well-being, but in helping students. The group wants us to work on infrastructure, policy and capabilities that integrates well-being into our fabric. They also recognized while inherent and competing priorities may challenge our lofty goals, honest discussions will not deter us from moving forward.
The latter half of the SWOT process of discussing strengths and opportunities filled me with humble gratitude and excitement. One member of the team commented, “Clemson has an opportunity to lead the nation in higher education well-being with this process.” Another remarked that if we can focus on communicating and integrating well-being into all our units, we can facilitate a thriving culture.
Other strengths and opportunities recognized what a special place Clemson is geographically—we have a unique opportunity to build on our environment and lean into “nature as wellness” as a part of our strategy. The team acknowledged Clemson’s incredible culture and how it seamlessly fits with developing a sense of well-being and building opportunities for collaboration.
The team remarked on how valuable it is to hear from so many different areas of Clemson. They immediately described the value of hearing outside their own lane from other parts of the campus community as a means for breaking down silos (I did a little private fist pump when I heard that!). I believe a collaborative approach allows all of the different facets of campus life to see how they contribute to the well-being of the institution. In my field, this is what we call #winning.
If you’ve been following the blog since the beginning, you’ll note I talk a lot about the process of creating well-being strategy. The Clemson Well-being Council is walking step by step through that process by taking a thoughtful, deep and targeted approach to what we can accomplish together. The process helps everyone see how they have a part of our ultimate vision of where we want to go.
As I reflect on a “New Year’s” word for us over the next 12 months, I keep coming back to the word “together.” Our most recent council meeting made me feel like we are all in together in this effort and that excites me. Together reflects our commitment to build connection, community and a sense of belonging. Together reflects collaboration and partnerships. And most importantly, together reflects that at Clemson, no one is alone, we are all part of a special place.
If you were to reflect on a new word for this fiscal/academic year, what would you choose?