For the first time in my working life, I am going to be out of the office for three consecutive weeks. Planning for this time away has not only forced me to be as efficient as possible in the time leading up to my vacation, but also has gotten me thinking about the importance of a great team.
Bear with me a minute for a quick sports analogy. In professional cycling, there’s an event called the team time trial where an entire team (in this year’s Tour de France, 8 riders) works together by “drafting” in the aerodynamic slipstream of the riders in front of them, each rider taking a turn at the front and then rotating out of the line. If the team works well together and has a plan, it’s a beautiful event to watch. The first rider in the line does the hard work while the riders behind are able to save a ton of energy, and the team is able to go much faster than any individual rider could go on his or her own.
Summer means vacation and working on next year’s course updates. But many faculty face a challenge that their physical and computer desktops have in common: chaos and clutter. Files for research, course materials, lecture notes, emails; it can all get overwhelming. Although we all have our personal quirks when it comes to managing our digital assets, taking steps to minimize friction from these habits can ease working with others, as well as free up time and energy to focus on pedagogical matters.
Alignment is a core guiding principle in the 
Raising three boys has its challenges. I found that instilling good manners is essential to maintaining some semblance of order. Following simple rules of etiquette displays a sense of respect for those you are interacting with, whether it be at the table or in a conversation.