This Thanksgiving, more than ever,is a time to remember your staff when counting your blessings! It has been a stressful year across the nation, you have to admit. Surrounded by toxic campaign narratives, our students have been experiencing waves of emotions that have produced fear and anxiety for their future. They will be with family and loved ones this week, finally able to safely process some of these extraordinary feelings in that safe space. Your staff, who are also looking forward to that healing time with family, have had to daily serve students in the midst of this divisive climate. And anxiety will continue after the holidays as critical conversations unfold to mend the uncertainty we feel for the future. Remember that it isn’t easy to be the face and voice of the institution in times like these. Being the one out front has produced an extra stress in the past year.
No doubt, students enroll at your institution mainly because of your robust academic programs taught by your talented faculty. Or students come because of your institutional mission, which promises students a culture as learners in your community. But the real competitive edge for enrollment, then retention and finally graduation, the glue that holds all that together, is the professional customer service in relationships that students experience from devoted staff every day on your campus.
So, please, take a moment this week as the holiday approaches, or next week once folks return after the break to simply say “Thank You” to your staff for all they do for students. Customer service in higher education these days requires more than just a love of learning and students. Service excellence today takes skill, technique and most of all empathy and patience. Show your staff that you are grateful for what they do every day.
This Thanksgiving Day, please remember your staff when you count your blessings!