tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280568258451532635.post5114220876151379163..comments2023-10-06T04:03:02.518-04:00Comments on The Doctor Isn't: Rambling...oh, and then a question....Dr. Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17311538014480815090noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280568258451532635.post-36206383946089552722008-01-31T12:07:00.000-05:002008-01-31T12:07:00.000-05:00Thanks all. Great advice all around. Amazing how...Thanks all. Great advice all around. Amazing how much of it probably does come down to my desire to appear the good colleague. It's funny to think "I'd better be careful for tenure" even knowing that I'm clawing at the cold earth to get out of here. <BR/><BR/>There's a bit of guilt, too, because this is about a search, and the department is small, and everyone knows - but never mentions - I'm trying to head out the door while we bring someone in. Watching people tiptoe around that as we vetted application packets was interesting and probably contributed, as well.Dr. Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17311538014480815090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280568258451532635.post-48658417565694299852008-01-31T09:45:00.000-05:002008-01-31T09:45:00.000-05:00P.S. Not only do you NOT need to explain yourself,...P.S. Not only do you NOT need to explain yourself, I think it is actually a mistake to do so. As soon as you start making excuses for protecting your time it sounds like what you are doing is (or could be perceived as) unjustified. It's none of their business. And as soon as you start having a conversation with the Chair you've opened yourself up to negotiation. You don't want/need his permission, so don't inadvertently put yourself in a situation where you are tacitly asking for his approval.ashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13427741354514319653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280568258451532635.post-15021852760903860422008-01-31T09:42:00.000-05:002008-01-31T09:42:00.000-05:00I had a colleague once at a small liberal arts sch...I had a colleague once at a small liberal arts school in the northeast who had certain days when he was just not on campus. We all knew, "oh, B. can't meet on Thursdays. He's not on campus that day." What was B. doing on Thursdays and where was he? Who knows? But it seemed to work pretty well for him. Maybe there is a day (or lacking that, a block of time) when you are NOT AVAILABLE. Period. Make it known, be flexible on other days/times, and stick with it. Just my two cents...ashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13427741354514319653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280568258451532635.post-31831197176402758142008-01-30T21:29:00.000-05:002008-01-30T21:29:00.000-05:00mr. whore is on leave this semester at the same ti...mr. whore is on leave this semester at the same time there are several candidates coming through....while he remains in town, he has gone to a few job talks but has had to say "no" almost daily to other events (lunches, dinners, walks, etc.) <BR/><BR/>say no. you are clearly a good citizen and everyone knows you need this time for your book. take it and don't be shy.gwoertendykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00542058287462910446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280568258451532635.post-56528970253828256172008-01-30T21:17:00.000-05:002008-01-30T21:17:00.000-05:00I'm with dr. crazy and profgrrrrl. If it's part of...I'm with dr. crazy and profgrrrrl. If it's part of your office culture to have office hours posted on your office door, you could "Meeting Availability" times to the schedule. This would help emphasize your <I>unavailability</I> at other certain times.khorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16158691616954773020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280568258451532635.post-60974616237352016432008-01-30T16:37:00.000-05:002008-01-30T16:37:00.000-05:00I have my Mondays and Tuesdays booked for research...I have my Mondays and Tuesdays booked for research this semester. When people ask for a meeting, I tell them I know I'm all booked already on Mon/Tues (they don't need the details) and let me check my calendar for available times on Wed-Fri.<BR/><BR/>I find it's guilt that makes me think "oh, but I really could meet on Mon or Tues" and that if I just say "I'm already booked them" they don't question what I'm doing. No one expects you to have a meeting when you're teaching. No one expects you to cancel one meeting to attend another. So make some meetings with your research and stick to them. If all you feel you can grab is 1/2 day here and there, do that -- and pick the 1/2 that is most conducive to your work. That way you can point out plenty of available times when people ask.~profgrrrrl~https://www.blogger.com/profile/15280731948424317624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280568258451532635.post-66025561904340305872008-01-30T13:04:00.000-05:002008-01-30T13:04:00.000-05:00First, that sucks about the power and the anxious ...First, that sucks about the power and the anxious pup and the ominously creaking thing.<BR/><BR/>Second, how to protect one's time?<BR/><BR/>1) If there's an option of saying no, don't say yes without taking at least a little time to consider. (for example: We'd like to meet at X time to discuss Y; would you be available? Don't say yes or no right away. Say that you need to look at your schedule and get back to them. Then, when you get back to them, you can say, I checked my schedule and I have a commitment at that time that just can't be rescheduled (they don't need to know it's a commitment to working on research - this way it sounds like an appointment of some kind) but could we do it on this alternative time/day? You might even add in some butt-kissing thing about how significant you think the meeting is and how you'd hate to have to miss it if it can't be scheduled at a convenient time for you, but that might be laying it on a bit thick, depending on your penchant for butt-kissing).<BR/>2) IF you have the kind of relationship with your chair where you could do this, you might have a conversation with him/her about concern that you really want to be a good department citizen but also that you're concerned that you're not using your research time in a way that best benefits your overall job performance. Keep emphasizing how committed you are to being the Super-Professor, and that you aren't sure how to navigate this terrain. Again, this is sort of butt-kissy, but it's an option that's worked for me in the past, as in my situation, my dept. administrators were really concerned about supporting my work and making sure that upper administration saw the fruits of my labor when I received things like course releases.<BR/><BR/>Don't know whether you've tried either of those or whether they'd work, but those strategies have served me well in the past. Good luck!Dr. Crazyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12457967076373916629noreply@blogger.com