Many individuals have shared how much they benefit from the recommendations segment on Teaching in Higher Ed every week. I also feel that way, and sometimes find the abundance of recommendations a bit overwhelming, much like a delightful buffet that is best enjoyed in moderation. There are so many excellent books to read, for instance. In Episode 616 of Teaching in Higher Ed, Katarina M\u00e5rtensson recommended the Academic Imperfectionist podcast by Dr. Rebecca Roache. I’ve listened to a few episodes and am thrilled about catching up on more, having come late to this podcast journey.<\/p>\n
In both my leadership and teaching roles, I’ve long discussed the significance of naming things, which arises in various aspects of education. When I heard Rebecca address this directly in episode 122 of her podcast, “Write It Down, Make It Happen,” it caught my attention. Rebecca mentioned that failing to identify the source of distress can intensify it. Psychiatrist Daniel Siegel coined the phrase “name it to tame it” to describe how identifying and naming strong negative emotions can reduce their intensity. If you’ve ever talked through fears or anxieties or journaled about them, feeling more positive afterward, you’ve experienced this effect.<\/p>\n
In my teaching, I plan to share that episode of the Academic Imperfectionist in an elective course I\u2019ve taught for over a decade: Personal Leadership and Productivity. In the context of Getting Things Done, what Rebecca describes about list-making aligns with a mind sweep, also known informally as a brain dump. A trigger list can help reveal open loops and clear them from your mind. David Allen reminds us that our minds are for generating ideas, not storing them. Some students struggle with this process, hesitating to explore stressors without a plan for next steps. Once I informed them that we would learn how to handle what emerged, everything changed. Naming creates conditions for mental work and trust to unpack the burdens of unfinished tasks.<\/p>\n
Rebecca’s episode 122 also resonated with me in the context of leadership. Without spoiling an upcoming recommendation, I recently began using Libib to catalog books and rediscovered volumes I hadn\u2019t touched in years. This led me to Chris Argyris’s On Organizational Learning, where he introduces the concept of skilled incompetence. In chapter 7, Argyris explains that executives often use their skills to handle problems but inadvertently create unintended consequences. This skilled incompetence affects both individuals and organizational culture, hiding problems in complex ways. Argyris offers approaches to unlearn these defensive routines, which I intend to explore further as I continue rediscovering the treasures in my library.<\/p>\n
Naming things is crucial for self-awareness, classroom interactions, and leadership. I am eager to continue learning from the Academic Imperfectionist podcast and the insights shared by guests on Teaching in Higher Ed. If you have a few minutes, you might find something valuable on the TiHE recommendations page.<\/p>\n