One of the fundamental tenets of Delicious Ambiguity has been that all of us who contribute to the development of students are at our best when we approach our work through a lens of “positive restlessness.” That phrase was introduced into the lexicon of higher education writers by George Kuh and his colleagues in their book Student Success in College, describing a pervasive philosophy that his research team saw at colleges that always seemed to be seeking out ways to get better no matter how successful they already were. Anyone who knows me recognizes that I relish the chance to look for ways to improve. But I think it is an entirely fair criticism to suggest that I might have an overly rosy view of change and that I should be forced to get elbow-deep in the down-and-dirty work of actually fixing a complicated and convoluted process.

So this week, if you’ve ever thought that I needed a dose of your version of reality, you are in luck. My “comeuppance” has appeared in the form of participation in a weeklong, immersive Rapid Improvement Event (RIE). I’ll be joining a team of Augustana employees trying to wrangle a portion of the payroll process and hopefully improve it. I don’t know much about payroll – so they tell me I’m “perfect” for the job.

So here goes!

Make it a good day,

Mark