Have you ever heard the phrase "but this isn't how it was last year..." or something similar? I have decided to tag this as one of my pet peeves. Nothing is ever the same. Everything changes. The slightest change can throw everything off and create a different dynamic. I don't get why people do not see this.... is it just me?
So why do people use this phrase? I see it a lot with Residence Life. I see with with Resident Mentors complaining about the way things are done, either by me or by the department and the changes it has made. And I see it with professional and graduate staff members comparing their area teams to what it was last year. Or sometimes even bringing what they did in a different building and saying it has to be done "this way" because it was last year.
I guess to try and get around this pet peeve, I really want to understand why some people are so quick to compare and to relate back. Is it because it was normal to them? Is it because they are scared of change? Is it because they had expectations based off their assumptions of the previous year? I think all of these could definitely be reasoning behind it! So maybe I just need to ask them why they are so caught up in last year.
Any suggestions with this?
Well, if it is RMs stating the "But last year...", challenge them and ask why they think last year's way was better than your way or why they want to keep it. Put it back on them. Also give people the opportunity to provide feedback on processes if they have seen something work well or really badly. And in all honesty, it fades out throughout the year, so you could just say, "it's a new year with new ways!"
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