By Kendra Messing, BOM, CPO, HRS, MSBO Board Member, Business Manager, Huron ISD
As President Weese wrote in her article last month, it is a time to reflect – with the holidays having passed and this new year beginning, it got me thinking about my past and what I’ve learned since starting out.
I started my career as a business manager just months before the 3% refund and about 5 weeks after having my second child. I was learning about payroll and ORS while also remembering what it was like to have a newborn. While things have drastically changed since then, I look back and am incredibly appreciative that I started my career while also having an immense change in my personal family life. It was a crazy time, and I learned very quickly, albeit not very gracefully – some plates are more important to keep spinning than others. Nothing like a newborn to really drive home that learning curve. I still find myself trying to do all the things and having to actively remember that there are some things that I can let go (ooh, I didn’t even like writing that!). There are also things that I have to be present for, be a part of, or be in charge of doing and I do my best to remind myself which plate is which.
A plate that I’ve let drop time and time again unfortunately is being more actively present – I’m one for multi-tasking and while it can be rewarding, it can also be crippling. I notice myself checking emails instead of listening to my family talk about their day or quickly answering an employee question without actively participating in the small talk of the conversation. Being present is the plate I’ve chosen to glue back together and do my best to yet again keep spinning for this new year.
Whether it is plates spinning or balls in the air, I hope everything stays where it needs to be for 2025, and I look forward to hopefully seeing you all along the way!
Other Articles in this Newsletter
- 2025 MSBO Board of Directors Candidates Slate
- Curiosity Over Judgment: A Leadership Mindset – Stephanie Weese
- Group Solutions = Problem Solving
- Michigan State Police Offer School Safety Training
- MSBO Annual Conference Early Bird Registration Opens Soon
- MSBO Awards and Scholarships
- MSBO New Members
- MSBO Update – Robert Dwan