And Yet, I Learned Them
I know I've mentioned parts of my job before. I'm currently involved in a project called the Student Data Warehouse. I mentioned it in my December 2014 blog post, so if this sounds familiar, that's probably why.
I was sitting in a meeting on Friday with my boss and her boss, the Registrar, discussing the Data Warehouse, or SDW as we lovingly call it. We have been training people for the past four months how to use the system. It's not complex, by any means, but you have to understand the data to understand how to know what you want to get and how to get to it. The problem is that the Users are from all different backgrounds. We have one from each college -we call them Dean's User's, because the Dean had to recommend them for the position. We on-boarded them in December, which means we set up their security, gave them a few tutorials on how to open and use the system and then planned monthly in-depth sessions to build upon those foundations.
The foundations were pretty simple - definitions, how to run a canned report (meaning the reports we made prior to opening the system to them), basic navigation of the system, etc. Simple stuff. We gave them a month to review the tutorials we made (I'm now a pro at Captivate - you're welcome world), and then proceeded to give the first in-depth training, which consisted of writing a simple report from scratch, and has progressed to writing formulas, modifying the text, creating charts and graphs, and even writing a second query in a report. It's been a crazy, exciting ride. It has taken over my job so much so that it's kind of my main responsibility. I'm now the only one in the office that knows how to use the tool, and have become the SDW help desk (we have an entire IT team that actually does the set up and the initial training, I am just the Registrar's Office representative... don't think I'm THAT important yet).
This week we have been discussing the trainings we want to give this summer. We've been splitting the Users into three levels - level 1 is the beginners, and level 3 is the advanced, and with each level we've been giving descriptions of where they should be. This position has really turned into quite the teaching position. I have become an expert at Canvas, the website the U uses for classes, as well as coming up with the material for the Users to review, trainings, quick tips, help, etc. I've had to evaluate where each User is, as well as how we get them where we need them to be.
The Users are a very versatile group. Some of them were hired specifically as data analysis experts, while others are associate deans, or even academic advisors. Most of them do not have a technical background, and even less time to try to learn how to use the system. It's been interesting training them because we meet together every month and every month they give the same excuse - "There's no time!" No time to learn how to use the system. No time to look through the tutorials. No time to call with questions. No time to navigate the basics of the system. No time to review the teachings. No time to try. There's no time, and therefore they can't do their job, and somehow this has come back to us. We have given them every opportunity to learn and ask questions. We offer a week of in-depth trainings every month, we offer open session drop ins every week, we have all trainings online in Canvas, we have an email specifically for the data warehouse; and, yet, they cannot seem to find the time to learn how to use the system.
I've heard their complaints and come up with idea after idea after idea to try to help them. This past week, as we've been reviewing the levels, and discussing how the training for the summer will go, I realized something. I got my bachelor's degree in history - I don't have a technical background. I love reading and writing and singing, and yet I was called upon to be an IT specialist, and have somehow managed to do it. I have no idea how. Some days I go to work and feel worthless - how am I still not a pro at writing query in PeopleSoft? Why is it that if I try to clean out my inbox (which currently has 167 emails in it) I can't seem to get anything else done in a day? Why do I still have so many questions when I talk with our programmers? Why are the SDW Users still not getting it? Why am I not perfect at this job yet???
I don't have time; I don't have the background; I don't have the desire to learn more about the IT world (I've looked into the Information Systems Master's program, and seriously almost fell asleep with how boring I found it, yet I know I have to get a Master's degree.... so.....), I don't like being imperfect at my job; and yet, that's what I've had to do. I've had to make time. I've had to learn about all the softwares and the programming to know why and how the data works the way it works, why we set up the system the way we did, what each student record is connected to, what all the different snapshots mean in the SDW, why the data reads the way it reads.... these are all things that were not on my list of things to learn. In fact, if it had been up to me, I doubt I would have ever learned about any of these things.
And yet, I learned them.
Looking at the levels and the competency we expect in each User for the trainings this summer, I realized I've become an advanced User. I've worked my butt off to become good at the system; good at my job; and it's paid off! 6 months ago I barely knew how to log into the system, and now, here I am, creating the tutorials, and trying to push the User's to learn how to use the system too. I actually have grown to LOVE the SDW portion of my job. It's been so cool to see the system start from scratch and now become something people can use to better help their college's. It's been so cool to know a tiny portion of the way the tool works, and the amazing features it has.
I think the Lord feels this way - no, not imperfect or worthless, or incapable of doing something; I think He sees our potential and tries to push us to reach it. He created the most amazing plan in the world (The Plan of Salvation) and has given us teachers (parents, Bishop's, YW leaders, Prophet's, Institute teachers, etc.), provides tutorials and reviews (the Book of Mormon, General Conference) and asks for our TIME. And yet, how many of us find an excuse to do something else? It's easier to not reach out to that person; I want to sleep 15 more minutes, so I can skip scripture study; there's always something on TV to watch, why go to Institute?; always some sport that distracts us from listening to the Prophet's talk.
There's always THINGS.
There's always things that are easier and less time consuming, less mind consuming, less effort. I can name a bunch right now - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Buzzfeed, Facebook Quizzes, random "You'll never believe!..." articles (I hate those), CandyCrush, Angry Birds, any phone games, etc. The list goes on. We all know what that list includes. I don't need to go into more detail.
The thing is, we have all of these things at our fingertips, but the most important thing we have at our fingertips is the Atonement. How often do we reach out and use that?
The SDW has really got me thinking about what the Lord has given us - all the people, blessings, guide books, the Spirit; everything. And yet, how often I cry to the Lord in my prayers about what I want my life to be - why can't I have this, do this, be here, be perfect?, and yet I'm unwilling to devote the time, or to accept the time the Lord has given for such things. I seem to forget that there is a season for everything. A time and place for all blessings. I seem to continually go to the Lord and say "there's no time!"
I've really struggled with this job, not because it's a bad job - it's actually a great start of a career if I want to continue down this path - but because it isn't easy! It's hard and time consuming; the projects take months to do, and it's kind of a thankless job, because once one project is done, 10 more are in line, waiting to be completed. It demands so much of my mind and time, and I don't want to do that - I just want it to magically come to me, and be done. I get frustrated and want to crawl under my desk to escape the piles of work that have stacked up (my boss and I met this week and discovered that between the two of us, we have 73 assignments pending...... this does not include the 167 emails in my inbox right now), and yet I can't. I have to keep trying and pushing and struggling, and crying alone in my room when I'm too overwhelmed.
And yet.
And yet, His grace is sufficient. His love is eternal. His hope is our lifeline. His message is peace. But we can't achieve that peace when we are not trying; when we're crying "there's no time!" We have to put forth the effort. We have to try. We have to show how much we want it by the effort we put into it. We have to put Christ first.
I was sitting in a meeting on Friday with my boss and her boss, the Registrar, discussing the Data Warehouse, or SDW as we lovingly call it. We have been training people for the past four months how to use the system. It's not complex, by any means, but you have to understand the data to understand how to know what you want to get and how to get to it. The problem is that the Users are from all different backgrounds. We have one from each college -we call them Dean's User's, because the Dean had to recommend them for the position. We on-boarded them in December, which means we set up their security, gave them a few tutorials on how to open and use the system and then planned monthly in-depth sessions to build upon those foundations.
The foundations were pretty simple - definitions, how to run a canned report (meaning the reports we made prior to opening the system to them), basic navigation of the system, etc. Simple stuff. We gave them a month to review the tutorials we made (I'm now a pro at Captivate - you're welcome world), and then proceeded to give the first in-depth training, which consisted of writing a simple report from scratch, and has progressed to writing formulas, modifying the text, creating charts and graphs, and even writing a second query in a report. It's been a crazy, exciting ride. It has taken over my job so much so that it's kind of my main responsibility. I'm now the only one in the office that knows how to use the tool, and have become the SDW help desk (we have an entire IT team that actually does the set up and the initial training, I am just the Registrar's Office representative... don't think I'm THAT important yet).
This week we have been discussing the trainings we want to give this summer. We've been splitting the Users into three levels - level 1 is the beginners, and level 3 is the advanced, and with each level we've been giving descriptions of where they should be. This position has really turned into quite the teaching position. I have become an expert at Canvas, the website the U uses for classes, as well as coming up with the material for the Users to review, trainings, quick tips, help, etc. I've had to evaluate where each User is, as well as how we get them where we need them to be.
The Users are a very versatile group. Some of them were hired specifically as data analysis experts, while others are associate deans, or even academic advisors. Most of them do not have a technical background, and even less time to try to learn how to use the system. It's been interesting training them because we meet together every month and every month they give the same excuse - "There's no time!" No time to learn how to use the system. No time to look through the tutorials. No time to call with questions. No time to navigate the basics of the system. No time to review the teachings. No time to try. There's no time, and therefore they can't do their job, and somehow this has come back to us. We have given them every opportunity to learn and ask questions. We offer a week of in-depth trainings every month, we offer open session drop ins every week, we have all trainings online in Canvas, we have an email specifically for the data warehouse; and, yet, they cannot seem to find the time to learn how to use the system.
I've heard their complaints and come up with idea after idea after idea to try to help them. This past week, as we've been reviewing the levels, and discussing how the training for the summer will go, I realized something. I got my bachelor's degree in history - I don't have a technical background. I love reading and writing and singing, and yet I was called upon to be an IT specialist, and have somehow managed to do it. I have no idea how. Some days I go to work and feel worthless - how am I still not a pro at writing query in PeopleSoft? Why is it that if I try to clean out my inbox (which currently has 167 emails in it) I can't seem to get anything else done in a day? Why do I still have so many questions when I talk with our programmers? Why are the SDW Users still not getting it? Why am I not perfect at this job yet???
I don't have time; I don't have the background; I don't have the desire to learn more about the IT world (I've looked into the Information Systems Master's program, and seriously almost fell asleep with how boring I found it, yet I know I have to get a Master's degree.... so.....), I don't like being imperfect at my job; and yet, that's what I've had to do. I've had to make time. I've had to learn about all the softwares and the programming to know why and how the data works the way it works, why we set up the system the way we did, what each student record is connected to, what all the different snapshots mean in the SDW, why the data reads the way it reads.... these are all things that were not on my list of things to learn. In fact, if it had been up to me, I doubt I would have ever learned about any of these things.
And yet, I learned them.
Looking at the levels and the competency we expect in each User for the trainings this summer, I realized I've become an advanced User. I've worked my butt off to become good at the system; good at my job; and it's paid off! 6 months ago I barely knew how to log into the system, and now, here I am, creating the tutorials, and trying to push the User's to learn how to use the system too. I actually have grown to LOVE the SDW portion of my job. It's been so cool to see the system start from scratch and now become something people can use to better help their college's. It's been so cool to know a tiny portion of the way the tool works, and the amazing features it has.
I think the Lord feels this way - no, not imperfect or worthless, or incapable of doing something; I think He sees our potential and tries to push us to reach it. He created the most amazing plan in the world (The Plan of Salvation) and has given us teachers (parents, Bishop's, YW leaders, Prophet's, Institute teachers, etc.), provides tutorials and reviews (the Book of Mormon, General Conference) and asks for our TIME. And yet, how many of us find an excuse to do something else? It's easier to not reach out to that person; I want to sleep 15 more minutes, so I can skip scripture study; there's always something on TV to watch, why go to Institute?; always some sport that distracts us from listening to the Prophet's talk.
There's always THINGS.
There's always things that are easier and less time consuming, less mind consuming, less effort. I can name a bunch right now - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Buzzfeed, Facebook Quizzes, random "You'll never believe!..." articles (I hate those), CandyCrush, Angry Birds, any phone games, etc. The list goes on. We all know what that list includes. I don't need to go into more detail.
The thing is, we have all of these things at our fingertips, but the most important thing we have at our fingertips is the Atonement. How often do we reach out and use that?
The SDW has really got me thinking about what the Lord has given us - all the people, blessings, guide books, the Spirit; everything. And yet, how often I cry to the Lord in my prayers about what I want my life to be - why can't I have this, do this, be here, be perfect?, and yet I'm unwilling to devote the time, or to accept the time the Lord has given for such things. I seem to forget that there is a season for everything. A time and place for all blessings. I seem to continually go to the Lord and say "there's no time!"
I've really struggled with this job, not because it's a bad job - it's actually a great start of a career if I want to continue down this path - but because it isn't easy! It's hard and time consuming; the projects take months to do, and it's kind of a thankless job, because once one project is done, 10 more are in line, waiting to be completed. It demands so much of my mind and time, and I don't want to do that - I just want it to magically come to me, and be done. I get frustrated and want to crawl under my desk to escape the piles of work that have stacked up (my boss and I met this week and discovered that between the two of us, we have 73 assignments pending...... this does not include the 167 emails in my inbox right now), and yet I can't. I have to keep trying and pushing and struggling, and crying alone in my room when I'm too overwhelmed.
And yet.
And yet, His grace is sufficient. His love is eternal. His hope is our lifeline. His message is peace. But we can't achieve that peace when we are not trying; when we're crying "there's no time!" We have to put forth the effort. We have to try. We have to show how much we want it by the effort we put into it. We have to put Christ first.
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