Administrative Yips

A consequence of the current cultural clash in higher education and the arts is the dreaded disease known as the administrative yips. In sports an athlete who develops the yips loses some physiological skill that is necessary for success. This could be a baseball player who loses the ability to follow through on a throw or to move to his right or make a level swing. In bowling it could be someone who suddenly cannot take the proper number of steps. When a player gets the yips, he or she can no longer function the same way and either must conquer the weakness, find another way, or do something different outside of the discipline. Often the yips occur in sports following an injury or a mistake on the field as well as having to face an formidable enemy of some kind or other.

Administrative yips manifest in a lack of confidence in making sound decisions. In the current climate of concern over economics, quantity, quality, technology, personnel, progress, integrity, legalities, privacy, classicism, modernism, and the unending responsibility to lead positively, it is no wonder that administrators often lose confidence and wonder which way to turn. All it takes are two concurrent decisions that made a negative impact and suddenly the yips set in and the next decision feels uncertain. This is followed by insecurity, doubt, and a kind of fear of the unknown, leading to depression, confusion, and finally administrative impotence. Administrators floundering in a quagmire of doubt may give up or emphasize that which does not matter, giving themselves authority over trivial, inconsequential concerns that in analysis are banal without substance.

I recall at a previous position being concerned over the lack of students' ability to articulate a musical thought or idea. Yet I was also keenly aware of how requiring all graduating seniors to present a public speech on a musical topic for all the faculty was difficult for scheduling and for convenience of faculty at an involved time of year. I further hoped for a way to document and assess the content and delivery of the 5 minute speech. After thinking through these issues, I had the brilliant idea for students to prepare their speech and deliver it to a video that would then be distributed to all the faculty. The faculty would then watch the video at their own convenience and assign an objective grade. We then had a record of the speech, faculty had time to assess it, and students did not feel the pressure of delivery at a public event. It all made sense but was a dismal flop. Faculty did not watch it, students did a poor job, and nobody had respect for the process. Why?

One problem was that I did not get faculty buy-in for the process. Another problem was that the faculty did not live in a digital world and preferred face-to-face live teaching. My efforts to help their own schedule did not resonate with them because they did not believe in the value of the process nor in the system. To their way of thinking, if something is worth doing, it must be worth doing face to face in real time. But this little situation that happened many years ago, gave me the administrative yips. After all, if you feed a dog and he bites you, you may not be as anxious to feed him again!

Now many years later, I am suffering again from the yips due to the complexity of the semester, the frequent questioning of my decisions, and the many things out of my control. Like Steve Sax who could no longer throw the ball to first base (he did overcome the problem eventually), I cannot seem to make my decisions reach the goal. Maybe it is a slump of some kind or maybe just a bump in the road, but it feels like the yips. Objectively I do know that most administrators suffer from the yips occasionally and I also know that not all decisions will be the right ones, but emotionally I do not like to lose. And maybe, just maybe, that is the crux of the yips...pride and bruised ego.

I suppose admitting there is a problem is the first step toward a cure and I have taken that first step. Now for the next step...seek Godly wisdom, be decisive, trust my instincts, and move forward positively. A few more days of the yips and I am ready to get in the game again! Here is a question for anyone reading. Have you ever had the yips?