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WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY By Odette Pollar
The perils of perfectionism
The perils of perfectionism
- Beingdescribed as a perfection
ist often carries a positive conno
tation. It implies high standards
and a keen attention to detail. If
you are on the receiving end, you
can generally count on work be
ing provided that is of excellent
quality. If you are the carrier of
that title, however, it is very likely
that you pay a high price. Perfec
tion is often coupled with a strong
tendency to obsess over things
and be overly compulsive. This
can be unproductive, frustrating
and often unhealthy.
A 10-year study of more than
9,000 managers conducted by
Human Synergistics, found in
1994 that 18% of the managers
were perfectionists. They had a
75% higher incidence of illness
than their better-adjusted office
mates.
Traits
Perfectionists have difficulty in
recognizing enough is enough.
Reasonable performance is never
quite good enough. Since a job
canalways be improved, too much
time is spent polishing things that
do not deserve the extra atten
tion. Perfectionism and a pursuit
of excellence are not the same
thing. Having high standards is
fine. Wanting others to perform
well is also fine, but the trap for
perfectionists is always having to
Alternative admissions cap could diminish minority enroliment
TALLANASSEE, Fla.
(AP) Critics of Gov. Jeb Bush's
One Florida plan say minority en
rollment at state universities could
drop because of a 10 percent cap
on admissions of students who
don't meet regular standards.
The cap was adopted last month,
along with a rule guaranteeing
admission to the top 20 percent of
each high school class, while ban
ning consideration of race and gen
der. Alternative admissions apply
to students who don’t meet aca
demic requirements but have spe
Regional conference on Black philanthropy
features workshops and national speakers
GREENSBORO, N.C
The First Southeast Regional
Conference on Black Philanthropy
will be held in Greensboro at the
Greensboro Sheraton Hotel at Four
Seasons, April 16-18, 2000.
The event is being conducted by
the Association of Fund Raising
Officers Inc. (AFRO, Inc.) in col
laboration with the Community
Foundation of Greater Greensboro,
Southeast Council of Foundations,
Triangle Community Foundation
and the National Center for Black
Philanthropy, Inc.
The theme of the conference is
“Connecting the Pieces: African-
American Philanthropy in the
South.” Philanthropy has had long
and historic roots in the Black com
munity through churches,
mosques, fraternities, sororities,
lodge halls and colleges. This con
ference will focus on the historic
and current roles of the Black
church, along with other institu
tions that support African-Ameri
can culture and economic develop
ment.
Black Colleges
unite for Reunion
DAYTONA BEACK, FL
Historically Black Colleges and
Universities are responding in
support of NEMG's efforts to im
prove Black College Reunion, an
annual event in Daytona Beach.
The event schedule this year for
March 31- April 2, invites stu
dents and alumni from histori
cally Black Colleges and Universi
ties tojoin in collegiate sports and
dance competition, cultural en
tertainment and fellowship.
Spearheaded by Dr. Fredrick
Humprhies, president of Florida
A&M University, a five-member
committee formed to organized a
network of staff and faculty from
12 HBCU's that will attend BCR
this year. The attending univer
sity staff and faculty members will
provide information to their re
ive student bodies on how
m be reached during the
event.
“We want to ensure that the
students feel that they have some
one nearby that can assist them
with any needs that might arise,”
mldud H. Gaines, Florida
associate vice president of
student affairs.
prove oneself over and over again.
Perfectionists have difficulty es
tablishing clear goals, for them
selves or for others. Delegating,
sharing work and letting go is a
challenge. Giving control and
authority to other people, and
trusting that others can perform
to such exacting standards is of
ten a source of contention. Per
fectionists are very, very hard on
themselves, and are unforgiving
when they make a mistake. When
others make a mistake, they are
equally unyielding. This some
times causes troubled relation
ships with colleagues and part
ners. Getting bogged down in
minor details, insisting on check
ingeverybody’s work at every step
of the way, and not giving other
people the authority to make de
cisions, even minor ones, often
means that the perfectionist is
the bottleneck in a work produc
tion cycle.
Perfectionists, by wanting ev
eryone to be just so, often over
commit themselves, and find
themselves procrastinating on
projects. Rhea Cross, a graduate
student at a California State Uni
versity, Hayward says, “I often
over-commit so that I have an
opportunity to prove myself, and
then when I end up meeting all
the commitments it is at great
stress to myself.”
When perfectionists hire oth
cial talents.
In 1999, state universities ad
mitted 3,270 freshmen who didn't
meet regular standards, and of
those, more than two-thirds were
minorities.
But schools could lose up to 470
placements for those students,
under a plan distributed to univer
sity officials this month.
Critics of the plan say the cap on
alternative admissions will offset
any gains in minority admissions
under One Florida. Bush has esti
mated at least 400 minorities would
Topics will be organized around
three categories: fund develop
ment, economic resources for do
nors and communities and invest
ment strategies. Dorothy Colson,
coordinator of the conference and
president of AFRO, Inc., added
that, “The First Southeast Regional
Conference on Black Philanthropy
will provide anyone interested in
this subject with an opportunity to
explore issues that surround the
role of philanthropy in today’s chal
lenging economic environment.”
The conference will feature work
shops facilitated by local and na
tional speakers, including Eunice
M. Dudley of Dudley Products;
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“Per pervon, based on double eccupancy. Exprres 3/31/00
ers, they often hire people who
lenges and competitions that are
extraneous to the already highly
competitive work environment
And then there are often conflicts
when overzealous task-masters
collide with capable, but iess than
totally obsessive, employees. Oth
ers who have more balance in
their lives and go home at a rea
sonable time at night can be seen
as less serious or less committed,
even though that is not always
true.
Breaking through
If you identify yourself as a per
fectionist, what can you do about
it? Remember that habits are
hard to break, so start slowly.
Begin to recognize the difference
between an acceptable level of
performance and a perfect level of
performance. Make a list of these
tasks at work (or at home) that
you do regularly. List those that
by results or consequences truly
deserve excellence. Note the ones
that can be done to a lower stan
dard but still acceptable.
Become aware of extremist
thinking: Ifit is not absolutely the
best, it is terrible. Recognize and
begin to appreciate middle
ground.
Set attainable, reasonable goals
not only for others, but for your
self. That includes going home
be added to the state university
system under the plan.
“We thought from the beginning
that this was a shell game,” said
state Sen. Kendrick Meek, D-Mi
ami, a critic of Bush’s plan.
Bush spokeswoman Elizabeth
Hirst said the governor is still con
fident the Talented 20 program
will increase minority enroliment.
Allalong, Bush's plan anticipated
universities will continue accept
ing alternative admissions to main
tain diversity.
Whileraceisbarred asafactorin
Gregory Kingof Chase Manhattan
Bank, New York; Valeria Lee of Z.
Smith Reynolds Foundation, Win
ston-Salem; Terri Freeman of Com
munity Foundation ofthe National
Capital Region, Washington, D.C ;
and Bishop John Hurst Adams of
the Seventh Episcopal District,
African Methodist Episcopal
Church, Columbia, S.C.
Registration for the conference
is $l5O per person until April 3.
After that time, registration will
be $175. The fee includes all meal
funetions and workshop materi
als. To register or for more infor
mation, contact Dorothy Colson at
(336) 370-9860.
Wc'rc knocking a few
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Getting someone else to help vou
set those new goals is helpful be
cause, you guessed it, left unat
tended your tendency is to over
commit.
Analyze the types of decisions
you have to make on a day-to-day
basis, and ask yourself two im
portant questions: “Which of these
decisions can someone else make””
and “Even if their decision is dif
ference from mine, is it some
thing I can live with?" If so, let
them make those decisions. This
alone will help alleviate some of
your workload and go a long way
toward decreasing their frustra
tion. In the long run, how truly
important is much of what you
spend your days doing? Focus on
excellence which is attainable,
healthy and exciting. Perfection,
by contrast, focuses on never mak
ing mistakes. And who can learn,
grow and thrive without mis
takes”
Odette Pollar is a nationally
known speaker, author and con
sultant. Her book, 365 Ways to
Simplify Your Work Life, is avail
able at book stores. Her company,
Time Management Systems, is
based in Oakland, Calif Call 1
800-599-TIME or e-mail at
Opollartms@aol.com.
admissions, schools can consider
other factors, such as family in
come level and the education of a
students’ parents.
Hirst said that even if there is a
decline in the first year, the num
bers will even out, because overall
university admissions are expected
to rise. In his latest budget, Bush
has requested funds to accommo
date an additional 2,000 students
A similar increase for fall 2001
would bring the number of alter
native admits almost back to cur
rent levels, she said.
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Y 7 >
Conservators say senators’ flag
plan could be expensive, risky
By JoA DAVENPORT
Associated Press Wniter
COLUMBIA, 5.C
Plans to put authentic flags that
flew during the Civil War at sites
outside the Statehouse could be costly
and nisky, conservators say.
But that's what two South Caro
lina senators on opposite sides of the
Confederate flag debate say should
be done to resolve the Issue that has
cost the state hundreds of visitors
and milhons of dollars.
Protecting those flags from sun
light and exposure to the elements
would require structures that could
cost about $2 milhon for each flag,
said Fonda Thomsen, one of the
nation’s top flag conservators.
“You're going to be breaking new
ground,” said Thomsen, from Textile
Preservation Associates Inc. in
Sharpsburg, Md. “It’s not something
we do with museum objects.”
Lawmakershave sparred over sev
eral proposals to remove the Confed
erate flag that has flown over the
Statehouse dome since 1962. But no
single plan has captured enough sup
port to end the fight.
In January, the National Associa
tion for the Advancement of Colored
People launched a tourism boyeott of
the state to force action on the flag
The NAACP seesthe flagasasymbol
of racism and hate. Supporters say
the flag represents South Carolina’s
hentage.
Flag supporter Sen_John Courson,
R-Columbna, and flag opponent Sen.
Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins, said
their plan includes an element criti
cal for flag supporters a banner at
the Confederate soldier'smonument
in front of the Statehouse
An authentic regimental flag car
ried by black South Carolimians who
volunteered for the Union Army and
an authentic Stars and Bars would
be displayed on Statehouse grounds
in glass cases if the state can obtain
the banners, Courson said
The Stars and Bars, which hastwo
horizontal red stripes, divided by a
white one and a blue field of stars in
the left corner, 15 the official flag of
the Confederacy and not the flag
MARCH 30, 2000
atop the Statehouse
Courson’s staff 1s developing de
tails of what would be needed for the
outside display. “If we can rause the
Hunley, we can certainly protect
those flags,” he said, referring ‘the
Confederate submarnne that sank
dunng the war and that preserva
tionusts are attempting to bring up
from the bottom of the AtlariticOcean.
Thomsen, who has preserved his
torical flags around the nation, in
cluding a 10th Tennessee flag, the
Battle of San Jacinto flag in Texas,
and the Storm and Palmetto flags
that flew at Fort Sumter in Charles
ton, said cost 15 a major factor in
preservation.
“We can do just about anything
It's a matter of how much you want
to spend and what it's going to look
like,” Thomsen sad Flags outside
the Statehouse would require tem
perature-controlled buildings that
restnct sunhght
Even in controlied conditions, flags
are rotated in and out of displays to
protect them. A display outside of
that setting “is not the kind of thing
we want to do,” Thomsen saud
Ted Monnich, chief conservator at
the State Museum, said he would
discourage a private collector from
donating a flag to display outside of a
museum. “Anvone who did that
would be foohsh because the piege -
going to detenorate.” he sad
Thomsen said the debate needs to
decide if the display 1s to educate
people or display a symbol “If veu're
purelytryingto preserve the symbol,
a reproduction would preserve that
symbol.”
Monnich said a building to protect
the flags would be “very expensive
and 1t 18 very impractical
“I don't think money should be a
barmer because | think this 1s se
importanttothe healingof our state,”
Jackson said. “Let me tell vou some
thing, $2 million 1s a small price for
peace in South Carolina ™
Gov. Jim Hodges continues to push
his plan that would put a Confeder
ate battle flag — a square version of
the flag atop the Statehouse — at o
monument to Wade Hampton, aCivil
War general and former governor
5B