Received a New Title Last Night and It's Not Because I Wet My Pants. Instead, a School Psychologist Dubbed Me Captain PP in a Parking Lot

In a vocal exchange walking across a parking lot last night, a colleague said that I have what psychologists call Performance Punishment (PP). That is, achievers are “rewarded” with additional work, while average or below-average performers don't receive opportunities for development. Top performers ultimately take on more without reaping the benefits of a higher title or additional compensation.

There are four stages to the performance punishment cycle:

• Stage 1: A high-performing individual achieves at what they are hired to do (excels)
• Stage 2: In response, administration takes the worker for granted, and assumes higher output without compensation or recognition.
• Stage 3: The achiever starts to feel stressed, overwhelmed, and unappreciated having to do the work with more piled on, yet not receiving help or support.
• Stage 4: The achiever starts to look elsewhere for where their talents can be beneficial.

Performance Punishment is different in higher education, because every move made is scrutinized by peers...not only in the department level, but in the school, and the campus at large. This onlooking also occurs nationally as they find others to judge your work (which is an extra layer because in order to get published you're under peer review). 

I am taking my promotion to Full Professor as "You done good work, Crandall" status. Having a college education is a small percentage of the world, but having a doctorate is even smaller. Attaining peer-review to Full Profess is even stranger. I am thankful. I like to think my work allowed this to come my way. And I'm learning that it also comes with layers of even more work and responsibilities to the profession. It is overwhelming, especially when I've spent 15 years awaiting support for the work I do. I get it by searching for horcruxes around campus (there are great people everywhere), but institutionally I'm stuck. I'm tired. I wish for more of what could be possible without loading so much on those who are already leading. 

So, in response to my colleague's diagnosis, I asked, "Does that mean I am Captain PP?" and she replied, "Why, yes, it does. You've been Captain PP since you arrived 15 years ago."

I've had worse nicknames. 

I'm off to schools this morning, then back to grants and grading, and finalizing with another recording of The Write Time. I think we have set a four week record and still have another week to go. 

Here's to my fellow PP'ers out there. Psychologists have a name for everything.