BEBS Podcast #2: Time - Start Where You Are But Don't Stay There

5:54PM Dec 4, 2023

Speakers:

Linda

LaKesha (she/her)

Keywords:

work

equity

thinking

lakeisha

scarcity mindset

community

busy

reimagine

people

library

part

talk

invest

summer

folks

engage

sharing

conversation

podcast

program

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the building equity based summers podcast. I am Lynda Braun and I'm one of the California Library Association building equity based summers, project team. And I'm here with Who am I here with? Hi everyone.

Lakeisha Kimbrough and I am happy to be considered the equity consultant for the work that's happening with the building equity based summer's program.

Thank you for being here with me again. Lakeisha. I, our first podcast, this is just our second podcast. Our first podcast, we talked about why of equity based summer services. And as we were thinking about what to talk about for today, we thought, you know, time you and I are always talking about time. People might think that we're when I say we're always talking about time, we're going, Gosh, I'm so busy. I don't have any time when actually that's not what we're doing. We wanted to think about time, and also bring in that idea of why to our time and as you and I were planning this, we were thinking, one of the ways that time and y Connect is that if you if one if a person, a library staff member or community person says, oh, you know what, I'm so busy, I don't have time. It's a way to not have to think about your why and maybe a way not to have to reimagine and re envision because what happens with time is if you're like, I can only do what I can do, and I'm so busy, I'm just going to do these things that I know I have to do. You're not thinking about why if you start by you might find that you have to reallocate time and rethink time. Even give up some of that, like, Oh, I'm so busy kind of stuff when you think about that. Lakeisha

Yeah, I absolutely love that. And I was excited by that when we were kind of talking about that. And how thinking about time, and thinking about why actually go hand in hand in a lot of ways. And like you just said it, it will ask us I don't even know if it's a might I think along the way, it will actually ask us to reimagine, to assess to kind of evaluate what's going on with our time. And not that we have to do those things that are super stringent, that may be actually take away from our our ability to understand time. But I do think it, it potentially will ask us and you've heard me say this before. At as probably have some of the folks joining us, it asks us to really start to think about what's my relationship with time? What's my library's relationship with time and start to really, maybe that's where some of the assessment comes in. And some of the kind of really exciting exploration comes in is, how are we partnering with time? How are we using time? How are we sharing power with time, so that we can center our why?

Yeah, that's, that's really interesting. And I'm thinking about, you know, we talked about this with our building equity by summers community of practice, we have a national community of practice of libraries who are participating in this work. And I was just looking at some of the quotes we use there. And one of the things you've taught me is that we have abundant time, right. And so this quote is, the best thing about time is we can use it however we want to use it. And when we start to look at time, from an abundant state, we can relieve the stress we put on ourselves to get everything done. And equity work is something we want to work on achieve, build, but we can't do it. If we're stressed about time, I don't think we can because we can't put the heart and soul that needs to go into it. And so can you talk a little bit about that abundant state of time because you actually are one of the people who's helped me to understand that. And thank

you and I do think when we switch from this a scarcity mindset with time, that we are able to think about how to have a healthy relationship with time and how to view time as not something that has power over us, but something that we can walk, you know, alongside with, and it does ask us to think about What are the messages that we have received? And that's that kind of activity that you, you mentioned that we did with this the National Community of Practice, right? Like, what are messages I've received? When we think about time, and it's a scarcity. It leads us to lack. And it leads us to a few things. When we operate from scarcity mindset, we often begin to operate in a in hoarding. It's all my time, right? I don't I can't share this with anybody else. I only have 30 minutes. And in those 30 minutes, I have to do this versus Wait, I have 30 minutes, my colleague maybe has 30 minutes. This is a beautiful time for us to talk about, maybe get some feedback from one another about this the program that we're doing this evening. Oh, I wonder if my community partner has 30 minutes right now? Well, I have 30 minutes. And we can talk about what went well, what didn't you know, so how are we using? Using time in a way that maybe it's even thinking about? At our staff meetings? Or or at our team meetings? Maybe the check in question, or the question of the day is around our why? Or it's an equity pause, you know, maybe it's something like let's celebrate our wins, how are you showing up today? And what's a win, you'd like to celebrate with your programming, there are so many ways that I think we if we begin to think about time as a partner, and as a friend, versus something that is eating away at us something that we can never catch up with something that is always lacking? Because also, if we're always in a state of scarcity mindset, then it's really hard to focus on anything outside of what we don't have. Right,

right. Right. Yeah. And I think the other part of that is, if it's a scarcity mindset, you and I always say that equity work takes time. And so if you don't focus on that fact that you have to make time that you have, you have an abundance of time, it's, I'm always thinking about choices, it's how you choose to use your time to write, and so you have an abundance of time. And if you know that equity work takes time, then you have to think about like how you build that. And I'm also thinking about as you were talking about relationship and scarcity mindset. And all of that is how sometimes we have conversations with people and they're like, I'm a little worried to ask people to give too much, not too much. They don't say too much time to give ample enough, a lot of time and know what the right phrase is. But there's this sense also that if we ask people to spend time on the busy people, people, this is audio, so people aren't saying me too busy. If we ask busy people to give time to equity work when they're already busy. Were asking them to do something they can't do. Right? And so add on. It's an add on, right? And it's an assumption about people too, right? Like, I'm assuming that if I ask people do this, they're gonna say no, or get all freaked out or whatever. Right? Exactly.

And I think it's one, it's not fair for us to make those assumptions. Like, I don't know, that folks actually don't have that time or that it's being used another way. Or perhaps it is being used in other way. And the person says, Actually, I can reallocate some things, I can move some things around, because I really am committed to equity work and to infusing equity in all I do I think, as we walk this journey and and begin to think more about how is equity in fused in all we do so that it's not an add on? I've also been toying with and this probably another podcast down the line, Linda is, is thinking about time and work, right? If we're consistently saying I don't have enough time, equity work, it's time. We're already feeling challenged by time we're already feeling challenged by our relationship with time. You know, feeling as though we don't have enough hours in the day. And we often say those types of things, right? There's not enough hours in the day kind of thing. And if we're consistently thinking about equity As work, something that I have to do, I have to fit it in call if I don't get it done, but there's not enough time. Right? What's that really do to our mindsets? And? And how does that impact our joy in this work? Yeah.

Yeah, as you were just talking, I was feeling stressful, right, as you were saying that because it was like, oh, and equity work. And I don't feel that way. But as I as you were, you were referring to how sometimes people talk about this, that made me stressful. And of course, you can't do anything when you're feeling like that you can't do it well, necessarily. And so if we start to think about equity is the it's just part of everything we do. And it's not something that's going to take more time. And in some ways, when you start to understand that things open up, you mentioned power sharing before, right. And so power sharing is you start to work with people and build relationships and trust so that you can share power and work together beyond transactions or collaborations and feel like it's taking extra time. But it's not, because it's time that you are spending to build something that's that is awesome, and equitable, etc. And so the things that you might have been doing during that time, might not need to have been done my work a different way. Because you're building this relationship and building this trust. It's not that something else isn't getting done. It's something else is changing. Does that make sense?

It does, it makes a lot of sense. And I think those are some of the things that we also want to evaluate. And I think it's also asking us, how do we want to invest in something? What is it that we are hoping comes from this? So what do I need to do? I need to till the ground, I need to plant the seed, I need to allow things time. Right. So there's also that piece when we talk about equity journeys are, are about investing time, because we're not going to always see results immediately. And I think that something else when we talk about time is well, we gave it a year, we gave it six months, right? Yeah. Thinking about that, as well as what do what is it that we're hoping for? And what what does that mean, I need to invest? Yeah, how am I need to shift? How might my team need to shift? That might mean, and I'm thinking about what you just shared? You know, some of those shifts, and some of those changes, may feel like they're taking a lot of time upfront. Imagine how time begins to flow once you have things in place that are actually supporting your equity initiatives, your equity journey, especially as you're focusing on okay, what what is my Y? What is my library's y? What's my team's y? Right? And we're thinking about, okay, if this is our why, what do we need to do to support that? Why? How do we bring that why into fruition? into the world? Yeah, yeah. And where is it already happening in our work? And how do we, how maybe, what are the questions I need to ask? And when can I ask them? When are the reflections happening? How am I building this in? So it's really thinking about how do I want to see my wife come to life and have the impacts that I that we would love it to have? And in doing that what do we need to invest? What how are we tilling the ground? If you're a gardener, right, how are you if you're if you're a baker, how are you laying out your ingredients? We spend time getting those types of things ready, getting things ready so that we have a have something YAY or a product at the end? Right? And it's very much the same. I

love that idea of investing and time and investing time in reaching your why? Because the other thing I think happens is people think oh, I've got this why I know what it's just gonna like happen right like they do. Do I feel like if people say, Well, here's my why I know that's what I'm working towards. And so it's just gonna happen. Because I know that that's, I see that with library strategic plans and mission statements and things like that. It's like, okay, here's our strategic plan, we know where we're headed. And so thinking about really investing in that, why, and taking the time to invest in it. And I don't want to say taking the time in a way that makes it sound like, Oh, this is gonna be like impossible or difficult? No, I don't think it is, if you start to think it through, which is what you were just saying. So I think that's really interesting. I think the other thing about time, because I'm looking at, you know, what we were doing with the group a few weeks ago, is this idea of, it's important to be busy. And when you reflection, and it's so important to reflect on equity work. In fact, I want to say the ways in which equity is being integrated into your summer services or whatever, how you're thinking about, about the why all of that, often people say, like, love to say you and I have this conversation all the time. It's like, people are like, I'm so busy. I'm so busy, I'm so busy. It's like, are you really or do you think you need to say you're busy? Because that's gives you value? i That sounds terrible, right there is that part of our world? And so then that stops you from actually knowing whether or not you're busy and where you can find time. Go ahead. Lakeisha

Yeah, no, I think that's so real. And it's so true, and that we have received so many messages that being busy is where worse is and that no particular type of busy, it has to look a certain way. Right? It has to, if you're if you're busy, but you don't have a product to show for it, then you probably weren't busy the right kind of way. Right. Right. And so if

you thought something through and became and had some sort of moment where some understanding cane that is not necessarily the busy that that people value, right,

exactly. And busy also becomes a deflector. Yeah, it becomes a way of not allowing ourselves to actually slow down and engage with time, a little differently. Because if we're constantly busy, we have to be on the go, then we're not creating time for reflection, we're not creating time for those equity pauses to say, the How did this probe How did this service go? How did this program go? How did we infuse equity in this work, whose voices were centered who's we're not? Right? Like asking those questions that help us ensure that that happens, because if we're too busy, if we get too busy, then it it begins to allow us to actually collude with systems of oppression that we're trying to dismantle and, and create something healthier. Reflection

is not accepted as busy. And

that busy like that part of busyness, where we've been taught, there's some sort of value or worth in that takes away from the fact that we are inherently worthy. We are inherently valuable, there's nothing there to prove. None of us have to prove our worth as humans existing in this world or prove our value. Right, super. And yeah, that whole guilt, right, which is a byproduct, right? Of all of these things. Guilt says, I've done something wrong,

right? I took the day off. How terrible is that get

right and why why is that wrong? Right? What the wrong thing in that? What is wrong with with allowing myself time to heal, to rejuvenate, to rest so that I can really give the give myself the very best. Give the work with my team and our why the very best give my family the best, whatever that is. If we're not able to reimagine our, how we engage with time and reimagine and really think about, oh, when I allow myself to sleep And when I allow myself those five extra minutes in the shower or the bathtub, when I actually take my lunch break away from my computer, when I take my break from work and get fresh air or stand up and, and walk or, or, you know, will myself away from my desk and go somewhere else, right? That that's actually an important piece of time. Yeah, because it allows us to actually, it allows us to actually do the things that we're wanting to do. And to do them, well, it actually allows us to be able to hear ourselves and hear each other and hold ourselves and each other with a certain amount of grace and compassion so that we can actually engage in equity components of, of all that we're doing. Yeah.

I'm gonna change the subject a little bit. Because this this way that we in the United States of generalizing, feel, and express and talk about time is different than other cultures, right? So part of again, I'm remembering the session we did the community of practice where one of our practice members talked about working in Kenya, I think she said, and how eye opening that was to her about the culture of time in Kenya and how she had to learn that, like being in this box, like one o'clock, it's the time we're doing something was not how it worked there. And she learned and understood and was very open to that, when she like, gave up some of the, the stuff she wore from growing on the year. And one, and that was really fascinating conversation, because to think about equity in summer services, is we tend to say, okay, one o'clock is the time we're going to do this program, it can't be here, too bad. Right? It was a really interesting conversation, though about in some communities. You know, thinking about how you manage schedules of activity with community members also has to recognize what time means to the different communities that you're serving to the different virtualized groups. And I think that's the other part that gets lost as we focus on our sense of time. When if we're talking about equitable, we need to be thinking about the the way people in other cultures who are a part of our community, right?

And what does it mean to win? What's it mean? What components are part of that time, right? So very often, in a number of communities, we may want to have a meeting, or we may want to have any event, and food needs to be part of that time. Yeah, conversation needs to be part of that time. Right? And so the way we have historically or traditionally thought about things, particularly in westernized cultures is, okay, you just eat for if we even offer food as part of the experience, right? It's five to 530. If you're not there, then dinners away, and we're moving on to the next thing, right? Versus what if it's, the it's there. And, you know, maybe folks won't be serving anymore at 530. Maybe it's a serve yourself at this point, but it's still there. Right. So what are the components of time, that are part of any service or anything that we're offering? And what what would our community say need to be components of that time? And I think that's something important for us to be thinking about. And remembering time is a construct. Exactly. All of the things that we live in, as humans are things that we have, as humans have constructed. And even though we've inherited this construct of time, the way we know how to engage with it, in terms of 12 hours in a day, 12 in a night, 12 months, seven days in a week, right? Like the way that things have been constructed and that we've inherited it does not mean that we can't as humans say, what would it look like to reimagine this and I'm not saying throw the calendar out the window and throw the seven day week out the window, right? What I am saying is, how do we give ourselves permission to reimagine what it means to engage with time.

And if you're going back to your why, and thinking about that out, because we were talking about sort of the inward planning, strategizing parts of time, but if you're also thinking about your why in terms of serving your communities, in your all different communities, wherever you are, you have to reimagine your schedule, your summer schedule. So many times library staff say, we've got all these programs, and we're like, gotta get it done three months in advance and hold on design, bring in your community voices and think about not just what the activities are, but how the time is fleshed out for that when you're working with your community. I mean, like, that's another epiphany for me for the day.

Linda, I know, folks can't see I'm like laughing and smiling, because one of the things that, as you were sharing it made me think about is something that we've definitely heard is folks saying, you know, we didn't have great numbers for this program. But there was this other competing thing, and that wasn't competing with us last year. Right, or, or those types of things. So what if we're one of the ways that we're reimagining time that we're partnering with time is to say, these are other things happening in the community? And maybe it's we're learning what those are from members of our various communities. Maybe they're saying, Oh, we didn't attend, because this is actually falls on a holiday weekend for our community. And so we're doing events that honor that right. How then, does the library programming come alongside with what's already happening in the community? So it's not a competition? And it's not? Well, that wasn't the best time? It actually could have been a really great time.

Right? Right. Exactly. Yeah. And it goes to that whole idea that we've talked about a lot is that it's not an IT is not a competition. If you're all working to the same goals, you figure out how to work alongside each other, how to manage time alongside each other. Because you're, you're all whoever it is, whatever other group, it was probably as a similar goal is you do but if this other activity going on, and so instead of competing, and competing for the time of community members, find ways to work together, which is what you're saying, to make the best use of time for your community, not for you, and not for this other partner, but for your community. Right, then Community Center time, not Library Center time.

Exactly. And as we're talking, I almost feel like I can see comments here comments around. They are so idealistic. That's not how it works in the real world, who are, who are Linda and Lakeisha. Like, they are so far removed. Right? So I do want to also name and acknowledge and bring forward that it's not easy. to reimagine these things. It's not easy to begin to explore what could this reframe look like? That, in and of itself may take time, right? It may take having many conversations, perhaps with your director, or your supervisor? And to really think about, how are we doing this? Is this really working for us? This feels like so many folks are burnt out or at that point, what might we do if folks are continuously feeling busy? That's health. That's, that's impacting our health, right? So many things. So I just do to one a name. We know that the questions we're asking the things that we're sharing the things that we're putting forward are not, perhaps things that can shift overnight or shift in a week or shift in a month, right? It will take some time. It also takes dedication, it's and a willingness to keep coming back to it and maybe it's looking at how were using time in a staff meeting. What are the things that we want to do and how are we using that time? Maybe there are some things that we can do in our staff meeting that actually help us To get closer to a particular goal, maybe it's, you know what, as a team who is working on summer programming, because, you know, at this point summer is wrapping up and folks are evaluating and pretty soon we'll start thinking about, Oh, what's happening with this, you know, with fall programming with next summer with spring, perhaps it's actually saying, you know, we do, let's take this, this opportunity and learn from our community, what might what works for you, and we're going to talk about this one particular service or program and start there. So start where you are, but don't stay there, as Dr. Richard Milner would say,

That's awesome. Lakeisha I'm actually going to I think that's a perfect way for us to end our podcast. Start where you are. Wait, what was that? Don't stay there, start where you are, but don't stay and don't. Yeah, that's. And thank you for acknowledging that we know this is not instant or overnight. It's just you get started. So thank you, Lakeisha. As always fun to talk with you about time. I think time is one of our favorite topics. Probably say every time thing is our favorite topic. We will see everyone again in a month.