Research Administration

You Can’t Systematize Everything — But You Should Try

Especially when December chaos is knocking at your door.

Here we are — the semester is winding down, inboxes are filling up, and if you’re like most academics I know, your carefully organized to-do list is beginning to look more like a Choose Your Own Adventure book with no good endings.

So let me say this clearly: December is not the time to do more. It’s the time to do things differently. And one of the kindest, smartest things you can do for your future self is to build systems that take care of you — especially when your energy is low and your brain is full of cookie crumbs and deadline dust.

Systems That Carry You When You’re Tired

You don’t need an elaborate Notion dashboard or color-coded Kanban board to systematize your life. A system is anything that makes one decision today to avoid ten decisions later. That might be a standing meeting template, a reusable grant narrative section, or a weekly “Joy Check” in your planner.

In the True North Framework, we emphasize values-aligned systems. Systems that help you feel more like yourself. Systems that don’t just make work faster — but make life feel clearer, calmer, and more like something you designed on purpose.

Especially in December, your systems should help you do less, better.

Your Systems Can Be Beautiful

I used to resist the idea of “systems.” I thought they were cold, corporate, soul-sucking things that wrung the spontaneity out of creativity. Now? I see them as acts of grace.

A great system doesn’t kill the magic. It protects it.

When I’m in alignment, I build with intention:

  • I protect space for thinking, not just doing.
  • I design things that work without me.
  • I infuse my calendar with buffers and breaks — not just back-to-back meetings.

And when I drift? I go back to those same systems. They’re the scaffolding that reminds me who I am when I forget.

A System You Can Start This Week

Here’s your challenge before the holidays:

Pick one thing that feels chaotic or repetitive — and build a small system around it.

  • Instead of reinventing your weekly team meeting, create a standing agenda template.
  • Instead of rescheduling feedback sessions, block “office hours” for reviewing trainee work.
  • Instead of crashing into winter break, plan a 15-minute Friday ritual to reset your planner, write a thank-you note, or capture one small win.

Let your system be simple. Let it reflect your values. Let it feel like you.

And if it doesn’t? You’re allowed to toss it out and start again in January. Because that’s the beauty of system-building in academic life — we get to iterate, improve, and design something wiser each season.

Article publié pour la première fois le 08/12/2025

Further Reading

Intentionality is Not Optional: Designing Research Administration Experiences on Purpose
People Will Forget What You Did—But Not How You Made Them Feel: The Emotional Impact of Research Administration
Why “Good Enough” Will Never Be Memorable: Rethinking Excellence in Research Administration
Service is Black and White. Hospitality is Color: Reframing Excellence in Research Administration
Disclaimer: I was not compensated, sponsored, or asked to promote this book in any way—I simply found it valuable and worth sharing. A Different Kind of Book Club In academic settings, the idea of a “book club” often feels informal—something reserved for personal growth or casual discussion. Yet some books demand a more deliberate kind of engagement, particularly when they challenge the way we approach our work. Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect is one of those books. While it is grounded in the world of fine dining, its core message extends far beyond restaurants: any profession can choose to operate in the hospitality business. In research administration, this idea is both unexpected and deeply relevant (Guidara, 2022). At its core, Unreasonable Hospitality argues that excellence is not enough to differentiate an organization—what matters is how people feel as a result of their experience. This concept challenges the traditional framing of research administration as a primarily procedural or compliance-driven function. While accuracy, timeliness, and regulatory adherence remain essential, they are also widely expected. What is less common—and far more impactful—is the intentional design of experiences that are clear, supportive, and memorable. This shift from task execution to experience design forms the foundation of this series. This is not a book review. It is a translation exercise. Over the next series of posts, we will take key concepts from Unreasonable Hospitality and apply them directly to research administration—exploring how ideas such as service versus hospitality, intentionality, small moments of impact, and leadership behaviors can reshape the way we support faculty, scholars, and trainees. Each post will focus on a single principle, offering both reflection and practical application. The goal is not simply to understand the ideas, but to integrate them into daily practice. Framing this series as a “book club” is intentional. A book club implies participation, reflection, and conversation—not passive consumption. The invitation is not just to read, but to consider: How do these ideas apply to your own work? Where do they challenge your current approach? What might change if you adopted them more fully? In this way, the series becomes a shared exploration of how research administration can evolve—not through large-scale transformation alone, but through small, intentional shifts in how we approach our roles. Importantly, this series also recognizes the context in which research administrators operate. The work is complex, deadlines are fixed, and resources are often limited. The goal is not to add more to an already full workload, but to rethink how existing work is experienced. Many of the concepts explored—clarity in communication, anticipation of needs, consistency in leadership—require minimal additional time, yet have significant impact. This is the central promise of unreasonable hospitality: that small, thoughtful actions can create disproportionately meaningful experiences. Ultimately, this series is about expanding how we define excellence in research administration. If service is the baseline, hospitality becomes the differentiator. If processes define what we do, experiences define how that work is remembered. By engaging with these ideas over time, we can begin to articulate a more intentional, human-centered approach to our work—one that aligns precision with purpose. ________________________________________ What to Expect in This Series Over the next several posts, we will explore themes including: • The difference between service and hospitality • Why “good enough” is not memorable • The role of intentionality in designing experiences • The impact of small, thoughtful moments • Leadership behaviors that shape culture and trust • Balancing systems with personalization • Defining your own signature experience Each post will build on the last, creating a cohesive framework for applying these ideas within research administration. ________________________________________ Action Items to Get Started • Begin with awareness. As you move through your work this week, notice where interactions feel transactional versus experiential. • Select one upcoming interaction and consider how you might intentionally shape the experience. • Approach this series actively. Reflect on each concept and identify one small way to apply it in your context. • Engage your team. Consider discussing these ideas collectively to build shared language and alignment. This is not about doing more. It is about doing what we already do—with greater intention.
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