When you create, launch or update a career and academic advising program, it can feel overwhelming. When is enough, enough - research, planning, practice?

As a recovering perfectionist, I relate to wanting everything important covered and delivered without bumps the first time. My antidote to the overwhelm is turning to agile or iterative development thinking from software development. It gives me permission to just launch and keep improving.

On vacation a couple weeks ago, Career Key’s founder and my father, “Dr. Larry” inspired and reminded me of this with his agile development implementing a new “pull off” system for his self-restored wooden skiff Cielo. As a Realistic-Social Holland personality type combo, he loves this kind of thing – figuring out an island arrival and departure strategy. How to pull the heavy Cielo offshore far enough to stay afloat as the moon pulls Maine’s 10+ foot tidewaters out to sea. Then, pulling the boat back in for departure. Goal: taking family and friends to an island for a relaxing picnic lunch and hike without losing our transportation home.

At first, this pull off system with 2 lines, a pulley, an anchor and the skiff was not a complete success. We narrowly escaped being stranded on an island for several hours waiting for the tide to come back in. But Dr. Larry tweaked the set up (after consultation with a few local lobster fishermen) and the next time we went out it was better. And the third time was even better.

The antidote to overwhelm is not about embracing failure but embracing improvement. As we plunge back into post-summer work and back to school ramp ups, agility and improvements are more effective at handling what’s next in this roller coaster “new normal.” Good luck with improving your programs this Fall!