Thread by @Jessifer

As a mid-level administrator, at several institutions, I constantly heard the word "optics." Too many times it didn't matter what work we did, only how that work *looked, and usually only how that work looked to people not directly impacted by the work.

At too many institutions, "innovation" is rarely about asking hard questions. "Inclusion" is too often about "metrics," and not about people. "Hard work" is often less about the quality of the work and more about supporting and reenforcing a culture of busy-ness.

I once talked about "doing less with less" in front of my provost--arguing for more carefully deploying resources to make them more effective, assuring staff were properly compensated for their labor, etc. I was glared at and told we should all "do the work of two people."

And it wasn't about actually "doing the work of two people," but about acting busy, putting extra stuff "on your plate," whether you finished it all or not, and nodding vociferously when you were asked to "wear multiple hats."

Similarly, "careful management of a budget" has been less about smart spending for maximum impact and more about not buying stuff people can see or point to.

The best way to justify an expense at too many institutions where I've worked is just to buy invisible stuff (usually with low impact) so that the expenses never warrant justifying. This is absurd.

The people most able to do harm to the work of the various teams I've managed have been people with little or zero expertise in the work. Loud uninformed voices do a lot of harm at institutions. And bullying goes unchecked when its structurally protected by hierarchy.

The most marginalized people at an institution are usually listened to the least, no matter their level of expertise. I've watched straight-cis-white-mansplaining crush a project or program faster than just about anything else. And I've seen too many bullies get promoted.

"Optics" are important when they are focused on increasing visibility of marginalized groups. "Optics" are important when we're talking about platforming students in order to draw more students into the building of their own education.

"Optics" are not a good institutional response to bullying. Telling people to stay quiet to avoid the ire of loud, uninformed, powerful people is itself a form of bullying.

We need to be able to tell a legible story about our work, about how we build inclusive communities. But "busy-ness" or "concern," the mere "performance" of work, equity, or engagement shouldn't be confused with actual work, equity, or engagement.

Especially in the midst of a pandemic, when we should be fostering trust, understanding, listening to those who might be struggling the most--when what we need most is care, not concern.