Insights

I liked what Robert Benson said today about effective leaders create focus.

I need to set specific priorities and let our team do their jobs based on the priorities.  We need more focus as a whole on what we do best.  And create a "stop doing" list to better focus on what we do best which is helping the community find information, help with computers, internet, etc. and provide the programs that are wanted.  These are the things that we do best.

Where I Am Right Now, Where I Want To Be, How To Get There

Where I Am Right Now,  Where I Want To Be,  How To Get There

Right now I don't feel like I have been doing a good job communicating and checking in will all my staff.  It has been a hard summer because we are displaced across the street while we are renovating.  The staff in this branch is separated into two separate units.  The tiny library is in one unit and the backroom staff is in a unit upstairs with a separate entrance and the stairs are not great.  Since we are separated like this, it has been difficult with communication.  I have two employees that are really hard to talk with anyway and this situation has made it more so.

They are great employees, but they are not very open at discussing what is on their mind.  I have given both more responsibility and would like to have better feedback.

I plan to implement some of the team building exercises and techniques that I have learned this week to increase and have better communication with all my staff.

Managing performance

I have to say that I have not done any formal written performance evaluations since I have become the director of my library.  That is going to change!

I have made a point to have a one on one discussion with each employee at random times to talk about their jobs, finding out how things are going, and to get a sense of their attitude about the job.  I usually get input from them about the processes of the jobs they do to find out if things are working like they should.  I also try to make mental notes about things I need to discuss with employees when I see them and have the opportunity to have a private conversation.  Right now,  I don't have a private office. So when I find a good opportunity to talk, I try to take advantage. 

After today's discussion, I would like to try a quarterly informal "sit-down" to discuss any items that need to be taken care of with each employee, get feedback, and give praise when it is due.  I would also like to implement a self-evaluation to see where the employee sees themselves, ask them to set personal goals, and follow-up on these goals annually with an annual review.  The self-evaluation will show the discrepancies between how the employee thinks and how you think about the employee.  It should point out any problems.

Our speaker also talked about trust.  In my mind, trust is one of the most important things in any relationship.  It is built over time and it goes both ways.  You have to trust your employees and they have to be able to trust you.

Staff Development

First of all, I have been working at this library for almost six years.  This is the first time that staff development has come up that is not associated with regional training.

The former director never attended any regional training that I am aware of.  She didn't think it was important. So therefore, staff development is foreign to me!!

I can say that any time training is offered by the Regional or State Library, I offer it to any staff member that I think it would benefit.  Our Technology plan was just approved that included staff training in the goals for each year preferably offered by the Regional Library or reasonably priced elsewhere.

I realize, as Heather was talking this morning, that staff training is not all encompassing in staff development.  I would like to get some staff development ideas that have been successful in libraries that have done this.  Then implement some of these in my library in the future.

6 Essentials for Teams That Work

I just finished the webinar on the 6 Essentials for Teams That Work. When you see the 6 essentials in the webinar, you automatically go "Yes, those are absolutely the things you need on your team for it to be the best!" But I have not consciously thought about these 6 essentials except for the first two: high level of trust and high level of respect. Those two are a must in my mind to be on the team. I may be wrong, but I don't think we have much to work on with these two. I need to work on the other four essentials that were talked about in the webinar in our organization or team. Everyone must know what the objectives are to have a commitment to a clear and common purpose. As he said on the webinar, everyone must "buy in". Somehow you have to make sure everyone on your team feels worthy and that they know what the clear and common purpose of our job in the library is. I need to do a better job at this one so that everyone feels committed. I hope everyone working here can voice their opinion. Some people are much better at that than others. There are some that give their opinions all the time and there are some that never say anything. The fourth characteristic is the willingness and ability to manage conflict. Most people don't like conflict and some are much better at handling conflict than others. People who don't like it would rather keep it to themselves than try to resolve the problem. I would rather have no elephants in the room and deal with it before it gets worse. I have a board member who is wonderful at managing any conflict that arises. We can all learn from this person. Focusing on results is also a characteristic that I can do a better job with. I get so wrapped up in what I am doing and what is required of me, I forget that everyone else is doing their job everyday without too many complaints or problems. I need to get better at recognizing and congratulating other's performances. I thought the webinar was good. We do need to focus more on the 6 essentials for teams that work.