PLMI Year 2 Day 4

Robert Benson did a 2 hour seminar on empowering staff, we tossed the ball and answered what job in the past was our favorite.  It was interesting to hear everyone, some had little to do with their present job, but for a large part of us it was the library in some way.  My favorite job was being the genealogist for 18 years.  I can see how doing this with the staff would help you see where they have been and were they would like to go in the future.  I will be reading the mentioned books, the information will be invaluable.

PLMI Year 2, Day 3

I would like to get my staff more training to better serve the public and the library.  Technology,  computers and working with the circulation system are necessary skills that need yearly training.  I will have trainers from the regional library come and  get other trainers from local sources.

PLMI Day 2

Today, Maggie Bahou gave a presentation on evaluations and managing performance, it was refreshing that she was just rehashing the same old line.  I agree with her that giving feedback to the staff in a productive way makes my job easier and able to get feedback back for myself.  I am firm believer that you should always maintain a dialogue with anyone you work with, allowing them to come to you and work to find solutions to any problem.  Annual reviews will allow me to help find problems not just in my staff, but with my leadership, in doing so I will be able to correct both.  Ms. Bahou gave wonderful examples of how to change negatives to positives, especially by not using numerical systems to grade people, having been on the receiving end of these, I never found them beneficial in any way.

Staff Days

Years ago in my early days of the library, we had Recognition days, the staff and volunteers would meet for a nice meal and camaraderie at a local restaurant.  Prizes would be given, people would congratulate each other and everyone left feeling appreciated.  Over the years, this practice disappeared as we were led down the road to professionalism, having your job or volunteering was supposed to be enough to keep you happy and productive.  Rewards and recognition was something for the manager, not to be shared with the staff.

In the last three years, I have slowly turned this back and  tried very hard to make sure recognition is passed on to everyone that deserves it. I am often told that since becoming Director, the Library has been turned around and great things are happening.  I am quick to point out that without my staff and  board of directors, none of these wonderful things could have happened.  After today's class it is time to bring back this tradition as Staff Day to show the staff and volunteers what their hard work means to me and the community.

Staff Development
The staff is kept up to date with monthly staff meetings, workshops and classes that are offered for free during or after work hours.  Delegating different projects to department heads and letting them inform me and the rest of the staff of their progress or lack thereof, has been very good for morale.  I know it is not enough, but I keep adding and trying new ideas, keeping the ones that work and moving on with the ones that don't.

A Manager’s guide to the Emotional Workplace  by Eryn Kalish

     Sometimes it is easier to ignore the situation than to deal with it outright, hoping it will go away,  while very rarely this will happen, more often it tends to worsen.  This seminar hopefully has helped me learn how to deal with these situations with greater mental flexibility.

     Knowing how to engage people and learn if possible what has caused the situation and coming to acknowledge resolution should always be the goal.  Eryn talks about how the fight, flight and freeze response are hard-wired and in all of us.  Knowing which you are dealing with can help you understand where their emotional state is and how to respond to them more effectively. I think most of the time I have dealt with either flight or freeze responses, people will either refuse to hear or don’t quite understand and get that lost look on their faces (and yes, I do both of these myself at times).  I think that seeing yourself in similar situations helps you be able to have some empathy but still remain objective.  It is fine to have some emotion and let people know that something made them feel bad, so that the situation can be talked about in the open and hopefully resolved.  

     The part about observable behavior is interesting because as pointed out, we often try to analyze what someone else is thinking instead of what their outer behavior is showing.  You need to share your own thoughts and feelings and encourage the other person to do the same so you can have an open and honest dialogue.  Don’t blame, try to talk to the other person and draw them into conversation about how they feel and what can be done to help the current situation.  

      Overall, I see the session as about connecting with the other person in an open and honest way, so the situation can be dealt with effectively. 

I went to one of the two mexican restaurants  in town for lunch with some friends the other day.  We greeted by a friendly waiter who took us to the corner we requested and brought our menus immediately.  He came back and took our orders, brought them to us very quickly and checked in often even though we were in corner away from a most of the other diners. 

The service we receive at this restaurant is always incredible, it is one of the main reasons I like to eat there, though the food is very good too.  When you receive service like this, it makes you realize people come to places where the service is helpful, courteous and willing to give their all.  I hope people see the same willingness to help when they come to our Library

PLMI Post OP

Well, the week is over this year, but more to do.  It has been a very intensive and eye-opening, we did things that made no sense to start with, less in the middle, perfect when we were done.  We met people from different environments, but managed to all get along without much trouble.  We laughed, we cried and a few even screamed I believe. Overall though, I believe we did what we do everyday, we survived and thrived, life in the library is rarely easy or slow for most of us.  I know that the experiences I had there will carry over to my life in the library, whether time management (think Pomodoro) or closing my eyes and remembering why I love my job (thanks Dr. Self).  The part on  professionalism in my life is something to consider long and hard, look at closely and see what appears.  I really enjoyed the history lessons on the library system in Tennessee, especially since I'm working on the history of my Library.

You did a great job Heather and Laura keeping us in line and busy.  The presenters were great, loved Kia and Dr. Self.  Heather kept everything moving along at a good clip and didn't let us get bored or restless.  Overall it was great experience with great real world knowledge and information, shared with new friends.  Hope to see everyone again next year!!