Librarian-in-Charge, Milwaukee Public Library Forest Home Branch
June 2011 - October 2011
Competencies demonstrated:
It’s always an interesting situation when the person officially “in charge” is the one who knows the least about the day-to-day policies of the library. I recently transferred to this branch, which is full of wonderful, experienced staff who also happen to be mostly paraprofessionals. Though they know the ins and outs of the building, the local policies and norms, the regular patrons, and the neighborhood far better than I do right now, in the branch manager’s absence (about half the time, since he runs two branches) they look to me to make final decisions. I’m treading carefully, trying to balance being authoritative but not trampling on the greater knowledge base of my team. And I’m a little surprised to find that I love it!
This is a situation where thinking of myself as a team facilitator really bears practical fruit. I’m very comfortable turning to one of my more experienced coworkers and asking questions. They know I value their opinions and knowledge, and I listen to what they have to say. Because I’m not nervous or ashamed to learn from them, they’re comfortable sharing with me without feeling like I lack authority. It’s been (and will continue to be!) a fun process of learning my new home and getting to know the people I work with. I realized I honed this skill while teaching GMAT test prep courses a few years ago. I was decades younger than many of my students, and I had to learn how to gain their trust and respect before they could learn what I had to teach – test-taking skills that complemented their life experiences. In both cases, I remind myself that there’s no point in pretending these gaps in age or experience aren’t there. In any situation, every team member will have unique strengths and experiences. By embracing them and agreeing to learn from each other, we can create the healthiest work environment and, most importantly, give the best possible service to our patrons.
- Demonstrates an aptitude for leadership
- Develops and maintains effective relationships with others to achieve common goals
- Works effectively in teams with strong team-building skills and attitudes
- Selects and applies the most appropriate and effective communication means to meet situational needs
- Applies effective techniques to address difficult situations with users
- Applies customer service skills to enhance the level of user satisfaction
- Treats everyone with honesty, respect and fairness to build an environment of trust
- Contributes to a collaborative, committed and collegial work environment
- Acknowledges own strengths and contributions, and recognizes the complementary strengths
and contributions of others
It’s always an interesting situation when the person officially “in charge” is the one who knows the least about the day-to-day policies of the library. I recently transferred to this branch, which is full of wonderful, experienced staff who also happen to be mostly paraprofessionals. Though they know the ins and outs of the building, the local policies and norms, the regular patrons, and the neighborhood far better than I do right now, in the branch manager’s absence (about half the time, since he runs two branches) they look to me to make final decisions. I’m treading carefully, trying to balance being authoritative but not trampling on the greater knowledge base of my team. And I’m a little surprised to find that I love it!
This is a situation where thinking of myself as a team facilitator really bears practical fruit. I’m very comfortable turning to one of my more experienced coworkers and asking questions. They know I value their opinions and knowledge, and I listen to what they have to say. Because I’m not nervous or ashamed to learn from them, they’re comfortable sharing with me without feeling like I lack authority. It’s been (and will continue to be!) a fun process of learning my new home and getting to know the people I work with. I realized I honed this skill while teaching GMAT test prep courses a few years ago. I was decades younger than many of my students, and I had to learn how to gain their trust and respect before they could learn what I had to teach – test-taking skills that complemented their life experiences. In both cases, I remind myself that there’s no point in pretending these gaps in age or experience aren’t there. In any situation, every team member will have unique strengths and experiences. By embracing them and agreeing to learn from each other, we can create the healthiest work environment and, most importantly, give the best possible service to our patrons.
