Staff Development
As a leader and a manager, my greatest success is helping others succeed. I love seeing my staff stretch further than they thought they could, exceed their own expectations for themselves, and learn and rebound from failure on the way to bigger successes than they had imagined.
I make it a point to know my staff's strengths and passions, and to set them up for success by putting them in roles where they can both excel and be challenged to grow. I support them by creating a safe space for them to solve their own problems, and by removing the barriers to their solutions. I provide direct and prompt feedback which focuses on their successes and strengths, but does not shy away from a need for improvement or change.
I make it a point to know my staff's strengths and passions, and to set them up for success by putting them in roles where they can both excel and be challenged to grow. I support them by creating a safe space for them to solve their own problems, and by removing the barriers to their solutions. I provide direct and prompt feedback which focuses on their successes and strengths, but does not shy away from a need for improvement or change.
Staff Recognition
Kitsap Regional Library, ongoing
One of my favorite ways of developing staff is to celebrate their successes. Showing appreciation lets staff know that their efforts are recognized, encouraging them to go above and beyond in the future. It lets them know where they have demonstrated strengths, and encourages them to engage those strengths in future projects. Having a bank of positive recognition may even help make staff more receptive to adjusting or correcting feedback when it's needed, as they already trust that I see them as valuable and treat them fairly.
I make sure to do this in small, regular ways consistently - using our standing meetings to provide positive feedback on what the person has done well since the last meeting, publicly recognizing successes in team meetings (when appropriate and desired), sending positive feedback to their other managers or administration, and always giving credit for successes large and small.
For particularly significant contributions, I also make use of formal recognition systems. (I am careful to ensure when doing this that it's truly a reward for the person receiving recognition; for those who prefer not to be the center of attention, I praise them privately.) I make sure that these are never simply rote - I always provide a sincere, specific, and heartfelt reason. As a result of my nominations, I've been delighted to see several of my colleagues and team members recognized locally and nationally!
I make sure to do this in small, regular ways consistently - using our standing meetings to provide positive feedback on what the person has done well since the last meeting, publicly recognizing successes in team meetings (when appropriate and desired), sending positive feedback to their other managers or administration, and always giving credit for successes large and small.
For particularly significant contributions, I also make use of formal recognition systems. (I am careful to ensure when doing this that it's truly a reward for the person receiving recognition; for those who prefer not to be the center of attention, I praise them privately.) I make sure that these are never simply rote - I always provide a sincere, specific, and heartfelt reason. As a result of my nominations, I've been delighted to see several of my colleagues and team members recognized locally and nationally!
- Library Journal Movers & Shakers - I nominated Seth Ciotti, our teen tech librarian who was doing groundbreaking work in interest-based learning with youth, for this national recognition. I brought together his direct manager and our Director of Branch Services to craft the best possible nomination. Seth was named a Mover & Shaker in 2015.
- Kitsap Regional Library's Super Team Award - This award is given only twice a year to a highly effective team. I successfully nominated a team I tasked with developing a training to help staff adapt to our new single service point model. They were formally recognized by our Board of Trustees, in person and with a certificate, for their excellent work.
- Kitsap Regional Library Star of the Month - This award recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond during the month, and comes with a Starbucks gift card and their name in a system-wide email. While these recognitions may seems small, they can be highly meaningful. After receiving her award, one staff person wrote "THANK YOU Audrey! WOW!!! I truly appreciate you making the time and am very humbled. I hope to work with you again soon."
Performance Improvement Plan Management
Kitsap Regional Library, 2016
While in general I see more improvement from positive feedback than from negative, I also think it's critical to provide clear correction when needed.
When I took on the management of one of our departments, I came into a situation of extreme conflict between two employees. Their inability to work together, or sometimes even to act professionally around each other, affected not only their performance but also the work environment for their peers. Each employee was strong in some areas, but the overall negative impact on collaboration and other team members was unacceptable.
I worked with each person individually and together in a performance improvement process designed to be clear, respectful, and to provide the employees with ample opportunity to change their behavior if they chose to do so. I worked with HR and my management team to establish clear expectations, and to provide compassion while holding each person accountable for their behavior.
Out of respect for the confidentiality of these employees, I will not provide greater detail here. I am happy to discuss my performance improvement experience and methods (both informal coaching and formal process) with you in person.
When I took on the management of one of our departments, I came into a situation of extreme conflict between two employees. Their inability to work together, or sometimes even to act professionally around each other, affected not only their performance but also the work environment for their peers. Each employee was strong in some areas, but the overall negative impact on collaboration and other team members was unacceptable.
I worked with each person individually and together in a performance improvement process designed to be clear, respectful, and to provide the employees with ample opportunity to change their behavior if they chose to do so. I worked with HR and my management team to establish clear expectations, and to provide compassion while holding each person accountable for their behavior.
Out of respect for the confidentiality of these employees, I will not provide greater detail here. I am happy to discuss my performance improvement experience and methods (both informal coaching and formal process) with you in person.
MLIS Cohort Development
Kitsap Regional Library, 2015-6
I developed this cohort in response to an unmet (and unrecognized) need in our organization.
I had just completed the process of hiring a new Adult Services librarian. One of the applicants was an internal candidate in a paraprofessional position, who had consistently proven herself to be creative, hardworking, and a leader. I would have loved to have her on my team. Unfortunately, we faced one insurmountable barrier: our union contract specifies that librarians must be no more than 3 months from completion of the MLIS at the time of hire, and this candidate had six months remaining.
As I was not able to hire that particular person at that moment, I at least wanted to make sure I was giving her every chance to develop professionally so she would be ready when the right position did open up. This made me realize that she was just one of quite a few MLIS candidates on staff, all of whom we could be supporting more effectively.
Creating professional development opportunities for our MLIS students is the definition of win-win. It provides a benefit to our employees, making them happier at work and helping them balance work and school; and it provides a benefit to the organization by improving retention and strengthening our talent pipeline as an important piece of our succession planning. Students get to engage in creative and rewarding projects at work, and the Library improves our service with their fresh perspectives and up-to-date education.
I spoke with each of our on-staff MLIS students to learn about what they wanted and needed. Based on those discussions and their ongoing feedback, I created a model for supporting current and future MLIS students. It has two elements, each addressing a key need.
After a six-month pilot, participant evaluations were consistently excellent. At that point, the group became self-organizing. The group arranges its own monthly meetings and invites its own guests. They submit an agenda and an attendance list to the HR department, which provides general oversight and support. (HR also identifies newly-enrolled students and graduates cycling off.) Individuals or small groups wanting to start a project seek out their own mentors, or ask HR for assistance identifying an appropriate person. A second round of evaluation is underway to ensure that the model has remained a valuable use of time.
I have loved seeing our MLIS students blossom! Since beginning the cohort, one student graduated and secured her dream job at a large urban library system. Another who had been under-performing was able to develop more self-motivation and demonstrate leadership, and subsequently was sought out for the opportunity to move into a new position within our system. Several have developed projects for capstone experiences or for-credit internships in partnership with our Library. And while I miss seeing our students each month, I'm thrilled to see them make the cohort successful on their own. I love developing staff in this way - providing enough structure to set them up for success, and then stepping back and watching them fly.
I had just completed the process of hiring a new Adult Services librarian. One of the applicants was an internal candidate in a paraprofessional position, who had consistently proven herself to be creative, hardworking, and a leader. I would have loved to have her on my team. Unfortunately, we faced one insurmountable barrier: our union contract specifies that librarians must be no more than 3 months from completion of the MLIS at the time of hire, and this candidate had six months remaining.
As I was not able to hire that particular person at that moment, I at least wanted to make sure I was giving her every chance to develop professionally so she would be ready when the right position did open up. This made me realize that she was just one of quite a few MLIS candidates on staff, all of whom we could be supporting more effectively.
Creating professional development opportunities for our MLIS students is the definition of win-win. It provides a benefit to our employees, making them happier at work and helping them balance work and school; and it provides a benefit to the organization by improving retention and strengthening our talent pipeline as an important piece of our succession planning. Students get to engage in creative and rewarding projects at work, and the Library improves our service with their fresh perspectives and up-to-date education.
I spoke with each of our on-staff MLIS students to learn about what they wanted and needed. Based on those discussions and their ongoing feedback, I created a model for supporting current and future MLIS students. It has two elements, each addressing a key need.
- The first is a monthly cohort meeting. Because of our geographic location, all our current students, and likely most or all of our future on-staff MLIS students, are enrolled in online programs. They often felt that they were missing out on the support and advice of a peer group, which they would have formed in a residential program. The monthly meeting gives them an opportunity to form those relationships with each other. It's a safe space where they can ask for help and share what they've learned about navigating graduate school.
This meeting also includes a visit from a professional to answer questions about their area of librarianship. Many students, especially in their first year, were unsure exactly what career path they wanted to take. Did they want to be children's librarians? Academics? Archivists? Did they want to work for a tech company? We invite someone new each time to talk informally about their career path and provide insight into a "day in the life" in their job. - Secondly, any MLIS student is invited to propose and lead a project. The project must directly benefit the Library or its users, and it must be completed under the oversight of a staff mentor. This allows our MLIS students to gain leadership and project management experience, to try hands-on work in an area of interest, and to make connections with a mentor. In turn, their projects allow the Library to pilot innovative new services or processes that we would otherwise not have capacity to try.
Examples of MLIS student projects include starting a "pickup partners" project that utilizes existing paid and family caregivers to serve homebound patrons; creating a separate graphic novels collection that demonstrably increased their circulation; and designing a slate of system-wide programs and services to engage and educate voters leading up to an election.
After a six-month pilot, participant evaluations were consistently excellent. At that point, the group became self-organizing. The group arranges its own monthly meetings and invites its own guests. They submit an agenda and an attendance list to the HR department, which provides general oversight and support. (HR also identifies newly-enrolled students and graduates cycling off.) Individuals or small groups wanting to start a project seek out their own mentors, or ask HR for assistance identifying an appropriate person. A second round of evaluation is underway to ensure that the model has remained a valuable use of time.
I have loved seeing our MLIS students blossom! Since beginning the cohort, one student graduated and secured her dream job at a large urban library system. Another who had been under-performing was able to develop more self-motivation and demonstrate leadership, and subsequently was sought out for the opportunity to move into a new position within our system. Several have developed projects for capstone experiences or for-credit internships in partnership with our Library. And while I miss seeing our students each month, I'm thrilled to see them make the cohort successful on their own. I love developing staff in this way - providing enough structure to set them up for success, and then stepping back and watching them fly.