Making Change Work For You

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Making Change Work For You

• Susan Fifer Canby
• SARC
• September 26-27, 2005

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Agenda

• Introduction Mergers/Acquisitions
• Setting the Scene
• Key Strategies
• Changing perspectives - film
• Creating a common vision - activity
• Developing leadership, matrix management
• Communication
• Wrap and Readings

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Impetus for Change

• External
• Management new requirements
• Talent leaves or arrives changes dynamics
• Customers new needs
• Technology - new opportunities
• New business, program opportunities
• Economics - belt tightening or new money
• Environment changing demographics
• Internal

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Tension between Change and Stability
Activities Customers
Change
Mission
Strategies Space Bosses
Responsibilities Perceptions
Stability Values
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Old Silos
Lib Director
Indexing Mgr
Archives Records Mgr.
Tech Services Systems
Reference Circulation
Asst.
Asst.
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Next Major Iteration
Lib Director
Manager, Tech Services Systems
Manager, Business Editorial Research
Manager, Records
Manager, Archives
Manager, Indexing
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1. Dealing with Perceptions

• Film - Activity 1
• What did you think about as you were watching
  this film?
• How did your perception of what you were seeing
  change?
• What information cues did you receive?
• What connections did you make to past
  experiences?

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Libraries are a new Umbrella

• What is our library today?
• Libraries
• Archives
• Indexing
• Records Management
• Learning and Training (HR)
• Rights Management (Legal)
• Market Research (Marketing)
• Intranets and Portals (IS)
• Web Development (IS)
• Technology and Systems (IS)
• Communities of Practice (new)
• Knowledge Exchange (new)
• Organizational Management (new)

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2. Creating a Common Vision

• How are we different?
• What strengths and interests?
• What are our values?
• What is important in a team?
• What has been our missions?
• How to marry values, mission to find common
  purpose?
• How would we define success?

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Activity 2

• Two Groups A B
• And into various roles -- librarian, archivist,
  records manager, indexer. Write a vision
  together using and with each of us adding one
  thought (with no buts)
• Information Professionals provide a competitive
  edge to our organization by xx and by xx and by
  xx
• Two new groups ½ stays behind in old group ½
  switches and try to merge your statements.
• Now lets report to the group what A B came to.
  Lets merge and distill these statements.

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Big Vision

• Dont over focus set a direction, describe an
  attitude, define a set of values
• Be ready to pounce on the opportunities,
  flexible enough to work the white space
• Needs keep changing, so will keep evolving aim
  for component-like qualities

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3. Thinking in a new way

• How to re-sort and create new components?
• By hierarchical assignment
• By location
• By services that cross and support all areas
• Administrative
• Training
• Marketing
• Knowledge Management
• Securing Interns and volunteers
• Systems
• Emergency Preparedness
• How to redistribute and encourage potential
  leadership?

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Staffing Strategy
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4. Developing Leadership

• Modeling
• Communicating shared vision
• Coaching
• Empowering
• Segues

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Story a leader emerges

• Librarian technical specialist supporting one
  group
• Supports the whole team
• Sees white space for interns
• Develops whole program, managed 26 a year
  metrics, training, interview, recruiting,
  promotion
• Manager incorporate all to be KM manager
• Other technical person interested in working with
  has 1 permanent staff and many interns

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5. Communication
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Annual Report
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Wrap and Readings

• Susan Fifer Canby
• National Geographic Society
• sfiferca_at_ngs.org
• Readings
• Collins, James C., Built to Last
• Collins, James C., Good to Great
• Gerstner, Louis V., Jr. Who says Elephants Cant
  Dance?
• Kotter, John P., Leading Change
• Smith, Geoff. Leading the Professionals