Welcome! Before we begin

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Welcome! Before we begin

• The question
• What, in your opinion, are the elements
  (attributes, ingredients) of an excellent
  library?
• The process
• Write your answers on Post-its.
• Use a separate Post-it for each element. Dont
  combine ideas into lists or long sentences.
• Write clearly so others can read your answers.
• Post.

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Meet Me in the MiddleA workshop with George
Needham and Joan Frye WilliamsOLA
Superconference February 2, 2011
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Challenges of middle management
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Its not your job (or anyone elses) to make
everyone happy
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Or to get everyone to like you
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Management ? Control
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Beyond the desk schedule

• Make your library more effective
• Make your boss more effective
• Make your staff more effective

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What makes group work successful?

• Take five Post-It notes
• Think of a successful project youve worked on
• Write one aspect of that project on each of your
  five Post-It notes (one aspect per page)
• Attach the Post-It notes to the flip chart
• Clump the Post-It notes into common themes
• Circle and name the themes
• Prepare to shout out your results!

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Manage the environment
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Clear expectations
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Appreciative inquiry
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Tools, not rules
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Civility
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Empathy
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Focus
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Accountability
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Extra creditFoster innovation

• Steal from the best
• Make analogies
• Use familiar tools in new ways
• Turn what you know inside out, upside down, or on
  its head
• Look through the other end of the telescope

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A desk is a dangerous place from which to view
the world.
John Le Carré
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Manage communications
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Honesty up, honesty down
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Enough with the eye roll!
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Heres whats in it for you
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Communicating bad news

• Be empathetic
• Dont delay
• Stick to the facts
• No sugar coating
• No sandwiching
• Link to principles

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Speaking truth to power
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Handlingrumors
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Providing effective feedback
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The classic objections

• It will never work
• We tried that in 1997 and it was a disaster
• Our patrons/member libraries/board wont like it
• It will take too much time
• We cant afford it
• We cant do it without more staff
• It means throwing away all the work weve done
• You cant prove its any better than what we have
• This isnt why I came to work here

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How can we
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Extra credit Translate the code words
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Manage decision-making
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Loyalty up, loyalty down
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Loyalty across, too
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A voice, a vote, or a veto?
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Beware of yes men and women
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Assume responsibility for solutions
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Avoid binary thinking
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Treat exceptions as exceptions
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Whats the difference between principles,
outcomes, and techniques?
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Consensus

• The process was fair.
• I understood the decision criteria.
• There was an opportunity for my voice to be
  heard.
• Even if the direction isnt exactly what I would
  have chosen, I will support it fairly in my
  communications and actions.

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Extra creditLook for patterns and anticipate
needs
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Manage relationships
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Working with colleagues
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Working with partners
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Working with mentors
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Dont let it be lonely at the top
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Overcome the urge to hide
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Extra credit Infiltrate non-library groups
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Manage results
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Cultivate continuous improvement
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Prepare for success
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Motivating yourselfand others
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Overcoming resistance
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When staff dig in

• Link to outcomes
• Listen to concerns
• Encourage participation
• Cultivate champions
• Reward desirable behavior
• Be prepared to change yourself
• Repeat as necessary

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Neutralizing the pit dwellers
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Extra credit Leverage mistakes
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How can you help your staff learn from mistakes?

• What can you do?
• What questions can you ask?

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The top managers responsibility
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The middle managers responsibility
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The staff members responsibility
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When in doubt, choose
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Simplicity
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Generosity
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Flexibility
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Urgency
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Trust
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Fun
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Show the passion!
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Signs that youre on the right track

• You care deeply about what youre doing
• You spend much of yourtime actively listening
• You learn every day
• You share the credit
• People bring you ideasand not just complaints

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Dont forget what we said about not trying to
make everyone happy!
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Lets continue the conversation

• E-mail hello_at_georgeandjoan.com
• Visit http//georgeandjoan.com