Creating Community within Our Organizations: Retaining Librarians

1
Creating Community within Our OrganizationsRetai
ning Librarians

• Texas Library Association
• April 13, 2007
• DeEtta Jones Kathryn Deiss

Djones_at_DeEttaJones.com Kdeiss_at_ala.org
2

• The Landscape
• Organizational Culture
• Individual Needs Interpretations
• Systems, Structures Strategy

Photo by Dog Tired
3
Community and Culture
Photo by TotallyTacoma
4
ICEBERG ANALOGY of CULTURE
architecture
behaviors
music
dress
food
language
patterns of thought
values
attitudes
emotional expression
biases
beliefs
notions
assumptions
5
Characteristics of Culture

• Culture is learned
• Cultures are inherently logical
• Culture forms our self-identity and community
• Culture combines the visible and the invisible
• Culture is dynamic

6
How People Learn the Culture
Most Information about the Organization is
Gleaned from Colleagues

• Story-telling
• Meanings inferred from abundant organizational
  messages and cues

7
Individual Interpretation Informs Behavior
Expectations
Photo by Inga
8
Managing Cultural Meaning-Making

• What messages does the organization send
  regarding individual and team growth?
• How are those messages supported through actions
  and programmatic endeavors?
• What causes discrepancies between intentions and
  actions?

9
Retention begins with Recruitment
the Coordinator has a strategic role in
designing and leading a creative and effective
campus-wide information literacy program
. seeks a knowledgeable, highly-motivated,
effective library administrator for a dynamic,
challenging, technology-intensive information
resources teaching environment. to be a
catalyst for creative new services
10
What are the possibilities for me here?
Photo by Recursion See Recursion
11
What are the possibilities for me here?
Photo by Rotin
12
Organizations essentially have a contract with
the employee and the employee with the
organization
13

• Types of Contracts
• Formal
• Social
• Psychological

Photo by Leonardo Hilt
14

• Formal Contracts
• Overt, agreed-upon terms
• Known conditions
• Structures and relationships codified

Photo by Pewari Naan
15

• Social Contracts
• Values-based
• Shared broad beliefs
• Normative
• At group level

Photo by The Waving Cat
16

• Psychological Contracts
• Individual beliefs
• Usually unspoken
• Always unwritten
• Rooted in personal values and motivations
• Based on wide variety of expectations

Photo of Original Artwork by PsicoCafe
17
Its all aboutgiving and receiving!
18
Four Aspects of Contracts

• What the employee expects to receive
• What the organization expects to give
• What the employee expects to give
• What the organization expects to receive

19
Formal and Psychological Contracts are
Promise-based
Photo by H.Wren
20

• Bases for Promises
• Perception of mutuality
• Assumption-driven
• Not questioned until the promise is perceived
  to be broken

Photo by Drumsnwhistles
21
Expectations and PromisesThe Employee/Employer
Intersection

• Contracts of all types coexist in an
  organization
• Expectations, assumed intentions, commitments
  are based on interpretations

22
One Way Promises are Parsed
Organization has the will but not the
means Vs. Organization has the means but not the
will
23

• Psychological Contracts are Shaped by
• External cues that the employee picks up
• Individual interpretation of those cues
  messages

24
How Does This Apply to Retention?

• Expectations of employment and of employer
• Perceptions of employer intentions
• Understanding of employer commitment

25
Conventional WisdomWhy Do People Stay?

• Geographic necessity
• Paycheck
• Still growing/development opportunities
• Good colleagues
• Challenges
• Good place to work/forward moving
• Perception that promises have been kept

26
Better QuestionWhy Do People Leave?

• The job or the workplace is not as expected
• Mismatch between person and job
• Too little coaching and feedback
• Too few growth and advancement opportunities
• Feeling devalued and unrecognized
• Stress from overwork and work/life imbalance
• Loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders

27
Difference
Photo by Deestea
28
Cities with Most Minority Representation By
Percent
City Percent
Detroit MI 88.9
Honolulu HI 81.6
Jackson MS 79.3
Newark NJ 78.1
Inglewood CA 77.4
New Orleans LA 74.2
Hartford CT 72.5
Paterson NJ 70.1
Baltimore MD 69.8
Memphis TN 68.7
Washington DC 67.6
Oakland CA 67.6
Vallejo CA 67.5
Garden Grove CA 66.5
Fremont CA 66.1
Jersey City NJ 64.9
Savannah GA 64.3
Atlanta GA 63.8
Hayward CA 62.5
Chicago IL 61.4
Miramar FA 60.7
Flint MI 60.7
Beaumont TX 60.1
Moreno Valley CA 60
New Haven CT 59
Baton Rouge LA 58.8
Norwalk CA 58.3
Philadelphia PA 57.9
Augusta-Richmond County GA 57.8
West Covina CA 57.5
City Continued Percent
Durham NC 57
Shreveport LA 56.8
Santa Clara CA 56.7
Sunnyvale CA 56.4
Montgomery AL 55. 8
Long Beach CA 56.3
St. Louis MO 55.7
Bridgeport CT 55.5
Milwaukee WI 55.3
Rochester NY 54.4
Sacramento CA 54.3
El Monte CA 53.8
Fairfield CA 53.5
Hampton VA 53.2
Norfolk VA 53
Antioch CA 52.5
Springfield MA 52.1
Fayetteville NC 51.7
Elizabeth NJ 51.6
Elk Grove CA 51.5
Cincinnati OH 51.2
Los Angeles CA 50.9
Fullerton CA 50.7
Providence RI 50.4
Buffalo NY 50.3
San Jose CA 49.6
Santa Ana CA 49
Newport News VA 49
Pomona CA 49
29
Cities with Most Minority Representation By
Population
City Percent
Los Angeles CA 50.9
Chicago IL 61.4
Philadelphia PA 57.9
San Jose CA 49.6
Detroit MI 88.9
Memphis TN 68.7
Baltimore MD 69.8
Milwaukee WI 55.3
Washington DC 67.6
Long Beach CA 56.3
Sacramento CA 54.3
New Orleans LA 74.2
Atlanta GA 63.8
Oakland CA 67.6
Honolulu HI 81.6
St. Louis MO 55.7
Santa Ana CA 49
Cincinnati OH 51.2
Buffalo NY 50.3
Newark NJ 78.1
Jersey City NJ 64.9
Durham NC 57
Fremont CA 66.1
Norfolk VA 53
Baton Rouge LA 58.8
Montgomery AL 55. 8
Shreveport LA 56.8
Garden Grove CA 66.5
Rochester NY 54.4
Augusta-Richmond County GA 57.8
City Percent
Newport News VA 49
Jackson MS 79.3
Moreno Valley CA 60
Pomona CA 49
Providence RI 50.4
Paterson NJ 70.1
Springfield MA 52.1
Fullerton CA 50.7
Hayward CA 62.5
Hampton VA 53.2
Sunnyvale CA 56.4
Bridgeport CT 55.5
Fayetteville NC 51.7
Elk Grove CA 51.5
Elizabeth NJ 51.6
Inglewood CA 77.4
Savannah GA 64.3
West Covina CA 57.5
Vallejo CA 67.5
Miramar FA 60.7
Flint MI 60.7
Hartford CT 72.5
El Monte CA 53.8
New Haven CT 59
Beaumont TX 60.1
Norwalk CA 58.3
Antioch CA 52.5
Fairfield CA 53.5
Santa Clara CA 56.7
30
Unlocking understanding
Photo by Auntie P
31
Tribal Differences

• Dunkin Donuts
• Tell it to me straight
• We are family
• We want to keep moving
• Keep it simple
• Were earthlings

• Starbucks
• Make me feel special
• We are all unique
• We want a third place
• Give us new stuff
• Were members of the universe

32
Matures Baby Boomers Generation X Net Generation
Birth dates 1900-1946 1946-1964 1965-1982 1982-1991
Description Greatest generation Me generation Latchkey generation Millennials
Attributes Command and control Self-sacrifice Optimistic workaholic Independent skeptical Hopeful determined
Likes Respect for authority Family Community involvement Responsibility Work ethic Can-do attitude Freedom Multitasking Work-life balance Public activism Latest technology Parents
Dislikes Waste technology Laziness Turning 50 Red tape Hype Anything slow Negativity
Taken from Educating the Net Generation,
EDUCAUSE, 2005
33

• New Organizational Members
• New Expectations
• New Psychological Contracts
• New Strategies/Structures?

Photos by Kathryn Deiss
34
The New Librarian Tribe

• Boundary leaping
• Authority appropriating
• Learning-oriented
• Inventors of their environments

35
Developing New Strategies for Retaining these New
Employees

36
Listening can help you read the interpretations
of another person Judging can impair your ability
to read them
Photo by Cocolinda
37
Interpersonal and Cross-Cultural Communication
Patterns

• High Context
• (e.g. Asian, Latin, African American)
• Much of meaning outside verbal communication
• Relationship is central
• Trust
• Social relationship strengthens professional
  relationship

• Low Context
• (e.g. German, United States)
• Verbal language conveys literal and full meaning
• Clear lines between personal and professional
  relationships
• Communication is direct and close to events

38
IBMs U.S. Policy Statement on Diversity
Our focus on the advancement of women and the
diversity of our leadership team helps ensure
that all employees have an opportunity to develop
into successful leaders. Attention to cultural
awareness and to the inclusion of people with
disabilities and gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender people in the workplace helps provide
an environment free of discrimination and
harassment. Finally, we recognize that employees
have commitments outside work and that we must
help them manage these responsibilities along
with their work obligations.
39
Strategy
Structure
And culture eats strategy for lunch!
Culture
40
Talent Management Strategy

• Objectives The mandate or mission. What the
  client needs and wants to fulfill. Objectives
  should be fairly obvious and simple. (Words)

• Goals The specific results needed to achieve
  objectives. Goals should be specific,
  measurable, actionable, realistic, time-bound.
  (Numbers/Dates)

• Strategies How we will help the client achieve
  its goals. Strategies must require us to make a
  specific decision or they are not strategies.
  (Words)

Metrics How will we know if the strategies are
working and thus achieving predetermined goals.
Metrics serve as the basis for management
success. (Numbers)

• Action Plans Specific steps to be taken for
  each strategy with deadline dates and person
  responsible for execution.

41
Goals

• Constructive disruption
• Consistent, relentless behavior
• Look for opportunities for culture change
• Build a system of accountability (but dont be
  obsessed with metrics)

42
The Importance of the Exit Interview

• Understanding the nature of the psychological
  contract
• Developing a discipline of inquiry
• Learning the organization
• Ask why are you not staying?

Photo by Splorp
43
Final Thoughts
44
Thank you TLA! Keep in touch! DeEtta_at_arl.org k
deiss_at_ala.org