Big Blog Post

I have not posted anything in a while so this is going to be a compilation of the readings and some thoughts. First I have been doing some research on our juvenile section. We really do not have a strong juvenile section at all. This school has a pretty good size education department. There are many required courses that have required reading of juvenile books. It would be nice if the section was more up-to-date. I did a search of about 30 juvenile books that have been popular in the last year and we didn't even have one of them. I Sayre, on the other hand did have a few. I also did a search of The New York Times Bestselling Juvenile novels and we didn't have 4 of the first 5. I don't know if there is some sort of system we can work out where we can maybe get bestsellers or award winners periodically. I understand that there is not a HUGE demand for them but there is a need. It would be nice if we could get some things that are more current.

One of the readings I read but never blogged over is the Coping with different workplace personalities article. First I will say that i really like these Communication Briefing Articles. They are simple and practical and they get right to the point. Some articles like this are too wordy and tend to repeat the same idea over and over in different words. Anyway, I like that this article gives you example of things to say. There were three personalities that were targeted. The Negative Person, The Thin-skinned, and the Office Dictator. There are student workers that I can put in each category. One reaccuring theme throughout the article is the importance of staying positive. Just choosing to use positive words to express yourself can make all the difference. Instead of saying whats wrong with that idea? I should say things like, "What suggestions do you have?" Something else I noticed is how important it is to make people feel like they are useful, needed, and part of the team. If a worker feels needed they are more likely to invest in the good of the library. I think that is something we could probably work on here.

I also read the ABC's of Supervisory Communication a while back. I really really liked this article. It laid out some practical and very useful guidelines when it comes to communicating with subordinates. One thing that really stuck out to me was the importance of listening to the ideas of others. If that is something I do continuously with the student workers then they will fill comfortable enough to bring issues to me when it is really important. I want to have an open line of communication with them like I do with Erin and Jason. I want them to be confident that they can talk to me, and that I will do whatever I can to find a solution. Another point the article made was giving praise when it is deserved, and that is should be done in front of people. When someone does a great job they should be told, and it is even better if they are told in front of a small group. The article says that it makes them feel like part of the team and that is motivates others to step up their performance. I agree with those statements and I know that giving praise is something I do not do nearly enough.

I also read an article about knowing what your employees are thinking. This article really struck me. One of its main points was, " Speakers will stop communicating if they think listeners have stopped paying attention." People need the affirmation that we are indeed listening. Whether is is a nod or eye contact or verbal reassurance, we need that. Often times if a worker thinks the boss is not listening they will stop talking all together. Sometimes listening means more than just nodding, sometimes it means action being taken. If workers have presented a problem and nothing is done to find a solution, workers will stop communicating. Not only is this bad for business, but productivity decreases, morale goes out the window, and efficiency is lost. Workers adopt the, "why should I even try" attitude. This article is exactly right. There is a person in my life that loves to talk, but when it come time for me to talk she looks away or starts playing with her phone or talking to another person. Not only is it rude but it really conveys that she is too selfish to care about me, or my opinion. I never want my workers to feel this way. I want them to trust me and know that I really do care about what they have to say. One last point it made is to praise the sharing of information, even if it is hard to hear. I think that is a big one. People need to know that I want them to communicate with me, even if it might be hard for me to swallow. I need feedback, i need to know when I have upset someone, I need to know when there is a problem with how we are doing something. I dont want the student workers to ever think that they cannot come to me with something that might be negative.

26 Ways to Improve on the Job Relationships

Today I read 26 ways to improve on the job relationships. This article really put somethings into perspective for me, and made me reflect on the way I treat people at work. One repeating theme in the article is the use of "we". The article talks about using we instead of you many times. Instead of placing blame or placing too much stress on one person I should use we. That means taking part of the blame and work load, too. It really drives home the point that we are a team here at the library and that we must work together to achieve our goals. One other point it made is involving people in the problem solving aspect. I think this would be a great tool to use with student workers. I know how I feel when someone considers my opinion to reach a solution. I think we should do that we student workers as well. They see almost everything that comes in here, and I am sure they sometimes have ideas and solutions that I may not consider. I think asking them what they would do in a certain situation would be a good thing. It would most likely make them feel like they are contributing and give them some pride in their work as well. I was a little convicted in one area. The article says think about how many times you remain silent in a conversation, and try to just listen more often. I am not always the best listener. I need to work on that and make sure that student workers and patrons feel like they get heard when they come to me with a problem.

MAX Performance Feedback

Today I read MAX Performance Feedback. The feedback article talked about the importance of feedback and how it is often not used enough in the workplace. It says that 43 % of employees dont get enough guidance. I think a lot of times workers dont do better because they do not know what they are doing wrong to begin with. Many times managers fail to communicate when their expectations are not met. The article really makes a big deal about the importance of positive feedback. It even gives examples of feedback methods that have great results. The Bear method was my favorite. First the B in bear stands for behavior. It says to give specific examples of what they are doing right or wrong. E stands for Effect. Give the student worker concrete examples of the effects of their behavior. A is alternative. Give the worker specific examples of what he or she could do differently to obtain better results. R stands for results. As a manager I should think of other ways that might be easier for the worker to do things the right way. this R section could also be used to outline any consequences of not doing things right. While I wont be deciding on consequences I do think it is important to consider the results section and how people have different learning and working styles. As a manager I should be considerate of that and think of ways to modify situation to accommodate everyone. They article also points out that When giving feedback i should make sure that I am giving at least 70% positive feedback and 30% negative. I think this is important. I dont want anyone to start feeling bad about themselves or resent me. One way it says this cam be put into practice is to give three encouraging words and then the one negative. I really like this article. It makes you think about how important feedback is. It reminded me how important it is to stay positive.

Case Study- Home Away from Home

Today I read the case study, Home Away from Home. I really like the idea of case studies. I think it is interesting to think of ways to come up with a solution. Anyway, in the article there is a public library patrons that drops her kid off in the children's section and plants herself at a computer for the majority of the day. The staff is annoyed by the child acting out, and other patrons not getting time on the computer because she is hogging it. The article ends by saying maybe it is time to consider changing our policy. I definitely think it is time to change their policy. First and most importantly, they should create a child policy. Children left unattended could very easily create a liability for the library. Not only that but since it is a public place children should not be left unattended for their own safety. Also, there should be a time limit and session log for computer use. After her allowed session Mrs. Kittner should have to sign up for a new session. If there is no one waiting she can get back on right away, but if there is a line she will have to get at the back of the line and wait her turn. This is only fair and it is the best way to accommodate all patrons. Mrs. Kittner is in a sticky situation and since the librarians know of her hard time they should do everything the can to help her. I think the library should think about investing in laptops. Today they are fairly inexpensive so they could get a few. This would also help solve the problem of her unattended child. She could check out a laptop and then sit with him in the children's section while still having access to a computer. Also laptops that must be checked out by an adult would keep children for messing around on them and potentially damaging them.

Compassionate Confrontation

On Monday I read the Compassionate Confrontation. I blogged about it but the network was down so I am blogging about it again. I really liked this article and got a lot out of it. I like that the article tries to diminish the negative connotation that goes along with confrontation. The article says "no one is worthy of you giving up your integrity." This really made an impression on me. Sometimes I tend to be passive because I want people to like me or because I may be intimidated by them. I shouldn't be that way. I am going to work on doing what is right, even if it may step on some toes. Whether it is reminding students to do their tasks or keeping someone from stealing, as a supervisor it is my job to do the right thing and confront people when necessary. I also like that they article talks about your ability to confront being directly linked with peoples ability to trust you. I think when student workers know that you will take care of things and when their is consistency, they will trust you. The article also talks about knowing when or when not to confront someone. Sometimes you should know when to pick your battles. The article says "it requires wisdom to know when to let the person struggle and when to offer constructive suggestions." I think the most important part of this article is maintaining the personal aspect of confrontation. Be "compassionate". Treat them fairly, and if confrontation is required...do it with integrity.

How to get the feedback you didnt want to hear (but really need to know)

Today I read one of the articles in our packet about getting feedback. I really like the concept of getting feedback. Personally, I feel motivated by feedback. I like knowing when I am doing well, and I also like knowing when I may be lacking in some area so that I can fix it. I think some kind of feedback process at the library, other than just evaluations, would be really helpful. I would like to know what things the student workers may be seeing that I need to change, or things they may appreciate. One thing the article said that I really took to heart was taking good care of the feedback you are given. Not getting offended, taking time to reflect, and working diligently to improve or keep up the good work, are very important aspects of the feedback process. I think a successful work place requires some type of feedback. I think it is beneficial to know how you are doing as a worker, supervisor, or president for that matter. I would like to see us all work a little harder to develop some type of feedback system. Even if it is just an anonymous review like we do for professors. As long as it is done in a mature and helpful way I think it could really benefit the supervisors.

Management vs. Leadership -Jim Clemmer

Today I read the article Management vs. Leadership. One point the article really stresses is how management and leadership go hand in hand. One with out the other causes problems. I think this is true in work settings. The more I think about it, I think that people need both of these and sometimes depending on the person, they may need more of one than the other. The article also talks about the need for technology in most operations. At the library the use of technology is a huge part to our operation. If we have good systems, good management and inspiring leadership the library will run like a dream. I like the thought that all work together. One thing the article points out is that most managers use written communication while leaders use verbal communication. I think a lot of times in a business the communication aspect is lacking because clear leadership is lacking. As a leader I want to inspire people to want to do their best. One thing I struggle with is knowing HOW to do that. I know the difference between management and leadership, but I still am not sure how to be a good leader. It sounds to me that if you are a good leader the management part just falls into place. If people want to work hard and do things correctly then the management part takes care of its self. The article closed with a great line, "If you want to manage someone, manage yourself. Once you master that, you'll be a much more effective leader of others." I think this is great. I want to be a great leader. Keeping myself if check will get me closer to that goal.