Core Dialogue with Directors Interest Group

We had a wonderful meeting at 2010 ALA Annual in Washington D.C. with 10 attendees. Find below a summary of the discussion and some key points shared.

Topic: Having Influence From any Organizational Level

• One library surveyed their staff on training needs with prelimary results showing leadership training was desired
• Some experienced a disconnect between communication & training; desire to not change kept people from pursuing training
• Discussion of management development training to target people with potential
  • Training
  • Capstone project to solve a library issue
• Someone shared a management leadership workshop
  • Mostly librarians, some staff
  • "Selected" by potential or interest
• Need to define expectations of each position
  • One library was using a taskforce to define departments and position roles
  • Define invididual goals within context of department
• Tenure & professor status at one organization makes for a very flat organization
  • Leads to challenges because "teams" wuth elected roles
  • Limits chances to development management skills because everyone is a peer
  • Requires extremely strong assistant university librarians
  • Requires strong mentoring
• Discussion on external leadersihp trainings such as Harvard, ACRL
• What communication & actions to help people into leadership roles?
  • Trainings
  • Travel funds
  • Name a "junior" person to represent the library at the organizational level
  • Give examples
  • "Push" people to try
  • Demonstrate benefits of trainings or promise next step/task
  • Merit pay
• Travel and/or training relevant to goals or responsiblities
• Talents versus experience needed in career path
• Someone mentioned N.C. State's leadership/management training

Topic at 2011 Midwinter: Join us to explore the "relationships of roles". We will explore issues related to supervising, leading from all roles, and how to handle situations based on your official or perceived role within an organization.