Core Creative Ideas in Technical Services Interest Group

Creative Ideas in Technical Services Discussion Group

ALA Annual Conference 2010

Table 3

That’s not in my job description:

Encouraging flexibility in times of changing technologies and guidelines

The questions listed below are simply suggestions for guiding and structuring your conversation.  You needn’t feel compelled to use the list or to cover all of the questions.  Don’t hesitate to consider other, better questions that may come up during your conversation.  

• Is your technical services unit being affected more by internal (e.g. staff retirements) or external (e.g. RDA) changes?

• How do you counter resistance to changes in policies, procedures, and/or responsibilities?

• Are staff members in your departments encouraged to seek out opportunities for change or must they wait for a supervisor to dictate change?

• Do you prefer to reward flexibility or punish a refusal to change? What are some ways to do this?

• How can you use cross training as a positive method of building flexibility?

• What can you do to make learning new tasks, technologies, or policies fun?

• How can you prepare for future changes to ensure that you have a flexible staff that’s willing to follow your lead?