Managing Performance -- Easy to say, Hard to do

When I think about managing performance and the public library, the first thing that comes to mind is a stage performance. While some would say, no, this is about a person's work performance, there are some connections with theatre. In any work environment, the various employees have to both do their individual jobs as well as work in harmony with the rest of the staff in order to effectively serve the public through our materials or services. Unfortunately, I think many people come to a job with the mindset that as long as they do their job, it doesn't matter what is happening in the rest of the library. There is no sense of being a part of the larger picture or of the team. Who's fault is this? Well, I could easily point my finger to one of many leaders who came before me, but in the end, I have to look at myself as the manager or supervisor as the one responsible.

Though an employee's attitude may be"preset" before I got on the job, it is my responsibility as the branch librarian or supervisor to help them to "reset" in accordance with the new work environment I have to establish under my leadership. This takes effort, and as Maggie Bahou shared in a recent presentation on the subject, it also requires us to build trust with our employees. If my employees trust me, they will be willing to change for the good of the library.

Trust, however, cannot be built overnight, but comes as we develop rapport with each person by communicating to them our vision and purpose in a way they hear and accept. For some, this will require constant written correspondence, while for others, it means daily verbal interaction. I believe for all it requires a combination of both.

My brother worked for many years as a stage manager at the Chicago Lyric Opera, and I know the hard work that went into his job to coordinate all the actors and staff required to put on a performance. Library management requires the same intense labor, and managing performance should be part of our daily routine. After I get into my email and send our supervisors my "Daily News from Carol" update, which includes the day's activities, who is off or out of the office for the day and any other important news they may need to convey to their groups, I take time to go to each of my supervisors, greeting other staff members along the way, and check in with them. See if there is anything I need to know about their day, if there are any problems, or if they need help with anything from me. This has been one of the biggest boosts to increasing trust in our organization, for my supervisors know they can come to me for anything. I do keep my door open, and they can see from my window if I am with someone else or on the phone, so supervisors and staff know I am accessible.

When there are issues or problems in a supervisor's performance, I always talk to them first about the problem and give a window of opportunity for them to make a correction. If the issue continues, I talk to them and give a written warning, always copying our HR Administrator and Director. I work to keep documentation on all issues that arise with those I'm responsible for, which enables me to either get issues solved in a timely matter or have backup if dismissal is required.

I am working to be better at doing a formal semi-annual review, so that I can go over the goals that my supervisors made at the beginning of the year. This helps them to remember what they're supposed to be working on and to make corrections if progress is not being achieved. This will aleve stress at the end of the year when you realize their goals were not met, but you as their supervisor did not take the time to check on their progress throughout the year, so how can you blame them all of a sudden?

Again, managing performance -- easy to say, hard to do. Is it achievable?  Absolutely! Is it worth it? Most definitely! For you, for your staff and for the good of the people you serve.