Don't Be an Intruder!

A colleague recently shared a 2012 Forbes article written by Sean Devlin entitled: “5 Ways to Stop Desk Intruders”. I found the title intriguing, as this can be a common problem in many office environments, and even at our libraries. As we have various roles within our organization, sometimes we forget that what may constitute “work” for one person may not for another. For those who work behind a computer, it is important to remember that it is just that – work. Our lack of walls does not mean that we are free to invade a person’s work space without asking for permission.

I do not want to be accused of being what the writer called one of the “Desk Intruders”. Read his description:

You know the people who somehow figure out exactly when you are at your most productive moment and they intercept it by stopping at your desk (sometimes just to chat), or tap you on your shoulder, or yell your name. They want to see if you got the email they sent earlier or if you can help them later on or if you want to go take a break. Sometimes their requests are important, but mostly for them and without any regard for your current focus. These people are productivity vampires and they come out during the day and they are in offices everywhere.

I can make a confession to you that even on the day of writing this article, I found myself in this category.

1. I walked into the Director's office without knocking, stood by her desk as she was obviously working on finishing an email, and asked her a question about something that was not urgent. (I do this a lot…more confession). What are my options?

• Knock on the door and ask if she has time to talk.

• Peak in the door, and if she’s working, go back to my desk and send a message. 

• Send her an email prior to taking the time to go to her office to ask her when she’s free to talk.

• Send all my thoughts to her in an email.

• Realizing they were in a meeting, I just waived, said hi and left.

• I could have returned to my office and gone back to check on them later.

• I could have sent an email to say, “I saw you and Laura were busy. Just wanted to say good morning.”

I think any of the above would be appropriate, but when I look at productivity for both the Director and myself, I think the best choice is to send her an email with what I need to tell her. She can then make the decision whether it is necessary to have a face-to-face.

2. As a supervisor, I walk around the library each morning to check in with those for whom I’m responsible. When I went to the Youth Services Specialist's office, I noticed that she and a co-worker were hovered over a large calendar, obviously discussing a program plan.

I don’t think I killed their productivity with my quick hello, but as I write this article, I see that there could have been other options that would have prevented interrupting their work. I wanted to share those thoughts, because it’s good to know we’re all guilty of this from time to time. If you are one of those who is frustrated by frequent interruptions, here are some suggestions from the Forbes article:

1. Use a signal.

When you’re in the zone and absolutely do not want interruption, put a sign on your desk. I know that some Tech Services staff at Linebaugh have adopted this practice, and our Director does it when she’s busy with things like budgets, so I encourage everyone to be aware of signage when you go to approach someone working at their desk or if you want to start using this yourself, notify your colleagues, so they will be on the lookout for the “no interruption” times.

2. Establish communication pipelines.

How many times have you chatted with a colleague about something that could have been addressed with a short email? If this persistently happens in a way that keeps interrupting your work flow, tactfully talk with them about how to best communicate with you.

3.  Put up walls.

While this can be difficult at every location, there are ways to at least put some kind of barrier between you and potential intruders. Always get your supervisor’s permission first.

4. Schedule office hours.

Establish times when you have “open-door” opportunities for colleagues and when you need to be left alone. I know for some of our front desk staff at Linebaugh, it is easy to say that the “back of the desk” tasks need to be uninterrupted to enable them to finish the required work in a reasonable amount of time. Unfortunately, these can become some of the most interrupted periods.

5. Don’t desk intrude!


As with my above confession, I realized that I do this as much as anyone, and I am sorry to all those I’ve interrupted without considering the value of your time. We are each hired to be productive. Let’s encourage productivity in each other by respecting each other’s time and space.

Nothing is different, but everything's changed -- that's really true for libraries!

I recently attended the Lead the Change conference at Nashville Public Library, sponsored by Library Journal. David Bendekovic was the speaker, and he encouraged us to realize that regardless of our job titles, everybody in the library needs to think of themselves as a marketer to meet the changing needs of existing patrons and reach new users. I found this especially important as I have been working to clean up our patron database and accept the challenge from Sandra Nelson to keep our users current within a three-year span. Wow, that bit a chunk out of our registered borrowers on file, and made me realize that we have a LOT of work to do to not only keep current patrons active and constantly renewing their cards, but attracting new users as well. We went as a system from having a total of 146,039 card holders in 2011-12 down to 92,094 in 2014-15. This means we’ve removed around 50,000 inactive patrons from our database! It hurts to think of that loss, but I can now say that our numbers are much more realistic. Unfortunately, this means that we are now only reaching about 37% of our total service population, which is 254,632 and growing.

In leading the change, each of us leads within their sphere of influence. But in order to lead, I need to know myself and my strengths. I encourage you to take this free test to see what your areas of strength may be. This is a shortened version of the Myers-Briggs personality test http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp but it is helpful to gain insights into what makes you tick or perform the best. There are many tests like this that can help us each better understand who we are and our strengths. Working in our strengths gives us energy and enjoyment.

Once you know yourself better, you can seek out areas of growth. This is one reason one of our goals each year is to attend one training or webinar. We all have things to learn related to our jobs, and the more we seek growth, the better able we are to meet patrons’ needs and enrich the services of our library. The better we are at living out our strategic plan and the key words of “explore, imagine, engage”, the more our community knows what we stand for at LPLS.

Paul Simon has a song which goes: “Once upon a time there was an ocean, but now it’s a mountain range. Something unstoppable set into motion. Nothing is different, but everything’s changed.” David Bendekovic tweaked this by saying: “Libraries: Something unstoppable set into motion. Nothing is different, but everything’s changed.” Libraries are creating an environment where people can come and change their own lives.

I think we are on the right track with our strategic plan and our vision of being the place where people can explore the possibilities, imagine what could be and engage in experiences that lead to growth as individuals and a community. This is an ongoing conversation as we seek to lead from our core values to be what people are interested in and thus engage them in an on-going relationship.

We Have a New Front Desk!

We have a New Front Desk at Linebaugh!

Ben, the IT guy, at our new desk

Lots of extra space, as noted by our new carpet tiles

Though it’s still a work in progress, we do have a new front desk at Linebaugh! We are getting great compliments from patrons, and staff is adjusting very well to the new space.

This has been something we’ve been planning for since I started here, so I’m thrilled to see the (almost) finished product. We should have everything finalized by the end of September, as there were some mistakes in the order, but we’re still functioning in the meantime. I do appreciate the Linebaugh staff’s flexibility during the transition and installation (that was a fun day), and as we wait for the final pieces to be installed.

This summer has been one of tests and trials for us at Linebaugh. Let me give you a short list of things we’ve been dealing with:

• Front desk transition
•  HVAC problems and some very hot days for staff and patrons
• Challenges with the new Wandoo Reader program for Summer Reading
• Some especially sketchy patrons and incidents
• Renewal of efforts to steal library materials
• Front enclosure problems
• Mystery break-in or break-out.

So, what do we do in this ever-changing and challenging environment? I’ve noticed some things here that I’d like to share in this summer of trial:

1.      We learn new skills.

I can tell you that I’ve learned more about HVAC systems that I’ve ever cared to know in my life. I’ve had to in order to be able to talk with technicians and sales reps and facilities committees. Now, however, I can talk the talk and add this to my resume of knowledge.

2.      We learn to be more observant.

With several of the incidents we’ve had, I have noticed staff members becoming much more aware of what is actually happening in the library. We all have a tendency to get “into our own little worlds” when we work, but part of working with the public means we need to be alert to the people in our buildings and what is happening around us.

3.      We learn to speak up when there’s a problem.

With all the responsibilities each of us has, I have discovered that a supervisor or IT person may not instinctively know that something is broken or not working unless I tell them. So, I have a choice: Speak up and tell them about it (In a nice way) or keep quiet and allow the issue to become a source of ammunition to use against them later. I’ve especially been very thankful to Mindy Barrett this summer who has been our “go-to” person for Wandoo Reader, as she has been on the phone and writing those emails to Evanced whenever something didn’t work with the software. I think Mindy will be the first to say that because she stayed on them with the problems, the company continually worked to get things fixed. This works for in-house issues as well, as I really appreciate the ability to send a ticket to the IT staff with problems knowing they have a great system to get priority problems fixed quickly. Just email them @ Linebaugh IT Support.

4.      We learn to analyze better.

I love watching Garrett and Kathleen try to figure out a problem. Looking at procedures that are shaky, they work through them together, revise as needed, test them out and then say: “Let’s go with it this way for a while.” With all the transitioning with the desk, we have definitely had to revisit workflow and habits. I’ve so appreciated Kathleen and Garrett’s willingness and leadership in analyzing everything that is going on behind the scenes up front.

5.      We learn to laugh.

There are some days when you just can’t imagine anything else happening in the library. When Garrett is digging through the men’s restroom trash can searching for contraband and finds a prescription for Oxycodone, a vodka bottle and two covers of graphic novels that have been ripped off? Or, when Jonathan is trying to wake up a patron who is in a drunken stupor asleep in the stacks? Or, when Becky sends me an email picture of a vodka bottle a patron found behind one of the public computers. What can you do? That’s when I feel led to post a picture like this on Linebaugh’s Facebook Page and try to quickly close the door on Friday night.

So, it’s definitely been an interesting summer, but not one without lessons and growth. What’s even more amazing is I’m excited for the future. Yes, even with all the above, we’re looking at great days ahead as more and more people connect with the library and the services we offer. It’s a great day, we have a new front desk!

Accomplishment

For three years, I have spent time doing special projects along with a week of each year participating in intense training to complete certification as a Public Library Manager. I think what I learned the most is a wider perspective of the library world in our State, coming to know other librarians in a personal way. Hearing their stories, seeing pictures of their libraries, and realizing their struggles helped me to see how much I have to be grateful for. So, first of all, studying with others is good for reminding us we're not unique or alone in this job of management.

I also have learned that leadership takes many forms. Sometimes, it's just being a listening ear or helping someone print. Leadership can also come in the form of direct suggestions or modeling. What is crucial is knowing how to adjust your form of leadership to meet the needs of those around you. Leadership can also be a lonely place, as not everyone wants to be close to a leader, whether they feel threatened, intimidated or just prefer to do things their own way. A leader learns to adjust to how people react as well.

Our library system is on a good path, as I've had the opportunity to analyze it during these past three years. We've come a long way, and I now see how we can serve as a model to many other libraries, because just like my experience at the Public Library Management Institute, our system is made up of large, medium and small libraries in a variety of locations, meeting the needs of a variety of communities. As we grow and change in meeting our patrons' needs, we can share what we're learning with others in our field. That's a great feeling and gives me a lot to look forward to for the years ahead.

Everybody likes a challenge

At a recent management training, our facilitator used the Survivor TV show as our theme for the week, complete with opportunities to be challenged in groups. While TV shows are often used to bring some life to various meetings, not being familiar with Survivor, I was not sure I cared for the idea of doing some unknown activity with a group of peers to win a Moon Pie.

However, I've learned that despite my initial tendency to want to sit on the sideline, you can have much more fun being part of the game and cheering others on. After all, it's not who wins but how you play the game that counts. This is true in game participation, work and life in general. It all starts with your attitude.

We can choose to be unhappy and irritating or we can find a bright spot even in a game that gets us way outside our comfort zone and just focus on that. That in itself can be the greatest challenge!

Working as a Group, Pt 2

Learning to work in a group is not always easy, and sometimes as completion time nears, stress increases. I have recently been able to witness an amazing array of group dynamics as a group of librarian-professionals-in-training were forced to produce a project with others who in most cases were extremely different from themselves.

Such situations are interesting when you think of the fact that these are the library directors and branch managers who are facing these issues. Why would we expect any more of our staff members, if we ourselves cannot function in a group setting?

I am happy to say that I had a great group, and we worked well together. This, I think are some quick tips to working as a group:

1. Step back from your ego. You are now part of a team, and it's not all about you.

2. Quickly analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your team members, while realizing your own.

3. Remember that working as a team may mean you have to do something that is not within your comfort zone for the good of the group.

4. Be willing to help others learn something new as you go, so they can grow and develop their skills.

5. Be kind.

6. Carry your part of the load.

7. Give everyone credit for a job well done.

8. Count it as a learning experience -- you learn about yourself, how to be a part of a team, how to lead and how to follow -- all in one setting!

Old Advice is Still Good Advice

We are very quick in today's world to throw out the old to embrace the latest and newest, and yet today I was again reminded that much of the old is still very relevant and useful for leaders today. I was given a book, courtesy of the Tennessee State Library and Archives, by Dale Carnegie entitled: "How to Win Friends and Influence People." This book, written in 1936, is timeless in its value for leaders, and I look forward to digging into it in a deeper way after the overview we received.

The talk began on the importance of our frontline staff providing the lasting impression on all who enter the library, and how Carnegie's book can help us in training them in this area. I thought what could a 1930's book do to help me with my staff in the 21st century? Yet, as I saw the principles from the book I was amazed at how spot-on Carnegie was and still is for how we can influence not only as frontline staff with our pratrons, but as leaders who seek to influence staff, patrons and governments on behalf of the library.

So, be sure there will be more to come from Mr. Carnegie in future blogs, but in the meantime don't dismiss the old as we seek to impact the world around us.