Don’t Stress. Get Help.
The tough challenge for a new leader is figuring out what to do, what order to do it in, and how to get it done. Do you make staff concerns a priority? Do you get right to that issue that community members are bringing to your attention or whatever your superior has at the top of their library to-do list? Perhaps it’s none of the above and you follow your gut instinct. Starting out with a campus listening tour can certainly provide perspective, but it also takes time. New leaders are often anxious to score some early wins. Priority setting, resource allocation, and all the decisions around those matters can lead to a state of head-spinning stasis. Step back. Take a deep breath. Granted, new leaders will make mistakes, but that’s how we all learn. As a new library director, I attended a leadership development program after four months on the job. While I came away with some useful strategies, meeting and speaking with other new library directors had a bigger impact. I learned that most of my peers had similar issues, concerns, and stressors. I came away feeling more confident that I could do this job.Avoid These Mistakes
It certainly helps to learn what to do to get it right. New leaders also benefit from learning basic mistakes they need to avoid, but they hear about the latter less than needed. For example, what’s one thing new leaders do that tends to annoy their staff and colleagues? “Here’s what we did at [insert prior institution].” Yes, we know you did great things at your last library job. That’s why we hired you. Let’s now move on to this institution. That’s just one thing new leaders need to avoid, according to Jeffrey L. Buller in his article “Five Newbie Mistakes Made by Academic Leaders.” Just forget where you previously worked and what you did there, says Buller. All people care about is how successful you will be in this new position. Buller’s four other new leader’s mistakes are:After the Honeymoon
These five what-not-to-do recommendations for the newbie leader, would, I think, work well in the first few months. New leaders typically have a honeymoon phase when they get extra leeway to make some mistakes, but retain the administration’s support for change. There is endless advice and research for what new leaders can do to get off to a good start. Meet with stakeholders. Align with institutional strategies. Engage with the culture. Establish and build trust. Shape and articulate a vision. All good things to know for a successful first year—but also the things aspiring and new leaders hear in leadership courses, workshops, and development programs. I like the idea of hearing more from experienced leaders sharing their tips for what not to do in the early days. Then again, while that might allow a new leader to keep from falling into certain traps, it may eliminate some of those valuable lessons we learn from our mistakes and failures. If new library leaders remember just one thing from this column…repeat after me: what happened where I used to work stays there. Are you a fairly new library leader with a good what-not-to-do tip to offer? Please share it with others in a comment below.We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing
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JIm Rettig
I had a wonderful accidental (literally) opportunity come my way in the first month of my second directorship. The hurricane was an inconvenience and the school had to shut down a day or two; the same month an earthquake closed the campus. Engineers assessed damage and we resumed operation the next morning. I met with several staff and we planned an all-hands effort to reshelve the several thousand books that the tremor had knocked to the floor. It was a great opportunity to demonstrate solidarity with my new colleagues. One of them, in an oblique comment about my predecessors, said "I didn't know library directors shelve books!" I responded that every librarian knows how to do that. When a senior administrator came in the afternoon to see the effect of the quake, there was nothing for him to see--we had taken care of everything. So, early on look for an opportunity (short of a natural disaster) to demonstrate that you are one of the staff, even if you have a title that some might interpret otherwise. When I retired this May some staff recalled that day and what a positive impression my participation in the reshelving made. (I also leaned that day how much the collection needed some serious weeding.)Posted : Aug 02, 2017 01:42
Bob Holley
I would add one more mistake to avoid. Be careful of getting to close to any one person or group during the honeymoon period. Take time to evaluate your staff, including fellow administrators, by focusing on what they do rather than what they say. I agree with the cliche that "actions speak louder than words." As a corollary, seek out divergent viewpoints and consider the mutliple facets of any issue or proposed action. I'm not against having a trusted advisor or two among your staff, a person whose opinion you can trust; but don't choose these advisors too quickly.Posted : Jul 28, 2017 02:47