getting ‘em on board: guiding staff through times of change

Getting ‘Em on Boardguiding staff through

times of change

Kim Vassiliadis

UNC Chapel Hill Libraries

Rebecca Blakiston

University of Arizona Libraries

#edui_onboard

Who we are. What we’ve done.

This matters because

change is constant.

Changing workflows, processes, procedures

Start with informal discussions.

Hey, we

started talking

about getting

a new system.

Cool, it’s

about

time.

Communicate a detailed visionCommunicate a detailed vision.

How will this

support the

strategic

plan?

Administration wants the big picture.

How will this

impact my

work?

Staff want to know how it affects them.

Back up decisions with data.

Stories are good, too.

Once staff is on board in theory…

Start small: identify your champions.

Identify potential naysayers.

Know your allies in each meeting.

Get bigger: communicate with entire staff.

Regular updates are critical.

Bring all conversations back to the user.

Usability

mantra:

You are not

your user.

Facilitate effective discussions.

Allow staff to express and

discuss their feelings.

Wear your thick skin.

This new

website is

mediocre at

best.

Don’t be rude or disrespectful.

Don’t talk behind people’s backs.

Anticipate and acknowledge problems.

Build ongoing trust.

Identify & utilize staff strengths.

Give staff the tools they need

to be successful.

Keep coming back to communication.

Keep talking about the changes

Keep people informed

Keep administrators on board

Keep emphasizing your message

Keep talking about the good that’s coming

Keep listening to ideas/criticisms

Keep your head up

Questions