slais libr 504 management of information organizations organizational culture and leadership lynn...
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SLAIS Libr 504 Management of Information Organizations
Organizational Culture and Leadership
Lynn Copeland
Simon Fraser University Library
Feb. 7, 2008
Culture of a group
Shared basic assumptionsLearned by groupResponse to external and internalWorks ‘well enough’Taught to new members
Institutional culturesUBC
‘Canada’s number 1 university’Trek 2010
SFU‘Thinking of the world’‘Radical campus’
VCC‘BC’s number 1 college’40 years: improve lives, job opps, career prospects
Leadership
process of communication that involves coaching, motivating/inspiring, directing/ guiding, and supporting/counseling others. This results in the timely production of predetermined organization goals.
Includes: behaviour, personal characteristics, situations
[good] Leadership 4 characteristics (Bennis)
provide direction and meaningKeep team aware of important stated
goals and objectivesprefer action and risk takingcommunicators of hope
Listen?
Leadership types
Fact-basedCreativity basedFeelings-basedControl/power based
A good leader has all four
Leadership Environment
Each person different (personality, abilities aptitudes, skills)
Therefore each task is different for each person
Therefore managing each process/task is different for manager
Stereotypical examples
Systems: Like everything spelled out Directive communication Intolerant of ambiguity
Reference Like to discuss alternatives, try things out, rethink ‘Speak for users’
Cataloguers ‘follow the rules’
Loans staff ‘follow procedures’
More stereotypes in ULs’ welcome
UBC LibraryFocus on size, collections
SFU Library‘Our Library is where YOU are’
VCC‘offer our students and staff the best service
possible’
Communication
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has
taken place.”
-- George Bernard Shaw
(as quoted over staff copy machine)
SFU LibraryUniversity Librarian
AUL Projects, budget
AUL Systems, Processing, Doc
Del, Data
AUL Collections services
AUL Student learning
commons, Bennett
Reference
Special Collections
Surrey Library
Belzberg library
Theses
Building
Systems
Serials
ELN
Cataloguing
Doc Del
Collections
Loans
Reference
Student Learning Commons
Maps/Data/GIS
Office staff
12 56 3422
11
21
12
31
17
Questions
Communication:How do you communicate effectively in a
large organization?How do you receive communications
effectively in a large organization?How do you ensure that people perceive both
have taken place?How do you ensure the messages get all the
way down/up the chain?
Questions
What do you communicate about?Information exchange
What are good communication vehicles?Informal vs formal communication
Informal
Staff development day ‘Appreciation’ events
Oct. 19 Library support staff dayIce cream in the parking lotCLA staff appreciation proclamation
Regular meeting with staffBrown bag lunches
Is there a librarian culture?
CollaborativeUser focussedInnovative
Self righteous?Culture bound?Passive aggressive, whiny?
If you want to be an academic librarian:
• intellectual interests• technology skills (Web, database, large complex systems, local area
networks)• interest in planning, management • analytical people• a ‘get on with it’ approach to problem solving• maturity• inclusive, service-focussed (the customer is always right)• communicators, listening, negotiating skills• energetic• sense of humor• people with ideas, flexible• balanced involvement in professional activities
Communication around dramatic events
Each situation differentOften situation contextual (university-wide)Policies in place to cover generic Safety paramountLegal issues – agreements, lawsEmotionsUltimate goal is return to normalcy