How to Transform
July 3rd, 2006I’m learning a lot about change lately (sometimes, it’s forced upon you), and these commments from Leslie Burger’s speech at ALA resonate. Tips on transforming communities for libraries:
“1) The first is to be passionate. Believe 150% in what you do. Share your passion with others. Engage in shameless promotion. Be out there in the community.
2) Create a vision to guide the future. Focus every aspect of how you do business to reflect that vision. Engage your board, staff, Friends, faculty colleagues, students, etc. Don’t just talk…listen.
3) Walk on the wild side. Try a different new practice each week or month. Do what businesses do. Hire for attitude as much as skills. Challenge the status quo. Give someone the title of ‘chief innovator.’
4) Build a culture that encourages and rewards change. Encourage your staff to take some risks. Offer rewards for new/different ways of doing things. If they turn out be better, great! If not, recognize, appreciate and learn from the effort. Be relentless about promoting the changes you want to see. Good example: The library that encourages staff to keep track of how many times they say no and figures out how to turn no into yes.
5) ‘Keep everlastingly at it.’ That’s what John Cotton Dana, our first and perhaps greatest library promoter would say. Never give up.”
I have never met Leslie Burger, but I hope to do so one day. I’m not big into ALA politics but Leslie’s ideas transform them. How could you NOT get behind these statements, if not professionaly, then personally.