Managing Yourself and Others

1. Managing Yourself and Others by Sara Hansen and Jennifer Doderer, Ocean County Library

2. Sara will cover: Managing others while keeping your sanityJenn will cover: Human Resources 101

3. Management and LeadershipManaging the daily operations of your organization.Leading the library toward the future.

4. Self Assessment: Who are you? What kind of a leader are you?Where do you excel?Where do you need help? Who do you ask for help?

5. Two types of New Directors: • Old relationship – came up through the ranks and was “one of the gang” in the past • New relationship – Director hired from the outside and not privy to all the problems, staff interactions, and enabling that has gone on in the past

6. What makes the Director seat different • You need thick skin – you will be accused of having favorites • Confidentiality is a heavy burden • Open Door policy is OK for most, as it indicates you are open to new ideas and changes in the organization, but beware of martyrs and narcissists – they feed on the attention

7. In What Direction are We Going?Cultivate your teamBe honest Address the issues

8. What you need to be successful: • Personnel Manual • Up-To-Date Policies • Job Descriptions for everyone • List of Front Desk skills all need to learn • Super Library Supervisor training

9. New Hires: • Job application AND a resume from each candidate • 90 days probation in Personnel manual; can extend it only if State Library • Sort applications into two piles: NO and Interview • NO – red flags: comments, sloppy, misspellings, breaks • Phone Interview: weed out ones that look good on paper • Interviews: only need to actually interview 5-6 at most

10. High expectations of good employees should be spelled out: • Detailed job description • Goals for coming year • Regular / Virtualstaff meetings • Coaching sessions • Daily E-mail / BLOGS

11. High expectations of good directors: • Be a role model – “walk the walk” • No favorites – treat all the same • Be consistent • Be aware of cultural differences • Reasonable accommodation of a disability

12. IF YOU’RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH AN EMPLOYEE: Things to check: • Did you provide an orientation for them? • Do they know what their job entails, i.e. do they have a job description, list of duties? • Do they need training / retraining (see Free or Inexpensive Training) Document retraining! • Do they have the tools they need, i.e. space, supplies, computers, time, quiet environment?

13. Costs to keep them: (Cavaiola, p.12) • Higher rates of absenteeism • Undermining loyal employees’ commitment to the organization • Creating a sense of malaise / depression • High turnover / retraining costs • Higher levels of stress with related accidents • Resistance to new management directives – they will undermine you with a passive/aggressive campaign • Legal fees, litigation, including high settlement fees

14. TOOLS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOR INCLUDE: • The Personnel Manual • Coaching / Counseling sessions • Evaluations • annual and interim (quarterly, weekly), if needed • Progressive Discipline • Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) with consequences (demotion or termination)

15. Strategies: • Use a progressive discipline plan • Document, document, document – and do it to everyone that is misbehaving • Treat everyone the same • Cross-train, reschedule everyone. It will get them out of their comfort zone and away from their enablers. Also it will add depth to your organization. • Keep ’embusy and out of trouble!!

16. Evaluations Adaptability Communications Conflict Resolution Customer Service Dependability Job Knowledge Judgment Problem Solving Quality Team Work Supervisors - add: Cost Conscious/ Budgeting Delegation Leadership Managing People Planning and Organization

17. Dealing with FMLA, NJFLA • Stay within the law, use your HR person • Use a labor attorney if things get rough • Document everything, all the time • Have the right forms & require them to be filled out correctly and completely • Excessive absences vs. Sick leave abuse • Have the right leave policies – require earned leave the be used up before going to unpaid • Prevent "Stacking" of Leave

18. Free or Inexpensive Training: • LibraryLinkNJ www.librarylinknj.org • The NJ State Library www.njstatelib.org • The New Jersey Library Association www.njla.org • Web Junction - Learning Center http://www.webjunction.org click on the Find Training tab • Statewide Super Supervisor classes, levels I, II, and III http://librarylinknj.org/content/super-library-supervisor-workshop-series-2013

19. Resources: • Bramson, Robert. Coping with difficult people. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press, 1981. • Cavaiola, Alan A., and Lavender, Neil J. Toxic coworkers: how to deal with dysfunctional people on the job. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2000. • Dobson, Michael, and Dobson, Deborah Singer. Coping with supervisory nightmares: 12 common nightmares of leadership and what you can do about them. Mission, KS: SkillPath Publications, 1997. • Documentation and discipline handouts, shared courtesy of Kathleen Carr, Human Resources, Ocean County Library from Super Supervisor Course • Software from KnowledgePoint: Performance Now, and Descriptions Now, available from www.cdwg.com. They take purchase orders • Google “sample library job descriptions.” Maine St. Lib. has some good ones: http://www.maine.gov/msl/mrls/resources/jobdesc.shtml • http://www.ogletreedeakins.com/publications/2008-06-03/new-jersey-paid-family-leave-law-fact-sheet • http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/epbam/additional/fmla-overview.htm • Marian R. Bauman 732-775-8241 x 1-301 mbauman@neptunepubliclibrary.org