WELCOME TO Overcoming the Silent Barriers-- Living Leadership Values From the Inside Out

1. WELCOME TO Overcoming the Silent Barriers-- Living Leadership Values From the Inside Out

2. Panelists Francine Carlin, Principal, The Performance Partnership

3. North Vancouver City Library John Black, Librarian, Collections & Info Services Karen Coyne, Senior Clerk, Children’s Services Jane Watkins, Chief Librarian

4. Program Overview To share our experience of the importance of acknowledging,valuing and dealing with issues relating to organizational culture to achieve your Vision and effectively lead and manage change.

5. The Context

7. Our Vitals • Serving a population of 46,000 • Single site library system – the Heart of the City • Open 69 hours per week • 43 staff 30 FTE’s (Unionized) • 100,000 items • Circulation + 600,000 items per year • 14,000 square feet • New 35,000 square foot facility planned

8. Our Vitals Everyday on average: • 1,400 people visit the library • 1,800 items are checked out, and 1,800 items are checked in and shelved • 75 reserves are processed • 175 information inquiries are answered • 100 children attend literacy based programs • 375 sessions are booked on Internet stations

9. Background

10. New director hired 1999 • Clear mandate to modernize operations, build relationships with Library Staff, City Staff, Council and the community • Lead the process to expand/build a new library facility

11. First Impressions • No leadership from the top • No vision • No standards or expectations of performance • No effectiveness, efficiency measures

12. Strong informal leaders that did not work together • Bitter infighting and longstanding inter-personal conflicts • Glass half empty mentality • No pride in place of employment

13. Dark, crowded, disorganized environment • Services set up for the convenience of the staff not the customers There was a lot to do!

14. Transforming the Organization

15. Space Needs Analysis • Vision • Roles established • Need for new library facility established • Strategic Plan Revised and Updated • Operational Review conducted and implementation plan established

16. Key Recommendations • Measure all activities by asking “What business are we in?” • Move from a task oriented to a customer focused organization • Address duplication of effort and rationalize division of tasks • Restructure staffing complement to public service

17. Transforming & Marketing Our Image

18. Modernized our look with new logo • Established a Customer Newsletter

19. Transforming the Staffing Structure

20. Rationalize departmental tasks and where possible reallocate staff to public services • Revisit organizational structure with each resignation and retirement

21. Transforming the Library Environment

22. Seismic Upgrade

23. From Overcrowded & Disorganized

24. To Clean

25. Clearly Labeled

26. A Splash of Colour Brightened the Environment

27. From Hidden Service Point

28. To Service Points Clearly Accessible and Always Staffed

29. From Underwhelming New Materials Display

30. Exciting Displays That Tempt and Please Our Customers

32. From Uninviting Seating

33. To “A Room With a View”

34. Age Appropriate Furniture

35. From Crowded Public Computer Workstations

36. To Customer Friendly, Personal Stations

37. Self-Service Features

38. Self-Service Features

39. Self-Service Features

40. Self-Service Features

41. We had: • Employed all the proven management strategies • Included staff in all these processes • Held change management workshops …It still wasn’t enough.

42. Transforming the Organization’s Culture

43. What To Do? • Address culture shock • Gain Senior Staff buy in and team commitment • Gain staff support to achieve the common goal of delivering excellent library service

44. Enter Francine

45. Where to Begin??? Facing cultural patterns imbedded overtime

46. BUILDING TRUST & RESPECT STAFF SENIOR STAFF The key to shifting negative cultural patterns

47. BUILDING TRUST & RESPECT Process: • Subtle, experiential and internal • Addressing the silent barriers • hurt feelings, history, anger • Building positive relationships • Creating a safe environment Focus On: • Authentic communications--own and express feelings • Listening to hear • Confidentiality • Acknowledging individual worth

48. Senior Staff Leadership Lab Creating A Leadership Team Takes Practice: • Relationship Building • Addressed long standing interpersonal issues • Strengthened relationships through self-discovery • Dealt with vulnerable issues around being a leader • Introduced ‘Emotional Intelligence’ components of self-management and self-awareness

49. Senior Staff Leadership Lab • Leadership Skills Building & Practice • Regular leadership ‘check-ins’ • Established team vision, values • Identified individual leadership styles • Conducted leadership self-assessment • Participated in peer reviews • Developed personal learning plans • Commitment by the Chief Librarian to facilitate practice of the learnings in between Lab Sessions

50. John’s Perspective • Where we’d be if we hadn’t participated • On being customer focused • Listening as a leadership tool • Personal reflections