Extreme Makeover – Library Edition: Roles and Tools for Positive Workplace Changes

1. Extreme Makeover – Library Edition: Roles and Tools for Positive Workplace Changes John J. Burke OPAL Annual Conference Columbus College of Art and Design August 4, 2005

2. Ch-ch-ch-changes • Change happens • Constant • Healthy • Responsive • “How” and “why” changes

3. Change barriers • Necessary, unavoidable, immediate results • Perspectives of evolution and revolution • External and internal • Change for change’s sake • Not until we’re good and ready

4. Where do you come in? • Accommodate and create • Tools • Roles • Inspiration (and singing and dancing)

5. Today’s Metaphor: Have you seen the show?

6. Extreme Makeover Home Edition: The Basics • A needy family is selected • The design team puts a plan together • The family goes on vacation for one week • Hundreds of construction workers and volunteers tear the house down and rebuild it • ABC, Sears, et al., foot the bill • The new home is unveiled to the family • Joy ensues

7. Suspend your disbelief • Questions linger about EMHE • Overkill? • Property taxes? • Resale? • Affordable housing?

8. Truths from the tube • Does any of this apply to libraries? • 8 aspects from EMHE – not chronological • What if we pursued change in our libraries as though it worked like this? • What if our libraries really did work like this?

9. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

10. 1. Assess your needs • EMHE: the family makes a video and writes out their story • Clearly state what you want to do • Focus on what is needed • Brainstorm as though from outside

11. One person’s library . . .

12. . . . is not the next person’s . . .

13. . . . or the next person’s.

14. Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads • Many visionaries • Shared vision ≠ uniform vision • Consensus • What if your library could come up with a vision that everyone rallied around?

15. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

16. 2. Prepare your environment • EMHE: Often total destruction is required (and shown to family) • Starting from scratch? • Clear preconceptions; open possibilities • Mindsets are just as important as logistics

17. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

18. 3. Change should preserve • EMHE: an item from the home is preserved or given greater emphasis in the new home • The baby and the bathwater • Extension, addition, improvement • “Googlezon, Robots, RFID, and Ranganathan”

19. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

20. 4. Effort inspires effort • EMHE: ABC & Sears foot most of the bill, but others pitch in to volunteer/fund • One person’s effort inspires others • Be open to another’s enthusiasm • We might be surprised at sources of support that open up as we make a change

21. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

22. 5. Deeper impact • EMHE: what happens to one house can be mirrored in the neighborhood (or might last beyond the taping of the show) • Impact on our patrons • Campus collaborations • Library partnerships

23. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

24. 6. Changes have an expiration date • EMHE: Seven day deadline to change everything • What’s the rush? • Will meaningfulness last? • What if we could focus and act on a change in a timely manner?

25. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

26. 7. Share input, responsibility, and trust • EMHE: design team has a leader (Ty) but everyone has a role and a voice in the outcome (family goes on vacation) • The “secret room” • We are family: trust and support • What if we listened to one another and believed our individual role mattered?

27. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

28. 8. Communicate clearly • EMHE: bullhorn at the beginning and end, but lots of talking in between (and practical jokes) • Coworkers, community, partners • Choose methods that work for you (humor?) • What if those around you (and you) felt like you were “in the know”?

29. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!

30. Roles to remember • Play your part (but no pigeonholing!) • Reporting a need for change? • Designing a solution? • Working on your piece? • Supporting and cheerleading? • Making sure everything comes together? • Building positively on the end result?

31. Tools to take away • Assess your needs • Prepare your environment • Change should preserve • Effort inspires effort • Deeper impact • Changes have an expiration date • Share input, responsibility, and trust • Communicate clearly

32. Getting to “The Reveal” • The end . . . or the beginning? • Use the tools • Follow your role(s) • A “laugh-a-minute” experience • Concentrate on the greater good

33. Mr. Bus Driver, Move That Bus!

34. 1 – 2 – 3 . . . Unbelievable!