Organizational Development - Implemenation

The following twelve proposals arise from the many suggestions that staff had for actions that would improve our work environment. Cabinet approved eleven of these proposals in October 2001 and is discussing the best way to proceed on the twelfth.

Approved!

• Communication - the second Job Stress/Job Satisfaction Survey FUNDED!
  Communication is and should be a two-way street. In 1999 the Library developed a survey to ask staff their opinions of the workplace. This survey was intended to be a "check up" and to be repeated every two years. The staff was surveyed for the second time in October 2001, and summary results became available in January.
• Communication - Making meetings more effective
  Begin with Roundtable. Invite Roundtable participants to evaluate a) how well Roundtable works for their own needs, and b) how well Roundtable works as a link in the Library's communication chain. This process would involve: an email survey to Roundtable, followed by several short Roundtable discussions in consecutive meetings to hear the group's responses and ideas about how to make Roundtable more effective. Follow-up with a Roundtable discussion about how this same process might be used in their own units. Roundtable responded to the survey and discussed results at the RT meeting of May 9, 2002. Outcome: RT recommended creation of a Roundtable agenda committee. Agenda begins July 1, 2002.
• Communication - Staff forums on how to improve the mechanics of communication
  Hold one or more facilitated discussions, including anyone interested, to understand better how email, CU NEWS, Early Birds and Town Hall meetings are used now as methods of communication; to identify specific problems that people have with these; and to identify practices we could adopt which would make these more useful to staff.
• Communication and Collegiality - Civility in the workplace
  Staff report that they experience bad treatment at the hand of their Library colleagues. Hold one or more facilitated discussions (with neutral, trained facilitators) about what style of interactions our community desires and what behavior we find unacceptable. Use this information to
  • draft "rules of etiquette" that apply to one-on-one interactions (whether email or face-to-face) as well "ground rules" for group meetings.
  • Identify skills that staff might need both to say "hold it" or to express strongly held opinions without breaching our standards of civility and offer training in these skills.
  Campus Ombudsperson Margo Wesley led two discussions of library staff on "Civility and Email" (Jan and Feb 2002.) In followup discussion with OrgDev,Libray staff formulated "email tips" for the Library.
• Collegiality - Celebrate staff strengths and differences
  Follow three parallel tracks to showcase how our individual talents, work styles and intellectual preferences strengthen and enrich our environment, and to discuss how to take advantage of our differences rather than letting them become obstacles.
  • offer and introduction to the campus' broad definition of diversity and the Whole Brain Model workshop to any interested staff.
  Inette Dishler, Campus Employee Development and Training, facilitated the Whole Brain Model workshop on May 9, 2002, for thirty-seven Library employees.
  • prepare and present a "Diversity Theater" for the Library like one offered by the Department of Engineering (that got rave reviews from staff, faculty and campus HR personnel)
  Discussions begun with Edith Ng and Carla Trujillo on possible future collaborations between the Library, EVCP Paul Gray, and other campus units to produce Interactive Theater events for campus units.
• host a "cultural fair" showcasing Library staff interests and talents (writers, painters, scultors, cooks, musicians, etc.) so that we learn more about the talents and interests we practice outside the workplace that enrich the workplace. This might be one event or a series of events depending on the level of volunteer interest.
• Excellence & Creativity - Strategic Planning
  Staff have expressed the desire to have alignment between library-wide goals, unit-based goals and individual performance evaluations. OrgDev believes that the Library now has a strategic planning process characterized by each AUL/Director setting goals for their reporting lines, with some library-wide objectives being identified during the annual budget process. We suggest that better communication of this existing structure and content would be helpful. To begin this process:
  • UL Leonard describes to staff the top priorities being pursued for 2001/2002 as reflected in this year's budget appropriations
  • Each AUL and Director hold a 1-hour discussion session for anyone interested in which they describe their strategic goals for 2000/2001.
  AUL Iannuzzi hosts a Morrison Room meeting for all DMCS staff, describing work completed and planned for reorganization of services in Doe and Moffitt Libraries. (June 24, 2002)
• Excellence - Honor the Library
  Identify the UCB Library's birthday, and use this day each year to highlight what is good about libraries; what we offer to society; how we are changing to meet new needs; to emphasize where we are going and where we have been. This could be part of an Early Bird, a library-wide party, an email forum, etc. Draft charge for a Library Birthday Work Group under consideration by Cabinet, Spring 2002
• Professional Growth & Development - Mentoring and new employee orientation
  
  • Assist new employees through a new employee orientation and mentoring program (work with existing Circulation Services sub-group on developing and implementing a new employee mentoring program; work with LHRD to revive the NEOPS program)
  • Establish a mentoring / skills resource program for continuing employees. This might mean mentoring by your supervisor; mentoring by someone other than your supervisor; and/or access to various networks of people with specialized skills or knowledge.
  Interviews held with Library groups working now on job-specific mentoring programs (e.g., circulation staff), as well as interviews with people involved in the Library's New Employee Orientation Program as given in the 1980's and 90's. Background document available.
• Professional Growth & Development - In-house training for 2000/2001 FUNDED!
  A curriculum of library-sponsored classes for 2000/2001, funding co-administered by LHRD and OrgDev ($30,000). Note: LHRD developed a curriculum using half of these funds, which OrgDev is happy to endorse.
• Professional Growth & Development - Training Needs AssessmentFUNDED!
  Following advice from campus Human Resources, and from our consultant Katherine Mitchell, the Library undertakes this year a training needs assessment to provide detailed information on the learning needs of career staff throughout the Library ($31,000). The answers from this survey will be used jointly by OrgDev and LHRD to establish an infrastruture of programs and opportunities to assist staff in being successful in their jobs. Consultant Liz Elliott began an environment scan and initial interviews May 2002. She will work with Library staff during the summer, with results by Fall.
• Recognition - Library "star" program
  The Library is somewhat conflicted on whether and how to recognize "star" performers. Create a program in which staff recognize each other, directly, with OrgDev tracking and publicizing who is recognized for what. Establish this so that lots of people at all levels of the organization have the opportunity to get a star during a year. The Library Stars Program is designed to allow staff at all levels of the library to recognize their colleagues. Sixty stars will be named each year. Program design and process described to Cabinet on June 27, 2002. Early Bird to launch this program scheduled held July 30.

Under Discussion

• Excellence & Creativity / Participatory Decision-Making - Workload Analysis
  Many staff have reported that over time we have reduced staff but have not reduced expectations about what work needs to be accomplished. In contrast, we are often trying to launch new initiatives while trying to keep all continuing initiatives going. To address the costs of this mode of operation (frustration and lower morale for staff; actual deterioration of the quality of all services):
  • Partner with current campus efforts to develop a methodology for doing a workload analysis.
  • Conduct such an analysis for a trial group within the Library
  • Based on results of the trial, expand such an analysis throughout the Library

Milestones

Many units within the Library have taken recent actions which directly support the Library's Statement of Values. See Milestones for a growing list of improvements within our community.

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