extreme makeover – library edition: roles and tools for positive workplace changes
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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
Ch-ch-ch-changes
Change happens
Constant
Healthy
Responsive
“How” and “why” changes
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
Where do you come in?
Accommodate and create
Tools
Roles
Inspiration (and singing and dancing)
Today’s Metaphor: Have you seen the show?
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
Suspend your disbelief
Questions linger about EMHE
Overkill?
Property taxes?
Resale?
Affordable housing?
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?
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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
One person’s library . . .
. . . is not the next person’s . . .
. . . or the next person’s.
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?
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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”
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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?
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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?
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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”?
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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?
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
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
Mr. Bus Driver, Move That Bus!
1 – 2 – 3 . . .
Unbelievable!
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