5 Tips For The New Librarian - the supervisor edition - PART 1
- IT'S OKAY TO BE ANXIOUS- It's okay to be anxious in your new post. As a matter of fact, anxiety is a quite normal reaction when one is embarking on a journey unfamiliar to them. You will have anxieties about what is expected of you, if you are doing a good job, and how your peers view your leadership and decision-making. You are going to make mistakes, have some rude awakenings, and learn a lot about yourself in the process. Once you follow the basics you will be just fine (see below).
- GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT - be honest; be fair; be humble; be appreciative. Once you build on these pillars you will generally be in good stead and save yourself a lot of stress.Be honest with yourself and those you work with; be fair and be mindful of showing favouritism; be humble enough to accept that you don't know everything and you don't have all the answers (you don't need to); be appreciative of the efforts of those who work with you.
- UNDERSTANDING YOUR ROLE AS A LEADER AND AS A MANAGER- People often confuse management with leadership. It is often said that leaders have people follow them while managers have people work for them. It is important for you to distinguish between the two. Your role as the leader of your team will require you to motivate those around you to be better individuals as well as team players. Your purpose as a leader is to enable those around you to 'buy' into your vision either for the department or as it pertains to a particular task. On the other hand, your role as a manager is usually pre-defined and generally based on your job description. To put it succinctly, being a manager is a job; being a leader is a lifestyle.
- ACKNOWLEDGE AND RESPECT THE WORKPLACE CULTURE - As a rookie supervisor entering a particular environment it is important to acknowledge and study the workplace culture. Workplace culture can tell you a lot about staff(both individually and as a group), what motivates them, what are their expectations, and what are the most effective ways of communicating with them. I cannot stress the importance of this tip; I have personally seen librarians/managers show total disregard for workplace culture and forcefully try to impose changes without being wholly cognizant of what they are going up against. Needless to say, they usually 'hit a brick wall' rendering their efforts as just an exercise in futility. Even if you dislike an existing culture and have intentions of making some department-rocking changes, you will be best advised to acknowledge and observe, then chart a way forward. Shock and awe tactics have no place here. Failure to do so would result in serious resistance to your management/leadership, no doubt setting you back very early in your tenure.
- WORKING WITH THE STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF YOUR STAFF - Everyone will not meet your expectations in terms of work ethic. Staff members who do, make your job a whole lot easier. However, chances are you are going to encounter many whose approach to the job will fall short of the desired standard. Patience but firmness is needed in these instances. Of course, its a delicate balancing act and would test your abilities as a leader, manager, mentor, communicator and human being (lol). If successful, the pay-off is immense. If not successful, be sure to take note of what harsh lessons are there to be learnt. Inevitably, you are not going to be successful with everyone and that is okay. You will know if you are doing a good job once the majority of your staff are conforming to the standards you have set.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
Comments
There may be another outlet for your writing.
Will advise