The South Carolina State Library is hosting a Summer Leadership Webinar Series featuring library trainer and consultant Pat Wagner. All webinars are Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. Register for one or for all webinars and you'll get a reminder email with login information. Archives will be available after the session—but join live online to ask questions of the presenter! These webinars are for library staff members in South Carolina who are managers and those who are interested in learning more about library leadership.
May 14—Curious About Library Supervision
Interested in moving into a supervisory position in libraries, but wonder if it is the right career path for you? Curious about the specific skills needed to be an effective supervisor? If you were applying for your first supervisory job, what’s the secret of an effective resumé? Join us for this unique look at the life of a library supervisor--what the job entails, the challenges, the rewards, and the quirks of being a boss.
May 21—How to Complain Effectively: Influencing Change in the Workplace
Often staff complain ineffectively (commonly known as whining), but it is possible to learn how to ask for what we want more competently. To be more influential, we have to learn to get our own act together, build a support network, and make sure we know the facts. A combination of data and good interpersonal skills work better than complaining that is limited to talking instead of taking productive action.
June 4—Who Does What Work? Mastering the Organizational Map
The Organizational Map model describes three points of view and sets of skills necessary for any library or organization to succeed: Task, Supervision/Management, and Leadership. Each POV focuses on a different level of detail and responds differently when required to make decisions and solve problems. Learning the map can improve productivity and workplace relationships as well as identify existing abilities and places for improvement.
June 18—Catch Them Doing it Right: Effective Coaching Strategies
Most workplace learning happens in the course of the day, during encounters with employees, co-workers, and supervisors. Instead of seeking out colleagues only to tell them they are doing something wrong, or to ask them a favor, why not use your time to coach: Catch them doing it right, tell them what they are doing right, and reward them with attention and praise. Works better than a constant rain of criticism.
July 9—The Micromanagement Cure: Using the Expectations Model for Effective Oversight
The Expectations Model has two main components: goals and parameters. If someone is able to achieve the goals within the parameters, how they do it is up to them, and is called style. Defining, describing, and tweaking those components can take weeks, even in a well-run organization, but it is more than worth the trouble. It keeps people (and projects) on track even while encouraging initiative.
July 23—Recruitment and Retention: Finding and Keeping Quality Employees in Small Communities
The secret to finding great employees in small communities is to become a talent scout. Can you judge the value of a potential employee without looking at credentials and experience? Can you find people willing to grow and learn? How flexible are you regarding job-sharing, internships, partnering with local colleges, and sharing employees with other organizations?
August 13—How to Be a Fearless Employee
Risk energizes some people, but it also paralyzes others. They won’t present a new idea at a meeting, ask for a raise or promotion, take a class in something difficult, or look for a new job. They might also be afraid of being fired for making a mistake. How can these people find the courage to take reasonable risks to help themselves and others?
August 27—Cheat Sheets for Library Staff: Capturing Institutional Knowledge
What do you keep in your head? Small organizations often run on the knowledge and experience of a few key people. The overhead of identifying, capturing, archiving, and retrieving that wisdom could be a full-time job for everyone. So, how can important historical knowledge be corralled and used without bringing the day-to-day work to a halt?
For more information, please contact Tiffany Hayes, Continuing Education Consultant at (803) 545-4206 or thayes@statelibrary.sc.gov.
