Competency D
Apply the fundamental principles of planning, management, and marketing/advocacy
Introduction
I learned in LIBR 204 about the three types of planning: strategic, tactical and operational. I learned that in the information field few things are more important to any organization than thinking strategically. Long-term thinking identifies goals and objectives, policies, procedures, rules, programs and budgets. Planning allows organizations to achieve goals by measuring progress, coordinating activities, addressing the future and coping with uncertainty or change. Strategic planning builds several statements that should drive your organization: mission, vision and value. These statements set an overall organizational purpose that encourages those within the organization to strive for the same goals and objectives. Tactical and operational planning assures that daily activities of the organization result in achievement of the strategic goals.
The SWOT analysis of an informational organization is an important part of a strategic planning process, which is vital to the continued success of organizations of all types. SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It provides information on the current state of internal and external factors, many of which directly impact the continued viability of an organization. Identifying an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats will help build services and programs in areas where they are strong and where the greatest opportunities lie, the same time, identify areas needing improvement.
Successful strategic planning provides several benefits. In addition to giving direction to the organization, it is a useful training tool that can provide staff retention, prepare staff for leadership roles, and can serve as a morale booster by promoting staff satisfaction through input and participation. It encourages greater commitment to the organization’s goals thus improving the organization’s effectiveness and image (Evans & Layzell, 2007).
Management/Leadership
In LIBR 282 Library Leadership I learned that the terms leadership and management are often used interchangeability. However they are quite different. As Bass (1990) stated leaders manage, and managers lead, but the two activities are not synonymous. A good manager focuses on doing things right, is efficient. A good leader focuses on doing the right things, has vision and innovation. Leaders are strategically focused on “the big picture”, manager’s deal with tactical issues, those related to directing and supervising workers. Both are essential. A review of the historical development of leadership shows a progression from leaders are born not made, to leaders can be made.
The original “great man” or “trait theories” in the early 1900’s espoused that leaders are born with or have certain traits that make them great leaders. These theories soon gave way to a belief that it was, in fact, the behaviors of leaders that made them great. These behavioral theories were later refined to include the belief that behaviors of leaders had to change contingent upon the unique situation of the workplace or the workers. The need for leaders to balance the needs of workers with the needs of the organization was important. Current leadership theories, called transformational leadership, emphasize the need for leaders to transform workers so they want to transcend their own self-interest for the good of the organization (Bennis & Goldsmith, 2003).
The roots of today’s management practices evolved from managers telling the workers exactly how to do the job “the right way”, to managers, and workers collaboratively working in teams to solve work problems and continually improving quality of organization’s products and services. The change in management philosophy over the years from “leave your brains at the door when you come to work”, to “we need your knowledge and contributions to make our organization great”, has been a dramatic and successful evolution. Both great leadership and great management are needed for libraries and all organizations to be successful today. They are distinct but sometimes blended responsibilities, necessary for organizations to do the right things, right.
Marketing/ Advocacy
Throughout the SLIS program the importance of marketing and building advocacy for libraries was made clear. There are several ways to view marketing. It is a process for any organization to identify, anticipate and satisfy user’s requirements. Through the marketing process there must be a product definition, target group, differential market analysis, customer behavior analysis, differential advantages analysis, multiple marketing approaches, market planning, continuous feedback, and market audits. How does this transfer to the information field? There are four concepts that lend themselves to institutional marketing in the information field: positioning, segmentation, targeting and quality.
In applying the general principle of positioning to an information service organization, information providers must position the image of its services in the mind of the user. Segmenting the users on demographics, geographic, psychographics and psychometric characteristics allows a better focus of limited resources on specific needs and interests of unique users and user groups. Targeting consists of focusing on those potential users that can be attracted effectively and efficiently to your organization. Quality of service is one of the most important of these concepts. Without quality service an information organization cannot meet or exceed user’s expectations. Information professionals must make a commitment to quality customer service and user satisfaction.
Experience
I have had many experiences in planning, management and marketing throughout my years as an information professional. I have participated in many strategic planning activities and have been involved in technology and operational planning. In my current position I created a technology service plan to implement our reference chat service. I then worked with our web team to establish a marketing plan and created an online marketing campaign for the service. When implemented, I had to instruct and manage the service desk staff on the technology, and gave them a hands-on tutorial of the service. They were given a script to consult when issues arose, and a step-by-step cheat sheet on how the technology worked so they could assist clientele effectively. I also participate in our Lane Library outreach committee. Through my many outreach activities I am able to effectively promote and market the service to Lane users.
My first piece of evidence came from LIBR 204. The culminating project was a group effort to construct a strategic plan for an information organization. Our five-member team chose to develop a plan for a fictitious academic library in Townsville, CA. We created an academic library that serves its undergrads, graduates and PHD students in all academic disciplines. We also created a brochure to market the plan to users and staff.
My second piece of evidence is from LIBR 282, library leadership. We took an in depth look at historical and current leadership theories, analyzed and applied the principles and created a leadership developmental plan for ourselves. I chose to share the literature synthesis paper I wrote for the concept of management vs. leadership. I researched books, articles and electronic resources to gather information on what makes a manager, what makes a leader and the differences and similarities between them. This course really expanded my perception on what leadership is, how to develop skills to become a more successful leader, and what you need in your professional toolbox to be a collaborative, influential, and mentoring leader.
Conclusion
Strong leadership and strong management are both essential for an information organization to succeed. Using collaborative management in which all members of the organization contribute to improvement activities leads to a high performing organization. Effective planning, management and marketing are essential functions that library leaders must provide if their organizations are to thrive.
Introduction
I learned in LIBR 204 about the three types of planning: strategic, tactical and operational. I learned that in the information field few things are more important to any organization than thinking strategically. Long-term thinking identifies goals and objectives, policies, procedures, rules, programs and budgets. Planning allows organizations to achieve goals by measuring progress, coordinating activities, addressing the future and coping with uncertainty or change. Strategic planning builds several statements that should drive your organization: mission, vision and value. These statements set an overall organizational purpose that encourages those within the organization to strive for the same goals and objectives. Tactical and operational planning assures that daily activities of the organization result in achievement of the strategic goals.
The SWOT analysis of an informational organization is an important part of a strategic planning process, which is vital to the continued success of organizations of all types. SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It provides information on the current state of internal and external factors, many of which directly impact the continued viability of an organization. Identifying an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats will help build services and programs in areas where they are strong and where the greatest opportunities lie, the same time, identify areas needing improvement.
Successful strategic planning provides several benefits. In addition to giving direction to the organization, it is a useful training tool that can provide staff retention, prepare staff for leadership roles, and can serve as a morale booster by promoting staff satisfaction through input and participation. It encourages greater commitment to the organization’s goals thus improving the organization’s effectiveness and image (Evans & Layzell, 2007).
Management/Leadership
In LIBR 282 Library Leadership I learned that the terms leadership and management are often used interchangeability. However they are quite different. As Bass (1990) stated leaders manage, and managers lead, but the two activities are not synonymous. A good manager focuses on doing things right, is efficient. A good leader focuses on doing the right things, has vision and innovation. Leaders are strategically focused on “the big picture”, manager’s deal with tactical issues, those related to directing and supervising workers. Both are essential. A review of the historical development of leadership shows a progression from leaders are born not made, to leaders can be made.
The original “great man” or “trait theories” in the early 1900’s espoused that leaders are born with or have certain traits that make them great leaders. These theories soon gave way to a belief that it was, in fact, the behaviors of leaders that made them great. These behavioral theories were later refined to include the belief that behaviors of leaders had to change contingent upon the unique situation of the workplace or the workers. The need for leaders to balance the needs of workers with the needs of the organization was important. Current leadership theories, called transformational leadership, emphasize the need for leaders to transform workers so they want to transcend their own self-interest for the good of the organization (Bennis & Goldsmith, 2003).
The roots of today’s management practices evolved from managers telling the workers exactly how to do the job “the right way”, to managers, and workers collaboratively working in teams to solve work problems and continually improving quality of organization’s products and services. The change in management philosophy over the years from “leave your brains at the door when you come to work”, to “we need your knowledge and contributions to make our organization great”, has been a dramatic and successful evolution. Both great leadership and great management are needed for libraries and all organizations to be successful today. They are distinct but sometimes blended responsibilities, necessary for organizations to do the right things, right.
Marketing/ Advocacy
Throughout the SLIS program the importance of marketing and building advocacy for libraries was made clear. There are several ways to view marketing. It is a process for any organization to identify, anticipate and satisfy user’s requirements. Through the marketing process there must be a product definition, target group, differential market analysis, customer behavior analysis, differential advantages analysis, multiple marketing approaches, market planning, continuous feedback, and market audits. How does this transfer to the information field? There are four concepts that lend themselves to institutional marketing in the information field: positioning, segmentation, targeting and quality.
In applying the general principle of positioning to an information service organization, information providers must position the image of its services in the mind of the user. Segmenting the users on demographics, geographic, psychographics and psychometric characteristics allows a better focus of limited resources on specific needs and interests of unique users and user groups. Targeting consists of focusing on those potential users that can be attracted effectively and efficiently to your organization. Quality of service is one of the most important of these concepts. Without quality service an information organization cannot meet or exceed user’s expectations. Information professionals must make a commitment to quality customer service and user satisfaction.
Experience
I have had many experiences in planning, management and marketing throughout my years as an information professional. I have participated in many strategic planning activities and have been involved in technology and operational planning. In my current position I created a technology service plan to implement our reference chat service. I then worked with our web team to establish a marketing plan and created an online marketing campaign for the service. When implemented, I had to instruct and manage the service desk staff on the technology, and gave them a hands-on tutorial of the service. They were given a script to consult when issues arose, and a step-by-step cheat sheet on how the technology worked so they could assist clientele effectively. I also participate in our Lane Library outreach committee. Through my many outreach activities I am able to effectively promote and market the service to Lane users.
My first piece of evidence came from LIBR 204. The culminating project was a group effort to construct a strategic plan for an information organization. Our five-member team chose to develop a plan for a fictitious academic library in Townsville, CA. We created an academic library that serves its undergrads, graduates and PHD students in all academic disciplines. We also created a brochure to market the plan to users and staff.
My second piece of evidence is from LIBR 282, library leadership. We took an in depth look at historical and current leadership theories, analyzed and applied the principles and created a leadership developmental plan for ourselves. I chose to share the literature synthesis paper I wrote for the concept of management vs. leadership. I researched books, articles and electronic resources to gather information on what makes a manager, what makes a leader and the differences and similarities between them. This course really expanded my perception on what leadership is, how to develop skills to become a more successful leader, and what you need in your professional toolbox to be a collaborative, influential, and mentoring leader.
Conclusion
Strong leadership and strong management are both essential for an information organization to succeed. Using collaborative management in which all members of the organization contribute to improvement activities leads to a high performing organization. Effective planning, management and marketing are essential functions that library leaders must provide if their organizations are to thrive.
Evidence Summary and Artifacts
#1 LIBR204 Informational Organizational Management
Strategic Plan
https://sites.google.com/site/literallykool/
Strategic Plan
https://sites.google.com/site/literallykool/
Strategic Plan Marketing Brochure
litkoolbrochure.doc | |
File Size: | 316 kb |
File Type: | doc |
#2 LIBR 282 Library Leadership
Literature Synthesis Management vs. Leadership
Literature Synthesis Management vs. Leadership
shannon_meaney_libr_282_literature_review_final.docx | |
File Size: | 461 kb |
File Type: | docx |
References
Bennis, W., & Goldsmith, J. (2003). Learning to Lead. New York: Basic Books.
Bernard M. Bass, R. M. (1990). Bass & Stogdill's handbook of leadership: theory, research, and managerial applications. New York: New York Free Press.
Evans, E., & Layzell, P. (2007). Management Basics for Information Professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman.
Bernard M. Bass, R. M. (1990). Bass & Stogdill's handbook of leadership: theory, research, and managerial applications. New York: New York Free Press.
Evans, E., & Layzell, P. (2007). Management Basics for Information Professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman.