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Our last issue focused on a few intriguing topics: thinking about cooperation as a management approach and visualization as a way of making progress. In addition, we presented the second in a series of reflections on the Future of Libraries Summit, recently facilitated by Paula at the Library of Congress. This month we bring you the wrap-up of that Summit, with the top 5 reflections noted by one of our consultants, Katy Berube, who also served as a table facilitator at the event.
If you missed our last issue, click here to read it.
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Future of Libraries Summit:
Reflections from Behind the Marker
In early May the Singer Group provided me with a great opportunity to serve as a table facilitator at the American Library Association's Future of Libraries Summit held at the Library of Congress. Last month we provided the first of the top 10 reflections on the Summit. Here are the remaining 5!
- How to electrify a room after lunch. Wow! Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor of the University of Houston (UH) System and President of UH, incoming Chair of American Council on Education, brought the crowd to the edge of their seats. After lunch no less! She painted a very vivid picture of the future of higher education with library a key cornerstone. She reminded me, however, that high expectations are their own reward, don't give up just because it is hard, and connecting your passion to your work really matters.
- De-coupling. Dr. Khator introduced this concept as a means of meeting the education needs globally in the face of limited resources. Ms. Joan Frye Williams admirably framed this concept in light of libraries as follows:
"We need to talk about what might happen in libraries if we were to rethink the following processes as separable: knowledge creation, management, curation, and distribution; service design and delivery; and library support and use." (Summit of Libraries Report link)
Kind of like the hotdog (click here to read the hotdog-eating reference from last month) but at a macro systems level, I think we will all need to challenge ourselves to think through who is doing what and why. This will be hard but so worth it.
To read Katy's top 3, click here.
Katy O'Neill Berube
Future of Libraries Summit Table Facilitator
Singer Group Consultant
Interim Associate Library Director
Loyola ▪ Notre Dame Library
Baltimore, MD
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 Introducing Tedd!
Please welcome Senior Strategist
Tedd Smith to The Singer Group.
Tedd brings 20 years of strategic human resources and organization development experience in banking, health care, private, social and public sector experience. Please welcome Tedd and click here to learn more about him.
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Our colleague, client and friend Rachel Rubin the Director of Bexley Public Library in Ohio, recently wrote a short article we want to share. While she writes about tumultuous times in the public sector, what she says rings true for employers everywhere.
Steadying the Boat and Renewing Relationships
It has been a rough several years for public employees. Unstable pensions systems, rising employee contributions to health care costs, and a shrinking workforce have created a growing pressure on public employees both at work and at home. Changes such as these have also tarnished the image of public employment as a stable and financially secure career path. This poses yet another challenge to HR professionals at a time when the need to recruit new employees to fill the vacancies left by retiring baby boomers is growing. Add to these obstacles a slow economic recovery, a hostile political environment, and an increasingly diverse and multigenerational workforce, and the creation of a bright future for public employees appears challenging, indeed. But the news is not all bad... Read More
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And, speaking of trust, we all know people whose approach to the world is to give (of themselves, their time, or their corporation) only to get, hopefully as quickly as possible. A short game, so to speak. Others play the long game: carefully building and crafting their offering (a program or service, for example) while building and earning trust. The long game players understand that dues must be paid and are willing to do so before "winning" the game. Seth Godin talks about a third game: the infinite game, in which the object is to keep playing. An excellent teacher, attentive nurse or great mom all play this game. Can employers play too? Think about your game - are you in it to win, or are you in it for the continuous journey of giving, building trust and helping others improve their game? The infinite game is worth playing.
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We hope you enjoyed this addition of Reach. As always, please feel free to share your thoughts with us, as well as pass on this eNewsletter to anyone you think might benefit.
To reaching success,
 
Paula M. Singer & Lorraine Kituri
The Singer Group, Inc. | 410-561-7561 | contact@singergrp.com | www.singergrp.com
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What's New?
We are working with a major medical association on issues pertaining to Physician Leadership.
Performance management that align with goals is increasingly important. We are designing such a program for a Town in Maryland.
Paula is facilitating a one-day workshop on Succession Planning. The outcome of the day will be an outline of a plan and the process and tools to complete it.
Working with consortium of 23 academic libraries on living with change and leading change projects as they implement a new integrated library system. OCLC provides the library management applications, WorldShare Management Services (WMS), and The Singer Group is supporting the people side of this major change effort.
We are facilitating major compensation and performance management studies in the midwest and west coasts.
Our colleague Miriam Pollack is offering Career Coaching, Resume and Interviewing Skills Development. Miriam has conducted more than 30 successful searches for library directors and key staff and can help you present your best self. For more information, contact Miriam by email or at 847-272-5011. |
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