Leading Technology-driven Change: Theory and Practice

2007 ALA Annual Conference Session

Joyce Ogburn: What leadership gurus (thought) think.

Ms. Ogburn, Director of the Mariott Library at the University of Utah, provided a precis of recent management and leadership theory. She argued that having a sound understanding of leadership in a time of change is crucial to a leader's success. She warned that past strengths can limit a leader's effectiveness in a changing environment unless she or he is reflective, curious, and open to new ideas.

The classic view of a manager is that of an administrator, a good soldier, someone who takes the short view. The classic view of leadership is that of someone who takes the long view and is an innovator. But times of change require a focus on multiple constituencies and skills that bring into question such a sharp dichotomy between these two roles.

For further examination of management and leadership theory, Ms. Ogburn recommended the following.

Warren G. Bennis. On Becoming A Leader: The Leadership Classic, (Revised edition) 2003.

Joseph C. Rost. Leadership for the Twenty-First Century, 1993. Describes the role of leadership as a relationship of influence and the role of management as an authority relationship.

John P. Kotter. Leading Change, 1996. Provides a framework within which a sense of urgency is created, one that empowers others to act to create short-term improvements and then build on these improvements.

Daniel Goleman. Working with Emotional Intelligence, 2000. Explores the importance of emotional intelligence to leadership in business. Self awareness, confidence and a self-deprecating sense of humor are important characteristics.

Barbara C. Crosby and John M. Bryson. Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World, 2005. The authors explore multiple types of leadership, particularly collaborative leadership.

Thomas Felton: Leading in times of change and resistence.

Mr. Felton, Regional Branch Services Director for Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, observed that for some, the library profession is slow to respond to change and quoted David Seaman "We’re moving the profession one funeral at a time."

The pressure on Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, however, to change was irresistible. The population of Las Vegas doubled in 10 years from 1.1 million to 1.9 million. And although library circulation doubled, staffing did not.

The Library District looked to establish efficiencies where it could and use emerging technologies to help meet its challenges. The library introduced RFIDs, retail-friendly services, and self-check technology.

There was considerable staff and patron resistance to these innovations. The resistance was overcome by careful planning and engaging the staff and public. The district established the planning process MEET: Model efficiencies & emerging technologies. It strove to use the "power of full engagement" and focus on the individual growth of staff.

Mr. Felton advised that libraries facing change

• Face the truth and take action.
• Define your purpose and clarify your values.
• Develop mission statements that reflect your values values.
• Develop a strategic plan that create services and programs that reflects your values.

Mr. Felton argued that it's useful to employ scenario planning, a type of planning that helps to anticipate the future. Create stories to help anticipate what can go right and what can go wrong in your scenarios and anticipate how you will respond. Identify key forces - staff, local politics, etc., when developing your scenarios.

Kathryn Deiss: Rewrite your library narrative

Ms. Deiss, Content Strategist at the Association of College and Research Libraries, cautioned that creating order and responding to disorder reflect powerful and innate drives in people. Grouping and categorizing are habits of mind. They are inescapable and everyday activities. Establishing order is a hedge against chaos. (See String Too Short To Be Saved by Donald Hall.) Leaders need to recognize this when responding to change.

What happens, Ms. Deiss asked, when our order is up-ended, particularly when assumptions behind collections in libraries are impacted and where instead of everything having its place, anything can be anywhere like it is on the web? (See Everything is Miscellaneous by David Weinberger.)

Even as order is exploding there's an explosion of organizing tools. And although research shows that too many choices can lead to paralysis, there are emerging technologies that will support as well as direct change.

Libraries need to embrace new tools and technologies. Libraries need to prototype and forget about waiting until it gets everything right before rolling out new services. Libraries need to become comfortable living with "Beta."

And changes in perception need to follow changes in reality. Libraries need to test their mental models against changing realities. For example, How will the emergence of social networking impact library services?

She quoted Betty Sue Flowers, Director LBJ Library, "We may not be able to predict the future but we can shape the narrative." She argued that story shapes culture and that story determines confidence. Libraries need to be in control, are in control, of their own narratives.

Ms. Deiss ended with a quote from the European business guru Luc de Brabandere, "we don’t see the world as it is; rather we see it as we are." It takes creative and collaborative leadership to overcome this.

Suggested reading:

David Weinberger. Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder, 2007.

Barbara C. Crosby and John M. Bryson. Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World, 2005.

Warren G. Bennis. On Becoming A Leader: The Leadership Classic, (Revised edition) 2003.

Daniel Goleman. Working with Emotional Intelligence, 2000.

John P. Kotter. Leading Change, 1996.

Joseph C. Rost. Leadership for the Twenty-First Century, 1993.

Donald Hall. String Too Short To Be Saved, 1979.