academic librarian: dinosaur or phoenix? april 20071 strategic competence: to soar above deakin...

Academic Librarian: Dinosaur or Phoenix? April 2007 1

Strategic Competence: to soar above

Deakin University Library, Australia


The purpose

• Discuss the ‘real case for change’– The key drivers for change– Strategic capabilities gap

• The change process adopted• Provide an overview of the key structural

changes• Explore the strategic outcomes and

organisational competences


‘A real case for change’

• Need to create a sense of urgency

• Tell stories

• Be creative

• Discuss the ‘undiscussable’


How human beings deal with threat 1. Bypass threat wherever possible

2. Act as if you are not bypassing the threat

3. Don’t discuss 1 or 2 while it is happening

4. Don’t discuss the undiscussability of the undiscussable

From On Organizational Learning, Chris Argyris, 1999


‘A real case for change’• Avoid the cardinal sins of

misleading change efforts– Too much hype and not enough

action– Over-advertising how ’massive’ the

change will be– Creating a consensus for dramatic

change, and then sitting in too many committee meetings

– Make no change in senior leadership– Involve no customers, ignore the

marketplace.

From The Case for Real Change, (Khan, 2006)


The key drivers for change

• Strategic priority. – To improve the Library’s capacity to respond

to the university’s teaching, learning and research imperatives and the changing higher education environment, and information and IT landscape.

• Financial– To achieve savings in the labour or staffing

component of the budget to meet 2006/7 budget targets and achieve long term efficiencies.


The Library’s Strategic Capabilities

• Organisations must be able to manage continuous and discontinuous change.– Thomson and Cole (1997) Strategic

Competency, the Learning Challenge

• Sustain the best match between the organisation’s strategic resources and a dynamic environment.


Assessing the best match: questions to ask

• Do the organisation’s planning processes, environmental scanning and means of disseminating information lead to innovative and responsive strategies?

• Do your managers work as a team, sharing information and expertise?

• Do internal and external partnerships enrich your organisation?

• What are the key organisational functional competences required?


Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds Library


The Process of Changeat Deakin University Library

• Background

– The decision to restore the Library as a separate entity signalled the beginning of the process

– The budget planning cycle dictated the time frame (10 months), as well as

• The State of the Organisation– (Turner and Crawford, Change Power, 1998)


Communication with key Stakeholders

• University Executive

• Faculties

• Human Resources

• Staff


Step 1 Set the Stage

• As the new University Librarian, I spoke to staff early– Celebrated past achievements– Presented the vision and key strategies– First priority, an effective senior management team

in place

Create a sense of urgency. Help others to see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately. Pull together a guiding team.

Adapted from ‘Our Iceberg is Melting (Kotter & Rathgeber, 2006)

Four Steps


Step 2 Decide what to do

• The model for the senior management team needed to address the following competences (Thomson & Cole, 1997)

1) Strategic awareness 2) Stakeholder satisfaction abilities 3) Strategic implementation 4) Functional competences

& change abilities5) Failure & crisis avoidance 6) Ethics & social responsibility

Undertake a situation analysis. Develop the new models. Identify what is different and what is the impact. Discuss with key stakeholders. Ensure support at executive level. Plan for adequate opportunity and time to consult with and engage staff. Develop time lines.


Four Steps


Step 3 Make it happen

• Managers worked with their teams to develop transition plans• Staff acceptance of the change varied• Managers key to driving and sustaining the change process• Assistance available from HR, counselling

communicated to all staff at every step.

Communicate. Confirm the change and actions. Engage with staff, work with teams. Develop transition plans. Be aware of saboteurs. Press hard where required. Agree to concessions that make sense.


Four Steps


Step 4 Make it stick

• Creating new stories, a new culture– Team building – More investment in training and development– TRENDS (Thoughts, Reflections, New iDeaS) discussion forum– More staff involvement in planning and decision making

Build effective teams. Develop effective induction and training programs for staff. Focus on innovation. Create a new culture. Hold onto the new ways of behaving and make sure they succeed, until they become strong enough to replace the old traditions.


Four Steps


Key Structural Outcomes:1. New Senior Management Team

Manager, Faculty of Business and Law

Burwood Campus Library

Manager, Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing and Behavioural Sciences

Waurn Ponds Campus Library

Manager, Faculty of Science and Technology

Warrnambool Campus Library

Manager, Faculty of Education

Waterfront Campus Library

Associate Librarian, Client Services

Manager, Faculty of Arts

Information Literacy

Manager, Collections and Access Associate Librarian, Information Management and Access

Information Systems Librarian

Manager, Quality and Innovation

University Librarian

Business Manager


2. Client Services: a case for discontinuous change

Liaison Librarians Client Services Team Leaders

Inquiry Services & Document Supply Loans, shelving, collection maintenance

Client Services Support Officers Information

Information Desk, Liaison support, e-learning administration

Digitisation

Associate Librarian, Client Services

Managers, Faculty Library Services

Client Services Coordinators

Information Lending Document Supply Facilities

Client Services Assistants

Cross campus teams


3. Information Management and Access: a case for continuous change

Manager, Collections and Access

Access & Data Librarian Subscriptions & Licenses Librarian Acquisitions Librarians

Faculty/Student Support Faculty/Serials Faculty/ Monographs

Librarians Technicians Assistants

Information Systems Librarian

Information Systems Coordinator Innopac Coordinator Library Website Developer Cataloguing Services Coordinator Bibliographic Standards Librarian

Librarians Technicians Assistants

Associate Librarian, Information Management And Access

Special Collections Librarian

Preservation Assistant


Strategic Outcomes 1. Strategic implementation and change abilities

1. Establish appropriate objectives, plans and targets and achieve them

2. Create, share implement a winning vision

3. Empower people & motivate them toward continuous organisational improvement

4. Foster internal cross-functional synergies through cooperation and sharing

Checklist of organisational competences

5. Cooperate in external strategic alliances


Strategic Outcomes 2. Strategic awareness and competitive abilities


6. Think strategically, encapsulating issues past and present

7. Maintain awareness of environmental changes and their implications

8. Design a “fitting” organisation, structure and systems match the environment

9. Understand the competitive environment, choose where and how to compete


Strategic Outcomes3. Stakeholder satisfaction abilities/ Quality & customer care


10. Understand needs and expectations of stakeholders

11. Appreciate key success factors & match with organisational capabilities

12. Provide excellent quality as perceived by customers

13. Continuously improve productivity and cost reductions

14. Invoke a creative, innovative, self-organising climate


Strategic Outcomes 4. Functional competences


15. Acquire new, relevant technologies and utilise R & D

16. Develop and launch new products and services

17. Develop and introduce new processes for cost savings

18. Attract, develop and reward people with the necessary skills

19. Harness IT for fast , efficient and effective information sharing

20. Maintain strong financial controls


At What Point Are We in the Change Process. Does it ever stop?

• Step 4 Make it stick- Building effective teams

- Creating a new culture

- Focus on innovation

- Holding on to new ways of behaving . . .

making them strong enough to replace

old traditions

• Strategic Competence

- Strategic awareness

- Stakeholder Satisfaction abilities

- Strategic implementation & change abilities

- Failure & crisis avoidance

- Ethics and social

responsibility

Keep the sizzle from turning into a fizzle …..

John J. Cotter, The 20% Solution

academic librarian: dinosaur or phoenix? april 20071 strategic competence: to soar above deakin...

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