Extreme Makeover – Library Edition:

Roles and Tools for Positive Workplace Changes

John J. Burke

OPAL Annual Conference

Columbus College of Art and Design

August 4, 2005

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Change happens

Constant

Healthy

Responsive

“How” and “why” changes

Change barriers

Necessary, unavoidable, immediate results

Perspectives of evolution and revolution

External and internal

Change for change’s sake

Not until we’re good and ready

Where do you come in?

Accommodate and create

Tools

Roles

Inspiration (and singing and dancing)

Today’s Metaphor: Have you seen the show?

Extreme Makeover Home Edition: The Basics

A needy family is selected The design team puts a plan together The family goes on vacation for one week Hundreds of construction workers and

volunteers tear the house down and rebuild it ABC, Sears, et al., foot the bill The new home is unveiled to the family Joy ensues

Suspend your disbelief

Questions linger about EMHE

Overkill?

Property taxes?

Resale?

Affordable housing?

Truths from the tube

Does any of this apply to libraries?

8 aspects from EMHE – not chronological

What if we pursued change in our libraries as though it worked like this?

What if our libraries really did work like this?

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

1. Assess your needs

EMHE: the family makes a video and writes out their story

Clearly state what you want to do

Focus on what is needed

Brainstorm as though from outside

One person’s library . . .

. . . is not the next person’s . . .

. . . or the next person’s.

Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads

Many visionaries

Shared vision ≠ uniform vision

Consensus

What if your library could come up with a vision that everyone rallied around?

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

2. Prepare your environment

EMHE: Often total destruction is required (and shown to family)

Starting from scratch?

Clear preconceptions; open possibilities

Mindsets are just as important as logistics

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

3. Change should preserve

EMHE: an item from the home is preserved or given greater emphasis in the new home

The baby and the bathwater

Extension, addition, improvement

“Googlezon, Robots, RFID, and Ranganathan”

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

4. Effort inspires effort

EMHE: ABC & Sears foot most of the bill, but others pitch in to volunteer/fund

One person’s effort inspires others

Be open to another’s enthusiasm

We might be surprised at sources of support that open up as we make a change

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

5. Deeper impact

EMHE: what happens to one house can be mirrored in the neighborhood (or might last beyond the taping of the show)

Impact on our patrons

Campus collaborations

Library partnerships

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

6. Changes have an expiration date

EMHE: Seven day deadline to change everything

What’s the rush?

Will meaningfulness last?

What if we could focus and act on a change in a timely manner?

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

7. Share input, responsibility, and trust

EMHE: design team has a leader (Ty) but everyone has a role and a voice in the outcome (family goes on vacation)

The “secret room”

We are family: trust and support

What if we listened to one another and believed our individual role mattered?

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

8. Communicate clearly

EMHE: bullhorn at the beginning and end, but lots of talking in between (and practical jokes)

Coworkers, community, partners

Choose methods that work for you (humor?)

What if those around you (and you) felt like you were “in the know”?

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!

Roles to remember

Play your part (but no pigeonholing!)

Reporting a need for change? Designing a solution? Working on your piece? Supporting and cheerleading? Making sure everything comes together? Building positively on the end result?

Tools to take away

Assess your needs Prepare your environment Change should preserve Effort inspires effort Deeper impact Changes have an expiration date Share input, responsibility, and trust Communicate clearly

Getting to “The Reveal”

The end . . . or the beginning?

Use the tools

Follow your role(s)

A “laugh-a-minute” experience

Concentrate on the greater good

Mr. Bus Driver, Move That Bus!

1 – 2 – 3 . . .

Unbelievable!