SLAIS Libr 504 Management of Information Organizations

Organizational Culture and Leadership

Lynn Copeland

Simon Fraser University Library

Feb. 7, 2008

Culture of a group

Shared basic assumptionsLearned by groupResponse to external and internalWorks ‘well enough’Taught to new members

Organizational culture

ArtifactsEspoused beliefs and valuesUnderlying assumptions

Institutional culturesUBC

‘Canada’s number 1 university’Trek 2010

SFU‘Thinking of the world’‘Radical campus’

VCC‘BC’s number 1 college’40 years: improve lives, job opps, career prospects

Leadership

process of communication that involves coaching, motivating/inspiring, directing/ guiding, and supporting/counseling others. This results in the timely production of predetermined organization goals.

Includes: behaviour, personal characteristics, situations

[good] Leadership 4 characteristics (Bennis)

provide direction and meaningKeep team aware of important stated

goals and objectivesprefer action and risk takingcommunicators of hope

Listen?

Leadership types

Fact-basedCreativity basedFeelings-basedControl/power based

A good leader has all four

Leadership Environment

Each person different (personality, abilities aptitudes, skills)

Therefore each task is different for each person

Therefore managing each process/task is different for manager

Stereotypical examples

Systems: Like everything spelled out Directive communication Intolerant of ambiguity

Reference Like to discuss alternatives, try things out, rethink ‘Speak for users’

Cataloguers ‘follow the rules’

Loans staff ‘follow procedures’

More stereotypes in ULs’ welcome

UBC LibraryFocus on size, collections

SFU Library‘Our Library is where YOU are’

VCC‘offer our students and staff the best service

possible’

Communication

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has

taken place.”

-- George Bernard Shaw

(as quoted over staff copy machine)

SFU Library

About 150 FTE employeesAbout 40 FTE librariansAbout 13 Prof/supervisory

SFU LibraryUniversity Librarian

AUL Projects, budget

AUL Systems, Processing, Doc

Del, Data

AUL Collections services

AUL Student learning

commons, Bennett

Reference

Special Collections

Surrey Library

Belzberg library

Theses

Building

Systems

Serials

ELN

Cataloguing

Doc Del

Collections

Loans

Reference

Student Learning Commons

Maps/Data/GIS

Office staff

12 56 3422

11

21

12

31

17

Questions

Communication:How do you communicate effectively in a

large organization?How do you receive communications

effectively in a large organization?How do you ensure that people perceive both

have taken place?How do you ensure the messages get all the

way down/up the chain?

Questions

What do you communicate about?Information exchange

What are good communication vehicles?Informal vs formal communication

Formal

Strategic planning processSenior hiring processOrganizational: Library Council

Informal

Staff development day ‘Appreciation’ events

Oct. 19 Library support staff dayIce cream in the parking lotCLA staff appreciation proclamation

Regular meeting with staffBrown bag lunches

Is there a librarian culture?

CollaborativeUser focussedInnovative

Self righteous?Culture bound?Passive aggressive, whiny?

If you want to be an academic librarian:

• intellectual interests• technology skills (Web, database, large complex systems, local area

networks)• interest in planning, management • analytical people• a ‘get on with it’ approach to problem solving• maturity• inclusive, service-focussed (the customer is always right)• communicators, listening, negotiating skills• energetic• sense of humor• people with ideas, flexible• balanced involvement in professional activities

Communication around dramatic events

Each situation differentOften situation contextual (university-wide)Policies in place to cover generic Safety paramountLegal issues – agreements, lawsEmotionsUltimate goal is return to normalcy

Thanks! Questions, Comments?

Lynn Copeland

Dean of Library Services, SFU

copeland@sfu.ca