I attended the Six Essentials For Teams That Work webinar conducted by The Effectiveness Institute. The point that made the most impact on me was the sixth point-the alignment of authority and accountability. It made clear issues we have with our personnel policies that seriously limit my ability to hold staff accountable.
I previously held the position of Personnel Manager for a corporation. Personnel policies were clear and succinct. When a problem arose, it was addressed one step at a time. Our library's policies are very vague and give no clear direction on what steps should be taken and when. If, after numerous warnings, I were to decide that a team member who frequently acts inappropriately should be terminated, I would have to give the person two weeks notice or two weeks pay. Then, she would have the right to appeal to the Board of Trustees within a certain period of time. Then the Board could take up the issue only after another period of time elapsed. And of course, they could choose to reinstate the employee. So, why bother.
After listing and discussing the six essentials, the presenter stated that the third essential-Commitment to a Clear and Common Purpose- is actually first in importance. The members of Teams That Work act on defined roles and expectations and they all buy in to the common purpose. This is not "groupthink" because there is still room for disagreement. I feel that our team is committed to a clear and common purpose. However, some have a deeper level of commitment than others.
That brings us to what the presenter considered of second most importance-the Alignment of Authority and Accountability. The person in authority has the responsibility to keep team members informed appropriately. We each have the responsibility to go directly to a team member who doesn't do what he should. But this means confrontation. In our microculture, avoidance of problems and problem people is the preferred way of coping. People are unable to be direct. They beat around the bush so much that after a conversation ends, neither of you will be sure what was said or if anything was agreed to. One of you will probably feel better and one of you will be bewildered. Addressing an issue directly, even with an abundance of kindness, will likely lead to tears.
Essential #1, a High Level of Trust, and #2, a High Level of Respect, follow next. We rely on each other. We believe our team are caring people who have integrity and authenticity. Having a high level of respect means that we have a high regard for each others' skills and abilities to accomplish the tasks of the job. However, it is possible to have high regard for someone's technical skills but not trust them. We must continually work to build trust and respect with our team and to restore it when it is broken.
The Fourth Essential is the Willingness and Ability to Manage Conflict. This means we must be willing to ask the difficult questions and address the issues. Please refer to my comment about our microculture of avoidance.
The Fifth Essential addresses the fact that people want to do good work and need for it to be recognized. If their efforts are not recognized and appreciated, they will not continue to put forth the effort. We must focus on results by measuring and recognizing our achievements.
Only six points, but they are indeed essential. And an excellent blueprint for improving our libraries.
