On Wed. March 10 I was fortunate enough to provide a presentation at the ExLibris Association I-Tea, at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Information,  The title of the presentation was, “The Journey From I to We: How to apply insight into others to achieve greater success through teamwork.”

Persuasive, clear communication is a topic that has been of keen interest to thousands of the Managers and Staff I have served over the years. In fact, this model of communication effectiveness is of great use to anyone who has to live or work in collaboration with other human beings. (and who doesn’t? -  unless your career is “Professional Hermit”!). The “Me-first” approach we have all learned in our youth and, perhaps even embraced as we struggled to succeed in our careers, is not conducive to success in the workplace and even gets in the way of building strong business and personal relationships.  But how does one make the shift in thinking from “I to WE” that is needed to communicate more effectively? How can we get out of our own heads to understand others? Using the simple but profound model of Behaviour Styles which I have developed, everyone had fun getting a “quick read” on their own Behaviour Style and laughed in recognition of the predominant style of some other key people in their lives. I then demonstrated how we can all communicate more effectively by adapting to other Styles – changing the language we use to better suit the other person’s perspective, based upon our insights into their predominant Behaviour Style.  This does not mean we lose ourselves, but is akin to adapting to speak a slightly different language. This simple, but profound shift has the power to transform individual lives and team performance.

My thanks to Francis Stocker, Principal of Kestrel Info Services, for highlighting this innovative idea in her most recent issue of “Hawk’s Eye On Public Libraries”.

“This month, I’ve been struck by the simplicity of an innovation made by Glen Carbon Centennial Library (GCCL) in Illinois (see p. 6), which has received Library Journal’s 2010 Best Small Library in America Award. In the LJ interview, director Anne Hughes explains how GCCL has instigated a ‘No to Yes Log’, and every time a staff member has to say ‘no’ to a library user, he or she logs the event. The management team regularly reviews the log to see if there are ways to change a “no” to “yes” in the future. This is  a great way to capture opportunities for improvements in customer service. Staff at GCCL has authority to make changes on the spot, “to use their best judgment to serve the interests of the patron.”

“Where it isn’t possible to authorize on-the-spot improvements, a No to Yes log could still be used to extend staff self-reliance. Bay adding a space in the log for the staff member to suggest ways to fix the problem, he or she can become a full partner with managers in turning recurrent situations around.”

For more information on the GCCL and the award, see the Library Journal article at http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6716260.html

To subscribe to the excellent “Hawk’s Eye On Public Libraries” go to http://www.kestrelinfo.com

On Wednesday Feb. 24th I will be presenting a Pre-Conference Workshop at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference.

Workshop Title: Best Foot Forward: Pro-active Service and Roving 2.0

Date/Time: Wed. Feb. 24th, 2010, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. West, Toronto Ontario

Fee: OLA members $125, Non-Members $165

Register via the Ontario Library Association at http://www.accessola.com/ola/bins/content_page.asp?cid=5

Workshop description:

Best Foot Forward: Pro-active Service and Roving 2.0

The use of roving reference has been in practice in libraries for several years and much has been learned.  As one of the pioneers, Joan has travelled to the United States, Australia, and throughout Canada, leading libraries in their implementation of the concept.
In this new 2010 version of her practical and entertaining workshop, Joan reveals what libraries have shared with her about the most common challenges they face when trying to implement roving. More importantly, she will share updates on the latest and best tips, practical approaches, tools, and solutions she has seen libraries use to overcome their challenges.
You will walk away with
1. Current, practical approaches, tips and techniques
2. Common obstacles and pitfalls, and how to avoid them
3. Answers to your own specific questions about roving reference in your library
4. A comprehensive list of URL’s of pertinent articles, presentations, white papers, and more