Transcript Slide 1

Emory University Libraries
Step Back to Look Forward
Friday April 7, 2006
Presented by:
Linda Nodine, Human Resource Associate
Eric Bymaster, Director, Budget & Finance
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
Discussion Outline
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Who we are
Background and context
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Timeline of library reorganization
New University strategic plan
Library assessment process
Task force analysis
Organizational findings and next steps
Case study: communication
Where are we now
Conclusion and questions
Who We Are
Emory University, General Libraries:
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172 (head count) staff
$23 million budget
12,000 students
3,107,525 ARL volume count
Primary users: Undergraduates, Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences, and
Business School
Timeline of Reorganization
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May 1998 - Design Proposal
May 2000 – New Structure
Jan 2001- Staffing of Teams/Team Start Up
2001-2003 - Goals Based Evaluations, Values Based
Awards
2003 – University Strategic Plan begins
2004 – Library and Academic Units Strategic Plan begins
2005 – Organizational Assessment Task Force convenes
2005-2006 – Library begins implementing
recommendations from OATF
Strategic Planning
“When you’re dying of thirst, it’s too late to
think about digging a well.”
-Japanese Proverb
New University strategic plan
Emory Strategic Plan Introduction
Strategic Plan: 2005-15
Library Strategic Plan Numbers
5 Years
9 Goals
17 Initiatives
43 Tactics
100s of targets
1,000s of staff hours
Strategic plan participation:
Impact
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Inter-team collaboration
Broaden perspectives and understanding
Reduce barriers to getting work done
Strengthen sense of community
In position to best accomplish strategic goals
Task Force Assignment
The assignment will determine if:
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goals are right for today’s environment;
we making continued progress;
if not, what changes need to be made; and,
if the library is positioned to achieve its goals.
The process must:
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involve all members of organization;
use effective communication and information gathering techniques;
include report and recommendations based on assessment outcomes;
be completed in less than 6 months.
Library assessment process
• Team composition
• Process
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Review of reorganization documents
Review of library strategic plan
Review of campus climate survey results
Discussions:
• “what is our purpose?”
• “what we want to know?”
• “what will be helpful to the organization?”
– Planning
• Three staff surveys
• Four focus group discussions
Task Force Forming
• Ground Rules
• Challenges
• Group Dynamics
Task Force Focus Areas
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Culture
Challenges in achieving strategic plan
Goals of reorganization
Communication and decision making
Structure
Survey Methodology
• Consultant assistance
• Structure and composition
– 3 surveys over 4 weeks
• Topic areas
– Change management
– Vision
– Coordination/collaboration
– Communication
Survey Key Findings
• Complex coordination across functions
difficult
• Making decisions and changing directions
do not happen quickly
• High autonomy and decentralized
organization needs balance
Focus Groups Methodology
• Consultant assistance
• Structure and composition
– 4 groups (8-11 people each)
– 90 minutes to discuss 6 topics
• Topic areas
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Organization (division of tasks and responsibilities)
Communication
Inter-team collaboration
Library values
Meeting culture
Unwritten rules
Focus Group Key Findings
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Unevenness
Uniqueness
Openness
Information overload
Willingness to serve
Task Force Analysis
• WIKI
Task Force Analysis
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WIKI
Debriefed with consultants
Task force discussions
Three groups
• Communication, Decision Making and
Structure
• Culture
• Goals of the Reorg
Task Force Reporting
• Drafted report
– Discussions
– Standard outline
• Key findings
• Questions to consider
• Final report and presentation
• Feedback opportunity
Organizational Findings
Strengths
• Quick decisions
• Personal networks
• Good meetings
• Sense of community
• Empowered staff
Areas for Improvement
• Vertical communication
• Organizational values
• Complex coordination
• Information overload
• Decentralized structure
Next Steps - Fixes
• Quick fixes:
– Regular leader meetings
– Team Talks
– Intranet working group
– Best practices-meetings
• Complex challenges:
– Vertical communication
– Decision making
– Complex coordination
– Encourage a risk-taking
culture
Where are we now?
• Outgrowths of assessment report
– Leader meetings
– Communications training
– Upward evaluations
– Best practices
– Review of organizational values
– Orientation
Case Study: Communication
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What we wanted to know
Survey and focus group questions
Results and feedback
Analysis
Next steps (Action Plan)
Case Study: Communication
“Nothing is so simple that it cannot be
misunderstood.”
-Jr. Teague, North
Carolina State Legislator
Case Study: Communication
What we wanted to know
• Does communication happen in a timely
way?
• Do decisions get communicated?
• Do meetings achieve what we want them to?
• What are meetings good at accomplishing?
• Are people heard?
Case Study: Communication
focus group question
• “From what sources (team leader, peer,
another team) and through what channels
(email, phone, meeting, newsletter, chat) do
you get the information necessary to do your
job?”
Case Study: Communication
survey questions
• Survey (Likert Scale)
– My supervisor clearly explains policy
changes.
– My supervisor lets me know what work needs
done.
– My supervisor lets me know which areas of
my performance are weak.
– My supervisor takes time to listen to what I
have to say.
Case Study: Communication
Results and Feedback
• Focus Groups
– Horizontal vs Vertical Communication
– Personal Networks
Case Study: Communication
Results and Feedback
• Surveys
– Response average 2.0
(scale 1=strongly agree, 5=strongly disagree)
• My supervisor clearly explains policy changes
2.21
• My supervisor lets me know what work needs done
2.00
• My supervisor lets me know which areas of my
performance are weak 2.45
• My supervisor takes time to listen to what I have to
say 1.72
Case Study: Communication
Analysis
Excerpt from WIKI Notes August 22, 2005:
Communication:
Horizontal Communication (Fp1, 2)
Valve of team/working group meetings (Fp4)
Personal network needed to gain info (Fp2)
Info Overload (Fp1)
All info through team leader—if they don’t get it team doesn’t (Fp3 1d4)
Confusion over method of general communication method (Fp9)
Case Study: Communication
Analysis
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Strong personal networks
Vertical communication
Information overload
Clarify decision-making
Inter-team collaboration
Effective meetings
Case Study: Communication
Next Steps
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Team Talks
Meeting best practices (checklist)
Upward evaluations
Intranet working group
Communication styles training
Why was this Successful?
Questions and
Further discussion about…
Thank you
Contact information:
Linda [email protected]
Eric [email protected]
Emory homepage: www.emory.edu
Wiki:
https://staffweb.library.emory.edu/wiki/index.php/Category:Organizational
_Assessment_Task_Force
Organizational Design Principles
Questions to Consider
• How could the library develop a common understanding
of how to deliver quality customer service?
• Are there ways to encourage broader understanding of
teams' roles and responsibilities throughout the library?
• How do we remove any boundaries that may exist (or
may be perceived to exist) between teams to allow the
necessary inter-team collaboration?
• How do we best facilitate complex coordination and
process improvement throughout the organization?
Library Organizational Strengths
• Quick decisions (if they are simple)
• Strong personal networks
• Good meetings
• Strong sense of community
• Autonomous, empowered staff
Key Organizational Concerns
• Vertical communication
• Confusion about the MLRR
• Complex coordination across functions
• Challenges in a decentralized org structure
• Information overload
Summary - Places to Start
• Quick fixes:
– Broaden understanding of the MLRR and their role in the organization
– Communicate to everyone what the different teams do and the
preferred channel of communication for each team
– Improve information management
– Widely implement “characteristics of valuable meetings”
• Complex challenges:
– Improve vertical communication
– Clarify how decisions are made (beyond the team level) and increase
the timeliness of complex decision-making
Next Steps
• Communication Plan
– Discussion with ESG last week
– Q&A
– Share feedback from this discussion with ESG
• Provide feedback here, email, or notes to Linda Nodine
• Future ESG discussion with Task Force
– Action Plans
Questions
• Is there general agreement with the
issues?
• What major issues are not addressed?
• In what ways were you surprised?
• Anything else that could be acted upon
quickly?
• Priorities?