Leading Others To Lead: The Importance Of Staff Empowerment In Times Of Change

Abstract

Change management can be one of the most difficult aspects of library leadership with well-known issues and challenges, such as inertia, fear, and resistance to change. However, by embracing change management as a long-term program for building trust, communication, and empowerment of staff, library leaders can create environments where change not only happens but is embraced by all levels of the library hierarchy. In this article, the authors share their work and research as part of a library staff empowered by their library dean to guide the formation and piloting of public service model changes due to the planning of a new library building. Library leaders can use these insights as they work with their staff to implement change at their libraries.

Outside Our Wheelhouse: Reflections from Technical Librarians Serving as Interim Public Services Managers

“…Because we were not experts in public services, we welcomed and relied upon input from staff. We intently listened to and acted upon the feedback of individuals on our teams, regardless of where they were in the organizational hierarchy (Spears 2010;Meulemans and Matlin 2020;Alexander and Wakimoto 2020). By "centering the perspectives of staff, listening to them, and acting on the ideas they share[d]" we improved staff morale (Glusker et al 2020, 182).…”