Thread by @Luna_Dee

The @DeEttaMJones session is in the Atrium Ballroom- the rooms next to the Starbucks! #acrl2019 What we’ll cover: what is change? Observations from the field. Perspectives from the field. How do we talk about change in a way that helps ppl understand

Change: involves a lot of ambiguity, patience with process and uncertainty. Observations- behavioral preferences- librarians are preferring more introversion (generally speaking) that’s personal. DISC instrument measure behavior- for lib- perfectionist.

Perfectionist - concerns: trying to avoid mistakes, not wanting to fail, fear of being viewed negatively by others. This is about 50% of people. 30% are “creative” both share heavyvtask orientation.

Risk aversion: when we talk about navigating change we have to be willing to take risks. Willing to be vulnerable and not masterful.
On Twitter it seems like Librarian is an identity for all of us so not being masterful at something that is so connected to who we are is tricky

Change is asking people to be vulnerable and not masterful. Therefor we need a clear path forward. Take into consideration these needs and having clear maps and directions moving forward.

At a personal level: change your language, change your mindset. Language is power. Focus on opportunity and aspirations, focus on what ppl are doing right and of what we could be. People are more motivated when they are caught doing well. C

Create small feedback loops, help others believe what you know to be their potential. Find the time to provide feedback. People need incremental feedback that create opportunity for peoples instrinsic motivation. This is not a marathon- we can’t go 26+ miles without feedback

Biggest hurdle is believing the effort will lead to performance. The belief can not be only something that comes from external world. I actually need you to believe that you can do that. As a leader remind person of a moment they overcame before.

How do we build in those feedback loops? We practice. Image of Serena Williams in foreground and coach in the back. It takes practice and a coach. It requires insight from outside. We don’t always see our blind spot. We need it to be safe and about learning

It’s tricky because that is not the world we love in right now. We ask people to be courageous and vulnerable but when they do we critique them because it’s not the way we wanted it to. We need to create space for different trajectories. We’re not all built like Serena Williams

The power of aspiration- req. us to have conversations about where we want to go. This change is in the service of what? What is the vision? Aspiration? Of what future state that is so compelling we cannot not go there?

Fear is a particularly bad emotion because it shuts us down to being creative, kind, to be in service, to be emotionally intelligent. Chemically fear releases cortisol and diverts energy from the brain instead of understanding a perspective. Stay at the table

Be proactive about communication- anchor the vision. What are we doing and why? More incentivizing to think about aspiration. Creative tension- motivating energy. Think happy family.

Iceberg Analogy of Culture: image of iceberg. At the top: espoused value, smallest portion of the iceberg seen. Underwater: values in action, largest portion of the iceberg. Culture is the top part. The pieces that are visible are artifacts:buildings- physical spaces/signage/site

Due to the differences, the gap between the two leads people to say what they say about the culture.

Values are useless to espouse if you don’t talk about how they manifest behaviorally. Align behaviors with policies and practices. Create expectations. Needs to be demonstrated

How do our managers show up? In feedback, in search committees, review process, how is it that our values show up? Should be integrated forever. This is ongoing work about organizational culture and effectiveness and culture is always changing.

The way we express those values change over time. When new people come in we continue to create shared language and meaning in a way that allows people to understand how people should behave and follow those values. Mentions EDI as an example of one of those values

Important things to have in place: leadership commitment. It’s good to get participatory change and voices but leaders have to be connected to change. Power is a real thing.

Shared language- what does respect meant to you? We need working definitions of words we take for granted. [what does diversity mean to you?] Make space for those conversations

Structured framework- people need to know there’s a structure in place. Feedback needs to be shared. Asking for feedback in order to do this. The feedback we received was used to do this. Feedback loops

Common approach and tools: unevenness in management- some don’t have a common approach in the middle. Leadership team may say to managers - okay this is what we’re doing then managers reveal that in diff ways. That unevenness presents itself as an equity issue bc of manager style

Multi-level learning- opportunity for ppl to learn. Workshops are good but a long term commitment to learning and build capacity.

Application in-context; allow ppl to share what they’re learning and the work they’re doing. Here’s how I’m applying what I’m learning

Equity lives in process. Process means we are thoughtful in how we are going about something. (At the beginning!) To consider: people like having control over themselves. Change sometimes feels like you have no control over yourself, especially ppl like librarians

Biggest conversations: Library leadership that don’t talk about change or things that might potentially be bad. Hiding things because they might be negative. People would rather know. Be intentional. Scale: the word change is a small big word. How big is the change?

Pace: what is the pace we’re expected to go? If you’re asking me to be masterful in this new thing, what are the milestones that help make this small enough [SMART?] for us to touch instead of a marathon so that I get those feedback loops to help me go the extra mile?

Sending meeting minutes is not communicating, how are you building opportunity for people to reflect and socialize on the change happening?

Where do you practice? How do you create and hold space for others to practice?

Audience Question: (from a white/white passing person) How do I advocate or be an ally when I feel like there’s a target on my back.
[🤔]
A: If you say “I’m an Ally” then be an ally. If that’s a choice you’re not 💯 committed to then don’t make that choice.

Appreciate DeEtta repeating the question because none of these people are using the mic 🎤 to ask questions and it is a very large room.