Jo's Notes on PLA

Preconference: Who Said Management Can’t Be Fun?
Presented by Gail Johnson and Pam Parr of Face to Face Communication and Training
A manager’s primary role is to be a mentor and teacher and to cultivate trust in the workplace. Using a circus analogy with the library as the circus tent, the five poles holding up the tent of the customers’ ultimate experience are:
1. (Center Pole) Communication: the goal is to get information from me to others EXACTLY as I meant it so that I get the outcome I want.
a) Clarity: avoid ambiguity in words and actions; give the “why”—the rest of the story
b) Honesty: say exactly what I mean (with discretion); “I feel…when you…because I think you….”
c) Use facts, not judgment
d) Open: stay open-minded to people who drive you crazy; make no judgments
Phrases to use:
• “What questions do you have?” (invites clarification)
• “Help me to understand…” (non-threatening, diffuses the situation)
• “I must not have been clear…”
• “What I really meant was…”
2. Accountability: Being answerable for our actions and performance
a) Clear expectations and consequences are motivators
b) Underperformers steal my attention and energy that is better spent on overachievers
c) Set clear expectations and boundaries
d) Silence means acceptance or agreement
3. Staff Development: Priority #1 is to upgrade my staff
a) Hire for characteristics, not for skills—NOT the reverse! Skills can be taught; attitude cannot.
b) Reward staff with opportunities: “Behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated. Stop rewarding bad behavior.”
c) Discover their strengths (a consistent, near-perfect performance in an activity)
d) Three things employees need:
1) Visibility—people need to know that they matter
2) To know that their work matters
3) That their work is objectively measurable
e) Let people do what they love/enhance their strengths—that is what allows for the greatest possibility for growth. Spend time developing weaknesses only to the point that they do not interfere with employee strengths.
4. Empowerment: Develop a strategy to enable and energize the staff
a) Stop making decisions for your staff; then let go and get out of their way!
1) Encourage dialogue/ give them confidence: “I would like to hear your opinion.”
2) See their POV: “What would you suggest?”
b) Authorize decision-making; everyone is responsible for the organization’s success
c) Capture their discretionary energy and claim it!
d) Staff need:
1) Knowledge: ongoing training in decision-making
2) Information: shared with all
3) Feedback: Immediate and specific—Praise in public; teach in private
5. Influence: the power to effect something or someone
a) Accept and own the power that I have already been given.
b) Model it 24/7/365. I am their role model. I am the library. I am NOT their friend or co-worker.
c) Have credibility—walk the talk.
d) My allegiance is to the Team of management of the library—micro and macro.
e) Interdependence of “we”
Protect, Project and Present! Essential Tips for Supervisors, Speakers and Storytellers
Katie Damp Klossner, Community Relations Manager for Douglas County Libraries in CO, uses her background in the theatre to train her libraries’ staff to be succinct, calm and confident when speaking in public. Within 90 seconds, someone has formed their first impression of you: only 7% is related to the content of your speech (38% arises from your vocal quality and 55% from your body language), so your “likability quotient” is four times more dependent on non-verbal cues. If you read only one book about public speaking, she recommends I Can See You Naked by Hoff.
Protect your voice: Two days before your presentation, consume no dairy or caffeine. Drink plenty of water and get lots of rest; humming is good, as is yawning with noise, and breathing exercises. Stretch your neck and back and shoulders.
Project to your audience: Use volume, enunciation, varying rates of speed and quality and intensity of voice, along with proper breath support. Use a wide range of pitch and inflection (a low pitch is associated with credibility). Use silence! Silence is an important clue for the audience to start listening! It draws people in and makes them pay attention! Try to limit “uh”s. Use an “open face”: raised eyebrows and a genuine smile imparts sincerity and honesty. Use your nervousness—adrenalin makes your eyes sparkle. Make eye contact around the room: the focus of your audience’s attention is your eyes, so “stop, lock, and pause” to connect individually with audience members. Wear dark colors (associated with credibility) that are comfortable with no flashy or dangling distracters. Plant your feet and stand tall with your arms dangling at your sides. (If you are a flailer, practice holding a heavy book in each hand. If you still raise your arm, that designates a sincere emphasis that should be maintained). Avoid gripping the podium with both hands—it sucks the life out of what you are trying to communicate. Professionalism outranks perfection: proceed beyond mistakes and do not draw attention to flaws in your performance.
Present effectively: To conquer stage fright: Write a detailed fear inventory; use the adrenalin; OVERPREPARE; practice in front of a mirror; be a fool as you practice—try cartoon and movie voices, etc. and use your fear inventory to try out all worst possibilities; take a brisk walk; insert pauses for silence. If nothing else, memorize your introduction and your “Thank you”s (conclusion). Accept in advance that you will be nervous either five minutes before or ten minutes in! If your voice shakes, STOP. Use that silence to gain your audience’s attention. “Credibility is associated with determined, short speech.” In Say it in Six, Hoff advises to break long presentations into six minute sections to help the audience focus.
Posted on behalf of Jo Blankenburg, Hereford