Words that Work

It's always heartwarming to attend a workshop or seminar and have something you believe right or have even shared be validated and expanded on.  I recently attended a workshop by presenter Valerie Gross, the CEO of the Howard County Library in Maryland.  Her workshop title was Transforming our Image: no explanation needed.  It was all about using words whose intrinsic value and message convey exactly what we want conveyed.  The words we use matter.  I would highly recommend attending her workshop if you get the opportunity. 
The words we use can work for us or make use work harder.  I have said in the past that you have to "Speak the Language". The two messages combine for a powerful one-two punch. 
Speak the Language - and "Use the best words to say what you want to say" or "use the right words to convey the right message."   Working to do that alone will keep us busy for some time to come. 

Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 5

5. Ask for the sale.

A home business entrepreneur must always remember that marketing, advertising, or promotional activities are completely worthless, regardless of how clever, expensive, or perfectly targeted they are, unless one simple thing is accomplished--ask for the sale. This is not to say that being a great salesperson, advertising copywriting whiz or a public relations specialist isn't a tremendous asset to your business. However, all of these skills will be for naught if you do not actively ask people to buy what you are selling.

*taken from 25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs on entrepreneur.com http://www.entrepreneur.com/homebasedbiz/article200730.html

But we're a library,we don't sell anything! 
Oh, really?  Are you sure about that? Let's take a second look.

Certainly, as a public library we are not in the business of selling products to our customers and taking money for them, but we do sell, and  they are not the only people we should "sell" to? 

To our customers we are selling an idea, the concept that a library is a resource to use and share and promote.  We are asking them to buy this thought and pay for it  with their support, their voice to advocate for us.  (and a nice donation now and again also helps)

And for our non-customers, we need to ask them for the sale them too.  They need to buy the same concept - that the community is a better place with a strong, thriving library.  That like a good school or community center, a good library adds to the quality of life for all in the community.  We are asking them to pay for this sale with their voice and their consent, to allow public funds to continue to flow or start to flow to the library.
 
We sell to our local and state officials.  We want them to "buy" that they need to support the library and to pay for their sale with the offical treasury, with their presence at events, with their voice, speaking well of the library and it's contributions to the community. 

So while we are not in the "retail sales business", there are a number of folks we need to ask for the sale.  Have you asked today?

Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 4

4. Manage money wisely.
The lifeblood of any business enterprise is cash flow. You need it to buy inventory, pay for services, promote and market your business, repair and replace tools and equipment, and pay yourself so that you can continue to work. Therefore, all home business owners must become wise money managers to ensure that the cash keeps flowing and the bills get paid. There are two aspects to wise money management.

1. The money you receive from clients in exchange for your goods and services you provide (income)
2. The money you spend on inventory, supplies, wages and other items required to keep your business operating. (expenses)

*taken from 25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs on entrepreneur.com http://www.entrepreneur.com/homebasedbiz/article200730.html

Oh - I can hear you now, "I've got this one covered!! I mange my money very wisely, since I have so little of it."   And perhaps you do, but perhaps you could do better. 

Managing your money wisely begins long before you have any money, when you plan to have money.  How structured is your budget?  Does your fiscal planning show where your priorities are?  Or have you thrown up your hands and said "There's no money for anything, so we just spend it until it's gone." 

Entrepreneurial thinking business owners and government officials will take a quick look at your programs, your outreach and your customer service to see how you are doing, but they will want to follow the money to see if you are successful. Think Jerry McGuire - "Show me the Money!"

If your plan says that you will have added 5% to the Teen collection by the end of the year - does your budget show that commitment?  Have you estimated what 5% growth in the size of that collection will be and what it will cost?  This is where our planning usually breaks down.  Taking the steps to make sure we implement our plan is work, it can be tiresome and tedious and taxing. (Don't you like my alteration?)  It is also necessary. 

So if you want to prove that you have made a commitment to your plan, if you want to be Entrepreneurial in your thinking - take the next step in your plan and mange your money, rather than letting it mange you.

Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 3

3. Plan everything.


Planning every aspect of your home business is not only a must, but also builds habits that every home business owner should develop, implement, and maintain. The act of business planning is so important because it requires you to analyze each business situation, research and compile data, and make conclusions based mainly on the facts as revealed through the research. Business planning also serves a second function, which is having your goals and how you will achieve them, on paper.
You can use the plan that you create both as map to take you from point A to Z and as a yardstick to measure the success of each individual plan or segment within the plan..

So here is where I make my big pitch for every library to have a written strategic plan.  Got it?! Good. 

I can hear you know - yea, yea, right old ABintheLibrary.  I have 1 staff member - me, and 4 out of 7 board positions filled.  Even if I thought we needed a plan (and I a don't) when am I supposed to write this plan?! 

and you would be right and wrong.  If you don't see a need for a plan, you won't see the necessity of making time for that plan.  But let me take a shot at rattling your cage, just a bit.  If your library had to cut spending 40% tomorrow - what are the core functions you would work to preserve?  Quick - what are your priorities?  Books, movies, storytimes?  materials, resources, services, programs?? Quick - tell me!! Or if someone came to you and said, I have $100,000 for the library, but I want to know what you will do with it - can you tell me your #1 priority?  What would you answer them???

A well written plan does this for you.  It keeps you on track, focused and helps to make those tough decisions for you.

And here is the question I ask in my workshops - Is your library a success? (Usually about 3/4 say yes) How do you know that? (silence).

Your plan defines success for your library, which will be different than success in my library or the library in the next county.  How can you tell potential shareholders that you run a successful library when you cannot show them a definition of success?

This plan does not have to be 40 pages, cross indexed and all.  It does have to be thought out and written by some sort of team - you, a board member, a customer and a member of the Friends.  If you are part of a township or county, I would include them too.    And it does not have to be done today.  It should take a while, for you will need to stew and think and simmer on some sections of this.  But start today.  Make a time to meet and being the planning process. 

"The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen" – Lee Iacocca

*taken from 25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs on entrepreneur.com http://www.entrepreneur.com/homebasedbiz/article200730.html

Characteristices of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 2

Ok - so the second characteristic of a successful entrepreneur is: 

"2. Take what you do seriously.



You cannot expect to be effective and successful in business unless you truly believe in your business and in the goods and services that you sell. Far too many home business owners fail to take their own businesses seriously enough, getting easily sidetracked and not staying motivated and keeping their noses to the grindstone. They also fall prey to naysayers who don't take them seriously because they don't work from an office building, office park, storefront, or factory. Little do these skeptics, who rain on the home business owner's parade, know is that the number of people working from home, and making very good annual incomes, has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years." *


Let's take a look at this from the library perspective.  Have you ever felt that other businesses, municipal officials or even other librarians don't take you seriously because your library is small, not as up to date as you would like, or even because you don't have an (gasp) MLS?  Let me share a little bit of old fashion wisdom with you - having an MLS makes you a good librarian about as well as sleeping in a garage makes you a sports car.  (personally, I have always wanted to be a Mustang - fire engine red).

Now do not get me wrong.  I encourage and challenge and even demand training and proper education for my staff, but having that does not guarantee that you are good at what you do - just well trained.  Being good at what you do is caused by taking what you do seriously. 

So do not allow the library naysayers to whisper in your ear that your library is too small, or too rural, or too poor to be a "real" library. Put out a professional apperance, stay up on the best practices and innovative trends and prove them wrong.  If you want others to take your seriously - you have to take yourself seriously first.

*taken from 25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs on entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrepreneur.com/homebasedbiz/article200730.html 

PaLA

I just want to thank all the wonderful librarians and staff who came to the workshop on Sunday at PaLA in Lancaster.  I appreciated your input and questions and best of all, the answers you shared.  Your network of support throughout the state and even the country is the greatest source of ideas and suggestions you can get - so use it. 

It was a great time and I am so glad to have been able to be there.  Remember - Don't let the good things get you off the track of the BEST things. 

Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 1

While preparing for a presentation at the upcoming Pennsylvania Library Association Convention - I came across this great article at http://www.entrepreneur.com/ on the qualities of a successful entrepreneur.  There were 25 listed, so I think that may be a bigger bite than we want to chew on for one blog post - so I broke them up into several . . .  25 to be exact. 

I will add one or two a week, and let's see what kind of discussion comes out of it?
If you want to read the whole article - it is found here - http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/200730

"1. Do what you enjoy.

What you get out of your business in the form of personal satisfaction, financial gain, stability and enjoyment will be the sum of what you put into your business. So if you don't enjoy what you're doing, in all likelihood it's safe to assume that will be reflected in the success of your business--or subsequent lack of success. In fact, if you don't enjoy what you're doing, chances are you won't succeed."

From a librarian's viewpoint - we are all pretty much in the business because we enjoy it - at least parts of it.  The problem is we can forget to tell our face and our attitude that we are enjoying our job.  I know we all have had times when the downward pull of financial constraints, difficult customers and board interactions have made us forget that parts of this job are really FUN!.  (Repeat after me - I LOVE my job, I LOVE my job, I LOVE my job...)

Do something today that is a part of your job you love.  Whether it is cataloging a new book, reading out loud to a child, making a new suggested reading list or arranging books in an eye-catching display - do it today. The love of your job (or lack thereof) will show through in your quality of customer service, and even come through in your voice over the phone. 
Remember the words of the wise and wonderful Mary Poppins  " In every task that must be done there is an element of fun, you find the fun and snap! the job's a game." So take sometime today and play!

The Multitasking Myth

While adding this month's Consumer Report on Health issue, I went through some older copies and ran across this little blurb.  I think it is worth sharing here - because many of us are easily snagged by the Multitasking myth.   Truth is, you get more done my doing what you have in front of you, then finishing it, putting it away and going to the next task. 

"Researches at the University of Michigan and the Federal Aviation Administration have found that working on several tasks at the same time can take two to four times longer than if you try tackling them one after the other. (emphasis mine)
Brain-scan studies help explain why: When you try to do two or more things at once, your brain constantly switches back and forth between the tasks , a less efficient use of your neurons.  Sleep loss, stress, and mood disorders can worsen the problem.  So fight the urge to multitask and try to do just one thing at a time."

(From Consumer Reports on Health, Volume 20, Number 3 (March 2008)

Or, for those of you who love MASH as much as I do - "I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on. . ." -Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, MD. (episode Fade out, Fade in)

MIA

I apologize for a few missing blog posts.  I have been preoccupied with some conference planning and presentation work. 

I am glad to share that I will be presenting the Enterpreneurial Librarian at the state library conference in Pennsylvania in October.  This is a well rounded conference for librarians across the state of PA.  Information on this conference will be released shortly.  The dates for this conference are Oct 24 - 28.

In addition, I am working with a wonderful team of librarians, directors and library support staff to plan the Association for Rural & Small Libraries and The Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services Annual Conference.  This is a great conference for anyone who works with, in or who sits on the board of a small or rural library or a library with outreach programs or a bookmobile service.  This conference is also in October (Oct 14 - 16)  you can see more information about the ARSL/ABOS conference here.
http://www.arsl.info/annual-conference-awards-calendar/denver-conference-2010/

I hope to see you at one of these wonderful education opportunities!

Email Is Making You Stupid | Networking & Communications | InformationWeek SMB

Email Is Making You Stupid Networking & Communications InformationWeek SMB

This is a great article on how email, that use it all tool of the Americna workplace, is actually causing loss of production, contributing to shorter attention spans and adding to the stress levels of workers in all areas. I have to encourage you to read this one.

Sometimes boring is just, well, boring.

Sometimes those things that are easy, that don't require a lot of thought or problem solving work are boring but fun, somewhat mindless and a relief. Like solving a beginner crossword puzzle.  Sometimes, boring is just boring. 

After spending the better part of 3 days driving across the prairies of the upper US and Canada, I have seen boring.  It exists, in physical form, along a highway that runs through the same small town, over and over again, like a episode from the Twilight Zone.  But during this time, I began to wonder if my library, like this vast plain, was easy and becoming somewhat mindless and, well, boring. 

As the person who runs a small business, who is the sparkplug for what happens and how it happens, we sometimes look for the simple. Sometimes because we need to, and sometimes because it's easy.  We work on decluttlering, simplifying and making things easy. These are the new buzz words.  But remember that some things cannot be easy, they require work.  The best things in life may be free, but they are seldom easy.  Allow those things that can and should "run on autopilot" to do so, but don't let yourself get sucked into the belief that easy is always best.  Sometimes boring is, well, boring.

Hire the Person, Not the Skills

As the manager of a small business, you get to wear many hats.  (Aren't we lucky!) Very often the director of a small library is the business manager, facilities supervisor, office manager, staff development coordinator, collection development selector and the press agent.  It's never boring!

Among these titles, the library director is also, often, the HR manager.  You need to oversee, if not carry out, the hiring, training, evaluations and quite possibiliy the firing of staff. It may be one of the toughest parts of the job. Having to interview and evaluate potential staff, current staff and sometimes even volunteers is difficult.

I learned a concept in my MLS studies that I have since been able to internalize and has been of great help during the process of hiring.  Here it is - Hire the person, not the skills.  I have been able to gain a lot of insight into the hiring process by this one statement.  Hire the person, not the skills. 

In other words, if you need a desk person, hire the person whose personality and demeanor are best suited for working with the public.  You can train them to work the catalog, the computer or any other machines & software needed.  You cannot teach them to LIKE working with the public.  If you need a processing and catalog person, look for someone who loves details and is perfectly fine working in a back room most of the day.  You can teach them the process of how to add items, how to correct mistakes and how to print labels.  You cannot teach them how to like working solo if they are social butterflies.  When you interview, ask questions about them and who they are.  You can see their skills, their talents and their experiences on the resume, find out about them.  Evaluate whether or not they will fit into your current staff dynamic, will they interact well with your customers and, most importantly, are they willing to be a part of the team and not the franchise player and star. 

So today's advice for the HR director in all of you is Hire the Person, Not the Skills.  I have found this more than sound advice and hope that you do as well.

Sharing the Wealth

This blog was originally posted on Seth's Blog.  You can find the original link here - http://ow.ly/1BbpD
It's just too good to not repost -

"I quilt"


When you've had enough, can't tolerate your job any longer and are ready to quit, perhaps you could try one last thing.

Quilt instead.

You've got nothing to lose, right? I mean, you're going to quit anyway, so what's the worst that could happen to you?

So quilt. Spend hours every day integrating the people you work with into a cohesive group. Weave in your customers as well. Take every scrap, even the people you don't like, and sew them together. Spend far less time than you should on the 'real' work and instead focus on creating genuine connections with the people you work with. Including your boss. After all, once you quit, you're never going to see them again anyway, right? Might as well give it a try.

Careful... it might change everything.

Seth Godin's Blog - http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
Seth Godin has written 12 bestsellers that have been translated into 33 languages

I highly recommend his blog!

Speaking the Language

I am sure this is going to ruffle someone's feathers, but that's ok.  A good librarian has something in the collection to offend everyone.

One of my great desires is to travel.  I have been to several locations around my own country and am currently planning a trip to the country to our north, but I don't feel as if I have truly traveled.  I would love to visit Europe.  I am also intrigued by the Japanese culture and would like to see it firsthand. 

I know that were I to visit those foreign lands, I would need to do some research.  I would want to learn about their customs, become capable of speaking a few words of their language and being a history buff, I would want to know about the places I would see and what events they represent in that country's history. I would want to do this not only because I think it would make my trip more enjoyable, but because I think it would make me a better guest in their country.  Being able to "speak the language" allows you to have a better exchange of ideas, invites discussion and enhances your trip. It shows respect.

It's the same in business.  Many librarians I have spoken to tend to dismiss the need to "speak the language".  They meet with business leaders, government officials or others outside their own realm, and yet they continue to speak library-ese.  The terms circulation, collection development and patrons all mean something very different to the non-librarian.  Business leaders want to know about the bottom line, positive PR and (let's be honest) what's in it for them.  Government officials are interested in tax bases, government mandates and voter satisfaction.  If we are to visit these "foreign lands" and experience some success in our travels, we need to speak the language.  

This principle carries over in other areas too.  If you visit some of the land in the Middle East, you have to be aware of what you wear.  Many countries have a culturally-based dress code.  Men don't wear shorts, women have their heads covered.  You can choose to not participate, but don't get mad when your individuality rubs people the wrong way. 

Again, it's the same in the non-library world.  Individuality is all well and good, but if you choose to present to a group of business leaders wearing something that is more ideal for, say, a Celtic festival, don't be upset if they choose to not take you seriously.  There is a language and dress for the culture.  Do your research, learn about the place you're visiting and speak the language. 

I don't say this to disrespect individuality; rather I say this because we need to respect those who we are asking to become share-holders in our library; those to whom we are turning for financial aid, to advocate for us, to be library champions.  You show respect to another's culture and language by learning about it, by sharing it and by participating in it.  I say we should do the same when we leave our library world and enter the business world, the government world or any other profession.  Learn the culture and speak the language.

If you build it . . .

After 3 mornings of a very good course on coaching staff, I have learned a lot, including that being a good coach is tough work. 

But here's a though for those who are dealing with people who you just "don't get", those on you staff, on your board on in your circle of life experiences who operate with a different set of specs that you; those who "march to the beat of a different drummer." 

Before you can make any inroads towards building a good working relationship with them, you need to build an alliance.  Set aside a time without interruptions, where you can focus on them and ask questions, lots of them.  Find out how they like to work. ask what motivates them and what they are looking for from this job, position or networking relationship.  How do they like feedback, what happens when they are not getting what they need and what can be done to remedy that? Share with them about your expectations, needs and your style of managment.  This could take an hour or a couple of hours depending on the nature of your relationship, but it is time well invested.

Even if you think you have good, open communication with your staff, is there not always room for improvement? Take time to sit down and talk to your staff or board members. Get them to share on the one topic they are always going to be an expert on - themselves.  Learn about them, their style of working, their needs as part of your team.  Clear your mind of your responses, focus on them.

Then build your alliance on that.  Find the common ground or negoiate to it.  If you are a task orientented person, they are a pure people person - there may not be common ground; build a bridge if need be, and agree to meet there.  If they like to touch base with you daily, see if they can live with 3 days a week, then make it happen.  Put it on your calendar but do it.  As the manager, leader and entrepreneur, it is your responsibility to know your staff and adjust to them (within reason). 

Successful Entrepreneurs Build - they build strong companies, buildings, networks, marketing plans and finances; but most of all, they build strong relationships.

3 Keys to Enterpreneurial Success

I recently read an article that was published on OPEN Forum. The article was an interview with  Bill Gross, the founder and CEO of idealab, who has founded more than 75 startups in his lifetime. More amazingly, dozens of them have grown into successful, sustainable businesses.

The interviewer talked to Bill Gross and discussed several topics, including his amazing success rate.  Out of this interview came the three most important pieces of advice that Mr. Gorss would give to other entrepreneurs.

First, you have to be passionate about the product or service you're providing. Every emerging business will have near-death experiences, and to get through them you need more than a financial incentive. You need to really care about what it is you're trying to do. As librarians, we have that in spades. I don't know of anyone working in a library for any length of time who does not truly believe in the mission and work of the library.

Second, he stated that you need to be straightforward with everyone you're dealing with. Straightforward with investors, straightforward with employees, straightforward with customers. You need to tell people what to expect, and you need to be honest and forthright when things don't go as you hoped or expected.
Now this one may be a bit more difficult for us.  Library workers tend to gloss over the troubles; we turn a blind eye to gaps (whether due to our inability or a lack of resources).  I know I have dropped the ball on this one.

His last piece of adivce; you need to give your employees a significant piece of the action. Many entrepreneurs worry too much about hanging on to every last share of equity. In so doing, they underestimate how much a meaningful equity stake (via options) will motivate the rest of the team. 

Now librarians dont' have shares and stock options to offer their employees, but we do have something just as important. We can allow our staff ownership by putting their advice, their suggestions and their skills into practice.  Just as we as managers & leaders what people to assume we "know what we are doing" - don't you think your staff wants that too?

Be passionate, Be straightforward and Give your staff a piece of the action.  3 Keys to success from an enterpreneur who knows what he is talking about.


You can read more of this interview at http://tiny.cc/rtj6j

Define "Entrepreneur"

Webster's dictionary defines entrepreneur as "one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business" It is from the French word entreprendre 'to undertake'.

But while this short phrase offers a broad picture of what an entrepreneur does, it does not touch who they are, what they are.  So I am asking for your take.  What IS an entrepreneur? 

Share in the comments and let's see where this takes us?

Tragedy or Opportunity

The current state of affairs for most public libraries, especially those in my home state, is tragic. There is no other word that so completely describes the devastation of resources, the long-term implications and the short sighted budget cuts than a true tragedy (ala Shakespeare). In fact, I spoke to a colleague just the other day, and she shared that the attitude of many in their county was one of little hope, they are tired. I know many of us are thinking, “Been There, Done That.”

But is this situation a complete tragedy or is there, hidden in this cloud, a silver lining of opportunity? I would hope the response is a resounding “Yes.”

We have an opportunity, yea; we have a mandate, to look at what we do, how we do it and to reevaluate all things. This is one of the few times in librarian history when there are no longer any sacred cows. It’s hard, but it is an opportunity like few you will see. It will not knock long, so take advantage.

From an Entrepreneurial viewpoint, difficult times can offer the most opportunities. It is a time that permits taking a chance, a risk that 'Success' would not allow; it brings openings to alter course that a 'Better Time' refused to permit; and it swings wide an open door to evaluate, assess and question every aspect of your organization when 'Smooth Sailing' refused to let you ask the tough questions.

So ask the tough questions, dig and tunnel and observe every aspect of your operation. Look for the openings, the risks, the opportunities that were not there before. Be the entrepreneur, chart the course that will sail you through this storm.

The Power of the Dumb Question

I recently began taking a short course in coaching. 
I'll admit that the two things I have learned so far are:
1 - I do not want to be a professional coach and
2 - there is power in questions, the dumber, the better.

A question empowers the person questioned.  It bestows on them the title of expert, even if it is for just a brief moment.  We all want to consider ourselves experts at one thing or another, how great to have someone in managment, someone we consider a leader, ask us a question?!

The most powerful questions are the open-ended ones that show we are not the expert; the "Dumb" question.
For example:

Manager - I would like our working relationship to be strong.  As a part of that growth, I need to know what do you need from me, as a manager?
Staff - I need direct and detailed instructions for any new jobs.  I need to know what you want, how you want it and when it is due.
Manager - If I do not give you all the information you need, what kind of response should I expect from you?
Staff - I will get frustrated
Manager - What will that look like, what should I be looking for?
Staff - I will become very quiet, I will be short tempered and perhaps sullen.
Manager - I will make sure that any new tasks have all the needed instructions and dates when I present them to you.

What's the dumb question - "What will that look like?"
Don't we assume that we know what frustrated is? that we can pick out the frustrated person at a glance?  Yes and no.  We know what WE look like frustrated (or angry or hurt or overwhelmed) but every person is different.

As an Entrepreneur - as a manager and leader - don't assume you know, ask! Ask the dumb question, empower your staff, your co-workers, your committee members, your board members. Let them be the experts, even if it is just being an expert on themselves.  It's an eye-opening experience.

Spring Cleaning

One of the things I have noticed about successful entrepreneurs - they don't carry around a lot of baggage. No, I do not stalk business leaders through the airport; I mean the baggage of the known. Entrepreneurs, successful entrepreneurs, travel light. They don't allow themselves to become too attached to anything; to any idea, concept, procedure or trend. They are nimble in responding to the ever changing world. They know what is important, what is needed; and they carry that. The rest is left behind.

As successful Entrepreneurial Librarians, we need to model this behavior as well. We need to be willing to lay aside the traditions, policies and guidelines we so love. We need to exchange our desire for the "known" for the principles of the successful. We need to set aside the comfort of tradition for the stretching exercise of adjusting to what our community needs.

As springtime comes upon us, take this time to evaluate what you are doing; as a librarian, as a director, as a community servant. Is your library nimble? Or are you carrying extra baggage? Consider doing a little “Spring Cleaning” of the mind. What is it that you are carrying around, that perhaps you would be better off putting out at the next garage sale?

Are you a Manager or a Leader? The answer should be "Yes."

While reading one of the numerous titles on non-profit management and leadership, the text I perused this morning asked if I knew the difference between managing and leading and if I understood that I needed to do both?   I know we have all read various definitions of these terms - but I was struck by the one offered by my current read.

Managers focus on the here and now. Did the report get done, do we have sufficient staff to cover for tomorrow, are my customers leaving happy and satisfied, are we doing a good job? Managers are all about the here and now - and that's a good thing. As managers, we need to be certain that the here and now is addressed; that we are prepared for what we know is coming, that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing in an excellent fashion.

Leaders - on the other hand - are about everything but the here and now. Leaders focus on the future and how we are going to get there. Leaders develop a vision, the long range goals, the "big picture". They develop it, cultivate it, feed it and nurture it, and then sell it. They share the vision, get others to buy into the vision, and (to use one of my very favorite phrases) they get everyone "rowing in the same direction."

As a library director - especially if you work in a small and/or rural library - you are both. You have to be. You do not have to do this alone, you should have input and support from your board or Friends or staff or even the customers. But when it comes to where the buck stops - look no further than your desk.

You are your Library's Manager. You build schedules, hire new staff, arrange programs, check out items, handle customer service issues, answer reference questions and fix the plumbing.

But you are also your Library’s Leader - you understand at a visceral level where you library is going, what it could become and (most importantly) what it will take to get it there. You must sell your vision.

Are you a manager or a leader? The successful Entrepreneurial Librarian has to answer "Yes".

Character Studies - Loyal Leadership

When considering what makes a successful entrepreneur, many of the things that come to mind are not business strategies or innovative management techniques but character traits. Words such as likeability, trustworthy, perseverant and insightful come to mind. The successful entrepreneurial librarian should also carry these same traits.

Since these are the beginning, the foundation of a person, let’s talk about these first, before venturing out into the waters of management style, business models and networking tools.


Personally, the character trait that I would consider most important in a business partner, in a staff member or in a potential manager is loyalty. For clarity’s sake, I would define a loyal person as someone who would never “throw you under the bus”, ever. Even if they take a hit personally, even if it costs them financially; they just will not do it.

I have worked for managers who were and who were not loyal – guess who got my best work? Being a loyal manager gives your staff great freedom – to try new things, to possibility make mistakes, to innovate and create and succeed. Being loyal does not mean you don’t call someone on the carpet when they need it – but you don’t do it front of anyone else. You don’t make reviews a personal attack and you don’t use fear to motivate. Loyalty from a manager, a leader, tells their staff, “You are on my team, I have your back.”  We should also note that loyalty is a two-way street.  A leader can extend loyalty to a dis-loyal employee for only so long, before it becomes so valueless that it loses it's power with the rest of their staff.

Think about a time when someone was loyal to you. The empowerment that comes from that act of faith in you as a person is, in my humble opinion, one of the best possible motivational tools available to any leader.

What Can I Learn from This?

Working in the library and being exposed to many good (and some so-so) books has, at times, caused me to look for lessons in management from other sources. Perhaps it's because I know those good titles will be available so I grasp the "Teachable Moment" in my own life away from reading. But here is a lesson I caught just last night while watching a movie I have seen more than once.

The hero was a person who refused to play by the rules, who was a risk taker. As a pre-teen he steals a car, as a young adult he gets in a bar fight with 4 other guys, in college he figured out an answer that was "outside the box" on a test he did not like, at work he challenges the decision of his bosses and in the end, saved the day and was made the captain of his own ship (ok, it was a movie). But as I watched the last scene play out the thought struck me - would I have done that? And the answer was difficult to listen to - no, I would have played it safe. But he saw what needed to be done, resolved to take the difficult course of action with its inherent risks, and laying it all on the line, saw his decision through.

Being a successful entrepreneurial librarian means that we must also be willing and able to do this. We have to formulate our vision for the future of our library - really see with clarity with it can be, what it should be. Be able to articulate that vision to those closest to us and (here's the hard part) be willing to lay it all on the line to make that vision possible. I will admit that I had such an opportunity several years ago and while the intial seeing and articulating the vision was not a problem, I couldn't follow through. I was not willing to take the risk needed to carry that vision off.

Would I do this now? Can't say, not until I find myself in that same position again.  But I can say that I will grasp the situation better, will understand what needs to be done and the implications of not doing it with more depth.  How about you? What happens when you have to "sell" your vision? Think about it now, consider it before you have to make that decision. 

The movie? Take a guess

The Entrepreneurial Librarian

Not long after I began working as a library director, one of my customers (who later became a board member) commented to me that I was, in fact, an entrepreneur. When I expressed surprise and some hesitancy in accepting this remark she explained that my management style was one of research & survey, trial, evaluation, adjustment and trial again. This is, she explained, very much what a successful entrepreneur did when starting and growing a business. Since she held a top level position in one of the country's largest communication's companys and dealt with business customers daily, I did not question her understanding of the term.

Having been a business major, many eons ago, I chalked the use of this style up to a bit of lecture from some long forgotten class that was running like a subroutine in my brain. In the years since, I have discovered something interesting. Good public library directors, ones whose libraries grow and develop, ones who garner public support and who make their organizations a fundamental part of their community, are at their core - entrepreneurs. They use this same model to keep their business not only functioning but growing. Their businesses maintain position as a core part of their community because they are constantly meeting the community’s needs, they grow and change and are considered vital to the quality of life in the area they serve.

But not all of us are natural entrepreneurs. Not everyone sees all the pieces of the puzzle of a successfully run business. Not everyone will even agree that running a library is like running a business. Actually - It is not like a business, it is a business. And while the “for-profit” business models we read about and learn from fall apart when we try to place them point-for-point on our business, there is no reason to discard them wholly. We are a community service organization – yes. We are a public service place – yes. We are a destination – yes. We are an educational support organization - yes. But we are also a business, it need of planning (strategic, financial, succession and otherwise), a customer base and all the other needs of any businesses.

The purpose of this blog is to explore the world of the public library as a business and the successful library director as an entrepreneur. How well does this business model fit the library sector, what adjustments need to be made in our “not-for-profit” world and what can we, as library administrators, learn to help us keep the public library business growing and thriving and drawing new customers every day?