THE TRANSITION TO MANAGEMENT
IST
614 Management Principles for Information Professional is the class that I
definitely needed to take, because it is a class that directly relates to the
work that I do as an information professional in a public library. Unfortunately,
I am just now taking it late in my work career, and only as a requirement for
my master’s degree in Library & Information Science. My undergraduate
degree was in English, which set me back at the outset of my career working in
Major League Baseball, because I had learned no business fundamentals. All of
my work experience up to now seemed a bit reactionary, because I did not
understand the theory or reasoning behind anything that I did. It always felt
like I was learning on the fly, which resulted in me flying by the seat of my
pants.
Since
I have worked at Cleveland Public Library (CPL) for over a decade, the topics
covered in IST 614, especially the Independent Research Project, feel useful
and relevant to my present job and my future endeavors. When Dr. Stinnett,
explained what each person’s focus for the project should be, he asked, “What
do you want to learn or take from the course?” I knew immediately; I needed to
learn about leadership, and if I had what it takes to make the transition to a leadership
position at this stage of my career.
This
blog post describes my search for the answers to what I wanted to learn from
the course. It begins with an interesting article discussing things on
organization can do to smooth the transition process.
Reading
About the Transition to Management
The
Research Databases on-line at SU Libraries was the first place that I searched
for information relating to the topic. There must be numerous relevant scholarly
articles. The first applicable article that I found was titled “How to support and develop first-time
managers?” The purpose of author Dawn Sillett’s paper, is to explore the
challenges faced by first-time managers on their promotion and present
suggestions for aiding successful transition. Exactly what I needed, it seems.
The only potential issue was that the article appeared in a journal for
industrial and commercial training, but the further I read, the clearer it
became that the author’s insights were relevant to the library field, as well.
The
article begins by explaining that when most people enter the workplace in their
first role, the development focus is on operations and “getting things done” (Sillett, 2015). At this point, the focus is on the technical
skills that you must have to effectively do the job. In a library setting, these
could include the ability to operate the library management software at the
circulation desk, to conduct a reference interview, or even to assist patrons
with computer-related questions. Once you exit the intake phase of the job,
most of what people learn is on the job from peers, managers, and colleagues (CIPD, 2014). For those who stand
out and are promoted, they, suddenly, have to add the management of others to
their already full workload.
Ms.
Sillett feels that the following factors can adversely impact the performance
of a new manager:
§ workload and time
pressure;
§ lack of clarity
about their role and responsibilities to lead others;
§ unclear reporting
lines (multiple direct reports and multiple line managers);
§ lack of incentives
to lead/manage effectively;
§ lack of clarity on
management policies, processes and rewards;
§ no or little
targeted training on managing other people (who until recently were their
peers); and
§ lack of confidence
and reluctance to deal with underperformance in the team (Sillett,
2015).
Ms.
Sillett based this article on her 15 years of experience working with first-time managers and
their employers’ organizations, designing and delivering training and
development programs in a corporate environment. Her suggestions definitely
can assist an organization’s efforts to bridge the gap in an employee’s
transition to the management of others. Moreover, she provides useful tips that
new managers can be cognizant of when self-assessing their effectiveness in the
new role. They include:
1.
Set
clear goals and monitor progress
o Define clear goals
to give new managers something to aim at now that their role has changed
o At this stage, it can be more helpful to set short-term goals
(with clear reporting lines), identifying the steps needed to reach them.
2.
Organize
work into projects
o To avoid potential
traps around excessive workload, unclear responsibilities, and lack of
incentives
o To provide a clear
beginning and end with milestones along the way.
3.
Provide
training and development in bite-sized chunks
o Since time is
short, it is better to deliver practical skills training on-site and in short,
interactive formats
o “facilitated
rather than taught”
4.
Consider
short coaching sessions
o Follow up training
with 1-to-1 coaching to allow for personalization, and self-reflection.
o Develop
self-confidence that learning can be successfully applied.
5.
Watch
out for “remedial” learning needs
o After promotion, skills gaps become more apparent.
o Skill gaps may vary between individuals, so support must
be flexible.
6. Foster formal support networks
o Mentoring can spread the developmental load for supporting
newly promoted managers
o Mentors can share examples of the employer's policies,
processes and rewards in practice.
7. Encourage access to informal support and sharing
o Increasingly, support is sought at the point of need and web
enabled formats, particularly Google and YouTube, are where managers go.
o Valuable peer and colleague support can be provided via
online chats and discussion forums, employee generated wikis, shared online
resources (Sillett, 2015).
A Retired
Librarian’s Perspective
Recently,
I had a conversation with a
retired librarian named Fran Collins, with whom I work and respect a great
deal. Mr. Collins retired over 10 years ago as a branch manager in the CPL
system, but he now works part-time as a coding specialist at the Ohio Library
for the Blind & Physically Disabled (OLBPD).
The
first thing you notice about Fran is the shock of unruly white hair on top of
his head (think minimalist Einstein). Then, you notice that he is the nicest,
most considerate gentleman you will ever meet. His reserved, soft-spoken,
professional manner belie his willingness to open up and share his experience
with me or anyone that asks. We talk all the time about different topics, but
today I had three specific questions for Fran. His responses follow:
1.
Do
you see a difference between leadership and management as it relates to the
library?
Answer:
Leaders set the vision. Managers
set the goals to carry out the vision. I
believe CPL does this extremely well.
When he became Director in 2009, Felton totally rewrote the Library’s
Vision statement. He knows exactly where he wants to take us. He expects management to help set goals to
carry out that vision.
2.
Do you feel it is possible to become a leader
later in one’s career?
Answer:
Without question. Look at your
life experience, the various organizations you’ve worked for and the positions
you’ve held. There is no substitute for
experience and maturity.
3.
Can
you offer any advice for me as I prepare to transition into the role of a
first-time manager?
Answer:
As I’ve said before, find someone to mentor you (Bill Bradford, Will,
Monica, Aaron Mason). Ask questions of
current managers. I’ve always found that
most people are glad to help in any way and want you to succeed.
Lessons
Learned from Mr. Collins
In
his answer to the first question, Mr. Collin refers to CPL Executive Director
Felton Thomas, who was hired during my first year in the CPL system. At the
time, I didn’t understand why, every month Mr. Thomas wrote a 1-page piece on
the cover of the staff newsletter, highlighting specific library topics. Back
then, his intent was unclear to me, but he was implementing his vision and
setting the tone that he wanted the library to follow. Under his leadership,
CPL was awarded a prestigious 5-Star rating, according to the 2017 Library
Journal Index of Public Library Service.
Mr.
Collins’ response made me take a closer look at Mr. Thomas’ vision which says:
Cleveland Public
Library will be the driving force behind a powerful culture of learning that
will inspire Clevelanders from all walks of life to continually learn, share
and seek out new knowledge in ways that are beneficial to themselves, their
community and the world (Cleveland Public Library, 2018).
It
just so happens that I go about my business at work with a similar focus. The
only difference is that my vision is undefined, and it took reading Mr. Thomas’
before I realized that I need to define my vision in writing if I aspire to a
leadership position. First, though, I need to make the transition to a
management position.
Mr.
Collins’ second response gives me confidence that I have what it takes to
succeed in a managerial role. While I am often side-tracked worrying about
whether or not I have the traits to be a leader, his advice is to rely on my
experience and maturity. He knows my history, and sometimes it takes someone I
trust to tell me something about myself before I become aware. Shyness was
always my excuse, but today, I simply see that I lacked confidence. With
experience, my confidence has grown, but I sometimes need to be reminded.
In
the text MGMT 9, it highlights the “Top Ten
Mistakes That Managers Make,” which include “insensitivity to others, aloofness
and arrogance, overly ambitious thinking of the next job” among others. These
should all be avoidable, because I have long been a subordinate, and I know how
I expect or want to be treated by a supervisor. The text also highlights the
Stages in the Transition to Management. It shows the initial expectations of
the job when you expect to be the boss, after six months as a manager when you
realize the initial expectations were wrong, and after a year as a manager when
you are no longer a doer but a people developer who communicates, listens, and
offers positive reinforcement (Williams, 2016).
The
Stages in the Transition seem to be challenges that most new managers
experience to some degree. Though, I may not avoid all of the mistakes, I can
ty to limit the negative impact by listening with an open mind and
communicating with empathy.
Mr.
Collins’ third response suggested that I seek a mentor, which I feel is great
advice. Learning from other’s successes and failures is my preferred way of
learning, but I have never found a consistent mentor to this point in my
career. The names that he listed were all interesting choices, but my plan is
to go straight to the top of the CPL system in an effort to open a line of
communication with the executive director Felton Thomas.
Interview
Roundtable
In
an effort to dig deeper into the topic of transitioning to management, I
reached out to three experienced managers to invite them to weigh in on the
topic via the same questions that I previously asked Mr. Fran Collins. The participants
include:
§ Cedric K. Johns, MHRLR
Assistant Director of H.R at Cleveland Public Library
§ Stephen Thomas,
MBA, CISA, CRISC, CSM, PMP, ITIL. Senior Principal - Western Region. Vertical
Consulting Group LLC
§ Russell Robinson,
EdD
Senior Training & Engagement Advisor, Program
Support Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Adjunct
Professor at the University of
Louisville and Qualitative Researcher Focusing on Engagement, Voice/Silence and Change Management
1. Do
you see a difference between leadership and management?
Cedric:
“Management” is rigid. By definition it is the process of dealing with or controlling things
or people. Management consists of the interlocking functions of
creating corporate policy and organizing, planning, controlling, and
directing an organization's resources in order to achieve objectives.
However, Leadership is “flexible”, and it is able to navigate the grey
areas of “management”. Leadership assists others to do the right things. Leadership
will help set direction, build an inspiring vision, and create something
new. Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go to
"win" as a team or an organization.
Steve: Leadership
can be exhibited by those that are not managers. Many that take the lead
in projects to help others or expand their role to handle various
areas, show leadership. Management has the role of managing key
tasks or resources to handle specific jobs. Those in management can be
leaders, but some choose to just delegate work to others and not provide
guidance or assistance. Leading by example of what you do is what you
want and there shouldn’t be a difference, no matter what the organization may
be.
Russ: There
are a couple of differences, I think management is about getting things
done or implementing a strategy or vision achieving results through people
via influence. Management grounded in technical competence
while leadership is grounded in softer skills (trust, communication,
empowerment). Now managers can be leaders, and there can be
leaders who cannot manage, but they are distinctly different skillsets.
2. Do
you feel it is possible to become a leader later in one’s career?
Cedric:
Absolutely! Often times through experience many become leaders in the workplace
by observing other leaders, both good and bad because I believe you can learn
something from both. A leader is someone who delivers consistent value with
integrity and passion, takes responsibility for their actions, and they’re
always willing to go the extra mile.
Steve: Very much
so, because you have a broader body of work and lessons learned to share with
others. There is a lot to say about the professional maturity that you obtain
over several years and how it can guide you to be a great leader.
Russ: Yes, and
there are advantages. As adult learners, those that become leaders
later in their career, can build culture, empower, and lead followers based on
a wealth of experiential experience; and, personal maturity. A
disadvantage of being a younger leader is not having a wealth of personal
experience to draw on. Leading staff by sharing your experiences of
success, failures and resilience can make a leader more authentic and
empathetic.
3. Can
you offer any advice for me as I prepare to transition into the role of a
first-time manager, following library school?
Cedric: Be
consistent. Not from the standpoint of providing cookie cutter responses or
decisions in every situation but be consistent in taking a thoughtful approach
to your responses or decisions. Lastly, do not be afraid to fail, just learn
from the experience.
Steve: Be true to
yourself. Understand what you personally and professionally have to
offer to others in managing. Always stay open to listen to others
with the intent to learn something, no matter what their role may be because
they have value. People skills are key, because you will need to
motivate others and lead them along the way.
Russ: As a
first-time manager, accept that you are going to make mistakes. Hold
yourself accountable. Be transparent and authentic. Do
your best to embody the behavior and values that you want your staff to embody. I
see you as a servant leader. Also, learn how to delegate and empower your
staff, and maintain your overall health and wellness. And, read!!!
Your average CEO reads 50 books per year.
Roundtable lessons
learned
·
Each gentleman seems to agree that management
and leadership are different and require different sets of skills, yet they
feel that a manager has the ability to lead from any organizational level.
·
Management is rigid, and it tends to get
things done, while, according to Cedric, leadership is more flexible, and it operates
in the grey areas of management.
·
Experience and personal maturity along with
the lessons learned from good and bad leaders, over the years, gives a late-career
leader authenticity and empathy. The key is that you must share your
experiences, including successes and failures.
·
Advice
for a new manager included the common themes of authenticity, transparency, and
accountability, along with leading by example and embracing failure.
·
Russ’s advice to read seems like common
sense. Yet, it is a useful reminder for students and professionals that it pays
dividends in the short and long term.
In retrospect, the Independent Research
Project turned out to be very useful, because, as this course comes to an end,
I’m more encouraged and confident than I was when it began. The IRP reinforced
a lot of the practical information covered in class. Much of the insight
learned in this project apply directly to my current and, if all goes as
planned, to my future role within the library field.
Finally, Russ’s “servant leader” comment
caught me off guard, but I looked up the meaning and was excited by what I
found. According to Kent Keith, former CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant
Leadership, the modern servant leadership movement was launched by Robert K.
Greenleaf in 1970 with the publication of his classic essay, The
Servant as Leader. He defines the term as follows:
"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that
one wants to serve, to serve first.
Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply
different from one who is leader first,
perhaps because of (Keith, 2018)possessions...The
leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there
are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human
nature."
"The difference manifests itself in the care taken
by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs
are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those
served grow as persons? Do they, while
being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more
likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will
they benefit or at least not be further deprived? (Keith, 2018)"
That type of leadership truly makes sense to
me, and it seems like a perfect fit for a library environment! I’ll research it
further and give Russ a call to discuss. Then I’ll share what I find in my next
post.
Sources
CIPD. (2014). Annual Learning and Development
Survey Report. London: Wimbledon.
Cleveland
Public Library. (2018, September 16th). Library Leadership. Retrieved
from Cleveland Public Library: https://cpl.org/aboutthelibrary/libraryleadership/
Keith,
K. (2018). Definition of Servant Leadership. Retrieved from To Serve
First, The Servant Leadership Journey:
http://www.toservefirst.com/definition-of-servant-leadership.html
Sillett,
D. (2015). How to support and develop first-time managers? Industrial and
commercial training, 46-50.
Williams,
Chuck 1959-. (2016). MGMT 9. Boston: Cengage Learning.
