A-B-Cs of Non-Sales Selling: Buoyancy

This is a continuation on the three previous posts on libraries/librarians as non-sales salesmen as the concept of non-sales selling was introduced by Dan Pink in his ASTD webinar  a couple weeks ago. In this post, I continue to study and apply the A-B-Cs, as explained by Dan Pink, to public libraries and librarians and I'm also explore on whose shoulders these traits fall or are they (should they be) on every single library employee's shoulders?

I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comment area provided.

The A-B-Cs of non-sales selling are:

1. Attunement: perspective taking, being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes
2. Buoyancy: resilience in the face of rejection and/or failure, being able to stay afloat
3. Clarity: the ability to curate information and make sense of it, to sift through the superfluous to find the truly important pieces

Buoyancy:
How do libraries/librarians stay afloat amid rejection and failure especially when rejection and failure can take on more forms than just budget cuts: low employee retention, failure to embrace disruptive technologies, inability to increase the number of consistent borrowers, etc.

[Caution: my bias shows in the following paragraph.]
In regards to budget cuts, I believe it's important, if not essential, to have a director, or someone in the role of CFO if you will, who is politically savvy and active. We need someone in this role who is not only business-minded but who is also good at developing and sustaining meaningful relationships with the men and women who control our metaphorical and actual purse strings.

Why? It seems almost a non sequitor at this point but I believe it's because of the A in the A-B-Cs. If a director cannot relate to the folks who set our budgets and control the legislation that affects us, how will he or she be able to convince them to maintain (or, better yet, increase) our funding? To not close our doors? Or to put it in non-sales selling terms, how will the director be able to convince our funding bodies of our value in order for them to want to continue to invest in it and lobby for it?

But what about the other ways libraries/librarians can fail or be rejected?

How do we handle low employee retention (aka high turnover)? It seems to me that there's been a push in recent years for succession planning but that hasn't taken effect across the board. I know that if I were to leave tomorrow (I'm not) that there really aren't any systems in place to take over in the chasm between my absence and the new-hire's presence. But then I wonder, how much of my own succession planning is my own personal responsibility? Should I go ahead and take measures to make sure there is something in place for when I leave my post and someone new comes in? What do you think? What are you doing to plan for succession?

We also could consider failing/rejection at the micro level: programs that bomb; presentations we give that we don't ace; customer service transactions that don't quite go the way we envision; raises we ask for that we don't get. The possibilities are endless. I need to look into the ways we can prepare for rejection, experience rejection as it's happening, and recover from it afterward. I've heard mention of resources that exist but I haven't got around to researching them.But if you're reading this, maybe you can share your techniques for handling rejection!

Maryland Governor's Grants Conference--March 21, 2013

By Harry Sachs 
     Business and Government Information Center Librarian
     Washington County

On March 21, 2013 I attended the Maryland Governor’s Grants Conference sponsored by the Governor’s Grants Office at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. This blog entry summarizes the conference’s events along with my impressions and general observations. 

The agenda for the conference is available at: http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1101383760746-421/AGENDA.pdf

PowerPoint presentations at the conference may be found under “What’s New” on the office’s website (www.grants.maryland.gov)

WHAT IS THE GOVERNOR'S GRANTS OFFICE?

The Governor's Grants Office was established in 2004 by the Governor. The Office coordinates State agency activities in applying for and managing federal grants. It trains and provides technical assistance to State and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations in grant-writing and identifying federal grant opportunities; and measures, tracks, and disseminates federal funding data. In addition, the Office offers an annual report, an e-newsletter, State grant announcements, conferences, and webinar training.

The Office’s website provides grants information for not only state and local governments but also for residents, businesses and students.  Under the Contacts tab is a list of Maryland Local Government Contacts by county which also includes public library grants collections, such as the one at WCFL.

WHY A GOVERNOR'S GRANTS CONFERENCE? 

The conference provides an opportunity to learn about the latest trends in grants management from federal agencies, the state and foundation and corporate-giving worlds. The one-day event is usually a sold-out affair, such as this one, and features speakers and panelists from federal and state government and nonprofit foundations.

Attendees were a mixture of representatives from federal, state and local government, higher education  and nonprofit  organizations, including a few librarians from county public library grants collections, such as myself and from Pratt and Charles, Frederick and Howard Counties. 

While the conference was open to the public, the registration fee requirement severely limited public attendance.

MORNING SESSION:

Morning: The welcoming remarks were given by Barry Anderson, Deputy Director of the National Governors Conference.

Mr. Anderson presented an interesting overview of the sequester controversy in Washington.  He presented a gloomy fiscal outlook with an emphasis on the immense costs of funding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in the future

The morning workshops discussed federal funding with representatives of Federal agencies making up a panel discussing federal funding opportunities.  This was essentially a quick rundown via PowerPoint presentation by appropriate representatives.

AFTERNOON SESSION:

The afternoon workshop I attended was an introduction to Maryland StateStat (website: www.statestat.maryland.gov) which is a performance measurement and management tool used by the state.  This tool was originally implemented by then-Mayor O’Malley for Baltimore City as CitiStat and has since been expanded statewide since 2007.   

Key public safety, health care, and social services agencies were selected to form the initial foundation of StateStat review process: the Department of Juvenile Services, The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Human Resources, and Health and Mental Hygiene. The program has expanded to include other  critical service agencies

The participating state agencies submit data on key performance indicators to StateStat. This data is analyzed and used to identify areas of concern which are reported in an executive briefing. Leaders of each agency and the Governor’s executive staff hold weekly meetings to discuss the agency’s progress on selected initiatives and to develop strategies for improvement.

Agency reports and summaries from every meeting can be found on the StateStat website.  StateStat has partnered with other state agencies to launch the MD iMap, an interactive tool that information from agencies across the state to provide information about many improvement projects clearly and accurately.

The PowerPoint presentation for StateStat is available at http://grants.maryland.gov/Governor%20Grants%20Conference%202013%20Presentations/Performance%20Measures.pdf

While StateStat seems an admirable program, I question whether the measurement of delivery of services can be done on such a large scale as compared to a smaller area such as Baltimore City.  Opinion has also been mixed as to whether CityStat made much of a dent on the insurmountable urban problems in Baltimore.  

The other afternoon session I attended involved a panel session with private grantors speaking about their policies and their grantmaking.  Most of the grantmakers were from well-known foundations in the Baltimore area and will not accept applications from Western Maryland.  One important point emphasized in the discussion was how many applicants fail to follow simple instructions.   Another point emphasized was the importance of communication in discussing eligibility for grants.

CONCLUSION:  

The conference provided opportunities to network with local nonprofit organizations around the state. Unfortunately, attendance from Western Maryland counties was minimal.

The most interesting part of the conference was the presentation on StateStat  The focus of  many of the workshops could have broadened from internal federal government policies and regulations. 

Joys and Pains of Middle Management

I wasn’t a big fan of the personality breakdown/management style model that was used—aren’t we all amiable, expressive, driver and analytical personality types depending on the person and/or situation we are dealing with?  However, the presenters seemed very energetic and knowledgeable on the subject.   The real-world examples offered helpful tools.  Empathy, observation, and communication will always help one understand others.

The Joys and Pains of Middle Management

I thought the format of the workshop was great.  The activities promoted a lot of discussion about management issues.   By looking at each others interpersonal styles, we can decide how to approach someone with an issue.  Since I am amiable style, I like to avoid conflict as much as possible!

The Joys & Pains of Middle Magagement

I attended the Joys and Pains of Middle Management last month.  The training was very useful for remembering that we are not all the same, nor do we all like dealing with work issues the same way.  Although I had learned about personality types before, it was nice to review and find out that my interpersonal style is expressive.  The training gave me to time to reflect on how I perform as a middle manager (even though I have no authority over those whom I manage). 

After the training, I am trying to apply: thinking of others' interpersonal styles, leading by example, and delegating not only tasks but expectations.  The presenters were very helpful in explaining how they handle management situations and how we can improve our work atmosphere.  Having the opportunity to interact with other middle managers from the region was also valuable.

Joys and Pains of Middle Management

James Kelly, Morgan Miller and Janet Vogel did a great job developing and delivering this program that focused on strategies for managing ourselves and tips for managing others.  Here are some of the things that I made note of:

• In regards to personality types - we can rub people the wrong way by being ourselves (nice!)
• We can only control how we react to other people or situations, and we should keep in mind that 3 out of 4 people react differently than we do
• treat every day as though it were a job interview
• In life and in the library, things are cyclical.  In bad times plan for good; in good times, plan for bad
• The best resource you can give staff is time
• James said that he tries to apply the 50/10 rule which involves 50 minutes spent on one project and 10 minutes walking around/taking a break.  I can't quite imaging 50 uninterrupted minutes - it sounds glorious.  I am really looking forward to having an office with a door in the new library!
• Another Kelly strategy that I am working on employing is having two to-do lists.  The one that is endless is inevitable, but he also suggested making one each day with three things on it.  The idea being that it is more reasonable to focus on a few things and if those are accomplished, one can go on to the large list, but each day brings accomplishments. 

MLA Public Services Division Unconference

The Public Services Division Unconference* on March 21st focused on adult programming, which was particularly relevant to me as we plan for our new building, with lots of new spaces for programs of different types.  The unconference followed a format of small group discussions with summaries reported back to the whole group. Detailed notes were posted on the Facebook page of the Md. Adult Programming Interest Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/172759956187770. 

Some of the notable points:


Finding ideas for programs

• Listen to patrons - if there's a patron who's passionate about a hobby, an area of research, a type of reading, etc., he or she might make a good presenter for an event
• Think about how topics or themes might have cross-generational appeal - for example, local history for kids and adults
• In partnering with other organizations, think outside the usual types of clubs and cultural institutions - for example, retirement communities, social service agencies

Program evaluation

• Make it easy for the attendees
• At the event, hand out a postcard-sized evaluation form with just a couple key questions.
• On the card, ask for their email address and, if they give it, send them a link to a more detailed evaluation online.

Specific program ideas

One of our discussions generated a large number of good ideas for programs.  At least one library in Maryland has had a success with each of these. Some of the highlights:

• A juried photography exhibit on a theme
• An adult reading club in the winter instead of the summer - it spreads out the workload and adults' schedules don't depend on the school year
• A scavenger hunt in the library using call numbers and other info, with a book at the end containing a small prize
• A presentation on car repair for women
• A book discussion (not a book club) where everyone reads whatever books they like and makes a short presentation to the group about 1 or 2 books
• A cookbook discussion group
• The 10,000 Villages organization will do presentations on fair trade
• The Foreign Policy Association provides materials such as DVDs and background booklets for discussion groups on international relations and foreign policy

Online database of program ideas and presenters

One of the most exciting things to arise from the unconference was a plan to create a Maryland statewide database of library program ideas and presenters.  Only librarians would have access to it, and it would contain details about successful and unsuccessful programs, with handouts, publicity materials, etc.  It would also contain information about presenters that libraries have used - including assessment of the quality of the person's presentation or performance.  This is still in the early stages but I think it would be a very useful resource ... I'll send an email with more info when it gets off the ground.



Please feel free to contact me with questions or for more information.

Bill



*An unconference, if you're unfamiliar with the term, is a conference without a set agenda, and without prearranged speakers and topics.  The group decides on the spot what they want to learn about, how the sessions will be conducted, and who - if anyone - will give formal presentations.  There needs to be at least one coordinator to lead that discussion and to keep things on schedule, but in general it's a very democratic process.  Participants benefit because they have a lot of input into the topics discussed, and because the format tends to be more discussion and less lecturing.