Thrown to the Wolves: Building Trust, Encouraging Independence & Creating an Unstoppable Team

Abstract

To be a successful leader, it isn't always what you know, but how you successfully communicate with and advocate for your employees. At a mid-sized public university library, without discussion or warning, a reference librarian, aka a wary adversary, was appointed Head of Access Services Responsibilities included the supervision of Circulation, Stacks Maintenance, ILL, Course Reserve and Equipment Checkout and 5 FTE assistants, various LTEs and 28 student employees. In a short period of time the Head of AS faced retirements, personnel decisions, and skepticism about realignment of services and priorities. Through communication, humility, participation, advocacy and trust, the AS manager has not only gained trust from employees, but also developed better leadership skills and a well-rounded attitude towards library services. This presentation will address the delicate balance and adjustment in leadership, with specifics on how a team was built based on trust and a common commitment to our patrons.