The Accidental Manager

I am sure you all have heard the quote “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” That may be true, but we all recognize the difference between work and play. While work requires meeting deadlines, writing reports and being responsible for a variety of tasks, minimum exertion is required of us when we are at “play.” But, if we are lucky enough to stumble on to a career path that we really enjoy, then those work responsibilities don’t seem quite so onerous. If we are lucky enough to love our job, then (almost) everyday can be a rewarding day.

An avid reader from childhood, who could always be found with her nose buried in a book, it was only natural that I became a librarian. I loved being a reference librarian. I enjoyed reading reviews and doing collection development, leading book groups, promoting the resources of my library at outreach events, and helping patrons. Almost every patron encounter at the reference desk was a learning moment. As I searched for answers to patrons’ questions, I heard about books that I had missed reading, discovered interesting places near and far, or some intriguing piece of information that I had hitherto been unaware of. At the end of the day, working as a reference librarian was great fun and very gratifying.

Eventually, I found myself in the position of a library manager. Initially, I was full of trepidation: what do I know about managing a library, let alone managing a team of people? Would I make the right decision when it came to doing A versus B? What if I made the wrong choice? I was plagued by what-ifs. My prescient mentor, who had more confidence in me than I had in myself, believed I would rise to the challenge.  Yes, I was enterprising, had strong convictions and loved libraries, but becoming a manager seemed such a formidable task! Being bookish, of course, I turned to a number of books to learn all that I could in order to be good at the job.

But, managerial skills cannot just be learned from books. I have found that being an effective manager has a lot to do with having common sense, a mentor you trust, the valuable support of a network of colleagues, loving your job, and a lot of elbow grease. I worked harder than I have ever worked in my life and put in long hours - hours that did not show up on any time sheet. Putting forth my best effort every single day was possible because it was a labor of love. We all work harder at something we love, don’t we?

I will share the titles of the books that I found useful, at the end of my blog post but first, let me offer you a brief synopsis of what I have learned in my tenure as a branch manager:

It is all about the library 
The most important guiding principle of the job is to serve the best interest of the library. As a team, we are all guardians of the library - caretakers with a shared interest. As a manager, you are the team leader so you set the focus. Keep that focus on what works best for the library and how best to serve the community’s needs.

Do not be afraid to fail
We can learn from our failure and know to do better the next time. That is a fact I have learned through quite a few painful slip-ups! You will get better at it as you gain experience and expand your skill set. In the meantime, it is okay to feel overwhelmed and not as “in control” as you did in your previous position.

Have a strong, supportive network
I was incredibly lucky to have a network of supportive peers who answered my questions and brainstormed for a solution to various problems. I was also very fortunate to have a mentor who responded to my various questions and could immediately identify the problem and provide sage counsel. If you are lucky enough to have such a network, use this invaluable resource.

Get to know your staff
Having the support of your staff will make your job easier. Collaboration makes the library function efficiently, so make staff members feel included and valued by getting their input on your projects. Additionally, once you know your staff members’ strengths, you will also be better able to delegate. Remember to praise your staff for a job well done. Positive feedback makes us feel more engaged and encourages us to do even better. Imbue in your staff a strong sense of purpose by readily giving credit where it is due, honestly and unreservedly.

Communication
Keeping your staff informed of all relevant information empowers them and makes it easier for them to do a good job. Informing staff of pertinent policy changes or revised procedures in a timely manner will enable them to work better as a team. Being consistent and straightforward is always a good way to proceed.

Listen and stay informed
You will get different points of view by asking for your staff’s opinions, which will also give you a better perspective about the task on hand. You don’t have to take a poll every time you want to make a change but, sometimes in order to make an informed decision, it is good to see all sides of an issue. Listen to your staff when they tell you about a problem or an ongoing issue and try to resolve it sooner rather than later.

As promised, here are five books which offer practical and helpful advice regarding all things managerial:

• The Accidental Library Manager by Rachel Singer Gordon
• Bury My Heart at Conference Room B : The Unbeatable Impact of Truly Committed Managers by Stan Slap
• Key Concepts in Leadership by Jonathan Gosling, Stephanie Jones, And Ian Sutherland with Joost Dijkstra
• The New One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
• The Golden Rules for Managers: 119 Incredible Lessons for Leadership Success by Frank McNair

- Rina B., West Windsor Branch