ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ May 1999/393 Ways leaders can support staff by Maureen Sullivan E very living thing seeks to create a world in which it can thrive. It does this by creating systems of relationships where all members the system benefit from their connections. This movement toward organization, called self-or­ ganization in the sciences, is everywhere, from microbes to galaxies.. . . Organization is a natu­ rally occurring phenomenon. The world seeks organization, seeks its own effectiveness. And so do the people in our organizations.”—Mar­ garet Wheatley “Goodbye,” Command and Control in Leader to Leader (Summer 1997) Margaret J. Wheatley is the author of Lead­ ership a n d the New Science and a co-founder of the Berkana Institute, a nonprofit research foun­ dation supporting organizational change. She discusses this and other views on how the prin­ ciples of new science apply to organizations and the experiences of the people w ho work in them. I believe the people who work in academic and research libraries seek the connections, the relationships, and a shared understanding of what is and what is not important. In every one of these libraries, people come to work every­ day with a desire to contribute to the organiza­ tion by performing work activities that are meaningful to them. I agree with Wheatley’s assertion that orga­ nization occurs from the inside out, as people see what needs to happen, apply their experi­ ence and perceptions to the issue, find those who can help them, and use their own creativ­ o ity to invent solutions. What can leaders in our libraries do to support and nurture the natural f inclinations staff at all levels have to take initia­ tive, to help solve complex problems, to do what needs to be done to deliver the best pos­ sible service to students and faculty, to find ways to improve work processes, and to apply their creative ideas to the many difficult challenges we face? See the library as the organizational system it is Libraries, like other organizations, are more than their structure, hierarchy, and reporting relationships. They are living organisms: com­ plex, social and technical systems in which the w hole is com posed of many parts. The parts are interdependent and interact with each other. To see the whole system and to understand its various parts and how they interact, we must look beyond our individual role, our own unit or department and consider the interrelation­ ships and interdependencies among work units, work processes, and everyone who contributes to achieving the library’s purpose. Recognize your leadership role and contribution Everyone is a leader. Leadership is best under­ stood as a dynamic part of the organizational system and a process to which each of us can and will contribute. Seek opportunities to con­ tribute your ideas. Observe what students and A bout the author Maureen Sullivan isACRL President and an organizational development consultant e-mail: maureen@cni.org LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING Reflections on academic libraries as self-organizing systems mailto:maureen@cni.org 3 9 4 / C&RL N e w s ■ M a y 1999 facu lty o n y o u r c a m p u s a re d o in g . H o w d o th e y c a rr y o u t t h e ir w o rk ? H o w m ig h t y o u a n d y o u r c o l l e a g u e s h e l p s tu d e n ts t o l e a r n a n d t o a s s is t s t u d e n t s a n d f a c u lty in t h e ir s e a r c h f o r i n f o r ­ m a ti o n a n d r e s o u r c e s ? W h a t e x p e r i e n c e s a n d b e s t p r a c tic e s c a n y o u s h a r e w ith o th e r s in th e p r o fe s s io n ? W h a t c o n t r ib u tio n s c a n y o u m a k e t o t h e im p r o v e m e n t o f le a r n in g a n d t h e q u a l ­ ity o f life in t h e c a m p u s c o m m u n ity ? B e lie v e in t h e p e o p le w it h w h o m y o u w o r k A s h u m a n b e in g s , w e a ll h a v e t h e c a p a c i t y t o c o n t r ib u te b e y o n d w h a t o u r p o s i ti o n d e s c r ip ­ t io n s a n d c u rre n t o r g a n iz a tio n a l r o le s d e m a n d . E a c h o f u s h a s a n i n h e r e n t d e s i r e t o a c h ie v e . L ea rn w h a t m o tiv a te s y o u a n d y o u r c o lle a g u e s . D i s c o v e r t h e h i d d e n ta le n t s a n d r e a l in te r e s ts o f y o u r c o ll e a g u e s . D e v e lo p a n d n u rtu r e tru st in y o u r r e la tio n s h ip s . R e c o g n i z e t h e c o n t r i b u ­ t io n s a n d a c h ie v e m e n ts o f o th e rs . A c c e p t c h a n g e a s a n a t u r a l a n d im p o r t a n t p a r t o f o r g a n iz a t io n a l life O r g a n iz a t io n s a n d t h e in d iv id u a ls w h o w o r k in t h e m a r e in a c o n t in u a l p r o c e s s o f c h a n g e . Y e t , w e o f t e n s e e c h a n g e a s s o m e t h in g t o b e a v o id e d o r c o n t r o l l e d in s o m e w a y . O n c e w e r e c o g n i z e c h a n g e a s a n a tu ra l a n d c ritic a l p r o ­ c e s s f o r g ro w th a n d d e v e lo p m e n t, w e c a n fo c u s o n h o w t o h e lp e v e r y o n e t o a c c e p t c h a n g e a s a w a y o f life. T h is a c c e p ta n c e o f c h a n g e t h e n fre e s e v e r y o n e t o fin d t h e w o r k th a t is m e a n in g f u l a n d h a s v a lu e f o r t h e c o m m u n ity s e r v e d . A ttend th e 1999 President's Program M a rg a re t J . W h e a tle y , c o - f o u n d e r o f th e B e r k a n a In stitute, a n o n p ro fit re s e a r c h fo u n ­ d ation su p p ortin g organizational c h a n g e , w ill g i v e t h e k e y n o t e a d d r e s s a t t h e A C R L P re s id e n t’s P ro g r a m in N e w O r le a n s . T h e p r o g r a m w ill b e h e ld in t h e N e w O r l e a n s C o n v e n t i o n C e n te r , 2 : 0 0 - 4 : 0 0 p .m ., o n M o n d a y , J u n e 2 8 , 1 9 9 9 - W h e a tle y is a n e n ­ g a g in g a n d d y n a m ic s p e a k e r w h o w ill h e lp us e x p lo r e h o w w e c a n r e c o g n iz e a c a d e m ic a n d re s e a r c h lib ra ries a s s e lf-o rg a n iz in g sy s­ te m s . S h e w ill o f f e r id e a s a b o u t h o w lib ra r­ ie s c a n b e c o m e e ffe c tiv e o rg a n iz a tio n s; h o w lib ra ria n s c a n b e c o m e m o r e e f fe c tiv e le a d ­ e r s ; a n d h o w a ll o f u s c a n le a r n t o th riv e in t h e e v e r -c h a n g in g w o rld in w h ic h w e live. F o c u s o n p e r s o n a l c h a n g e T a k e tim e t o a s s e s s y o u r stre n g th s a n d t o id e n ­ tify a r e a s fo r y o u r d e v e lo p m e n t . Id e n tify w h a t y o u d o w e ll a n d w h a t y o u e n jo y . P re p a re a p e r­ s o n a l m is s i o n a n d v i s i o n s t a t e m e n t t o c la r ify y o u r p u rp o s e , g o a ls , a n d d e s ire d c h a n g e s . C o n ­ s id e r y o u r fe e lin g s a n d a ttitu d e to w a rd c h a n g e . D i s c o v e r t h e b e n e f i t s o f e m b r a c i n g c h a n g e r a t h e r t h a n f e a r i n g it. S e e k s u p p o r t f r o m o t h ­ e rs as y o u p u rsu e y o u r p e rso n a l p la n fo r c h a n g e . P r e p a r e t o c h a n g e t h e o r g a n iz a t io n a l s y s t e m s T h e w o r k w e p e r f o r m h a s c h a n g e d s ig n ifi­ c a n tly . T e c h n o l o g y a n d in te g r a te d lib ra r y s y s ­ te m s ; c h a n g in g n e e d s a n d e x p e c ta t i o n s o f stu ­ d e n t s , fa c u lty , a n d a d m in is tr a to r s ; c h a n g e s in s c h o la rly a n d c o m m e r c ia l p u b lic a tio n s ; in c r e a s ­ in g c o s ts ; t h e av a ila b ility o f in fo r m a tio n in n e w form ats; th e g lo b a l e c o n o m y : th e s e a r e b u t s o m e o f t h e f o r c e s th a t h a v e le d t o f u n d a m e n t a l c h a n g e s in t h e w o r k w e d o a n d t h e w a y s in w h i c h w e p e r fo r m th is w o r k . W h e a t le y t o s p e a k a t A C R L P r e s id e n t 's P ro g ra m S p e n d a n a fte r n o o n w ith M argaret W h e a tle y , th e k e y n o te s p e a k e r a t th is y e a r ’s ACRL P r e s id e n t’s P ro g ra m . S e e sid eb a r fo r details. ■ ( “Cyberplagiarism ” cont. from p ag e 373) 3. S a h r, K e n n e th . School Sucks. 1 9 9 8 - 9 9 ( c o p y r ig h t) . O n li n e , a v a i l a b l e a t h ttp :/ / w w w . s c h o o ls u c k s .c o m / n e w s u c k s / in fo / w h ite .s h tm l. J a n u a r y 1 8 , 1 9 9 9 . 4 . S a h r, K e n n e th . School Sucks. 1 9 9 6 - 9 8 ( c o p y r i g h t ) . O n l i n e , a v a i l a b l e a t h ttp :/ / w w w .s c h o o l s u c k s .c o m / m a in .h t m l . A p ril 1 0 , 1 9 9 8 . 5. A llb rig h t, Ć h ris tie . Q u o t e d in : S c h r iv e r , J e n s . Evil House o f Cheat. 1 9 9 5 - 9 8 (c o p y r ig h t). O n li n e , a v a i l a b l e a t h t t p :/ / w w w .c h e a th o u s e . c o m / p a y / p a y .s h tm l. J a n u a r y 1 8 , 1 9 9 9 . 6 . S a h r, K e n n e t h . Q u o t e d in : B iv e n s , T e e l a n d K e n n y S a h r. “C lic k H e r e T o C h e a t; T h e N e t Is B r im m in g w ith T e r m P a p e r s , M a k in g f o r a R e v o lu t io n in C r ib b in g . C a n L a w s R e a lly T u r n t h e T id e ? ” Time‚ ( N o v e m b e r 1 9 9 7 ) : 2 5 . O n li n e , R e e d E ls e v ie r , LEXIS-NEXIS, N EW S/ M A G S , M a r c h 1 9 9 8 . 7 . S a h r, K e n n e th . School Sucks. 1 9 9 6 - 9 8 ( c o p y r ig h t) . O n li n e , a v a i l a b l e a t h ttp :/ / w w w . s c h o o l s u c k s .c o m / n e w s u c k s / i n f o / . A p ril 1 0 , 1 9 9 8 . ■ http://www http://www.schoolsucks.com/main.html http://www.cheathouse http://www C& RL N e w s ■ M a y 1 9 99 / 3 9 5