D. Management
D. apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy;
Introduction
Programs and services of an organization are important but are not effective without good leadership and management. “Effective management always means asking the right question” (Heller, 2012). Due to the fact that there are individuals who enter this profession “with no intention of becoming a manager” (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 65), it is extremely important that one knows and understands how to use the principles of planning, management, and marketing in order to run an effective organization.
I understand this competency to mean that I should be able to apply principles that guide planning, management, and marketing/advocacy. These principles are as Haycock and Sheldon (2008) write: That I know myself and what my leadership strengths are; that I know and understand the difference between what a leader and a manager are, what my priorities are; that I can continue to develop how I relate to people; and finally that I keep practicing management skills in order to become consistent (p. 57).
I define this competency to mean that as an information professional, I should be able to use the things that are fundamental to management and apply them towards a variety of places. I further define this competency to mean that I am able to set goals that benefit the organization and how I can achieve those goals (Evans, Rugaas & Ward, 2000). I also interpret it to mean that I should be able to use available resources to help my organization reach more patrons, as well as to achieve larger goals.
According to Haycock and Sheldon (2008), “librarianship often attracts individuals who do not have a strong desire to manage” (p. 65) and therefore it is important for the profession as a whole to understand the guiding principles for management. It is important for people entering the information profession to not only be able to set goals and plan how to achieve them, but also to be able to manage a group of individuals well in order to improve the organization overall. It is also important for those entering the information profession to be able to promote their product to “an ever-changing competitive environment” (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 77). One of the most important parts for this competency to the profession as a whole is the marketing/ advocacy area. The world is not just a book environment any longer and therefore, information professionals need to have the ability to sell the organization’s services. By knowing and understanding how marketing works within the information profession is to understand the customer needs (Evans, Rugaas & Ward, 2000, p. 90).
As I enter the information profession, it is important that I know in what areas I need to improve. One such area is knowledge of the functions of leadership and management. While I will not be entering this profession as part of the top management, I do need to know and be able to understand the duties that these individuals perform such as a director’s decision to close a particular branch (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 69), or planning and budgeting money to buy materials like archival boxes. Without my ability to understand these functions, my organization might be without items that it needs to operate. This competency is also important for me to understand where I can help the organization promote and advocate its services to improve its relationship with the community at large.
Between classroom knowledge and employment observations, I feel that I have enough experience to be competent in planning, management, and marketing/advocacy. In my career at SJSU I have taken classes such as LIBR 204, Management for Information Professionals as well as LIBR 256, Archives and Manuscripts, LIBR 257, Records Management, and LIBR 220, Readers’ Advisory. In addition to those classes, I have been employed in several jobs where I have observed different types of management styles, some which have worked better than others. Some of the best managers and leaders that I have observed have had similar skills about which Haycock and Sheldon (2008) write such as “political, communication, people, and problem-solving skills” (72). Having the opportunities to observe these people has given me ideas managing and leading people in my future employment.
The following paragraphs will discuss the pieces of evidence that I am providing to prove that I am competent in understanding the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy.
Evidence
The first piece of evidence for competency in this area is a paper I wrote for LIBR 204. For this assignment I looked at my work history. For each place of employment, I decided which management style had been used. I also discussed which styles were effective and which were not. Lastly, I discussed my own management style and the role that my past employment played into that style. Understanding the how and why of each management style is important in developing my own managerial ideas. It is also important for me to find my own ways to manage in order to help my future employees perform well.
The second piece of evidence for competency in this area is a group project for LIBR 204 on SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. My part of the group project was determining methods to obtain the information for SWOT analysis such as surveys, questionnaires, auditing other libraries, and discussions with employees. I also analyzed and explained the SWOT process. Understanding the how and why of SWOT analysis is fundamental for an information professional. It is through SWOT analysis that an organization can gather information that may affect it subsequently, create a strategic plan. For this group project, I have provided the PowerPoint that we used in our Elluminate presentation. My slides are 10, 11, and 12.
The final piece of evidence for competency in this area is my strategic plan for LIBR 204. This project was a major undertaking for my group as we decided to create a strategic plan for a fictional library. We wrote an executive summary; core values, mission, and vision statements; a budget; programs of the library; evaluations; environmental scanning and SWOT analysis; key initiatives and sources of competition; and finally the planning objectives and action plan. Just as in the real world, creating a strategic plan is a collaborative effort. Each group member had his or her individual parts, but we all met and gave input on the other parts as well. My individual work in this project was the sources of competition (Slide 12) and Key Initiatives (slide 14).
Conclusion
The evidence and examples that I have provided prove that I am competent in applying the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy. This knowledge and understanding will help me to plan future programs to better serve my community, to understand the traits of a good manager, and to employ marketing/advocacy techniques to improve the organization to which I belong.
References
Evans, E., Rugaas, B., & Ward, P. L. (2000). Management basics for information professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
Haycock, K. and B. Sheldon. (2008). The portable MLIS: insights from the experts. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Heller, R. (2012). Robert Heller quotes. BrainyQuote [website]. Retrieved online from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/roberthell388403.html.
Introduction
Programs and services of an organization are important but are not effective without good leadership and management. “Effective management always means asking the right question” (Heller, 2012). Due to the fact that there are individuals who enter this profession “with no intention of becoming a manager” (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 65), it is extremely important that one knows and understands how to use the principles of planning, management, and marketing in order to run an effective organization.
I understand this competency to mean that I should be able to apply principles that guide planning, management, and marketing/advocacy. These principles are as Haycock and Sheldon (2008) write: That I know myself and what my leadership strengths are; that I know and understand the difference between what a leader and a manager are, what my priorities are; that I can continue to develop how I relate to people; and finally that I keep practicing management skills in order to become consistent (p. 57).
I define this competency to mean that as an information professional, I should be able to use the things that are fundamental to management and apply them towards a variety of places. I further define this competency to mean that I am able to set goals that benefit the organization and how I can achieve those goals (Evans, Rugaas & Ward, 2000). I also interpret it to mean that I should be able to use available resources to help my organization reach more patrons, as well as to achieve larger goals.
According to Haycock and Sheldon (2008), “librarianship often attracts individuals who do not have a strong desire to manage” (p. 65) and therefore it is important for the profession as a whole to understand the guiding principles for management. It is important for people entering the information profession to not only be able to set goals and plan how to achieve them, but also to be able to manage a group of individuals well in order to improve the organization overall. It is also important for those entering the information profession to be able to promote their product to “an ever-changing competitive environment” (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 77). One of the most important parts for this competency to the profession as a whole is the marketing/ advocacy area. The world is not just a book environment any longer and therefore, information professionals need to have the ability to sell the organization’s services. By knowing and understanding how marketing works within the information profession is to understand the customer needs (Evans, Rugaas & Ward, 2000, p. 90).
As I enter the information profession, it is important that I know in what areas I need to improve. One such area is knowledge of the functions of leadership and management. While I will not be entering this profession as part of the top management, I do need to know and be able to understand the duties that these individuals perform such as a director’s decision to close a particular branch (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 69), or planning and budgeting money to buy materials like archival boxes. Without my ability to understand these functions, my organization might be without items that it needs to operate. This competency is also important for me to understand where I can help the organization promote and advocate its services to improve its relationship with the community at large.
Between classroom knowledge and employment observations, I feel that I have enough experience to be competent in planning, management, and marketing/advocacy. In my career at SJSU I have taken classes such as LIBR 204, Management for Information Professionals as well as LIBR 256, Archives and Manuscripts, LIBR 257, Records Management, and LIBR 220, Readers’ Advisory. In addition to those classes, I have been employed in several jobs where I have observed different types of management styles, some which have worked better than others. Some of the best managers and leaders that I have observed have had similar skills about which Haycock and Sheldon (2008) write such as “political, communication, people, and problem-solving skills” (72). Having the opportunities to observe these people has given me ideas managing and leading people in my future employment.
The following paragraphs will discuss the pieces of evidence that I am providing to prove that I am competent in understanding the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy.
Evidence
The first piece of evidence for competency in this area is a paper I wrote for LIBR 204. For this assignment I looked at my work history. For each place of employment, I decided which management style had been used. I also discussed which styles were effective and which were not. Lastly, I discussed my own management style and the role that my past employment played into that style. Understanding the how and why of each management style is important in developing my own managerial ideas. It is also important for me to find my own ways to manage in order to help my future employees perform well.
The second piece of evidence for competency in this area is a group project for LIBR 204 on SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. My part of the group project was determining methods to obtain the information for SWOT analysis such as surveys, questionnaires, auditing other libraries, and discussions with employees. I also analyzed and explained the SWOT process. Understanding the how and why of SWOT analysis is fundamental for an information professional. It is through SWOT analysis that an organization can gather information that may affect it subsequently, create a strategic plan. For this group project, I have provided the PowerPoint that we used in our Elluminate presentation. My slides are 10, 11, and 12.
The final piece of evidence for competency in this area is my strategic plan for LIBR 204. This project was a major undertaking for my group as we decided to create a strategic plan for a fictional library. We wrote an executive summary; core values, mission, and vision statements; a budget; programs of the library; evaluations; environmental scanning and SWOT analysis; key initiatives and sources of competition; and finally the planning objectives and action plan. Just as in the real world, creating a strategic plan is a collaborative effort. Each group member had his or her individual parts, but we all met and gave input on the other parts as well. My individual work in this project was the sources of competition (Slide 12) and Key Initiatives (slide 14).
Conclusion
The evidence and examples that I have provided prove that I am competent in applying the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy. This knowledge and understanding will help me to plan future programs to better serve my community, to understand the traits of a good manager, and to employ marketing/advocacy techniques to improve the organization to which I belong.
References
Evans, E., Rugaas, B., & Ward, P. L. (2000). Management basics for information professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
Haycock, K. and B. Sheldon. (2008). The portable MLIS: insights from the experts. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Heller, R. (2012). Robert Heller quotes. BrainyQuote [website]. Retrieved online from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/roberthell388403.html.
libr_204_burch_managment_of_man.docx | |
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strategic_plan_2010-20121-1.ppt | |
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