Fairly early in my career, I wrote a post called “10 Promises To Myself” where I tried to outline how I would approach my career and how I would always try to be true to my own values even if there was pressure to compromise for career advancement or financial rewards or even just pressure […]
Humanity is forever trying to put people into boxes – 34 CliftonStrengths, 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types, 5 Conflict Styles, 4 True Colours, etc. etc. One observation I’ve had over the years is that, when you boil it right down, there are really only two personality types – black & white thinkers and grey area thinkers. […]
Especially for public libraries and doubly so having an RN wife who’s entire job is working with high risk pregnancies, knowing that every single day, the wrong decision could result in bad health outcomes or even death for a mother and/or baby. Here’s how I often frame it: “Libraries aren’t heart attacks and handcuffs even […]
Needs one section added in the middle showing about half a dozen shadowy figures behind the guy with the briefcase that’s labeled: “The questions about the wrong things.” @hustlesfree Think about it. How many times have you wanted something or wanted to achieve a certain goal and no one supported you? But when you accomplish […]
A senior manager recently said “I don’t want to say the word ‘but’ because everyone knows that when you say ‘but’, the next thing you say is going to be negative or bad news.” She then went on to say “However…” to speak against something someone had done that had taken a huge amount of […]
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This is a post that’s five (or maybe even ten or fifteen?) years in the making. When I started at RPL fifteen years ago, I was an extremely unique position in the HR Unit called “Organization Development Specialist” with responsibility for staff training and development, change management initiatives, working on the nebulous “organizational culture” among […]
A couple recent conversations got me thinking about the idea that “Work is 80% Relationships” and the vital importance of soft skills. * A long time ago, the best manager we ever had at RPL talked to me about how the fact that her and another manager were really good friends outside of work and […]
Sometimes patrons think we’re helping them but they don’t realise that often they’re helping us too. Always great to have moments that remind you of why libraries are so important and why you do the work that you do…
Actions speak louder than words… @wankernomics Ever wondered how companies come up with meaningless ‘Organisational Values’ like Integrity, Respect, Innovation and Excellence? Watch this video to find out how. If you like this type of stuff come to the all new Wankernomics show touring Australia and the UK this year. It’s an all-staff meeting brought […]
