Staying on Strategy in Difficult Economic Times

While not "technically" not a live blog post since this session was Thursday morning, I thought Kitty's message was to good not to share. Thanks Kitty! Ann Hutton

A year ago, On a + Note, popped up in my email box. Now my path and Kitty Pope’s cross regularly at conferences and most often at SirsiDynix functions as the Alliance Library System is a Symphony site and ours is a Horizon installation. Both SELCO and the Alliance are library consortia serving a diverse multitype library membership. So I read with interest my colleague’s comments and have come to appreciate her email message each week. As part of the COSUGI Executive Track sponsored by SirsiDynix, Kitty shared her thoughts about Staying on Strategy in Difficult Economic Times, as well as the impetus for On a + Note.

She started writing a year ago while trying to stay focused and as a way to, in Kitty’s words, “push back the fear.” Her first message focused on sticking to the facts and stressed:

• Communicate with folks more than ever
• Use your team
• Be patient and flexible
• Use your passion to sustain the dream.

Her staff suggested putting the article on the Alliance Library System website (and they are posted there) but Kitty opted for older technology and pushed her positive message via email so that it was in people’s mailboxes.

Each article has a candid photo and bits of personal information so that you feel an armchair familiarity with Kitty even if you’ve never met her. During the time she has been doing this weekly article there have been reoccurring themes and she’s tracked those that resonate with her readers in these trying times.

• Customer service
• Defining leadership
• Sustaining the dream
• Personal stories
• Humor
• Talking about the passion.

On the topic of fear, she has lead by example, taken advantage of distance learning, as well as assumed clerical tasks previously done by her administrative assistant prior to staffing reductions. Her advice for how to control fear includes:

• Surround your self with the + (positive energy)
• Rely on your team
• Be kind to yourself
• Build in laughter.

Kitty evaluates everything and strives to appreciate the new ways of doing things. Everything is linked to the mission. She recommends identifying 3-4 similar but stellar organizations and using them as organizational benchmarks. Keep track of what they are doing, what’s new, what’s being discontinued and how do your stats compare. When changes need to be made, accept the fact and proceed with grace while being honest with yourself and those involved. On a + Note, budget reductions are an opportunity to keep the best staff, right size a department, restructure or consolidate. Kitty defined three types of cuts:

• A strategic cuts
• A political statement
• The least visible cut.

With a passion for libraries and the work of regional library systems, she has a vision for the next three years, however hard they may be.

• Survive … for the next 6 months
• Strive … move forward for the next 12 -14 months
• Thrive … the ideal virture in 2-3 years.

And I am sure the Alliance Library System and central Illinois libraries will do just that with her leadership and On a + Note.

Cross posted to SELCO Librarian.