Staying successful as a middle manager

Many librarians successfully make the transition to library manager, decide that it was a positive career move, and settle into a middle manager role for a period of years. After a few years they become recognized as experienced or senior managers. But what does being an experienced or 'senior' manager really mean? Is it a destination unto itself or a transitional role? What should one do to prepare for moving on? How best to stay put without stagnating?

Pixey Anne Mosley, author of Transitioning from Librarian to Middle Manager (2004) offers insights into the nature of professional growth, and caveats against the many destructive traps that managers who have been in the same role for several years can all too easily slip into. Essential reading for anyone beyond the salad days of their career, but particularly managers whose advancement has stalled or are in the early stages of questioning their effectiveness.

• Introduction p. xiii
• 1 Challenges with Ongoing Staff Relationships p. 1
• Life Is a Perpetual Soap Opera p. 2
• Recognizing and Overcoming Crisis Fatigue p. 5
• Death or Injury of an Employee p. 8
• Avoiding "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" and Favoritism p. 12
• Facilitating Honest Feedback p. 15
• Dealing with Hostility p. 19
• Monitoring Organizational Health p. 21
• Chapter Summary p. 22
• To Learn More p. 22
• Case Study: Effective Upward Feedback p. 23
• Case Study Observations p. 26
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 26
• Notes p. 27
• 2 Developing Staff Resources p. 29
• Understanding Turnover p. 29
• Defining Positions and Hiring for Employee Potential p. 30
• Nurturing Growth p. 34
• Addressing Entrenched Stagnation p. 36
• Developing Career Staff p. 39
• Developing Future Librarians p. 41
• Coping with Extreme Turnover p. 42
• Chapter Summary p. 47
• To Learn More p. 47
• Case Study: Redefining a Vacant Position p. 48
• Case Study Observations p. 51
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 52
• Notes p. 53
• 3 Motivating Ongoing Change p. 55
• Overcoming Barriers to Ongoing Change p. 56
• Communicating the Vision p. 58
• Sharing the Change-Agent Role p. 60
• Tapping Enthusiasm for Change p. 63
• Understanding the Experienced Manager's Role Change p. 65
• Avoiding Managerial Complacency p. 67
• Chapter Summary p. 69
• To Learn More p. 70
• Case Study: Promoting Another Environmentally Induced Change p. 71
• Case Study Observations p. 75
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 76
• Notes p. 77
• 4 Planning for Succession p. 79
• But You Can't Leave! p. 79
• Exploring All Possibilities p. 81
• Planning for Your Own Successor p. 84
• Assistant Head Pros and Cons p. 88
• Nurturing Internal Talent p. 89
• Stepping Back p. 90
• Letting Go p. 92
• Chapter Summary p. 93
• To Learn More p. 94
• Case Study: Succession Planning for the Future p. 95
• Case Study Observations p. 98
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 98
• Notes p. 99
• 5 Assuming a Mature Leadership Role p. 101
• Potential Realized p. 102
• Continuing Self-Development p. 103
• Developing Variable Leadership p. 104
• Managing on the Balance Beam p. 106
• Avoiding Communication Pitfalls p. 108
• Avoiding Tunnel Vision p. 110
• Systemic and Strategic Thinking p. 111
• Questioning Core Assumptions p. 114
• Picking Causes Carefully p. 116
• Balancing Different Organizational Roles p. 117
• Chapter Summary p. 119
• To Learn More p. 119
• Case Study: The Rewards of Demonstrated Success p. 120
• Case Study Observations p. 124
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 125
• Notes p. 125
• 6 Developing Financial and Personnel Expertise p. 127
• Finding the Money p. 128
• Sources of Financial Support p. 128
• Accepting Fund Restrictions p. 130
• Finding Midyear Money p. 134
• Your Local Budget Picture p. 135
• Building a Justification p. 137
• Making Financial Decisions p. 140
• Balancing Priorities p. 140
• Dealing with Budget Cuts p. 141
• Understanding the Personnel Viewpoint p. 144
• Understanding Raises p. 146
• No Perfect Model p. 147
• Looking for Other Motivational Factors p. 149
• Environmental Improvements p. 149
• Zero-Cost Motivation p. 150
• Balancing Merit Pay Increases and Motivational Praise p. 152
• Chapter Summary p. 153
• To Learn More p. 153
• Case Study: Cutting the Budget p. 155
• Case Study Observations p. 159
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 159
• Notes p. 160
• 7 Managerial Mentoring p. 161
• Remembering the Emotions p. 162
• Encouragement Through Engagement p. 163
• Getting Away from the "Right" Answer p. 164
• Educating on Processes p. 167
• Checking Assumptions p. 169
• Mentoring on Organizational History p. 171
• Change Strategies p. 174
• Mentoring on Interpersonal Communications p. 176
• Mentoring on Balance p. 178
• Mentoring the Senior Manager p. 180
• Chapter Summary p. 182
• To Learn More p. 182
• Case Study: Mentoring on Pacing p. 183
• Case Study Observations p. 188
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 189
• Notes p. 190
• 8 Maintaining the Administrative Relationship p. 191
• Settling in after the Honeymoon Successes p. 191
• Maturing the Relationship p. 192
• Moving from Encouragement to Endorsement p. 193
• Reinstating Checks and Balances p. 194
• Engaging in the Political Arena p. 196
• Information as Power p. 196
• Using Information Wisely p. 198
• Recognizing Influential People p. 201
• Developing as an Administrative Partner p. 203
• Managing Administrative Conflict p. 204
• Stepping in as Pinch Hitter p. 204
• Disagreeing on Initiatives or Decisions p. 205
• Indirect Conflict Approaches p. 207
• Direct-Conflict Tips p. 210
• Dealing with Competitive Peers p. 211
• Adjusting to Sudden Administrative Shifts p. 214
• Why a New Administrator Is a Big Deal p. 215
• Chapter Summary p. 217
• To Learn More p. 218
• Case Study: Adjusting to a New Administrator p. 219
• Case Study Observations p. 224
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 224
• Notes p. 225
• 9 Exploring Your Future Career p. 227
• Understanding Personal Limitations p. 227
• Mobile Flexibility p. 228
• Family Commitments p. 229
• Disabilities or Health-Based Limitations p. 230
• Dressing for Success p. 232
• Knowing What You Like to Do p. 234
• Different Libraries Equal Different Opportunities p. 235
• Exploring Where One Wants to Go p. 238
• Staying as Middle Manager p. 239
• Moving Up in Library Administration p. 240
• Having a Foot in Both Worlds p. 242
• Leaving the Library p. 243
• Stepping Down p. 244
• Chapter Summary p. 245
• To Learn More p. 245
• Case Study: Where Is Your Career Going? p. 247
• Case Study Observations p. 252
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 253
• Notes p. 253
• 10 Losing the Frontline Edge p. 255
• How the Job Changes p. 255
• Accepting and Explaining the Shift p. 257
• Where to Stay Connected p. 258
• Delegating Managerial Authority p. 260
• What Makes a Good Authority Delegate p. 262
• Realistic Letting Go p. 264
• Chapter Summary p. 266
• To Learn More p. 266
• Case Study: Letting Go p. 267
• Case Study Observations p. 274
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 274
• Notes p. 275
• 11 Working to Stay Engaged p. 277
• Risking the Fall p. 278
• Recognizing the Warning Signs p. 279
• Understanding the Triggers p. 282
• REvitalization Techniques p. 285
• Chapter Summary p. 290
• To Learn More p. 290
• Case Study: Stopping the Downward Slide p. 292
• Case Study Observations p. 296
• Thought and Discussion Exercises p. 297
• Notes p. 297
• Index p. 299