Menu:
Motivation and Leadership For Managers
by Rachel Singer Gordon
Becoming a leader in libraries means becoming the kind of manager that inspires others. Think back to the various bosses you have had and about the qualities shared by those who inspired you to do your best work. Now, how can you best epitomize those qualities?
Model the behavior you want your staff to engage in. Positive motivation is often a better strategy than reprimanding—motivated employees want to do well, rather than just acting out of fear.
It may be comforting for library managers working under strict budget constraints or union rules governing raises to realize that studies show that salary is rarely the biggest motivating factor for employees. However, some employees can be easily demotivated by the impression that they are being compensated less-than fairly, especially when compared to their coworkers. Think about what motivates your employees as individuals; every staff member is different. Katharine Salzmann, Archivist/Curator of Manuscripts, Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, says: “You have to realize how truly different people are, and how one person’s motivation can vary so much from another’s. You cannot apply one management style across the board. While it is important to be consistent and fair, it is also important to really know those who report to you, and to understand what type of leadership you need to provide them so that they can do their best.”
Some general rules, though, apply in motivating most library staff members. Again, common sense here is borne out by research showing that:
- Employees appreciate and are motivated by recognition of their
work. Make a point of rewarding good work publicly. People need to
know that their efforts are noticed and appreciated, and others will
then strive to achieve some recognition of their own. Positive
reinforcement goes a long way. One manager survey respondent
suggests: “Give credit where credit is due. It may be one of the
only bright spots a staff member may possess, in knowing ‘they own’
a piece of their efforts and are acknowledged for it. If you are
secure in yourself and in your abilities, then share this confidence
with others.” Another says: “Praise your staff! You should be able
to find at least one thing your staff members have done each day to
praise, or give a ‘well done’ comment, or even an opportunity to say
thank you for a good day’s work. Praise and appreciation go a long
way!”
- Employees are more motivated and are happier in their working
environments when the lines of communication are kept open. Secrecy
and inadequate information breed resentment.
- Employees are motivated by finding meaning in their work. Again,
good news for many library environments, in which it is natural to
focus on the meaning of the day-to-day work in terms of the
institution’s mission of service to its constituents. As Guy St.
Clair and Martina J. Reich write: “In fact, scratch the most
hardened knowledge services employee and you’ll discover that the
reason he or she is in this line of work is because, as a knowledge
service professional, he or she can make a difference. Without
question, that is what drives most knowledge professionals to do the
work they do (emphasis in original).”* This is especially true of
professional librarians who have made a deliberate commitment to the
field, but the “make a difference” factor applies to many library
staff members. Help motivate them by showing and noting how they can
make a positive impact and how they are making a difference.
- Employees are motivated to strive when their supervisors trust
them to do a good job and trust them with responsibilities that let
them take on new challenges - or to move up to new positions.
Empowerment,” although a horribly overused term, nevertheless is
necessary in creating a culture in which staff can thrive and work
to create a thriving organization.
- Employees are motivated by being challenged in their work and
having the opportunity to learn and grow. Empathize with your
employees here. If you were satisfied to remain stagnant, would you
have accepted or agreed to move up into your management position?
While people need different levels and types of challenges, most
appreciate the opportunity to stretch themselves.
- Employees are more motivated when they perceive that they are
treated fairly and with respect. Never play favorites; never
belittle an employee for any reason; show that you take them, their
work, and their ideas seriously.
- Employees are motivated when they know they can count on the support of their supervisors. If they are fearful of being called on the carpet for minor mistakes, they will be reluctant to go beyond. If they know that their manager will undermine their decisions or fail to back them up in front of patrons when they follow library policy, they will become resentful.
Your ideal employee will be largely self-motivated, which makes her in some senses self-managing! Your role here then will be that of a guide or of a coach to help her realize her potential and to help provide the framework and the set of values - the library culture - within which people can contribute to the good of the organization.
Different employees will also be more or less motivated by different factors. Again, you will begin to understand these differences as you get to know the people that you manage. For some, public recognition of a job well done may be all the motivation they need to continue to do well. Others may need the opportunity to continually challenge themselves by taking on new responsibilities, while others may be motivated by the opportunity to earn merit increases. Some may be motivated to continue their education and become more valuable assets to the library, if they will receive a new job title and/or increased compensation for their efforts.
Think about the different types of rewards you can offer your staff, and about tailoring the reward to the level of accomplishment and the specific person. Can you reward people with a small but symbolic cash bonus or a gift certificate to an area business - say $25 or $50 - for suggesting a successful new program or service? Can you institute an employee-of-the-month program, with a visible but perhaps nonmonetary reward, such as a prized parking spot? Can you provide flexible scheduling or partial telecommuting options for highly self-motivated staff members who are seeking this kind of flexibility, and whose work can be done off-site or at odd hours? Can you provide highly productive and motivated employees with additional responsibilities or the flexibility to institute their own programs? Can you encourage your director to write a personal thank-you note to an employee who has done a particularly good job, or to pick an employee to praise during each staff meeting? Can you encourage staff to nominate their coworkers for employee of the month? Can you provide interested staff members with the opportunity to attend meetings of their state or national library associations? Discuss options with your administration.
One staff survey respondent, Rhonda Hankins, Communications Coordinator, The Jamail Center for Legal Research, University of Texas at Austin, notes: “I also think library managers should be aware that staff salaries are relatively low. Supposed merit raises of 3 percent a year are typical. Therefore, it is incumbent on library managers to provide perks however they can. Create opportunities for staff members to attend conferences, take classes, go to special events. Be flexible with schedules, and always be complimentary when you can be. People who work in libraries generally don’t get tremendous fiscal rewards, so it is important for library managers to find some way to reward excellence.”
Above all, avoid the temptation to micromanage, which inherently demotivates your staff. Librarians and other professional-level staff can be especially sensitive to micromanagement; let them get on with their work and avoid interfering without cause. As Michelle Caulk, Electronic Services Librarian, St. Charles Public Library, Illinois, says: “Relax and let people do their jobs! It’s the opposite of micromanaging. The tighter you rein people in the more they’re going to resent you. Train them well, provide useful feedback, correct them gently when necessary, and let them do their jobs.” Employees will best be motivated when morale is high overall, and morale withers in a micromanaged environment.
* Guy St. Clair and Martina J. Reich, "Knowledge Services: Financial Strategies and Budgeting," Information Outlook 6:6 (June 2002): 27, 29.
Rachel Singer Gordon is your ICT editor and webmaster, Lisjobs.com. This article is excerpted from Chapter 5 of The Accidental Library Manager (ITI, 2005). Quotes were taken from two surveys, one for library managers and one for library staff; the text of both can be found in an appendix to the book. More on the title and a PDF of the introduction can be found at http://www.lisjobs.com/talm/.