Staff Development Committee
Learning Organization Meeting with Mark Cannon
February 1, 2006

Present: Mark Cannon (assistant professor, Human and Organizational Development), Rahn Huber, Rachel Vacek, Celia Walker

We began by giving Mark an overview of how we had gotten to this point (the strategic planning process; the main goals of the completed plan with an emphasis on empowering all levels of staff; our committee’s work on the learning organization and our meeting with Pam Brown).

Mark confirmed that the LO model was suitable for the library, based on our goals and structure. Many organizations never fully become a learning organization and some do well for awhile and then fall off the wagon, but any efforts toward becoming a LO would be beneficial. In light of the long planning phase for the strategic plan, which has led some staff to be skeptical that change will occur, and the potential for us to never fully become a LO, it would be appropriate to instigate the LO activities without much fanfare. If people understand, like and can apply the process and tools that come with the LO, then it will benefit us. He suggested we begin with one initiative at a time when we mentioned the various initial goals for the SDC.

We asked Mark if the Journal Club was the best approach for introducing the subject to staff who are already burned out with the process of the Strategic Plan. He said that there are 2 approaches to introducing the subject: a) put one idea out at a time and when it is understood and seen as useful, staff will be open to another incentive b) use our communications channels to highlight the events as being engaging c) be enthusiastic about the idea ourselves, as excitement is contagious

He commented that we should think about what will be engaging to people to reach across the organization. Additionally, he said that as people see exciting ideas and share it with others, it will catch on. This is the best way for the LO concept to spread through the organization.

We could start with The Fifth Discipline and, if everyone could perhaps have a free copy, we might start with personal mastery, which is one of the easier disciplines to start with. We talked about reading one discipline for each discussion, but we also might break it up into more than one part.

We could also get our feet wet by looking at applicable ideas, such as resources that show staff how they are part of the library system. Examples include videotapes like “Flight of the Buffalo” (Mark has a copy that he would loan us); looking at the SAS Institute and how it treats employees (this might be too far out of the box); or materials about the story of Smithfield Remanufacturing. These show staff their place in the overall system. We could also read Difficult Conversations, which addresses how to resolve differences.

We could also look at libraries that use the LO model. Sharon has visited Arizona, where LO is in place and we might do a brown bag on their program. We might even bring someone from AZ here to talk to staff and help us plan. If we use a number of different approaches, then something should appeal to just about every style of learning.

It would be helpful to capture the suggestions that come out of the Journal Club, so we need to create a mechanism for reporting. Mark described the fishbowl method, where a handful of representatives figure out the ideas that came out of the meeting. They are then acting as spokespersons, not claiming the idea as their own. These might be posted to the Staffweb to inspire comment (perhaps even a blog).

He suggested we have 6 to 8 people come together after “A Journal Club series” to gather the new and key ideas that surfaced in discussions. We could then look at these ideas to bring them forward in a way that allows us to act on them and also to not single out any one person as having the idea. This will encourage people by seeing something come out of the discussions.

Lastly, Mark said that he would be happy to suggest the project to his students. The next class starts on the last weekend in February. There might be someone there who would like to help us with the project.