1. N I T L E S E R I E S O N :
F U T U R E O F T H E L I B E R A L A R T S C O L L E G E
L I B R A R Y
S A M D E M A S
7 M A Y 2 0 1 3
Overview of
Organizational Development

2. Webinar Scope
 Overview of organizational development
 What it is and why it is important
 An holistic view
 DIY: ongoing, inclusive process
 Unpack elements
 Organizational culture
 Strategic directions and planning
 Workflow analysis
 Organizational structure
 Some approaches and tips
 Questions and discussion

3. Organizational Development – Why and How?
 Why Organizational Development?
 Staff are the most important library resource
 Changes in the ecology of scholarly communication
 Stagnation, immobilized, overwhelmed
 Morale and/or operational problems
 Leadership change
 Administrative pressure
 DIY (selective use of consultants) ongoing,
inclusive internal effort
 Organizational review as a tool in org. dev.

4. What is Organizational Review? : (1 of 2)
1. Purposes:
 Set strategic directions, align with institution
 Adjust organizational culture and structure
 to achieve strategic goals and adapt to changes in the environment.
 to create capacity for new work and areas of new emphasis.
2. Methods:
 Identify what to create more capacity to do
 strategic plan, departmental review, outside assessment, etc.
 Study organizational culture and structure
 identify what is working well and what could be improved (staff
conversations)
 Workflow analysis – different levels & approaches

5. What is Organizational Review? (2 of 2)
3. Outcomes can include:
 Written or oral report
 New workflows
 New job descriptions for some staff
 Identify focus for vacant positions
 New or modified organizational structure
 More emphasis on:
 Communication
 Decision-making and leadership
 Recognition and rewards
 How we handle change
 Identify things to stop doing or de-emphasize
 “Signature programs”

6. Familiar tools for Organizational Development
 Mission, vision, values
 Strategic planning
 Alignment with university goals
 Setting annual goals for library & staff
 Holistic organizational review
 Departmental reviews
 Other external assessments (consultant, colleagues)
 Workflow analysis
 Structure and job descriptions
 Organizational culture

7. Elements of Organizational Culture
 Communication
 Morale/esprit de corps
 Hiring and performance evaluations
 Decision-making and leadership
 Recognition and rewards
 Professional development – expectations & support
 Assessment
 How we handle change and planning
 Organizational structure

8. Mission, vision, values
 Mission (enduring)
 What is the essential purpose? Why exists?
 What it does to accomplish these ends?
 Vision (5-10 years from now)
 A vivid idealized description of desired outcomes
 Resulting contribution to society
 Values (today)
 What do you believe in? Hold true?
 How do we behave and act on these beliefs?
 How do we treat each other?

9. Mission, vision, values
 When and why it matters
 When you have lost track, need grounding
 Staff turnover
 New directions
 Approaches
 Mission, vision
 Staff task force run the process
 Values
 Appreciative inquiry exercise

10. Strategic Planning Outcomes
 Should result in a common resolve and focus
 Guiding document
 Ongoing review and update of strategic plan
 Serve as basis for annual goals, staffing and budget
priorities
 What you want to create capacity for
 Staff development
 Use of positions
 What to stop doing, de-emphasize, stop doing….

11. Annual Goals
 For Library
 For Each Department
 For each member of the team
 Tied to performance evaluation
 Tied to compensation, reward, recognition,

12. Departmental Reviews
 Academic tradition of decennial reviews
 Internal review
 External review
 Campus review
 Outside assessment by consultant or colleagues
 Less formal targeted reviews of operations,
workflows, departments, areas of challenge

13. Workflow Analysis
 What is it?
 Taking a fresh and wholistic look at the nitty gritty of how the work
gets done. [In-depth, step-by-step analysis of how the work gets
done, how workflows operate with and across departments, review]
 How to do it?
 Consultants
 In-house task forces
 Invite colleagues to visit
 Environmental scan
 Conduct site visits, job swaps
 How to avoid people feeling threatened?

14. Organizational Structure
 IMHO, not as important as many people think
 Characteristics of other aspects of organizational culture are much more
important
 However, useful exercise in every organization periodically
 Structure can be an obstacle to communication, cooperation,
transparency, mutual support, holistic thinking and acting
 Factors: size of organization, cast of characters, organizational
culture, institutional culture, etc. Customized to the
circumstances, no cookie-cutter approach.
 Consultants can be useful in facilitating process

15. Job descriptions
 Work closely with HR
 Loyal, smart, long term employees can benefit from
taking on new roles and responsibilities, and so can
the organization!
 Use as opportunity to review classifications, get
people raises, make staff development plans, etc.

16. Conclusion/wrapup
 Organizational development is mostly a DIY activity:
ongoing, intentional, open, honest, and
inclusive process of cultivating individuals and
the whole team
 Consultant roles
 Timing/sequencing of activities?
 How to quell staff anxiety and engage them intellectually
and emotionally?
 Questions and discussion……..