I can honestly say that I have never worked at a place that had staff days or staff development days. It has not been something that has occurred to me to do, but after today’s discussion I can absolutely see the need for it. While I have not been given permission to close or hold these development events on holidays, I have always seen the need for regular staff meetings to ensure that everyone is kept abreast of what is happening in the library and to help troubleshoot and/or solve problems and so on. Lately, in keeping with some of the new standards, I have sent staff members to trainings (TEL most recently) and asked them to return and teach their peers about what they have learned. I also appointed someone to head up the Geek campaign and attend the webinars and develop new ideas. We recently held an early morning staff session where she gave everyone the skinny on ideas I have approved and what she has learned about the campaign. I had another one recently where a staff member presented on READS. I have tried to pin point some of the bigger things that everyone should know about and use those as opportunities for them to teach one another (and me). It seems to work well.
Yet, I have a staff that has worked together for a long while and I am the new guy essentially. I think it will be a challenge to sway some of them to buy into recognizing the value in some of the other employees. But, I definitely think we need to try something new and find a way to work better as a team and to recognize not only our own strengths but also those of the rest of the group. I intend to ask permission at the September board meeting for us to hold a staff day on an upcoming holiday--I think this will go over better with the board than closing would. One thing I have recognized is that I have several staff members who intend to stay at the library very long term and I need to develop some of their skills and help them work better as a team so that we can move forward at the rate we need to move.
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