Overcoming the Silent Barriers Revisited

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Overcoming the Silent Barriers Revisited
Sustaining Cultural Transformation
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Program Overview
To share our ongoing experience of the importance
of acknowledging, valuing and dealing with issues
relating to organizational culture to achieve our
vision and effectively lead and manage the heart
of change.
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Context
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North Vancouver
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Our Vitals

• Serving a population of 50,000
• Single site library system heart of the city
• Open 69 hours per week
• 43 member staff (32 FTEs) unionized
• 100,000 items
• 650,000 circulation
• 14,000 square feet
• New 35,000 square foot facility underway

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On an average day

• 1,400 people visit the Library
• 2,000 items are checked out and in and reshelved
• 155 reserves are processed
• 175 information inquiries are answered
• 100 children attend literacy based programs
• 372 sessions are booked on internet stations

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2000-2004
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Mandate

• Update library and organizational structure
• Achieve new library facility
• Address longstanding personnel issues

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Transforming the Library
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Methods
We did all the right things...

• Operational review Key Recommendations

• Move from a task oriented to a customer focused
  organization
• Measure all activities by asking what business
  are we in?
• Address duplication of effort and rationalize
  division of tasks
• Restructure staffing complement to focus on
  public service

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Methods
We did all the right things...

• Facility review
• Needs assessment study
• Updated Vision, Mission, Values
• Updated Strategic Plan

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Transforming the Environment
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Clean and clearly labeled
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A splash of colour brightened the environment
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Accessible info desk thats always staffed
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Exciting displays that tempt customers
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a room with a view
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And age appropriate furniture
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Customer friendly computer workstations
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Self-service
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Recap
We had...

• Employed all proven management strategies
• Included staff in all these processes
• Held change management workshops

Everything was aligned.So why wasnt it working?
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Transforming Our Librarys Culture
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What To Do?

• Address culture shock
• Gain senior team buy-in and team commitment
• Gain staff support to achieve the common goal of
  delivering excellent customer focused library
  service

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Enter Francine
The missing link, the glue that holds it all
together needed attention. We had to focus on the
heart of change and the first step was to
address the silent barriers
The Business Harmonizer Group
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What Are The Silent Barriers?
Negative, unproductive behavior patterns that
have developed over time and are imbedded in the
Library culture.
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Recognizing The Silent Barriers

• Cynicism
• Apathy
• Defiance
• Rigidity
• Oppositional
• Irresponsibility
• Hurt feelings

• History
• Repressed Anger
• Gossip
• Withholding
• Cliques
• Resistance to Change

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Overcoming The Barriers Creating an Environment
Where Trust Respect Can Grow and Be Nurtured
Senior Team
All Staff
Focus on identifying and addressing team needs
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Leadership Team Learning Labs Building A
Foundation For Trust Respect

• Over Time We Have Strived To
• Create a safe environment for 2-way
  communications
• Provide avenues for safe exploration of the
  silent barriers and the appropriate expression of
  feelings
• Promote leadership skills development at all
  levels
• Emphasize individual accountability for actions
• Further our practice of becoming a learning
  organization --
• One that actively seeks to embrace change and is
  proactive in adapting and
  learning from change

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Leadership Team Learning Labs

• Relationship Building
• Addressed long standing interpersonal issues
• Promoted mutual respect through self-discovery
• Encouraged personal ownership of attitudes and
  behaviors
• Introduced emotional intelligence skills
• Facilitated smooth transition of new employees

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Leadership Team Learning Labs

• Leadership Skills - Team Building Practice
• Regular check-ins
• Promote active listening skills
• Identified and addressed Whats Working? Whats
  Not? Whats Needed?
• Established leadership team vision, values
• Identified individual leadership styles

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Leadership Team Learning Labs

• Conducted leadership self-assessment and 360
  peer reviews
• Developed personal leadership plans
• Practiced conflict management skills
• Provided forums for meaningful review of roles
  and responsibilities
• Promote collegiality productivity

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Leadership and Team Learning Labs

• Team Practice
• The Leadership Challenge Senior Team Learning
  Lab
• The Meaning of Being Customer Focused

• Leadership Renewal
• Leading a Learning Organization Part I
• Leading a Learning Organization Part II
• Being the Best We Can Be building a team-based,
  customer centered library

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2004 - 2007
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Embedding Our Values
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Ongoing Leadership Team Learning Labs

• Deepening the Passion for Leadership Senior
  Team Learning Lab
• Addressing the Challenges of Supervision Senior
  Team Learning Lab
• Library Services Leadership Lab Team PACE
• The Year End, the Year Ahead Senior Team Lab
• Creating a leadership team takes practice

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Customer Service Training Program

• Designed by staff
• Study other successful local organizations who
  delivered excellent customer service
• Developed own training program

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Performance Planning

• Senior staff worked with consultant to develop
  own performance planning and review system that
  reflected our values as a customer focussed
  organization
• Refers to key four elements Choose Your
  Attitude, Make Their Day, Be There, Play
• Provides feedback and coaching on expectations

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Service Delivery Team
In 2005, a service delivery team was
established

• 13 members cross department, mix of job
  classifications, full-time/part-time, and several
  senior staff members
• To take our vision, values and decision-making to
  another level within the organization
• Francine facilitated start up meeting

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Team Vision
To enable service delivery excellence by
establishing standards, removing barriers and
supporting staff to be customer focused.
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Team Values

• Being respectful
• Listening, hearing, honouring opinions, being
  non-judgmental and compassionate
• Being responsible
• Know what to do and do it, demonstrate work ethic
• Honouring consensus decision-making
• Being actively engaged
• Fostering communication
• Being open and appropriate

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Team Ground Rules

• Be present, come prepared and be attentive
• Provide a safe environment for expression
• No gossip. No accusations. Use I statements.
  Respect confidentiality. Honour diversity. Be
  open.
• Agree to disagree and uphold team decision
  outside the group. Walk the talk.
• Regularly set team goals and objectives
• Consider consequences of our actions
• Promote relaxed, fun environment
• Retain sense of humour

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Team PACE Forms

• Rotating chair, vice chair and secretary
• Meets 9 X per year
• Identifies barriers to service excellence and
  seeks solutions

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Accomplishments
Small is Beautiful Campaign ...encouraged staff
participation in creating a clean and tidy
environment within our space constraints.
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Having Fun!
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Having Fun
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Accomplishments

• Encouraged clean environment 2005
• Completed Dealing with Difficult Situations
  Manual 2006
• Values for a Respectful Workplace 2007

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Living Our Leadership

• Team PACE embodies the essence
• of living our leadership from the inside out

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Under Construction
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Living Our Change Into the Future
Creating an intentional culture to embrace
the next round of
change Modeling new service delivery
practices Proactive personnel postings
Consistent communications and information sharing

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Living Our Change Into the Future
The transition to the new library presents a new
set of silent barriers Role anxiety To
retire or not Rivalry and competition
Fear of the new Entitlement
Favoritism Fear of success/failure

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Living Our Change Into the Future

• Proactive Intervention
• Not letting issues fester
• Senior team united in approach to address
  difficult issues in a timely and direct manner
• Be open and available to speak personally about
  the challenges of transition
• Feedback process on effectiveness of public
  relations functions

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Living Our Change Into the Future

• Senior Staff Retreat engaged all in planning and
  presentations
• PACE Update
• 7. Managing Change Communications -- Leadership
  Lab

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Everyday Leadership

• INTERNAL CHAMPION
• Keeps the banner flying for change
• Leads by example
• Encourages practice of the learnings in between
  Leadership Team Learning Lab Sessions
• Jane has kept the flag flying
• Senior Team is fully engaged

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What Have We Learned?

• To transform an organization, its essential to
  address the culture by
• Identifying and addressing the silent barriers
• Involving staff at all levels
• Regularly engaging an organizational coach
• Embedding values across the organization
• Addressing whats not working
• Recognizing that transformation is work in
  progress

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Opening September 08
nvcl.ca businessharmonizer.com