Posted on by hildaweisburg

Get Your Motivation Back

REPOST FROM JULY 4, 2022

Finally, it’s summer break. Time to recover and rejuvenate. And to get your motivation back. You need the time to recover, but summer will slip away before you know it. First, take the time to relax, and then set a date to get yourself ready for the fall so you can bring your passion back to your job.

Need some ideas to spark your motivation? Eric Barker gives some great advice in his article How to Stop Being Lazy and Get More Done – 5 Expert Secrets. While being stressed and exhausted is more our issue than being lazy, his tips will work to help us get on track for a successful school year. Here are his 5 with my usual comments:

  1. Define Goals Properly – Barker recommends four steps to get clear on your goals.

Frame goals as an “end” not a means –By identifying what we want to get, we don’t focus on the boring, “don’t feel like it” steps. We want our goals to excite us, not feel like an added burden.

Keep goals abstract – Rather than focusing on the “How” something is going to get done (more inline with SMART goals), think about your “Why” as you write them.

Set “approach” goals, not “avoidance goals – Keep it positive. Don’t focus on the negatives, such as not doing something. Be aware of the outcome you’re working towards. Bonus points for being clear about how this aligns with your Mission and Vision.

Make goals intrinsic, not extrinsic – Don’t make this about what you think you should be doing. What is it you want to be doing? What excites your passion? Creating a goal from this adds to your ongoing motivation.

2. Set a Target – This is where you can be specific. By when will you start? When do you want to finish? What are some of your target numbers – students reached, modules completed, teacher collaborations. Be clear on the steps you wish to accomplish. And as an additional recommendation, make the steps small so you get lots of wins along the way. The goal and a target together support your motivation.

3. Monitor Your Progress – Keep track of all the targets you achieve. It spurs you on. This is why I keep a Success Journal next to my computer. You can create a spreadsheet, keep a log, reward yourself. Whatever works, so you see the steps you’re taking.

4. Beware the Long Middle – Life is a marathon and so are goals for the school year. As the days go by, it can get harder to keep pushing through, and this is where you can lose that motivation. Every so often, pause and note how much you have accomplished. Barker recommends you “shorten the middle.” If you’ve been tracking progress monthly, switch to weekly. If weekly, switch to daily. The extra boost will help. When you are past the midpoint, look ahead and note how close you are to your goal.

5. Think about Your Future Self – This is an important shift that allows you to look at the bigger picture. Baker writes that thinking about our future results allows us to make better choices in the present. Reflect on the difference between how you’ll feel about yourself if you keep putting off the hard work rather than going for something you are passionate about.

Wherever you are on your summer break, this is a short reminder that you can have fun and still be productive. And when the school year does begin again, these five tips can keep you going. Recovery is important. But set a date to get motivated for fall. Put it on your calendar. Set an alarm. The important thing is get started.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Create a Shut-Down Routine

Parents know that a before-bedtime routine for children allows them to slide easily into sleep. Why do we stop this? As a school librarian and a leader, you have a lot on your plate. Sometimes it may feel like you are going twenty-four hours a day, or at least every waking hour. But that’s not sustainable.

Your brain needs time to cool off as much as an athlete does after a competition or workout. I recommend taking short breaks throughout the day. Consider using some of your lunchtime, which may be skipping or eating at your desk, and take a walk (preferably in a place where you don’t get stopped and asked questions).

Dan Rockwell, the self-proclaimed Leadership Freak, posted this great idea in his blog post, 7 Habits to End the Day. These are his recommendations, along with my usual adds for school librarians.

  1. Leave before fatigue sets in – You want to do just one more thing now that the library is quiet. But then that one thing becomes another thing and now it’s late and you are exhausted. The Leadership Freak reminds us that, “Long hours yield diminishing returns. The longer you work, the less you get done.”  Leave. Do the thing tomorrow.
  2. Practice closure – You need to bring things to an orderly end so you know where you are when you pick things up the next day. As Rockwell recommends: “Create a simple ritual to end the day.” Write down the steps until you internalize the routine. These will become a signal to your brain that you’re stopping.
  3. Reflect briefly – This is always a calming process. The Leadership Freak offers several questions to guide your reflection, saying you should pick three. Among them are: How were you the leader you aspire to be? What did you do that mattered most? What’s tomorrow’s first move? Choose or create questions that work best for you.
  4. Prepare your desk for the morning – We know the benefits of this, but it doesn’t usually happen when you stay too long and leave in a rush. Get rid of any post-it notes you have attended to. Clear whatever garbage has accumulated on your desk. Put out what you need to see first thing.
  5. Set boundaries – You often have some work to do at home. The Leadership Freak says to set a specific time in the evening when you will do it and stick to that. Don’t do more than is necessary, and don’t take planned time away from family. Work can wait until tomorrow.
  6. Keep a work notebook at home – Don’t trust your memory. You don’t want to lose these flashes, but you can’t do things now. Knowing what needs to be done tomorrow or further in the future will keep you more organized and productive. And you won’t worry about forgetting.
  7. Get physical – Rockwell recommends mowing the lawn, taking a walk, playing with your kids. As I said earlier, I walk. I have friends who do yoga. There are numerous ideas online for what you can do to move your body. “Physical activity clears mental clutter.” Additionally, it improves your physical health, which increases your capacity and resiliency.

There are so many people who need you at your best. Your family, who you may be short-changing, as well as the people you serve in your school. Being the ever-ready bunny makes you prone to anger, forgetful, and careless. To be a better leader, learn to take a break and build a routine so you shut down at the end of the workday.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Be Flexible and Thrive

With so much stress and challenges in our lives, many of us feel as though we can barely do what is necessary to survive. But what if thriving is possible? What would it take? What would it look like?

Believe it or not… it might look a lot like Taylor Swift’s career. Not the role model you were expecting, perhaps, but this is a woman who has learned how to take setback, upsets and insults and use them to not only become more resilient, but build an amazing career. And as librarians, we are lifelong learners, which means there is something to be gleaned from the success of others.

Kevin Evers, Senior Editor at Harvard Business Review, spells out what he learned from Taylor Swit in this article, The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift’s Rise to Mega-stardom, giving five key insights from his new book, There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift. Here they are, along with my usual comments:

  1. Seize opportunities others ignore –  Taylor was told that the audience she wanted to write for at the beginning of her career – teenage girls like herself – were not a viable market. She ignored this and pushed forward because it was her passion. Where are these places within the library? How about looking at who else is under fire. It’s not just librarians, but teachers, too. What can we do to support them? Parents are often confused or feel out of the loop – where can you include them? Consider a parent volunteer group.  Keep them informed about library happenings with a LibGroup. Have a way for parents and teachers to contact you so it’s easy to make you a part of their process.
  2. Know what people are “hiring” you to do –  Taylor’s fans don’t just want her music – they want connection. Your students don’t just want books, they want a safe place to explore their growing questions. Teachers don’t just want the internet, they want support to reach their benchmarks. Administrators don’t just want good numbers and test scores, they want to know that their goals are understood and supported.
  3. Be people-obsessed –  Swift is practically obsessed by her fans and always looking for new ways to reach them. For us, these means we need to really see” the people we support. Read body language and let teachers, administrators, and parents know you see their worry and their enthusiasm. Do this with students as well. Give meaningful compliments and feedback and be open to receive it. This is how you build relationships and create trust. When people feel your caring and see it is honest, they become supporters and advocates.
  4. Be productively paranoid – This is actually a business term that “refers to the ability of a leader to anticipate future change and challenges even when things are going very well.” Good or bad, nothing stays the same. Be ready to pivot. Stay on top of what is happening in technology and business. For example, AGI, artificial general intelligence, might be only five years away. It imitates human intelligence. How might that impact you? Since we don’t know, you need to keep watching for its development. What are administrators talking about? I belong to ASCD (Association for Supervisors and Curriculum Developers). Their journal EL (Educational Learning) is a gold mine of topics of concern to your principal and superintendent. The articles are a great source of information to keep you prepared for their next focus.
  5. Be a radical adapter –  The recording industry had “rules”, but Swift noticed the changes coming with streaming services and changed the way and frequency she released music. What’s changing in the way our services are being delivered and what our students and teachers need. This is another place to be looking at and understanding (not ignoring) AI. In a book I am writing, I discuss going into your “outside” community. Introduce yourself to local business owners and managers. They are voters. They also are a potential source of resources for your projects. Some may be able to help with construction projects or sponsor an author visit. You give them credit which promotes their interests as well.

It’s amazing to realize where workable ideas are. We can always look for and find ways to keep our library programs and messages on the cutting edge and learn from successes and struggles of others. As a leader always be on the alert for how to do things better. Today, take these ideas from Taylor Swift and make your library thrive.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Lead With Grace

Grace as a leadership tool? Yes!

The word “grace” is usually associated with religious practices, but it goes beyond that and used properly, it can deepen your leadership ability. One of the many definitions of “grace” given by Merriam-Webster is “the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful.” With that in mind, it is easy to see grace-based leadership as a natural outgrowth of the recently popular concept of servant leadership, which is about leading from a place of being clear on who and how you wanted to serve.

While the business world struggles to incorporate either or both of these leadership styles, they are natural to school librarians and the work we do. Even as the pressures on teachers and librarians grow, bringing grace into our lives (treat ourselves) and our leadership (treat others) is very powerful and has the potential to have a huge impact..

In her blog article, Short fuses, high stakes: An argument for grace-based leadership, Julie Winkle Giulioni says that Grace-based leadership is  “the ability to meet people where they are — with patience, understanding and compassion — while still upholding clear expectations and accountability.” She then offers six practices to incorporate in your daily interactions. Giulioni is speaking to the business world, so I have tweaked these to match our world. Keep in mind these apply when working with all of your audiences: students, teachers, administrators, volunteers, parents, and more:

  1. Make space for humanity – Due dates matter but so do people. Pressures abound. Recognize these feelings as you deal with students, teachers, administrators – and yourself. Things will be late, mistakes will be made. It’s part of the process.
  2. Assume positive intent – Jumping to conclusions is easy, particularly in stressful times, but it only exacerbates the problem. There usually is a reason for someone’s anger/frustration/challenge. Be curious as to what is driving the negativity rather than making judgements. Come from a place of “they’re doing their best” and you’ll have a different perspective and response.
  3. Respond rather than react – It is natural to respond with hostility when someone directs a negative emotion at you. Remember to pause and breathe. It will lower your temperature and blood pressure, allowing you to give a more reasoned response and give you a chance to do the first two steps (space for humanity and assuming positive intent).
  4. Honor multiple realities – We know from the political climate, we aren’t going to be able to convince someone who holds an opposite position that your belief is correct. As librarians we serve the whole school community, even (may especially) those we don’t agree with. Find a common ground among your differences.  It is part of how your build relationships.
  5. Offer “soft landings” for hard truths – This is particularly helpful with students as Giulioni says to frame “feedback respectfully, focusing on behaviors and results.” It also applies when you need to explain to a teacher or administrator why you want to tweak their plan. People don’t want to hear ‘no’. Find a better way to share what you have to say.
  6. Hold people capable, not just accountable – Part of your feedback should recognize the other person’s abilities and strengths. It’s also knowing they have a “Why” for what they did or didn’t to that is as important to them as yours is to you.

Giulioni adds these three suggestions on how to Grow in grace which I am quoting directly:

  • Use curious language (“Help me understand…”) instead of accusatory language (“Why did you…”).
  • After a mistake, lead with support first (“What do you need to get back on track?” or “How can I help?”) before jumping to blame.
  • Share your learning moments openly. Modeling self-grace normalizes growth and reduces fear.

And when practicing grace, remember to offer it to yourself because you deserve at much as everyone around you. Leaders need to be gentle with themselves just as they offer this to those around them.

Posted on by hildaweisburg

Leaders Show They Care

Watch the news the news or scroll through social media and it’s quickly clear that everyone is feeling stressed, overworked, and underappreciated. As librarians, we not only feel, but are actually under attack as well. Our jobs, our collections, our programs are under some intense scrutiny. Fortunately, there’s an unexpected tool that can help – Caring.

Sometimes the best way to deal with the negative emotions is by helping others. Our students need their teachers and librarians to bring our best selves each day, no matter how difficult. When we start by remembering how important and impactful the work we do is, we can tap into the power of connection.

In her blog article, The duty of care: How leaders can anchor teams in turbulent times,  Julie Winkle Giulioni presents seven ways to show caring in the business world. Here they are her seven, along with my adjustments for their application to the school setting.

  1. Benevolence– Make time to know what others value, what they care about in their school and personal life. Your interest in them opens the door to sharing and easing a burden they were carrying on their own.
  2. Trust – As I have often said, trust is the foundation of relationship, and as a leader you must build these relationships. Trust can come from keeping your word as well as keeping confidences. What a teacher may have shared with you is not one for you to share with others unless you have been given permission.
  3. Respect – Giulioni says this is about how you listen. Listening is a core skill in leadership.

You honor the other person’s journey and don’t jump to judgement if you don’t agree with their path.

  • Empathy – When teachers allowed you in on their worry and pain, let them know you care. You can share a similar pain, but don’t try to top theirs.  This isn’t a contest.
  • Communication – You show your caring by how you speak to students, teachers and, yes, administrators. According to Giulioni, you do so by welcoming their perspective and accepting their emotions. I would add the importance of tuning it to what is communicated in their body language. People sometimes mask their emotions on their faces, but you can often pick up what they are feeling by the way they are standing and subconscious hand movements. Pick up on these and ask about them if you notice something isn’t right.
  • Vulnerability – In this case, it doesn’t refer to over-sharing. Giulioni says it means admitting when you don’t know everything and when you have made mistakes. We are all human. Show your human side. It give others the space to do the same.
  • Support – You are in this for the long haul. It isn’t a one-time thing. Follow up on your conversations. Ask how things are going when you know there’s been a problem. Offer to help if they need it.

We are going through tough times, but I have always held on to the mantra, “This will change.” Nothing stays the same. Bad times become better, and good times go bad. But even when we can’t control what happens, we can control how we deal with it. What you do now will impact your relationships when times get better. Stay connected with people. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Leaders care about others.