Posted on by hildaweisburg

Tips for Managing the Library Classroom

As every school librarian knows, managing the library classroom is not the same as managing a typical classroom. Not only do students not come to the library on a daily or even a weekly basis, in some cases, but you have to add in the fact that the kids don’t see you as their real teacher. You can see where it becomes challenging. Plus, you have the ongoing possibility of drop-ins.

What is needed is a Classroom Management plan that encompasses all that happens in the library, ties into your Mission and Vision, and is cognizant of unforeseen circumstances cropping up. You need to keep yourself centered to manage it and make it a vital part of the school community. A tall order.

In Confident Classroom Management. A. Keith Young offers four tips for the traditional classroom. I have adapted to make them work for you.

  1. Let Each Day Start Fresh – Focus on today. Yesterday is over. Take time to review why something went off track yesterday or why it worked. Next, come up with a strategy to keep it from happening again or find a way to repeat it. Once you have your positive mindset in place—especially important after a tough day—move forward. Greet students with a smile and welcoming comments, even the ones who caused a conflict of some type on their last visit. Reset the tone for today.
  2. Maintain Relationships Separate from Behavior – This is not easy. We have a tendency to be wary when a frequent troublemaker comes in. A focused positive comment is vital here. Choose an article of clothing, hairstyle or some other personal connection for your comment. It will signal to the student that you are not holding onto what happened last time. Talk to the person, not the action.
  3. Redirect with Calm, Neutral Phrases – When a student acts up, rather than telling them to stop, ask a question related to the topic at hand without indicating the student is off track and not behaving appropriately. Offer an approving comment when they respond positively. If the student continues to be disruptive you can hand them paper and pencil and suggest they write what is upsetting them. Or you can ask if they need time away from the group. Each of these give the student agency to resettle themselves and allows you to remain focused.
  4. Conduct Social Audits for Better Interactions – While much easier to do in a typical classroom, you can incorporate it into your strategy, particularly with students who repeatedly have problems in the library. Young suggests you “guide students through reviewing a situation that occurred, identifying missteps, and outlining future actions—(then) offers clear and precise empathetic direction.” You will likely not have time to do this while the class is in session. Instead, have step-by-step directions for them doing it. Tell them to ask you for help if they have difficulties answering the questions. Also, consult with the class teacher and the guidance counselor for advice on dealing with this student. Working together my have a much bigger impact

Incorporate these four steps into your personal lesson plans, different from what you might submit to your principal. The more frequently you put it this management into effect, the more natural it will become to you. As a leader and school librarian in difficult times, it’s more important than ever for your library not to become a problem for the administration or add to the challenges of teachers. Instead, demonstrate every day how the library contributes to the success of students and teachers.

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Quieting Your Inner Critic

It’s a new school year. Were you eager to get back or were you worried? How is it going so far? What’s that voice in your head saying?

If you are a first-year school librarian there is so much uncertainty. Of course, this is true if here you are in a new district or have been moved to a different level. Even if you are in the same school and have been for several years, there is much to concern you. The job has always required a lot of responsibilities in many areas and the political climate around the world has caused more stress.

And uncertainty breeds self-doubt.

So it’s no wonder that your inner critic might be talking loudly and often to you. How can we quiet this noise in our heads that can derail our actions and our mindsets? John Millen, CEO of the Reputation Group, a leadership communication company, offers sound advice in his blog post, 5 Ways to Control Negative Self-Talk.

First, Millen explains what that voice really is and its cost.

The silent saboteur – That’s what it is. It’s an insidious voice, whispering things you would never say to a friend. It erodes your confidence and alters your behavior. Millen states: Negative self-talk is one of the most overlooked obstacles to success. It quietly erodes your confidence, damages your relationships, and undermines your ability to lead. You become less confident in your ability to do what you know what you can. The costs, with my comments, are as follows:

  • Imposter syndrome: You minimize your strengths, only seeing how other people do it better.
  • Fear of speaking up: You don’t suggest ideas to teachers fearing it won’t go well, and they will think you are inept.
  • Perfectionism: You keep delaying putting new ideas into practice because you are afraid if it’s not perfect it will fail.
  • Burnout: The pressure and continuous self-doubt take a toll. You hate going to work each day. You slog through, counting the hours till it’s time to leave.

To turn this around, here are Millen’s five ways to get control of your inner critic, again with my comments.

1. Name the voice – Know who is talking to you. Two of Millen’s names are “The Heckler” and “The Judge”. Choose one that works for you. Pick your favorite villain from a book, especially one where the hero defeats the villain.

2. Ask: Would I say this to someone else? – You know that answer. Of course not. What would you say to a friend who said that? What would you say to that friend instead?

3. Reframe the message – Watch out for absolutes like “I never” or “I always.” It’s not about being perfect (see above). Ask what you learned from it. That means you are growing.

4. Keep a thought journal – Those of you who are journalers can get behind this idea. Noticing the thought is a way from separating yourself from the emotions triggered by the thought. Seeing what you said and then recognizing where it’s not true will help silence your Heckler.

5. Practice self-compassion – Give yourself a break. It was a super busy day. You had a bad night’s sleep. This is part of self-care. We are all human. Remember – what would that good friend say to you.

Will this make your inner critic disappear. Sadly, no. But you can mute it when you recognize it for what is and implement these ideas for halting it. You are a leader and people are rightfully counting on you. Your inner critic is wrong. You are doing a great job. Make it a good year.

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Four Lessons for Leaders

What have you learned as a leader? How have you grown from your first position, where you probably weren’t even thinking about leading, to the librarian you are today? And if you are in your first year, what steps in your leadership journey are you taking and looking forward to?

Because leadership is a journey, not a destination. Successes, setbacks, struggles. And we can learn from them all – especially the parts that didn’t go as planned. As the great pitcher, Christie Mathewson said, “You can little from victory. You can learn everything from defeat.”

As school years begin again, take some time to reflect on your leadership journey. What worked, what didn’t. What turned out even better than expected. What had hidden lessons. Fred Ende, director of curriculum and instructional Services for Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. did just that.  In is blog article, Lessons Learned After 25 Years as an Educator, these four are the result of his introspection—with my comments as usual.

Trust your intuition – This will likely be a challenge for the first year or two, but the longer you are a school librarian the more you learn. The experiences, good and bad, improve your instincts for understanding what the people you work with need and want; this includes students as well as teachers and administrators. Time helps you refine your ability to read communication clues including body language and tone.

Change won’t happen if it isn’t led – Being a leader means being willing to step out of your comfort zone and bringing new things to your school. You might launch a new program or incorporate and teach new technologies. You’ll step up and explain your idea or plan to your principal, introduce it to teachers and students, and integrate it into your program. Be mindful of teachers’ and administrators’ hesitancy or outright unwillingness and address it as part of the change. People like doing what they know. Change is scary. Show them the benefits and lead them there.

Give people the work they want to do – Ende is referring to what he learned as district administrator. You offer a different environment than the classroom. This gives you different options. With students it means you are mindful of different learning styles. Your give them voice and choice within a lesson. With teachers you manage collaborations so you do the heavy lifting, but they get to bring what they like to do. It might be introducing the lesson or designing its structure in a way that they like, while still incorporating choice and voice for students.

Let it go – When we believe we are right, we can waste time trying to convince someone else they are wrong. It doesn’t work that way. Truthfully, that doesn’t work at all and can even hurt the relationships we’re trying to build. As Ende says, “We can’t control everything, and why would we want to? In fact, we often learn even more from acceptance and then working to make less-than-ideal situations better for all involved. Since we only know our situations, we have to be willing to believe that everyone wants what is best for learners.”

So, take a moment and ask yourself what have you learned as a leader? Even if this was you first year, you have learned more than you might realize.  Make this a start and an end of the year practice. You will give yourself direction and then be surprised at how much you have grown – and be ready for the next school year.

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Small Changes Can Bring Big Results

Too much to do. So little time to do it all. Does that sound familiar? What we don’t need is another lengthy time-management system. So how about a small one?

In her blog article,The Power of Micro Habits: How Small Changes Drive Big Success in the Workplace, Mary Kelly recommends 10 routines to power your workday. (You might want to create routines for your personal life as well.) Several of these resonated with me so much, I will be adding to my routines.

Here are her 10, along with my usual adaptations and comments for our education world.

  1. Start the Day with a Clear Plan – In the words of Yogi Berra, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” Kelly asks you to take five minutes to identify your top three priorities for the day. For me, that means putting stars next to the tasks on my to-do list. I also have things I do on certain days, like which day of the week I write this blog.
  2. Use the Two-Minute Rule – Complete any task needing less than two minutes before doing anything else. Kelly suggests email for this. I do that while my morning tea is steeping. This way, before you begin, you have already accomplished something that needed to be done while still leaving plenty of time for the priority tasks. If email is a gateway for you to open more things, find another starter.
  3. Take a 60-Second Brain Break –Kelly recommends doing this every hour. Pausing, closing your eyes, listening to a white noise app even for a short as a minute can “reduce stress, improve focus and books creativity.”
  4. Stand Up and Stretch Every Hour –Physical activity is good for your muscles and improves your focus and concentration. If you can walk, great, but even a short stretch has lasting benefits. This is something I am adding to my day.
  5. Use the ‘One-Touch’ Rule for Emails – Another one to add to my routine. Kelly has four “D’s” to use with email. “Do it, delay it (that means schedule it to handle when you have more time or all of the information you need), delete it, or delegate it.” The last may not be an option, but look for ways to use the other. Whenever you handle a piece of email two or more times, you are losing valuable time.
  6. Acknowledge Others Every Day – There is nothing so meaningful as an honest compliment. Find ways to acknowledge students, teachers and others in your life. I sent an email yesterday to my landscaper complimenting his people on the great job they did trimming overgrown trees and bushes. I asked him to pass it along to the crew who did it. He was so pleased to hear it. When you do this at work, you build connections and advocacy.
  7. Hydrate Regularly – This one surprised me. Kelly says to take a sip of water at least every 30 minutes. Even slight dehydration lowers your productivity and can be hard to notice. I don’t do this, but I will try.
  8. Set a Shutdown Ritual at the End of the Day – Clean up your desk. Make sure the library is ready for everyone tomorrow. You want to be able to start your day ready to go, not finishing up yesterday. It will also be a mood boost when you arrive in the morning.
  9. Limit Social Media to Set Breaks – They call it “doom scrolling” for a reason. Try to stay off your phone. There’s nothing there that can’t wait. Kelly suggests designating no more than two times a day to browse so you don’t interrupt your workflow. And even then, be careful of getting lost down that rabbit hole.
  10. Write Down One Work Win Each Day – It’s so easy to forget all that you accomplish. Don’t limit yourself to just one. You get a lot done every day. I keep a Success Journal by my computer. I will be recording that I wrote my weekly blog.

If you need a little extra help, Kelly offers a Productivity Sheet you can download. In reviewing these ten, you can see how these routines might help you maintain a more positive mindset. And, when you have a positive mindset your students and colleagues feel it and benefit from it. You are a better leader as a result.

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Listening as a Leadership Skill

When you think of the skills a leader needs, you are apt to identify vision, planning, and decision-making among a host of others. You not likely to mention listening, and yet it is one of the most important skills you need to have and keep developing. In my forthcoming book, The Involved School Librarian, listening is one of the final three “attributes” I say are necessary in order to be a fully involved school librarian. The three being Listener, Learner, and Leader.

 Listeners use a variety of channels as they learn what their communities want and need as well as what is new and forthcoming. What they learn they then apply in leading their library program so it becomes an ever-increasing value to those they serve. When people notice you listen, they are more likely to come to you for support.

In their article What Principals Can Learn From Pope Leo XIV’s Leadership Approach, Michael Nelson and Pete DeWitt present a five-part model for what it takes to be a great leader. Their ideas resonate with us since this article is from the EdWeek.org site, but I have added comments to address what school librarians need.

Listen, Understand, and Act – This gets to the heart of listening as a core leadership skill. If you make assumptions about what your community needs based on what you know, you are apt to overlook what teachers and students really want. According to the authors, research shows that when people feel you are listening to them, it builds relationships. And we always need to be relationship builders. Once you understand what your community really wants and needs you can act to bring your library forward.

Listening Is Strategic, Not Passive – We generally see listening as automatic and something we don’t need to think about, but studies have shown that when we use it actively, it’s more powerful. Be present, be aware. Then, what you have learned from listening gives you the knowledge to construct a strategic plan tied to your Vision and take more directed and connected steps to living your Mission.

Equity Begins With Who We Listen To – This was a new concept for me. Do you ignore criticisms from those you see as negative or with whom you don’t agree? You may be missing some key truths because of your (unintentional) bias. Are you ignoring students who say, “Why do we have to learn this?” or “This is stupid!” Just because you don’t like their complaint doesn’t mean they have a point. Listen to their reasons for saying this and you may learn something important.

From Listening to Collective Action and Joint Work – When you build relationships and trust, people (including students) are more likely to work with you. You can collaborate on curricular units and even build new programs together. And Collaborate is one of the Shared Foundations in AASL’s National School Library Standards.

Leading With Intention – As Nelson and DeWitt say, “Listening is the work. It is what allows leaders to act with intention.” Listening gives you important information that you can use to strengthen all aspects of your library, from collection choices to software needs to an advocacy committee.

Your skills as an active listener are central to your ability to be a great leader. Active listening is a skill you need to work on every day. I know I do. When we’re bursting with excitement about our latest idea, we don’t listen to the people we are speaking with. The better you get at listening the better leader you will be. And then you’ll have people as excited about your ideas as you are.

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Making Decisions – Emotions vs. Logic

How do you make your decisions? Do you make them logically or trust your gut and go with your emotions? Most would say they decide logically. But more than 80% of the time, this is not the case.

While we may be logical when doing grocery shopping and choosing between one brand or another (cookie aisle not withstanding), it is rarely true when making any significant decisions. What we typically do is make our decision emotionally and then substantiate it logically. Understanding the power of emotions, and how they are impacting you and those around you, will improve your communication and help you achieve your goals.

In his article “The Power of Emotions,” Kell Delaney explains, “Humans are fundamentally emotional beings, and our emotions often drive our narratives and decision-making processes.” Because of this, we identify our feelings as being accurate. The problems occur when interacting with administrators, teachers, parents, and students who have different emotional responses to the same situation. The result is miscommunication along with worsening the situation.

How can you arrive at something logical when emotions are in control?

Delaney says we need to advocate for our core values and create stories and visions that others can engage with and help shape. He adds that bringing in your vision and actively listening to others’ perspectives develops a collaborative narrative for mutual understanding and action. That’s a big promise.  How do we achieve it? My recommendation is to consider your audience – and bring it back to the students.

With Administrators – Whether it’s a budget request, a plan for a new library service, or anything that requires administrative approval, I lead with the students. How will this affect them positively? Do I have any student work to share that connects to my request? By giving them an emotional reason for what I want, I am far more likely to get a positive response.

With Teachers – While some teachers like working with you, others are resistant. Find a time to talk with them, complimenting them on an aspect of their teaching you’ve experienced, particularly their connection with students. Add that you would like to contribute to their success and offer, if you can, to handle any additional work that is involved. Listen carefully to their response and continue the conversation accordingly.

With Parents – While it has become a far larger issue recently, dealing with parental objections to what books their child has access to has always been part of being a school librarian. When a parent comes to you directly, acknowledge them for being an aware and involved parent. Let them know you will see to it that their child no longer has access to those types of books. If they want to have the books removed, share the values of school librarians according to AASL standards.  When the charge comes at a Board of Education meeting, draw on parent advocates you have been building.

With Students – From “This is stupid!” to “Why do we have to learn this?” there are always students who resist doing what is required. Ask them what they would rather learn. That will pause the narrative. Many will be surprised by the question. Recognize their desire to learn (hopefully) along with their concerns with this lesson, then ask them to participate and see if the lesson provided an answer to their question or an interesting experience.

We are all under stress. Be ready for what is apt to be a contentious school year by readying yourself with how to deal with this paradox between logic and emotion. Knowing how to harness emotions, and not avoid them, to reach a reasonable way of dealing with an issue is key to creating a better work environment.  You will be a more effective leader and school librarian as a result.

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Start at the End to Gain Support

TLDR. Have you come across this acronym? It stands for “too long; didn’t read.” It’s a warning given by the author, frequently followed by a summary, if they are concerned people might skip what was written. We are flooded with information without enough time to take it all in. You must have heard someone say, “Get to the point already?” Or said it yourself on occasion.

So what’s the solution?

Share your point – your end – at the beginning. When you make your point early, people know where you are heading and have a reason to focus quickly. We tend to build our argument to show why approving it is important and make the “ask” at the end. John Millen in his blog The Biggest Presentation Mistake Smart People Make explains why this approach rarely works and how to reverse the sequence of your requests.

These are his four steps with my usual connections to our school world:

  • Flip It: Start with the bottom line – Millen observes if you start at the end, even if people don’t have time to read the full message, they know what your point is. Think about wanting your principal to approve a project. You tend to build toward that idea, showing how well thought out your proposal is. Your principal is pressed for time. If you start at the end, letting them know what you want to accomplish, they are going to be listening for your arguments even if their first reaction is to reject it.
  • Executives think inductively – This is true for all decision makers. They are as much under stress as the rest of us, maybe more. But putting your ask first, your focus becomes: What I am proposing; three reasons why and how I will do it, and, finally, what questions do you have about it? Simple and fast. I have always recommended you keep meetings with your principal brief. This is how to do it.
  • Data builds credibility. Clarity builds influence. – We are so accustomed to “showing the data” we forget it needs to be put in an understandable context. Give the context – the result – first. Then share keep the data short and clear, using language that is understood by the listener. Millen recommends the order of information should be:
    • What’s the problem?
    • What’s your recommendation?
    • Why should they care?
  • A simple shift, a big payoff – Move more a deductive approach to giving information to an inductive approach. For example, instead of talking to you principal about genrefication like this: “I have been reading about the success many libraries have had by genrefying their fiction collection.” Use an inductive approach starts with showing a benefit to students and say, “I want to arrange the fiction collection by genres, allowing students to find books by subjects and focus rather than solely by author to help them get what they need quicker.” The difference is striking.

Millen concludes by reminding us to give listeners “the point, not the process.” Most recommendations and ideas are turned down because our audience got lost in all the information we offered, and they lost a connection to the outcome.

Don’t forget to try this with students, so they know from the beginning how your instruction will help them, and with teachers, so they immediately see the benefit of a collaboration. Even with presentations, if you give your audience the end results, they will remain more engaged in your topic to see how to get there. Start with the end in mind and you will lead your audience to the goal you’ve set.

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Tips To De-stress

Are you stressed? That’s a really rhetorical question. Who isn’t these days? Even during summer break, and having the chance to take care of yourself, you’re likely thinking about what’s to come and what’s happening in the world around you.

The fact is stress is taking a toll on your body and your relationships all the time. And we can’t afford that. We have too many people who need us at our best – or close to it. Including ourselves.

In 10 Leaders, 10 Ideas for Lowering Stress, Amber Johnson synthesizes the ideas of ten businesses leaders, all feeling high stress. She divides the ideas into three categories:Work Strategies, Physical Strategies, and Mindset Strategies. I will add my library world adaptations to the business world view and hope that we all find way to lower our stress:

Work Strategies

Fix the root of the problem – Is there a way to fix the deeper causes of your problems. It’s not easy, and it may not be obvious, but it’s worth considering. You can’t change the political climate, for example, but you can find support and advocates for your work and collection. Make a list of a few things you can do. Get creative. Have you tapped into the resources offered by your state library association and the national library associations?

Let go of the little things – There are some things that are urgent and need energy and attention. But what doesn’t? Johnson asks what can you pause? Do you have to work through lunch? Would a walk or time chatting with school friends energize you more for the rest of the day? Think of ways to turn your brain off for a while and relax. And look for these places outside of work too. Can you get someone to clean your house? Mow the lawn?

Find your plug-and-play patterns – How have you handled stress in the past that worked? For me it’s winning an X number of computer solitaire games. Chances are things that worked previously will help you again.

Physical Strategies

Take care of your body – You know stress takes a toll on your body. It’s at the root of numerous medical conditions. Look for ways to actively start taking care of yourself. Get to bed earlier. Cut down on the frequency of junk food and choose healthier foods. Exercise or at least stretch a given number of minutes each day. If that’s too hard at first, do it for two or three days in the week. Start small and build.

Work with your senses – Johnson recommends the “54321 technique”: name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. What it really does is getting you to breathe and centers you in the moment rather than worrying about the past or being concerned about the future. When stressed our breaths become shallow, and we don’t get enough oxygen to our brain making the challenge worse.

Find ways to play – Those with young children or pets can do this easily. I love doing Wordle every day and posting my score on Facebook. My friends comment with how they did. Are you reading for pleasure? Is there  a hobby or craft you’ve dropped or want to pick up? Joy and fun can help alleviate stress.

Take a getaway – Weekend vacations are great for some. I love having a dinner or even a lunch with friends. A change of scene can make a big difference.

Mindset Strategies

Take care of your mind – Our minds are so powerful and the stories we tell ourselves have a huge impact on our wellbeing. As I have said in the past, I keep a Gratitude Journal where I record daily three things for which I am grateful and one way I give back. I also have a container with a small note pad in it. Whenever something wonderful happens to me or my family, I write it along with the date on a paper from the notebook, fold the paper, write the date again on the folded sheet and put it in the canister. On New Year’s Day, I take out the sheets, arrange them in chronological order, and read them to discover what a great year I had.

Draw boundaries – Johnson mentions ending your day by a certain time. I do that and also don’t take messages from my landline util the end of the day. To do this, you’ll need to know the boundaries, set the boundaries, and then keep them. This may have a bit of a learning curve, so give yourself some grace during the process.

Find the mantra that works for you – Whether it’s an affirmation or a simply a sentence that grounds you, as librarians, we know the power of words. Find one that works for you and pull it out when you need it. I remind myself of a story with the closing line, “This will change.” I also am using the words on a bracelet I was given as a birthday gift, “You Can.”

Stress is not going to magically disappear, so it’s imperative to find the coping strategies that work for you. Notice the ones you’ve been using – and if they’ve been working. If you need new ones, then add to your collection. For me, it always helps when I can find ways to laugh and find the joy in my life. You deserve that, too!

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Humility as a Superpower

Humility: A modest or low view of one’s importance. Humbleness. Freedom from pride or arrogance.

What was your first thought when seeing the title for this blog? Was it confusion? Understandable because it sounds counterintuitive. I write and present often about leadership and discuss power. So where does humility fit in? In a world where rampant ego is projected as a superpower and proof of leadership, humility seems to lurk in the shadows, frequently associated with religious values.

And yet… there is more to humility in good leaders and leadership than you think. In Humility as a Psychological Task for Leaders, Dr. Paul J Dunion describes humility as a hidden treasure and identifies the five tasks necessary and then lists the benefits. These are the tasks he gives along with my suggestions for how we might incorporate them into our leadership:

  1. Gaining comfort with one’s limits – None of us are perfect. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Know both. When you accept that you have weaknesses, you can ask for help in those areas. I am a big picture person and tend to overlook what seems like obvious details. I usually check with someone who can help me see what I missed.
  2. An increased acceptance of their imperfection – It’s embarrassing when we notice we’ve made a mistake or overlooked something. But this is both normal and acceptable. Dunion says those who have “exaggerated expectations of achievements (get) caught in striving for perfection.” And since that’s unachievable, it becomes exhausting and detrimental to success.
  3. Radical accountability – Admitting mistakes is hard. It can make you feel you aren’t good enough. One form of accountability is accepting and owning the mistakes you make. A second, which Dunion recommends, is to practice gratitude instead for all the help you have received and for the help you will need in the future.
  4. A heartfelt commitment to be rightsized – Too often, we try to project we don’t have weakness because we want to appear confident in dealing with the increasing demands of our jobs. Don’t inflate yourself, your abilities or your accomplishments to keep up with expectations. Neither should you downplay and make what you have done smaller as a way to not be noticed. Either will get you in trouble down the line. Being rightsized is “a measure of (your) competencies, (your) shortcomings, and the true nature of (your) achievements.”
  5. A capacity to appreciate and acknowledge the strengths and accomplishments of others– It doesn’t make you “less” when you acknowledge what someone else has accomplished. If you acknowledge a teacher, you are likely to build or strengthen your relationship and role as a leader. When it’s a librarian who has done something special, that person can possibly help you achieve the same.

And here are his Benefits:

  • Leaders can access a capacity to offer inclusivity, empathy, and inspiration – Which is how we want to be with our students and teachers.
  • Leaders begin to experience a refined sense of security as their limits and mistakes are welcome – Having acknowledged you aren’t always right, makes mistakes unthreatening.
  • Leaders experience a deepened sense of being trustworthy – No matter how you try to hide mistakes, they are recognized by others (and yourself). Being honest about mistakes build trust.
  • Humility allows leaders to be less competitive with colleagues and more able to acknowledge and appreciate their strengths – Honestly knowing your strengths – and weaknesses helps you see more realistically.
  • As humble leaders are honest and define themselves as okay with their shortcomings, their cultures take on more psychological safety – It makes it easier for your colleagues and students to acknowledge their mistakes making everyone feel safer.

You have a big job and many people need you. Don’t try to be perfect. Accept your limits along with your achievements. Work on giving your best and continuing to be the lifelong learners you are as a librarian.

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Productive Procrastinating

Maybe the title seems contradictory, but for many of us – procrastinating is something we can’t stop. So what if there was a way to use it to support our goals.

Because, there’s always something to do. Even summer vacation isn’t fully a vacation. There are conferences to attend. Webinars and e-learning to improve skills. Books to catch up on for pleasure and professional reading. How have you done so far with those plans?

Even in retirement, I’ve had things to do. I’m just back from Philly where I went to the ALA Conference and learned more than I expected. I also achieved a goal I had of making contact with some colleagues about being an adjunct for their university. Then I returned to a full plate. I looked at my to-do list and got started finishing a book and updating a course I will teach in two weeks.

But my plans unexpectedly stalled when I discovered I needed help from the school’s IT department, who weren’t available because of the July 4th weekend. Instead of jumping directly into editing the book, I decided it was time to take a break. I felt a little guilty about it, until I reminded myself of Kris Ann Valdez’ blog article Can Procrastination Actually Boost Your Productivity and Creativity?  

Valdez quotes cultural strategist, Margaret Ricci who says after years of grappling and hating procrastination, she now embraces this time, noting “the time she spends incubating her ideas before her deep work begins ultimately benefits her outcome.” But there is an obvious negative effect of procrastination. If you keep doing it, the tasks will never get done.

The idea proposed in the article is to give a structure and balance to work and procrastination. You do both in in short sprints. First, you need to know the deadline (or set one). That gives you an important parameter. Then, determine what steps are necessary to reach completion. Then allow yourself a break when you complete a step.

I know I will play solitaire once I complete this blog. Depending on what needs to be done by when, I will allow myself only a set number of winning games before returning to the tasks. Some of you procrastinate by turning to your phone or social media. If you set up a structure for how much and how long, you will get back to work after the time you allowed for it.

The article by Valdez recommends using Fuel, Focus, Flow, to increase your productivity levels.

Fuel – Know how your energy level grows and depletes during the day. I know I am most creative in the morning. I couldn’t write a blog or a new chapter in a book if I started in the afternoon. Be aware of what you need to increase your energy level when it dips. Coffee or a snack is a simple possibility when you need a boost. Where does joy come in for you? I track all wins (like getting the blog done) in my success journal. Start one if you think that will energize you.

Focus – The article recommends gamifying working by doing something like seeing how much you can do in ten minutes. I estimate how long it will take me to write or edit something. I check on how I am doing, but it’s fine if it takes me longer. It still gets done.

Flow – Physical movement increases dopamine, the reward neurotransmitter. Fidget tools or walking pads allow for movement while staying at your desk. Heading out to walk frees my mind from clutter, and I can dictate ideas into my phone. And when I get new ideas or see how I can do something differently, it helps my mental well-being. What is your preference?

Valdez’ article concludes with these words of wisdom, “The goal isn’t to eliminate procrastination It’s to contain it, learn from it and use it as a signal.” If you can’t stop procrastinating, find a way to use it instead. With that, this blog is complete. I am going to play solitaire until I win one game.