Future-Ready Means Being Present

Dear Colleagues:

As I write this letter, I am 30,000 feet somewhere above the Canadian Prairies, on my way to visit some colleagues and friends at libraries in British Columbia.  I spend approximately 50% of my time on the road, and I absolutely love it. I especially love flying. True, there are parts of it I don’t love, like delays (I’m an ENTJ) and turbulence (I’m a big chicken) and the logic-defying world of airport security (See: ENTJ). But I do love the block of uninterrupted time that air travel affords me. Up in the air, I can live in the moment and turn my attention to planning and thinking.  Although I fly Economy class, the bubble of space between my office and a library visit created by a transcontinental flight is positively luxurious.

Last fall, I used that space to think about our Chapter and our Association. SLA President Cindy Romaine’s theme for 2011 is “Future-Ready” – and by the way, please check out the Future Ready 365 blog. There will be a new post every day; I’ve subscribed to the RSS feed so I don’t miss a single one.

I’d like to take this opportunity to share our Chapter’s future-ready 2011 goals with you:      

• Strengthen existing partner relations and cultivate new relationships to ensure both the financial viability of the Chapter and the delivery of programming that is meaningful and relevant to our members. To this end, I have promoted the position of Partner Relations Chair, which was an Advisory Board role, to the Executive level, giving Partner Relations a seat at the table.  Pam Casey is our 2011 Partner Relations Director. She heads up a committee consisting of two talented Toronto Chapter members, Robert Ambra and Eliana Trinastic.

The current social and economic climate is extremely challenging, both for information professionals and for our partners. Rapid change requires us to do more and be more, with fewer essential resources like time, money, and energy at our disposal. I believe that if we work together, we and our partners will be successful in accomplishing our goals. 

• Enhance communication with our membership, prospective members, the Association, and our partners by using the functionality afforded by the refreshed Chapter website.  This doesn’t mean that other communication channels like the Discussion List, The Courier and our social media presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are going away. Au contraire!  Daniel Lee, a Past-President of the Chapter and 2009-2011 SLA Director, together with a dedicated project team including Toronto Chapter members Heather Ritchie, Britta Jessen,  and the 2011 Technology Director Kim Silk, have worked very hard to convert our current website into its soon-to-be-launched, WordPress-powered self. Our new site will bring all of our resources and services together into one easy-to-use, flexible, and – if I have your permission to geek out a little – beautiful online home. In the meantime and afterward, I will continue to employ my well-honed librarian’s skills to facilitate the flow of information between our Chapter, other units in the Association, and what Ulla de Stricker, Cabinet Chair Elect in 2011, affectionately calls “Big SLA”, the Association itself.    
• Continue to deliver programming that meets our members’ professional development and social needs, builds community, and fosters a culture of learning and knowledge-sharing. Our programming is really the heart of our Chapter. Our events create a space for our members to learn, to participate, to network, and also to socialize and have some fun.  The joint holiday social with CASLIS, TALL and FIAA at the Hard Rock Café on November 30^th was a big hit.  Elysia Guzik is the 2011 Programming Director and she has just facilitated our first event of the year, Leveraging Social Media Tools for Knowledge Management, which took place over the lunch hour on January 31^st at the offices of PwC.

Our goals for programming in 2011 includes introducing some new types of events. Watch this space for details! Also in 2011, we have a wonderful opportunity to connect with our colleagues both in Canada and from all over the world: the Toronto Chapter is hosting the Canadian Reception at the 2011 Conference, with our partner CEDROM-SNi.

Because I spend a significant amount of time away from Toronto, I will be unable to attend all of our Chapter events this year. This is a pity, because not only do I always have a wonderful time learning new thing and meeting members of our Chapter, but because it means I am less available to the membership. Last year, the Board had a frank conversation about our own attendance at Chapter events.  We don’t have an office where you can drop in and talk to us. We don’t have office hours. Effectively, the only scheduled time when the membership can interact with us is at a Chapter event. 

My current role with YBP provides me with an excellent opportunity to create my own “office hours”.  True, I am on the road 50% of the time.  But the other 50% of the time, I’m here in Toronto, working from my home.  So, I’m extending an invitation to you: if you have a question or a concern about SLA or if you just want to talk shop for awhile, send me an email at jen.ann.burns@gmail.com.  Let’s make plans to meet over coffee some afternoon.

This is your Chapter: let’s talk.  

Welcome to the first issue of the Courier for 2011.  Thank you to everyone who contributed articles to this issue.

This issue introduces the new executive board for 2011 and chapter president, Jennifer Burns, outlines her goals for this year.  In addition to our regular columns, Katya Pereyaslavska and Stephen Spong describe how they used Zotero to manage a challenging weeding project at the Hart House Library. Amra Porobic provides a summary of the interesting events held last year by the Solos Group and Peter de Jager offers useful insights into a variety of personality traits.

We hope you enjoy this issue.  Submissions to the Courier are always welcome.  Please send comments, ideas or suggestions directly to us.

Bruce Harpham
Bruce.harpham@gmail.com

Sandra Craig
sandracraig@rogers.com

President:  Jennifer Burns
Jennifer is the Collection Development Manager for Western Canada at Baker & Taylor’s YBP Library Services. Prior to joining YBP in September 2009, Jennifer worked as an Information Specialist at BMO Financial Group’s Institute for Learning, providing reference services in support of learning and development at the Bank of Montreal.  She holds a Master’s degree in Information Studies from the University of Toronto, and an Honours BA in English Literature from Concordia University. Jennifer has been a member of the Toronto Chapter since 2004. She has served as a co-editor (with Heather Postill) of The Courier in 2008, the 2009 Membership Chair, and 2010 President-Elect. Jennifer lives in Toronto with her fiancé Philip, and two tabby cats, Harry and Meep.

President-Elect: Laura Warner
Laura graduated with her MLIS and MPA degrees from Dalhousie in 2007. Soon after that she migrated to Toronto , where she launched her career in the information profession. Since then, she has held positions as a Reference Librarian with the CBC Reference Library, a Business and Economics Librarian with Wilfrid Laurier University Library and currently holds the position of Music Librarian with the CBC Music Library. Laura has also been actively volunteering with the SLA Toronto Chapter since 2008 when she took on the role of New Information Professionals Program Coordinator. In 2010 she took on the responsibility of Technology Director and now holds the position of President-Elect.

Programme Director: Elysia Guzik
Elysia is a recent Master of Information Studies grad (University of Toronto, June 2010), currently working at Egon Zehnder International Inc. as Research Analyst. Prior to Egon Zehnder, Elysia worked part-time as Co-op Student, Records & Information Management Office at OMERS Administration Corporation where she supported the implementation of the Records & Information Management program across OMERS business areas. While at the Faculty of Information, she completed practicum placements at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and Our Ontario. This year, Elysia is thrilled to be part of SLA Toronto’s Executive Board in her role as Programming Director. She is excited about planning events that cater to the diverse professional interests of the chapter’s members. In her spare time, Elysia likes to read, practice yoga, explore Toronto’s arts & culture scene, and try out new recipes for delicious vegetarian dishes.

Partner Relations Director: Pam Casey
Pam is the current Partner Relations Director but previously has been in the roles of Membership Chair, President-Elect and President.  Pam has also participated on the 2010 Annual conference committee with SLA.  During the day, Pam, a certified technical trainer, is the President of Information Now, an information consultancy providing Information Management and training solutions.

Pam is a graduate of the Library and Information Technician program of Sheridan College.  She holds a professional CTT⁺ designation from CompTIA.  In addition, she holds a Social Service Worker diploma from Mohawk College.  Pam is an active member in many library and related associations including SLA, Company of Women, and OALT/ABO.  Pam enjoys gardening and golfing in her spare time.

First Five Years Director:  Shannon McMillan
Shannon is a recent graduate of the Master of Information Studies program at the University of Toronto.  In her time at the University of Toronto, Shannon served as the co-chair of the SLA Toronto Student Group and was the 2010 FPinformart Student-to-Conference award recipient.  She also spent time working at the Criminology Information Service and Library at the University of Toronto.  More recently, Shannon has worked at Access Copyright as a research assistant and cataloguing associate.  She is currently on the hunt for her next exciting career opportunity in special librariesMembership Director: Shelley McBride
Shelley has worked as a librarian at Canada Business Ontario, Industry Canada in Toronto since 2002.  A ‘solo’ librarian since 2006, she provides reference / research and collection management services, and is a member of the national Canada Business Information Specialists Committee.

Prior to joining Industry Canada, Shelley was the business librarian at Richmond Hill Public Library.  She is a graduate of the University of Toronto.

Secretary: Emmeline Hobbs
As she enters her second year as part of the SLA Executive Board, Emmeline is excited to be part of this year’s team. Emmeline started her professional life at the Toronto Star Reference Library after graduating from FIS in 2008.  She is now well established in her role as a Business Information Analyst at Deloitte, where she has been for over two years, answering a myriad of reference questions and providing training and support within the firm. Emmeline loves high-end coffee, public radio, and the colour yellow.

Past President: Claire Lysnes

Treasurer: Heather Brunstad
Heather has worked in both academic and public libraries but has found her niche in special libraries and currently holds the position of Manager of Bibliographic and Permissions Services at Access Copyright.  Heather is a solutions-oriented Library and Information Management Specialist with strong leadership experience excelling in the fields of technology, research and information organization.  Heather has been a volunteer with the SLA Toronto Chapter since 2003 in the following positions: Student Rep, Registrar, Programming Director and Treasurer.  Heather Brunstad is a graduate of the MLIS program at the University of Western Ontario.

Technology Director: Kimberly Silk
Kimberly Silk has over fifteen years of digital media experience and is actively engaged in the interactive media, library and education industries. She is currently the Data Librarian at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think-tank at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. In addition to her passion for digital collections and online communities, Kim believes in giving back to the profession. She is actively involved in several professional associations; she is President of the Faculty of Information Alumni Association for 2009-2011, and is Technology Director and an Alignment Ambassador for the Toronto chapter of SLA. Kim’s research interests include municipal Open Data projects, and social media principles to knowledge management.  She is also keenly interested in pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a librarian in the 21^st century. Kim earned her M.L.S. (Library Science) from the University of Toronto, and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Waterloo.

The Need to Know Forum: Make the Connection
What do you know about the Need to Know Forum? If the answer is “not much,” then don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Planned as part of the SLA 2011 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO, the Need to Know Forum (N2K) is a first-time event. It’s a unique outreach to non-SLA members and offers the opportunity to learn about the value of access to authoritative information.

Through a series of eight sessions and a networking lunch we’ll discuss how best-in-class information solutions help organizations be more competitive, avoid lawsuits, improve internal collaboration and increase innovation. Read More

Holding Our Future in their Hands
Will smartphones–or, more precisely, the applications (apps) designed for them–make librarians extinct? That outcome may seem far-fetched, but information professionals may need to re-think what they do if they want to thrive in a mobile world.

That’s the message from Tom Boone, a reference librarian, professor, and blogger, writing in the January/February issue of Information Outlook. His article, “Ensuring the Visibility of Librarians,” minces no words about the threat posed by mobile applications:

Within the typical smartphone ecosystem, a rise in the number of mobile apps will result in a decrease in the visibility of librarians. Once a vendor develops a mobile app, library patrons will download the app onto their phones. Having done this, they will now only need to select an icon on their phone’s desktop to access the database. This will effectively eliminate any library branding from the user experience. Read More

Announcing New Web Hosting for Units
SLA’s newest unit service announced at Leadership Summit, code-named Operation Vitality, will cost units $40/year. It will be deducted from the annual dues allotment. In this first year, the early adopters who are operational at allotment disbursement will have the amount deducted from the allotments issued this year. All others will be invoiced at start-up. Read More

Submit Your Post To SLA Future Ready 365
What is Future Ready? It’s an attitude of being more adaptable,  flexible, and confident in utilizing the skills of the information & knowledge professional.

It’s a strategic shift toward being more effective at aligning with emerging and robust opportunities in the information industry and beyond.

It’s a focus on preparing ourselves for emerging opportunities in the information industry through:

1. Collaboration to accelerate the availability of useful information
2. An adaptable skill set that anticipates and responds to the evolving marketplace 
3. Alignment with the language and values of the community you serve 
4. Building a community that connects stakeholders in mutually beneficial relationships

Read More

Please join me in welcoming the following new members who joined our Chapter from November 2010 through January 2011.

Jeannie An, Oakville
Victoria Baranow, Toronto
Jackie Beaudrie, Toronto       
KeJo Buchanan, Brampton
Louise Donnelly, Mississauga   
Krista Godfrey, Hamilton
Gabriella Goldberg, Toronto
Lori Hallahan, Barrie  
Yasmin Hartung, Toronto
Roxana Henriquez, Toronto
Adrian Ho, London      
Helena Klimchuk, Toronto
Suzanne LeBlanc, Toronto
Jennifer Lee, Toronto
Karen Lee, Toronto
Coralee Leroux, Toronto
Marilyn Nazar, Toronto
Stacey Nordlund, Toronto
Katherine Pancuska, Toronto
Dawn Pearcey, Toronto
Jana Purmalis, Toronto
Stephanie Quail, Toronto
Bernadette Roca, Thornhill
Erica Smith, Toronto
Lynette Terrill, Toronto
Howard Wong, Toronto

I look forward to meeting each of you at an upcoming SLA Toronto event!

A new year, and lots of new starts!

As of January 2011, Brenda Taylor is working 3 days per week as Librarian, Knowledge Management Lord Cultural Resources a consulting company that helps plan and implement cultural places, programs, and resources around the world.  Brenda also continues to volunteer at the Textile Museum of Canada’s H. N. Pullar Library.  She can be reached at: btaylor@lord.ca or via LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/brenda-taylor/0/8b1/3a6.

Elysia Guzik started at Egon Zehnder International in April 2010 as Records Management Analyst, and has recently (January 2011) moved into her new role as Research Analyst. As Research Analyst, she conducts business research and analysis for business development projects and executive search assignments. She also maintains responsibility for records management.  Prior to Egon Zehnder, Elysia was a full-time Master of Information Studies student (graduated in June 2010) and worked part-time as Co-op Student, Records & Information Management Office at OMERS Administration Corporation where she supported the implementation of the Records & Information management program across OMERS business areas. While at the Faculty of Information, she completed practicum placements at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and Our Ontario.  She can be reached at: elysia.guzik@ezi.net.

In January 2011, Maile Reeves started work as a Research Officer in the Division of University Advancement at the University of Toronto. Past jobs include Corporate Librarian at Southam Inc., Manager of Collections Development at the Peterborough Public Library, and Legal Research & Information Specialist at SOCAN. She comes to UofT from a hospital foundation, where she worked as a Researcher.

After founding the company 20 years ago, Jane Cooney has sold Books for Business and has left the company though she remains on as a director.  The business will stay in its current location on Adelaide Street West under the leadership of the new owner, Sean Neville. She is now “retired” and looking forward to having more time to do the things that she enjoys like staying fit, improving her French, learning to play the piano, reading all the great novels, skiing, skating, golfing, spending more time with her 96 year old mother, and traveling! Also, she plans to fit in cleaning out closets and re-doing her garden somewhere in there.

 People on the Move will be a regular column highlighting the achievements of our members and help keep us all in touch.  Please share your career changes, retirements, life changes, volunteer work.

Submit your news to Frances Wong at FWong@blgcanada.com.

Flying solos in 2010
Toronto Chapter Solos Group had three events in 2010*. Each session covered a special theme and included a presentation prepared by the chair. We refer to those events as “meetings” but they are actually “workshops” – this format seems to be the best way to attract chronically busy solos.

The overall participation was 17 people per event (in 2009 it was 14), with the record attendance set at the Spring session (22). The “success” factors were:

• Workshop format (informative and well prepared presentation)
• Teleconferencing option (thanks to the Insurance Bureau of Canada)
• The dates are carefully planned to meet the needs of the majority
• Timely promotion of events on SLA-Tor listserv, Chapter Events page, LinkedIn Solo Group, Facebook and Toronto solos email distribution list.

The Winter ’10 event (February 4, 2010) featured the topic of Preserving organizational memory. Solos often influence the specific content organization within their institutions in one way or another. They sometimes play a big role in ECM/KM initiatives. Several models for preserving organizational memory were discussed: content management solutions (such as OpenText Livelink, Interwoven, Records Manager Express, Document One, InMagic Presto, products by Abby, Autonomy, Oracle, IBM, Hyland Mimosa); institutional repositories (often include special collections, involve digitization projects); experts databases (who knows what, questions answered); communities of practice; storytelling (applicable to cultural knowledge, includes social media); and mentorships. Most of the discussion was around some concrete examples from solos’ experience.

Advanced Web Search Strategies (May 4, 2010) was the theme of our Spring workshop. The presentation was based on a SLA Click U webinar (Google & Friends / Greg Notess, 2009), and updated with the relevant content from Gwen Harris’ Web Search Guide (WSG). The purpose of this workshop was to help solos learn a few new things about web searching and to encourage them to explore free webinars available under Click U on sla.org. However, most of this content becomes very quickly out of date, so it’s essential to keep up with the changes – Gwen’s WSG is a great tool just for that. The presentation lasted 55 minutes and was very well received.

Lastly, the Fall workshop (Marketing Library / Information Centre Services) offered an overview of current trends in this area: why we need to market, challenges, platforms used, what works, what does not, and interpersonal tactics. Solos often keep a “low profile” and neglect this aspect of their professional work. In economically challenging times, they need to practice good marketing skills more than ever. The discussion was full of tips and techniques from a solo perspective. The presentation, along with the selective bibliography on marketing (all prepared by Amra) was shared on Solos’ wiki, LinkedIn and by email.

During these sessions, we also kept members informed about the ongoing events at the association level (Leadership Summit, SLA Alignment project, pre-conference planning, chapter events, etc.).

Other topics of discussion sometimes included “Solo asks” question and the report on the LinkedIn activity.

LinkedIn Toronto Solos Group was initiated in summer 2010 and currently has 35 members. It is used to inform members about the issues relevant to the meetings and to conduct surveys. Unfortunately, many institutions forbid the use of social media and many solos do not have a personal LinkedIn profile. This is why the activity level is still very low and discussions posted by the administrator (me again) get very limited attention.

Solos’ wiki (requires SLA wiki login) is still the official page of our Group where all the material can be located and progress of activities tracked (maintained by chair). This is where minutes from the meetings, presentations and handouts can be found. I welcome any suggestions about potential content and format improvements of these pages.

I hope to make our 2011 events more interactive and fun.

*2010 is Amra’s 2^nd full year in serving the role of the Solo Group Coordinator.

By Katya Pereyaslavska (Library Curator) and Stephen Spong (Special Projects)

Hart House Library, nestled away in a quiet corner of the University of Toronto’s Hart House, is a unique and very special collection. Established in 1919 by the Massey family, the library has served a diverse community over the past ninety-two years, reflecting the changing faces of Hart House. Currently, the library, which would fit right in at Hogwarts, holds some 5,000 volumes on its intricately carved and stained-wood shelves; however, it is only now that a proper weeding project has been initiated with the help of twenty student volunteers.

The most difficult aspect of this project is to actually get started on it or, perhaps more accurately, deciding how it should be initiated and how to implement it most effectively. What is to be done with all the past donations comprising of outdated textbooks and poorly-maintained cheap editions of Huckleberry Finn? Should they be assessed or should we just create a “sale truck” where volumes in question can be sold off to raise funds for the library? Are they worth anything? Should they be donated instead? Where do we even start?! These questions and more make laying the groundwork a delicate operation.

While attempting to come to terms with this conundrum, we came upon Zotero, which offered the solution we were looking for. Available as a small, free download, Zotero – a plug-in for Firefox, rather than a stand-alone program – allows one to extract and edit library records from any catalogue record viewed in the browser – from WorldCat, public and academic libraries and even Library Thing where the Hart House Library recently uploaded its catalogue.

Having offered several training sessions and sent out links to online tutorials, the next step was dividing volunteers into teams responsible for specific sections of the library. From there, we have created subject-specific folders corresponding with the appropriate section of the library, and then each one has subfolders named “replace”, “deaccession” and “not found.” This allows for a simple, methodical approach.

The “replace” folder is intended to include classics and must-haves for our library that are currently in poor condition or outdated. Due to the increasingly high cost of book repairs and our modest budget, the library cannot afford to replace all books which are in poor condition. Our aim is to be able to buy newer and more attractive hardcover volumes to replace shabby and overused paperbacks, instead of spending a fortune on repairs. However, before any volumes from this folder are replaced, we shall run the list by a rare book specialist to advise us as to whether it might contain any valuable items in which case we might decide to splurge on repairs or donate these volumes to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto.

The “deaccession” folder will contain books that are obviously in need of weeding because they are old textbooks or items that do not fit well into the overall character of the collection. The drafting of newly updated Collection Development and Mission Statement documents that were subsequently distributed to the volunteers provides a clear framework within which to work. More often than not assigning sections based on individual background and expertise allows for a more critical approach to weeding as well as encouraging students to actively participate in compiling lists of contributions for acquisitions.

The Hart House Library is currently in the process of working through the sections and waiting for the folders to be filled with lists of books. The wonderful thing about Zotero is that it actually allows for the exporting of content to spreadsheets as well as for the editing of imported records to change publishing information and add notes on anything (which is especially useful for condition reports). This will prove to be quite useful when studying this part of our collection and making joint decisions with administration. Although the library is small, this makes the project all the more manageable, as well as a fantastic training ground for our volunteer-based staff of library students.

Send your job hunting queries and quandaries to pattyplacement@gmail.com

———————————————————————–

Dear Patty Placement,

I really want to find work in a different industry, but I am worried that without any actual experience in that industry I will never get an interview.  Help please.

Signed,

Need-a-change

Dear Need-a-change,

In a tight job market it often feels that it is impossible to move from one sector to another.  Whether looking for a professional position for the first time; or trying to make a major change, there are a number of things you can do to better position yourself:

Ask people in your targeted area for information interviews.  DO NOT expect these meetings to lead to a job; but simply treat them as an opportunity to learn as much as you can about this new sector.

Take workshops or courses that will familiarize you with the sector, the terminology, and the culture.

Research and write articles about this sector or an important issue affecting it.  Self publish in your own blog; submit to professional newsletters; comment on other existing blogs.

Depending on the sector; there may be possibilities to volunteer in the industry/sector.

Consider applying for and accepting a more junior level position in this sector.  Change sometimes requires sacrifice… but if it is where you really want to be… it will be worth whatever sacrifice you have to make.

Concentrate on articulating your transferable skills in language familiar to your new sector.  It is not enough to say you have these skills; you must demonstrate them.  Invaluable transferable skills include:  customer service skills (from waiting tables to reference services… ALL jobs that deal with the public require customer service skills and are transferable); communication skills; research and searching skills, and organizational skills.

Good luck!
Patty

Dear Patty,

Is it really necessary to send a follow up note after an interview?  It just seems like such a waste of time.  I mean, they either liked me or they didn’t, right?

Signed,

TWIWOT (Thinks Writing is Waste of Time)

Dear TWIWOT:

Of course it’s not necessary to send a follow up note… unless you want the job!  It’s a competitive world out there and anything you can do to ‘set yourself apart’ is going to help.  That said, the ‘art’ of the follow up note is subtle.  Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts:

DO send a note (either an email or a handwritten note) within 48 hours.  If it arrives much later than that, it may be too late to have any impact.

DO write individual notes to each person who interviewed you. Try to personalize each note a little; they can essentially be the same… but should vary a bit, if for no other reason than in case recipients compare notes.

DON’T review at length all of your wonderful qualifications.  Be brief and to the point.  Thank them for the opportunity; reiterate how much you enjoyed and appreciated their time; emphasize why you are especially interested and maybe add one point or comment or perhaps a link to a relevant and current resource that adds to the discussion you had.

DO try and match the tone of your note with the culture and tone of the company.  For example, if the interviewer told you to “Call me Sue” during the interview, then address your note “Dear Sue”,  otherwise stick with the more appropriate “ Dear Ms. Smith”.   How ‘assertive tolerant’ is this company?  Some companies are much more comfortable with hard-core assertiveness than others.  A sales company might even expect you to sell yourself aggressively with repeated emails and telephone calls; while another job setting might find that behaviour too aggressive.  Pay attention to the culture of the company and act accordingly.  If you’re not sure …. ask your friends and colleagues for their opinions on the culture of that company.

DON’T burn any bridges if you aren’t offered the job.  Try and bring the interviewer(s) into your network, possibly even asking them for referrals to other contacts.  I once had an applicant tell me it was ‘my loss’ when we did not offer her the position.  However, our selected candidate had to back out of the position at the last moment and you can be sure we did not call back THAT applicant!  Whose loss was it now?

 Good luck,
Patty

I was recently involved in a Municipality project which examined a number of personality assessments. While exploring a broad spectrum of measurement tools, we determined a bit of humor was called for, so we photographed the desks of various participants as a way to illustrate the diversity of personality types. As a source of humour, as evidenced by the photo of my desk, these were more effective than a wall plastered with Dilbert cartoons.

The juxtaposition of my ‘creatively organized’ (or if you prefer my ’chaotically cluttered’) desk and how people perceived me highlighted a potential pitfall of any personality test. By their nature, these tools attach labels to personality characteristics, often suggesting that some traits are strengths while others are weaknesses. They do little to explore how individuals utilize the labeled attributes.

Consider the term ‘Lazy’, I’ve always considered the term a succinct decription of a tendancy to exert the least amount of effort to achieve a maximum output, but ever since Pope Gregory the Great (6th Century) formalized the list of seven deadly sins, we’ve wrongly judged and reviled laziness.

Here’s the truth about sloth; all progress is due to the lazy. Laziness is what compels us to seek out the easiest way to do something. If not for laziness, we wouldn’t have the lever, the plough or the bulldozer. The underlying philosophy of laziness is that there is always an easier way to do something, that to expend more energy than necessary is a criminal waste of resources. Laziness is the root cause of progress, and the doting parent of efficiency.

Here are some other personality traits, not from any personality test I’m aware of, but they’re commonly, if secretly used, when we think of our peers, superiors and yes, even our employees: those fickle, opinionated, uncertain, pessimistic, simple minded, clock watching indviduals!

Before you go searching for these folks with the intent of firing them, keep in mind they are sometimes the keystones of your organization. Remove them, and you remove the glue holding your organization together. These are the useful people upon which every organization knowingly or unknowingly depends. Treat them well; they’re the unsung heroes of your success.

The Fickle: A politician can commit no greater crime today than to change their mind. When they do, we label them as “wishy- washy”. That’s a perverse label for someone with the integrity to contradict a past belief when they find evidence to the contrary. Far from being wishy-washy, those who publicly retract past beliefs are our champions of integrity. Their only other option is to hold to past beliefs, even when they have proof they were wrong.

The Opinionated:  People with opinions are people who choose to think. When they then voice those opinions, they serve as the checks and balances of our organizations. In a society structured as a hierarchy, opinionated people are necessary if we desire all levels to get involved in the decision making process. Without opinionated people, all thought, regardless of quality, would trickle down from above, unchallenged by those who work directly with our customers.                                                    

The Uncertain: Certainty is highly overrated; it erects fortifications against prudence. The Captain of the Titanic was certain the ship was unsinkable; the CEO of Enron was certain he’d get away with unethical behaviour; and teenagers are certain they’re invulnerable. True certainty is a rare, almost nonexistent commodity. More valuable to us is a healthy dose of uncertainty spiked with the harsh tang of skepticism. Uncertainty focuses us on the task, certainty breeds complacency.

The Pessimistic:  This outlook is second cousin to uncertainty, it takes the view that not only might things go wrong, they will go wrong sooner or later and we must accordingly plan for disaster. If we always see the glass as half-empty then we’re focused on improving the situation, usually by ordering another pint. The half-full glass is more likely to elicit nothing more than a burp of contentment. We can make most things better, but only if we’re unsatisfied with our lot. Discontent is the disenfranchised mother of invention; necessity is only a pretender to the throne.

The Simple Minded: Life isn’t complex. We eat (and we do the opposite of eating – this is after all – a family article), we sleep and do things to make eating, and safe places to sleep, possible. The rest of the time we seek happiness. We can avoid most people problems by following the Golden Rule. Most of the remaining problems are avoided by paying attention to the task at hand and avoiding shortcuts. And the few problems remaining are solved with creativity, determination and patience… which for some are forms of happiness. Bottom line? Life is good.

The Clock Watcher: Time moves faster than we think. Dates on the calendar are closer than they appear. Doing it now, is nearly always better than waiting until tomorrow. Those who pay attention to the swift passage of time are those who keep us on time. Their efforts are seldom appreciated. Everyone hates to be nagged, especially those who need the nagging, who would be late if not nagged, who would never complete a task if not nagged. Nags keep the world turning, without them we’d all be still asleep.

I started writing this with tongue firmly implanted in cheek, intending to have some fun by finding value within commonly perceived negative labels. It turns out that humour was an unexpected path to some usefulness and insight. 

© 2011, Peter de Jager – Peter is a Keynote speaker on the subject of Change Management – He is all of the above and more besides. He’s a worry wart and overly critical (of his own work) – you can read more of that work at www.technobility.com and contact him directly via pdejager@technobility.com