Paper - ALIA conferences

http://conferences.alia.org.au/newlibrarian2006
Paper presented at NLS2006, The John Niland Scientia Building, UNSW, Sydney, Australia,
Abstract
December 1-2 2006.
Acting the Part: the Opportunities of Taking Higher Duties
LOUISE DRISCOLL
Coordinator, Digital Repositories Unit
University of Western Australia Library
Short term acting positions are a great opportunity, they allow you to explore your own
potential, test your resolve and maximise your work place experience.
An opportunity arose last year for a 3 month acting position as the Coordinator of
Serials and Electronic Resources (part of the University of WA Library’s technical
services division). I applied and, to my shock, was successful. This paper reflects on
the experience.
Before this opportunity, I viewed myself as a relatively junior member of the
professional staff in my work place. Initially I felt concerned about my lack of
experience and that perhaps I wasn’t experienced enough to apply. But it’s important to
have faith in your own ability, to get out of your comfort zone and test yourself.
There are many positive aspects and much to learn, not only about the workplace but
also about yourself. One my main objectives when applying for the position was to
develop a better understanding of the section’s operations, a more holistic view of the
roles and responsibilities of all the staff. However, there are more advantages on offer
if you seize them; the opportunity to broadcast your abilities as well as increasing your
skill base through new experiences like managing staff, managing work flow and
project management.
One of the most important lessons I leant was that it’s OK not to know and it’s not
necessary to have all the answers in order to be effective in a leadership position.
Seeking advice and being open to feedback can make the experience a very
productive one. Acting in your boss’s position gives great insight into the pressures of
their job and will help you, once back at your regular desk, in upward managing.
1

Introduction
Acting the Part
Short term acting positions are a great opportunity, they allow you to explore your own
potential, test your resolve and maximise your work place experience.
An opportunity arose last year for a 3 month acting position as the Coordinator of
Serials and Electronic Resources (part of the Library’s technical services division). I
applied and, to my shock, was successful. This paper reflects on the experience. I’ll be
revealing the lessons that I learnt as well as some tips that may help you not only act
the part but win the role.
Fears to allay
I viewed myself as a relatively junior member of the professional staff in my work place.
I was a recent graduate, having begun work as a librarian in early 2003. I had a little
over 2 years in the job, whereas my colleagues’ years of professional experience
totalled more than my age (and then some). In all, this made me feel just a little
intimidated. I felt concerned about my lack of experience, that perhaps I wasn’t
knowledgeable enough to apply. But I threw caution to the wind. I had nothing to lose
by showing that I was interested in taking on a leadership role. It was only an
expression of interest that was being sought after all. It wouldn’t hurt just to hand
something in. Anyway, it wasn’t like I’d get it, right?
Wrong.
The strange thing about this I wasn’t quite sure I could do the job until I was offered the
position. But seeing that I had been handed this opportunity I just had to take it. Don’t
get me wrong, I was still nervous, but if my superiors had faith that I could do it, I
should too. So from starting from a pretty shaking position I’d come around to feeling
that I was capable, and that my limited experience wasn’t seen as a detriment to my
abilities.
So that was my first lesson: It’s important to have faith in your own ability, to get out of
your comfort zone and test yourself.
Louise Driscoll, University of Western Australia Library 2

Giving it a go – what can you gain?
Acting the Part
I won’t bore you with the intimate details of how I spent my time during this period. I
don’t think it really matters about the minutia. It’s more important to look at the larger
picture and draw out the main themes from this experience.
One of my main objectives when applying for the position was to develop a better
understanding of the section’s operations. However, there are more advantages on
offer if you seize them. There’s much to learn, not only about the workplace but also
about your self.
How the other half works
Sitting in someone else’s seat will give you a definite idea of what it is they do all day.
Sitting in my boss’s seat, gave me a definite idea of what he does all day. He’s one
busy guy! Being responsible for a myriad of operational tasks, and staff, and projects
means that time is at a premium. I’m pretty sure my library runs on the maxim - Give
work to a busy person and they’re more likely to get it finished. Knowing this, it’s critical
to manage your time effectively. This sets the scene for the next lesson - upward
managing.
Lesson number two is built on this experience of the hectic schedule that line
managers suffer from. Experiencing life in your boss’ shoes gives great insight into the
pressures of their job. If you need an answer, want to give an opinion, whatever it may
be, it’s really important to be ‘heard’ above all the other ‘stuff’. So, I learnt that I had to
cut through all this. If I wanted to be effective in my job (whether that was my regular
job or the acting one), I had to be as time efficient as possible when delivery
information to my boss. There are three simple steps that I’ve adopted to expedite
good communication:
1. Book in to see them - set up an appointment or schedule some time
2. Be prepared – know what it is that you’re talking about
3. Give them an idea of what it’s about, some warning or background information.
There is NOTHING worse than a surprise! Also let them know what you expect from
them. For example, do you want them agree to a recommendation, or make a decision,
or just hear you out. This allows for them to be prepared too.
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Acting the Part
Effective upward managing works both ways. Being regularly briefed is a really great
way to keep in touch with your staff. Seeking their advice and being open to feedback
can make the Higher Duties (HD) experience a very productive one.
Increase your skill base
There were a couple of big holes in my CV that needing plugging. One of these was
supervising staff and the other was project management. There’s no better way to learn
than by doing, and there is no better teacher than experience.
My workplace is quite hierarchical. Although I was a professional staff member with
many professional duties, this didn’t entitle me to boss people about. (You have to wait
until you reach management level to do that.) What this meant was while there was a
lot of opportunity for team work, there wasn’t much for line management. So staff
management was an area that I really wanted to develop. This is where the acting
position came in. Over the 12 weeks, I was responsible for a team of 9 staff members,
made up of a mix of professional (2 librarians), paraprofessional (3 technicians) and
clerical positions (4 library officers). What I discovered was that managing staff is more
than one skill – it’s takes a whole range of skills; communication, delegation, monitoring
tasks and workloads, team building, and conflict resolution just to name a few. One
significant point I learnt was that clear communication with your staff is vital, and a big
factor in establishing good working relationships. This involves developing your abilities
to actively listen, negotiate, and maintain your sense of humour. I got to fill that hole in
my CV with real and relevant examples of staff management.
Project management is another area where it’s really important to get some
experience.
Like most academic libraries, UWA is undergoing rapid change through the introduction
of innovative technologies. This means that there are a variety of projects going on all
the time. During my acting period, I became the project manager for the
implementation of our Electronic Resource Management system. Let me say this
straight off – projects are hard work! This particular project was a mix of software
installation and testing, creating data standards, devising workflows and determining
resourcing. Projects are time and energy vortexes and will take up all your time if you
aren’t careful. One of the greatest challenges I faced was balancing project work with
operational tasks. Time management is one skill that I managed to become quite
proficient at applying. Organising yourself (and others), planning and sticking to a
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Acting the Part
schedule, documenting, recording and managing your paperwork are all things that
come to the fore when dealing with projects.
Through new experiences like managing staff, coordinating work flow and project
management you can build your skills base.
Network: Create connections with people
I utilised this opportunity to connect with people outside the unit. The Library where I
work is split into two divisions – Information systems and Client services. Although
there is some crossover, it’s not an everyday occurrence in my regular position. So I
thought it was really important to make each and every interaction with Client services
as positive and personable as possible. This was as low key as being friendly on the
phone, to going out of my way to be proactive on an issue that was important to one of
the subject librarians. It may sound a little redundant but establishing good working
relationships with colleagues is really beneficial for you. Through these types of
interactions I was able to connect with people; and in turn to form my own network of
colleagues that I could call on for their assistance, expertise, advice or opinion. This
was really helpful to me.
One important note: be sure to keep these relationships going. Don’t let them end with
the HD.
Another advantage of making all these connections with people is that you can
showcase your skills to a broader audience. The lesson on this one is to get your face
about. Take every opportunity to broadcast your abilities. Acting gives you a rare
opportunity to widen your profile. Having a positive reputation is one way to make a
lasting impact and a great way to get your foot in the door. You never know who’ll be
on your next interview panel.
Learn about operational areas
There was plenty of stuff going on that I wasn’t previously aware of in my section. A
whole tribe of staff where mysteriously going about their business and I had no real
clue what it was they did all day. Work flows in any workplace can be fragmented and
disjointed, and this is certainly the case in mine. Initially, I was really concerned that I
was responsible for staff and had no idea what their jobs were. I thought I had to
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Acting the Part
master all the tasks they carried out so I could lead them. But this isn’t the case. This
was one of my more profound ‘eureka’ moments. I didn’t have to do their job, I had to
do mine. This sounds so obvious now, but this was one of the things that made me so
nervous at the start. It’s not necessary to have all the answers in order to be effective in
a leadership position. My staff had the experience and the know-how. They are the
experts. I had to assist them to do their jobs the best way they could. The most
important aspect is to facilitate, empower and assist others. That was my role.
Quite naturally as my HD progressed I gained a much greater understanding of the
operational tasks carried out by the section. This in turn gave me a more holistic view
of the roles and responsibilities of the staff. The lasting result from this is now I know
who to go to with certain queries or issues. I think it has also improved my sense of
camaraderie, as I got an insight into not only what they were doing and their expertise
but could appreciate the work pressures they are under.
Keep a logbook, or activity diary
Seeing that I was picking up these new skills and proficiencies I started noting them
down, which in the end turned out to be a kind of logbook of my experiences. There are
lots of new and different things that I did, and I thought it important to have a record of
them. (Words of advice here: Do it as you go, you’ll never be able remember them after
the fact.)
One important tip is not to edit your self. Write it all down, even if you think it’s really
basic or menial at the time, include it all. Also include the circumstances or context.
Recording “chaired a meeting” doesn’t really convey what it is that you did. Instead add
in details:
“Scheduled meeting using Outlook, booked meeting room, booked laptop and
organised for IT to set up the room. Finalised agenda and distributed. Coordinated
distribution of project documents to team. Chaired meeting of project team, including
setting up meeting schedule. Meeting ran overtime. Need to work on directing
participants to stay on topic and stick to agenda items.”
There are two really good reasons to keep a diary. Firstly you can use it as a reflection
tool. Analysing the experience forms a vital part of your review process. I’ll follow up on
this point in more detail later. Secondly it allows you to keep examples for use in filling
in selection criteria and to use in interviews. Interview preparation is greatly enhanced if
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Acting the Part
you don’t have to struggle thinking of times that you showed good communication
skills, or faced a difficult situation with a client. Having recorded your experiences in a
log, you can have a pool of information to scout through for applicable examples.
Another tip is not to only include your successes. Fingers crossed there aren’t many,
but your failures are valuable learning experiences too. Use them as part of your
reflection process, to think about what you might do differently next time.
Reflecting and making sense of things
When you are in the thick of things it can be hard to assess how things are going. It
takes some distance to get a proper perspective and make sense of an experience.
Hence the need for a review once you’ve finished. (Of course, this doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t ask for or avoid feedback during the experience.) Reflection is a way to
explore your own ideas about: 1) how you think you went; 2) how others thought you
went; 3) and where you want to go next. I think there are three areas of review that you
should try to do (which is in essence a 360 degree review); a self review using your
activity diary, HD feedback from your boss, and if possible a peer review with some of
the staff that you supervised.
As mentioned earlier, having kept a diary of activities, I was able to go through my HD
experience highlighting areas where I did well or conversely areas that needed
attention.
In this process I asked myself a couple of focus questions: What were my objectives at
the start? Did I accomplish what I wanted to? And then I quickly reminded myself that it
wasn’t a question of success or failure, but more about areas where I could improve
and things to build on in my own development.
I’m inclined to be a harsh self critic, and my own perceptions of my performance can
focus a bit too much on the negative or things that didn’t go as well as they should
have. As such it is really important to find out about my strengths and weaknesses from
someone that wasn’t me. A review or debrief with your line manager is a critical activity
at the end of your acting position. This was a matter of course for my manager but
something that you should pursue if it doesn’t happen automatically in your workplace.
It’s really important to hear their opinion of how you did. Formal or informal, a written
report, or what ever, the format isn’t important. We’ve all got blind spots to our own
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Acting the Part
behaviour and it is essential that you get an alternative perspective. This provides
another avenue for insight and is an important factor in working out how you went.
All this reviewing then becomes the ground work for you own career or personal
development. It gives you some space to make decisions about what to do next. Do
you want to progress to a leadership position? Did it light the fire of ambition in your
belly? If so, what do you need to achieve to make that happen? Or is it a case of
thanks but no thanks, as you’re happier where you are?
After identifying areas that you want to develop, look actively at targeting these.
Obviously you already possess a range of skills and experience but learning and self
improvement never stops. I heartily recommend attending courses on management,
leadership, communication, time management, and even speed reading.
Reflection is a way to explore your own ideas about: 1) how you think you went; 2) how
others thought you went; 3) and where you want to go next.
Conclusion
So, would I do it again?
Firstly, yes I would do it again, and yes I have done it again. I got another opportunity
this year in September and October to act as the Co-ordinator of Serials and Access
Management (same unit, different name). It was not quite as stressful this time round
as I had the lessons learnt from the first experience to draw on.
In some sense, I’m my own success story. Very fortunately these two acting jobs were
integral to me securing my new job as Coordinator of Digital Repositories. It was the
experiences gained during these HDs that gave me the edge I needed to win myself a
promotion.
The lessons I learnt through this experience have helped shape my career over the last
year or so. Through taking the plunge of accepting the HD (and even applying in the
first place) I got out of my comfort zone and tested myself. That was lesson one. The
second lesson was by experiencing how the other half worked I developed better
techniques in upward management and become more efficient. Thirdly, I increased my
skill base, particularly in areas where I had no previous opportunity to gain these skills;
and in doing so plugged a couple of holes in my CV. Fourth lesson is by creating
connections with people I gained their support, as well as being able to broadcast my
abilities to a wider audience. Lesson five was one of the most important lessons - it’s
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Acting the Part
OK not to know. Six was that through learning about the various operational areas in
my workplace, I acquired a holistic viewpoint and greater appreciation of my
colleagues. Lesson seven was that by keeping a logbook, not only could I record what I
was learning but could use it as a resource for future reference. And finally lesson eight
was that by following up with a review, I have been able to build on my strengths and
addressed some of my weaknesses.
I cannot recommend strongly enough the advantages of taking on an acting role, for
although it may only be temporary, the effects are permanent.
Louise Driscoll, University of Western Australia Library 9