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2. Or, you can stream an episode right now on your computer by going to our streaming page, by clicking here.

Whatever tool you use, we hope you enjoy it! Thanks for listening, and sharing ideas on libraries!

Introduction

Welcome back to Season Three of Linking Our Libraries! We are Central Minnesota Libraries Exchange, and we are here to share information with all types of libraries, archives, and other nonprofits working to build their skills. This season, we are working on building a toolbox of leadership skills and ideas. By the end of this season, you will have fifteen specific skills that will make you a stronger leader and manager in your organization.

This week we are looking at strategies for networking.

Joining us is Guest Host Maria Burnham, from Sauk Rapids- Rice High School.

The Basics

Building your professional network is always going to be helpful to you – and to them. Networking does not mean going to high-energy parties and shaking lots of hands. Okay, it CAN mean that; but it usually involves just making connections with people. Remember when we talked about advocacy last week? It was all about making connections. Networking is that same thing – but you think about connecting with people across your profession, instead of stakeholders. They are the ones who can help you with questions about your daily work, can point you toward solutions to problems, and who will celebrate with you when things are great. You will do the same for them.

We have talked in prior weeks about libraries having a lot of introverts – and many of us struggle to reach out and make connections with people we do not know. But that is exactly the reason networking works: a lot of us are uncertain about our next steps, and not always sure who to talk with about library situations. Who knows better than your colleagues how hard you are working? What a hassle it is to deal with an annoying patron? How fantastic it was to have that one great thing happen today?

As library people, we truly are stronger and better when we work together. Whether you are at a conference, new in a school, alone in your library, or just looking to build up a network of people who do what you do at work – networking can make you stronger. Your contributions back to the network will make them stronger too.

Here are a few general tips to make networking easier:

• • Introduce yourself. When you meet new people, be first to shake hands and say hello. Are you feeling weird and awkward? So are they. It’s okay to be the one who breaks the ice.
  • Plan ahead. Have a few standard questions you ask, to help conversations get started. Asking people about their job is fine, but you may make faster connections by asking specific questions such as how they handed a challenging patron, or if they are using social media at work, or how they get glitter up off the carpet. Everyone is good at something, and asking questions to find out about people’s skills will help a conversation – and help build a network.
  • Practice listening. This is not a skill many people really excel at; so people who are good listeners are always welcome in a conversation. This is particularly important when you are trying to build a network by asking people what they need. Listen, nod, ask short questions, take notes – whatever it takes to help move that conversation forward.
  • Set some goals. If you are at a conference, decide you will talk with at least five new people. If you are working to network in your organization, decide you will connect with at least one person each day – emailing an article, asking a question, or talking about movies at the water cooler.
  • Manage your own expectations. You do not have to meet everyone. You do not have to become a social extravert if that is not your own style. Just keep building up your network of people who are interesting, and who can answer questions for you. Not every network contact will work out, and that’s fine.
  • Share information. When you know someone in your network would like an article, is waiting on a book, or loves to quilt – you will be a help to them if you share the things you find that will be interesting or useful to them. It’s an easy way to contribute to your web of contacts; and they will be inspired to share with you in return.
  • Follow up. Once you have met a new person, keep up the relationship. You do not need to be best friends; but you want to keep in touch. Look through your contact list and if it has been a while since you talked with someone there, send a quick email or text just to see how they are doing. People appreciate these gestures, and your network grows stronger.

Want to listen to an episode?

1. You can download an app, subscribe to “Linking Our Libraries” and all episodes will appear on your phone – it’s so easy!
   • Apps we like include Pocket Casts, iTunes, and Stitcher.
   • Download any of these, search for “Linking Our Libraries” and hit Subscribe.
   • If it is not readily available, just enter this RSS feed: http://libraries.blubrry.com/feed/podcast/.
2. Or, you can stream an episode right now on your computer by going to our streaming page, by clicking here.

Whatever tool you use, we hope you enjoy it! Thanks for listening, and sharing ideas on libraries!

Want to talk with us about this topic? Do you, your staff, or your organization need training in this topic? Want to write a policy, or develop a program? We are here for you!
Click here to get started!

This week we are looking at strategies for communication! It’s a surprisingly tough skill, but we have some strategies.

Joining us is Guest Host Jami Trenam, from Great River Library System and the Minnesota Library Association Legislative Committee.

Communication is one of those leadership skills that seems like it should be so easy to do. However, everyone discovers that communicating with colleagues, patrons, Boards, funders, and community members is wildly complicated. It is so easy to issue directions, or to send out a policy, or to post news to your social media account. Just saying things is easy, and if that were the extent of true communication, it would be easy too.

Instead, you need to think of communication as a larger process, each step filled with the possibility of failure.

• In the first stage, you think of an idea inside your mind. Something is created there, and the goal is to get it pretty much intact into the mind of the person with whom you are communicating.
• Now, while holding onto that idea, you also need to think of a transmission system to get that idea across to the receiver. It may be audible speech, texting, video, gestures, written words or pictures, or other systems. You choose the one that you think will best get your idea intact over to the other person.
• The final step is receiving the information; it has to land in the brain of a recipient, and to be understood by that person, to be able to say communication was effective.
• Add in the possibility of noise, and it becomes even more amazing that anyone ever communicates anything to anyone! Noise happens when there is some sort of interruption in any stage of this process.

There are a few things you want to see in all of your communication, to help it to be the best darn information sharing process it can be:

• Accurate. This one should be obvious, but you only want to share information that you know is accurate. So, no passing on rumors. Definitely avoid lying directly about things. Not only do inaccuracies diminish the chances of effective communication, but they take away from your reputation as a leader – and that in itself can create noise in the communication process as people filter your message through the lens of “might be lying now.”
• Complete. When you are discussing the upcoming budget, it might be accurate to say you do not know what will happen. But it would be incomplete to leave out that you do know that every single other department is getting a 20% budget cut, and you are pretty sure your library will also get this news. Give the whole message.
• Clear. Avoid ambiguity in your message. Think through what you really want the other person to know, and say it in a way that is understandable for them. Don’t bother with using a lot of big, impressive words; getting across your message is more important.
• Meaningful. This is a big one for managers to think about as we communicate. We have a lot of information that we need to sift through, sort, understand, repackage, and distribute every day. But consider how much your 12-hour a week shelver is going to care about the intricate negotiations you are holding with the database vendors. Not much, usually. So pick your communication partners, and focus your message to ideas that person (or group) cares about – or needs to care about.
• Connection. If your cataloger tells you she’s nearly out of materials, and then you say it rained last night, you might both technically be communicating your ideas – but the lack of connection means this was still a communication flop. Respond to the message from your staffer first, and say “Okay, what do you need?” Then you can switch over to the fascinating topic of the weather.
• Confirmation. This one is pretty easy to do. Say things like “Does that make sense? Does that agree with your plan? What can you add here? Do you have questions?” Think about the final stage in our communication model above: the information has to be understood in the brain of the recipient.