Comments on: What is your work product? http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/ K.G. Schneider's blog on librarianship, writing, and everything else Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:59:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Free Range Librarian » Blog Archive » Eight Tips for Healthy Meetings http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-25845 Free Range Librarian » Blog Archive » Eight Tips for Healthy Meetings Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:59:44 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-25845 [...] 1. Agendas. A good meeting has an agenda. It might be a very informal agenda, such as “Today we are all going to share for two minutes each on everything we’ve done this past week.” Or it might be an elaborate, three-level-outline agenda. But a meeting without an agenda is not a meeting, it’s an encounter group. [...] [...] 1. Agendas. A good meeting has an agenda. It might be a very informal agenda, such as “Today we are all going to share for two minutes each on everything we’ve done this past week.” Or it might be an elaborate, three-level-outline agenda. But a meeting without an agenda is not a meeting, it’s an encounter group. [...]

]]> By: Free Range Librarian » Blog Archive » The Veil and This Blog http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-24016 Free Range Librarian » Blog Archive » The Veil and This Blog Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:13:26 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-24016 [...] etc. — however you want to phrase it) to discuss my broad concern that in many organizations, the meeting seems to be the work product. This isn’t even a library-specific problem; it may be endemic in nonprofits, which are [...] [...] etc. — however you want to phrase it) to discuss my broad concern that in many organizations, the meeting seems to be the work product. This isn’t even a library-specific problem; it may be endemic in nonprofits, which are [...]

]]> By: Free Range Librarian » Blog Archive » Getting Things Done http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-8582 Free Range Librarian » Blog Archive » Getting Things Done Sat, 09 Jun 2007 13:59:37 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-8582 [...] much help if your day is largely controlled by others, such as if your organization is built around the endless-meeting paradigm, where actual work production is coincidental to organizational processes, and your role requires [...] [...] much help if your day is largely controlled by others, such as if your organization is built around the endless-meeting paradigm, where actual work production is coincidental to organizational processes, and your role requires [...]

]]> By: Aaron the Librarian » Defining Career a career by stages in work product cycle http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-4388 Aaron the Librarian » Defining Career a career by stages in work product cycle Tue, 15 May 2007 15:09:34 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-4388 [...] Hm… so I found this draft sitting around from waay back (a week at least) and I haven’t been able to figure out what I Was going to say about these two links: Free Range Librarian » Blog Archive » What is your work product? [...] [...] Hm… so I found this draft sitting around from waay back (a week at least) and I haven’t been able to figure out what I Was going to say about these two links: Free Range Librarian » Blog Archive » What is your work product? [...]

]]> By: kgs http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-3556 kgs Thu, 03 May 2007 22:01:53 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-3556 Oh, deliverables, a word I adore! What a great assessment of the library power struggle. I think that wraps it up more clearly than I've ever seen described. Oh, deliverables, a word I adore!

What a great assessment of the library power struggle. I think that wraps it up more clearly than I’ve ever seen described.

]]> By: Debi http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-3553 Debi Thu, 03 May 2007 20:17:12 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-3553 I think this is a problem that may be more pernicious not necessarily in libraries but in any not-for-profit setting -- an organization, educational instutition, museum, library, etc. A wise management training consultant (ok, my dad) once told me that in profit-type company settings, people can fight over money, but in not-for-profits, people can only fight over power. There is no money to fight over. So, they fight over power by trying to be the most influential person in a meeting (<i>Look at how much I can talk!</i>), the biggest user of resources (<i>My group got more budget dollars than yours. Ha!</i>), the biggest problem solver (<i>I called a meeting about that issue! Watch me take charge!</i>), etc. Also, at least at some professional associations and not-for-profits, many things cannot be decided by a single power-holder; they are subject to committee oversight or buy-in, and so when it's time to paint the men's room, every man must be consulted on the color, and then vote. Well, to do that, you have to have a meeting! It's miserable. I'm with you, and like to have a product at the end of the day. I always talk with clients about "deliverables" -- i.e., what "thing" will you get at the end of this experience? It would make me rest easier if every job I ever did had a list of deliverables I could festoon with pretty little checkmarks. Done! Done! Done! I think this is a problem that may be more pernicious not necessarily in libraries but in any not-for-profit setting — an organization, educational instutition, museum, library, etc. A wise management training consultant (ok, my dad) once told me that in profit-type company settings, people can fight over money, but in not-for-profits, people can only fight over power. There is no money to fight over.

So, they fight over power by trying to be the most influential person in a meeting (Look at how much I can talk!), the biggest user of resources (My group got more budget dollars than yours. Ha!), the biggest problem solver (I called a meeting about that issue! Watch me take charge!), etc. Also, at least at some professional associations and not-for-profits, many things cannot be decided by a single power-holder; they are subject to committee oversight or buy-in, and so when it’s time to paint the men’s room, every man must be consulted on the color, and then vote. Well, to do that, you have to have a meeting!

It’s miserable. I’m with you, and like to have a product at the end of the day. I always talk with clients about “deliverables” — i.e., what “thing” will you get at the end of this experience? It would make me rest easier if every job I ever did had a list of deliverables I could festoon with pretty little checkmarks. Done! Done! Done!

]]> By: kgs http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-3552 kgs Thu, 03 May 2007 20:09:01 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-3552 I started that book but I found once I was past the first chapter it kind of wandered from its main point. But the title tells it all, doesn't it? I started that book but I found once I was past the first chapter it kind of wandered from its main point. But the title tells it all, doesn’t it?

]]> By: Michelle (Jane) http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-3542 Michelle (Jane) Thu, 03 May 2007 17:39:04 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-3542 Karen, A belated, "I was thinking of you" when I wrote the young and driven section of that post. I know too many fabulous, idea-driven librarians older then me to discount you. An Amen! to the meetings discussion. I have been much happier this last week at work. The reason? I actually have chunks of time, larger then 45 minutes, at my desk to do actual work. It is amazing what one can do with a little time. For the past few months, it seems like all I did was go from meeting to meeting. Much of my job has been neglected and I am exhausted. I become frustrated with this structure, at ALA as well as MPOW, because I would venture to say that 45% of the meeting could have been a status report on a blog and 45% could have been discussed over email or on a message board. The other 10% was needed. But only 10%. The book that really sums up all of my bad feelings about meetings is Death By Meeting: A Leadership Fable About the Most Painful Problem in Business http://tinyurl.com/38yzhd I think it should be required reading for every manager. Everywhere. Karen,
A belated, “I was thinking of you” when I wrote the young and driven section of that post. I know too many fabulous, idea-driven librarians older then me to discount you.

An Amen! to the meetings discussion. I have been much happier this last week at work. The reason? I actually have chunks of time, larger then 45 minutes, at my desk to do actual work. It is amazing what one can do with a little time. For the past few months, it seems like all I did was go from meeting to meeting. Much of my job has been neglected and I am exhausted.

I become frustrated with this structure, at ALA as well as MPOW, because I would venture to say that 45% of the meeting could have been a status report on a blog and 45% could have been discussed over email or on a message board. The other 10% was needed. But only 10%.

The book that really sums up all of my bad feelings about meetings is Death By Meeting: A Leadership Fable About the Most Painful Problem in Business http://tinyurl.com/38yzhd

I think it should be required reading for every manager. Everywhere.

]]> By: Generational Confusion « Life as I Know It http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/comment-page-1/#comment-3533 Generational Confusion « Life as I Know It Thu, 03 May 2007 15:52:59 +0000 http://freerangelibrarian.com/2007/05/03/what-is-your-work-product/#comment-3533 [...] responses to this issue - T. Scott’s Lookin’ For A Ladder, and K.G. Schneider’s What is your work product? Both are well worth a [...] [...] responses to this issue – T. Scott’s Lookin’ For A Ladder, and K.G. Schneider’s What is your work product? Both are well worth a [...]

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