Dealing With Diversity: Transforming Your Library’s Work Environment

8/14/2019 Dealing With Diversity: Transforming Your Librarys Work Environment

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Dealing with Diversity:Dealing with Diversity:

Transforming Your Librarys WorkTransforming Your Librarys WorkEnvironmentEnvironment

Dr. Camila A. AlireDr. Camila A. AlireDean EmeritaDean Emerita

University of New Mexico &University of New Mexico &Colorado State UniversityColorado State University

SLA-NYC PresentationSLA-NYC Presentation


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PurposePurpose

Leadership for diversity/Inclusiveness in

your library environment

Cultural competencies


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Defining the Work EnvironmentDefining the Work Environment

Diversity

Inclusiveness


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DiversityDiversity

Diversity in the library workplace

Employees who bring unique perspectives orbackgrounds to the organization.


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Dimensions of DiversityDimensions of Diversity

Gender Racial/Ethnic/Cultural Nationality

Sexual Orientation Age Mental and Physical Capabilities (Differently-

abled)

Religion Social Class Background .Any Minority


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InclusivenessInclusiveness

Inclusive work environments:

Have diverse individuals involved;

Value the perspectives and contributions of all

people.

(The Denver Foundation, 2005)


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InclusivenessInclusiveness

Every person should have the chance to

realize his/her potential in their working

environment, regardless of color, gender,

age, sexual orientation, physical

capabilities, educational background,

family status, skill level, etc.


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Diversity and Leadership.Diversity and Leadership.

How do library managers and library

employees affect the work environment to

make it more diverse and inclusive?


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Managerial leadership

Transformational leadership

Changing your work environment


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What is Managerial Leadership?What is Managerial Leadership?

Managers - leap to strategy/doing. *

Managerial leadership allows managers to sit

back and reflect first on the leadershipimplications of management.

Managerial leadership - tied to Transformational

Leadership


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What is Transformational Leadership?What is Transformational Leadership?

The process that changes and transforms individuals.

Transformational leadership is about affecting change.

Managers must influence their staff in positive way to

achieve diversity and inclusiveness in their work

environments.


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Why is Transformation Important?Why is Transformation Important?

Libraries are affected by changing times/

demographics which include creating a more diverse

work environment.

Need to make sure that our staffs make that change to

provide better service.

Teamwork is critical ensure you have a team.


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Who Are The Transformational/Who Are The Transformational/

Managerial Leaders? *Managerial Leaders? *

Embrace change

Motivate and/or empower their library staff

Build strong teams

Mentor/coach staff


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Managerial Leadership & DiversityManagerial Leadership & Diversity

Transformational leadership deals with

peoples behaviors and values.

Managerial leadership and diversity can affectthe librarys organizational culture.

Major disconnect -- managers do not value diversity

yet they have diverse staff in their libraries.

Disconnect will adversely affect the organizational

culture.


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Managerial Leaders & DiversityManagerial Leaders & Diversity (cont.)(cont.)

Managerial leaders Promote the library organizations core values that

emphasize accepting/ promoting diversity and beinginclusive.

Stimulate and inspire staff to achieve extraordinaryoutcomes and develop their own leadershipcapacity.

Develop the leadership capabilities of diverse staffwithin the library organization.


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Managerial Leaders & DiversityManagerial Leaders & Diversity(cont.)(cont.)

Lead by example

The staffs attitudes should mirror the leaders.

So how diversity is valued by the managers

will affect the staffs attitudes, especially whenbuilding teams.


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Diversity and Empowering StaffDiversity and Empowering Staff

Managerial leadership >

Empowering staff

Getting them to develop shared diversity goals and

to implement those goals for the good of the library

organization.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE


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Eva at GOCO..


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How?How?

Lead by example

Recognize and deal with problematic staff

Include inclusiveness in individuals goals


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Empowering Diverse StaffEmpowering Diverse Staff**

Its hard for diverse staff within an organization to be team

members if they are not valued nor empowered by the

managers.

They become dissatisfied with the organization and most likely

will have minimal commitment to the library.

Managerial leaders need to empower their diverse staff in theirorganizations and develop them as leaders.


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Key Transformational LeadershipKey Transformational Leadership

CompetenciesCompetencies

Relationship-building

Communications

Problem solvingInnovation

Awareness

Collaboration


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Diversity Implications ofDiversity Implications of

CompetenciesCompetencies

Relationship-building

Problem solving/collaboration


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Relationship building *Relationship building *

A critical component for diversity and

inclusiveness

Concept of building networks can be a

challenge for diversity: Colleagues who look and speak like you.

When a new minority staff member joins a

mostly white library organization, it is easy to

allow institutional racism to predominate.

Managerial leaders need to recognize this

possibility and guard against it.


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Relationship buildingRelationship building (cont.)(cont.)

Networking is fundamental to successful transformational

leadership.

Managerial leaders must help diverse staff build their

networks.

It is not enough for the managerial leaders to deal only

with their network; as role models they have to help

others to build their networks.

The managerial leader must lead by example.


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Building Teams to Problem-SolveBuilding Teams to Problem-Solve

(Collaboration)(Collaboration)

Most effective problem-solving requires teamwork.

When building teams, managerial leaders need to recognize

everyones individual differences and diverse backgrounds

Managerial leaders values must embrace and encourage

diversity for effective teamwork..

Minority staff need to be expected and encouraged to be

part of the team.


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Building Teams to Problem-SolveBuilding Teams to Problem-Solve

(Collaboration)(Collaboration)

Team leadership and diversity should play a big role here.

Managerial leaders need to be inclusive so that diversestaff become bona fide members on the appropriate teams.

Disenfranchisement does not serve successful team

leadership.


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Role of Minority Managerial LibraryRole of Minority Managerial Library

Leaders?Leaders?

Key in diversifying our library organizations.

Best at finding obstacles to achieving diversitywithin our organizations especially within

organizational policies and procedures.

Have the natural awareness and sensitivity to know

what to look for.

Dealing With Diversity: Transforming Your Library’s Work Environment

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