Is Getting There Half the Fun?

Leadership and Change Managementfrom Top to Bottom

in Migrating to Evergreen

Jim Keenan,C/W MARS, Inc.

jkeenan@cwmars.orgIRC: krvmga

Change

Type of Change

Developmental Change

Transitional Change

Transformational Change

Developmental Change

We acquire new skills in familiar areas

We improve skills that we already have

We move along a path that we're already familiar with

Transitional Change

We move from a familiar thing to an unfamiliar thing: in this case, from the ILS that we're used to using to Evergreen

We learn new interfaces

We develop new skills in an unfamiliar environment

We may change our workflows

Transformational Change

We change our minds, our attitudes, our relationships

We change the way we view our interaction with the world

Stretching Your Mind Can Be Harder Than Stretching Your Legs

Evergreen as Transitional Change

As a community, we've gotten pretty good at the mechanical process

Servers and software requirements

Local hardware and software requirements

Installation, testing, and rolling out

Transformational Change

Entire fields of study and many books and resources

What to do besides getting more degrees than we already have?

Emotions

Library work as an emotional choice

We generally didn't get into library work for the big library bucks

Library work as an emotional choice

We generally didn't get into library work for the big library bucks

As serviceWorking with peopleWorking with books

Emotions

Did Anyone Die?

Elizabeth Kübler-RossStages of Grief

Can't we just leave staff or libraries alone and they'll eventually “get over what's changed?”

Denial

“I didn't vote for this!”

“I didn't agree to this!”

“We should go back to our previous ILS.”

Anger

“Why am I being forced to do this? I want to do it the way I used to.”“Evergreen sucks!”“This software is literally causing my staff to break down in tears!”

Bargaining

“Can we make Evergreen work like X ILS function?”

“Can we re-organize the screen? Put the buttons in another place?

“Do we have to have X restriction?”

Depression

“I'm not going to report network slowness any more. Nothing's happening.”

“I think this is a bug but I'm not going to tell anyone else. Nothing will get done anyway.”

“I can't do anything to change anything. It's not worth trying.”

Acceptance

“Well, I'm stuck with Evergreen so I guess that's that.”

“Everyone else seems to be getting along so I guess I'll try to, too.”

“Evergreen's not so bad. I'm not crazy about it but it's not too bad.”

The problems with this approach are:

A: It doesn't always work out. There can be people who never get over their “grief” and essentially become permanent problem employees.

B: It doesn't provide any model for how to lead and actively foster transformation.

The Open Source Opportunity

Eight Viewpoints

1. Selfish. Everything is all about me.

2. I do things because this is how it has always been done in my group.

3. Not very self-aware. Carries out actions by habit.

4. I want to push technology forward. I'm not particularly concerned with the cost.

5. These are the rules and we all have to follow them.

6. I must provide the best service that I can. I am concerned with everyone's highest good.

7. I can live with chaos. I expect there to be problems and growth through those problems.

8. We are one great community. We all need to participate and do our part.

The Leader's RoleIn

Transformational Change

The Three Iron Laws of the Universe

1. Set realistic expectations, not only for software but for personnel performance.

2. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate And not just communicate, but insure effective communication. It is not enough to send communiques or post weblogs. It is the leader's responsibility to make sure the communication has been received and understood.

3. Always tell the truth.

The Last Hard Fact

Everyone will move at different speeds in change.

Change is not 1 or even2 dimensional.

There may be some who find it too hard to change and who, one way or another, end up being a detriment to the work.

Are We There Yet?

The unending path of change