January 20, 2010Elaine Meyers, Coordinator

Big Picture with Secretary of State Ken Bennett

Directors PanelDiscussion of the Political FrameTips on Working with a Mentor

Arizona Library Leadership Academy Orientation

Agenda 9-10 a.m.Name tags with leadership style adjectiveFour corner exercise one: go to the corner

where you feel most comfortableFactoryFamilyJungleTemple

Four corner exercise two: go to the corner where you feel the least comfortable

Framework for LearningStructural Frame: organizing groups to get results

Human Resources Frame: meeting human needs, positive interpersonal and group dynamics

Political frame: coping with power, conflict, building coalitions, internal/external politics

Symbolic frame: shape culture that gives meaning and purpose to work

“Cluelessness”….introductionWhat do you know about ….hope you are not

“clueless”Secretary of State Ken Bennett?http://www.bennettarizona.com/about/

State Librarian GladysAnn Wells?http://www.lib.az.us/about/wells.cfm

Your library director?

Common fallacies in explaining organization problems…

Blaming people

Blaming the organization

Thirsting for power

Organizations are….Complex

Surprising

Deceptive

Ambiguous

Avoiding pitfalls…Not staying around to see consequences of

our actionsCycles of blame and self-defenseSeeing only what we expect to see…dust

bunniesUsing theories as self-sealing filters—block

us from seeing our errors or opportunitiesRemembering positive aspect of

getting what we expectWhat is a coach?What is a mess?

Political Frame Realistic process of making decisions and allocating resources in a context of scarcity and divergent interests…p. 190

Positive? Negative? Neutral?

Positive views…The implicit hope is that participation,

openness and collaboration substitute for power.

“We have to stop describing power always in negative terms: (as in) it excludes, it represses. In fact, power produces; it produces reality.” p.201 text

Political assumptionsOrganizations are coalitions of assorted

individuals and interest groups. Coalition members have enduring differences in

values, beliefs, information, interests and perceptions of reality.

Most decisions involve allocating scarce resources—who gets what.

Scarce resources and enduring differences put conflict at the center of day-to-day dynamics and make power the most important asset.

Goals and decisions emerge from bargaining and negotiation among competing stakeholders jockeying for their own interests. (not edicts from on high)

Sources of power

Position power (authority)Control of rewardsCoercive powerInformation and expertiseReputationPersonal powerAlliances and networksAccess and control of agendasFraming: control and meaning of

symbols

Conflict…..

An organization can experience too much or too little conflict…p. 207

But well-handled conflict can stimulate creativity and innovation and make an organization a livelier, more adaptive, and more effective place…p.207

Constructive side of politics…It is hard to dislike politics without also disliking people.Set agendas: goals, activities, strategyMap political terrain

Channels of communicationPrincipal agentsMobilize internal/externalAnticipate counterstrategy

NetworkRelevant relationshipsResistance-why? Strength?Hold enemies closeHave back-up plan

Build coalitionsKnow power and roles

Negotiate

WIN-WIN: getting to “yes”Separate people from the problem (view disagreement as information)Focus on interests, not positions

Invent options for mutual gain instead of locking on to the first alternative that comes to mind

Insist on objective criteria—standards of fairness for both substance and procedure (one cut pie, other choose first piece)

Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsMoral leaders appeal to higher-order human

needs

Questions for moral leadersAre you following rules that are mutually

understood and accepted?Are you comfortable discussing and

defending your choices?Would you want to be on the receiving end

of your own actions?What is everyone acted as you did? Would

the impact on society be desirable?Are their alternatives you could consider

that rest on firmer ethical ground?

Morality and Politics

Mutuality: playing by the same rules

Generality: compare action to comparable situation

Openness: sunlight disinfects

Caring: concerns for feelings and well being of others

Political Ecosystems

Provide support

Work within a system to find own niche

Relationships can be competitive, collaborative or interdependent

Big Picture SessionListen for ideas discussed in Bolman and

Deal

Listen for arguments, strategies, ideas that particularly resonate with you

Listen for ideas you want to explore further

Listen to how resources are shared and how priorities are made

Favorite quote or idea from reading?

…extraordinary tenacity in extracting something worthwhile from their experiences and in seeking experiences rich in opportunities for growth.” p. 12

Your examples shared in small groups during lunch

Directors’ Panel: What are some principles or strategies

you use to organize groups or teams for maximum results? Do you have an "ideal" organization chart or scheme?

How to you create libraries that meet the human needs of  your employees? How to you work with Human Resources to assure you have the best possible employees?

Directors’ PanelTell us a political story that will help us

become better leaders. What advice to you have to emerging leaders on how to hone our political skills.

We are experiencing the most challenging times in recent decades in all of our civic sectors. What are you doing to create a culture that will give meaning and purpose to all employees?

Leadership Lessons from Children’s Literature: Big PLANS

My leadership style groupsCreative

Nurturing

Communicative

Steady hand

Sources of power

Position power (authority)Control of rewardsCoercive powerInformation and expertiseReputationPersonal powerAlliances and networksAccess and control of agendasFraming: control and meaning of

symbols

Brainstorm some strategies for building on your skillsWhat are your skills that are good and

could get better?

What are skills that you need to complement your strength? To make you more balanced?

What behavior would an improvement in skill change?

Working with your MentorGail’s overview

Mentor training

What you want your mentor to know….

GROW Model: GOALWhat specifically do you want to achieve?

What would be the most helpful thing for you to take away from this session?

How will you know that you’ve reached your goal?

GROW Model: REALITYWhat have you done so far?What’s your experience with this?What would you like to do?What gets in the way of you achieving

this?What resources do you have available

to you to reach this goal?What other resources do you need?How will you get them?

GROW Model: OPTIONSWhat are all the different ways you could

approach this goal?What are the advantages and disadvantages

of each?What else could you do?Which steps would give you the best results?What would happen if you did nothing?What is the worst that could happen if you

do X?Which solution feels the best to you?

GROW Model: WILLING TO DOWhich option or options do you choose?

To what extent does this meet all your objectives?

How will you know if you are successful?

GROW Summary with MentorSo what you’re saying is that you’re

going to do X by Y (date) and measure your success by Z (result)—is that right?

Mentor review and individual outcome plansGROW model handout

Practice mock interview in teams of three

Take time to work on your plan.

Political frame and our leaders, dust bunnies, lessons from Big Picture

How do our leaders work in the political frame?

Politics! Me? Dustbunnies?

•Looking for luck or a tool

•Collaborate using rhyming

•Unison rhyming that made the vacuum sound haunted

•Walk out of the tube

•Get a lawyer and wait it out while getting to know the other dust bunnies in vacuum. Make new friends.

•Who needs a tool? Sooner or later someone is going to empty this vacuum cleaner.

Questions and Answers