X-Change Meeting Minutes for May 20, 2002

X-Change Meeting Minutes

Date: May 20, 2002

In attendance were:

Todd Olberding, Helen Chacon, Judy Walden, Eddie Terry, Ernestine Clark, Barbara Beasley, Laurie Clark, Priscilla Doss, Randy Wayland, Jack Kinzie, Deborah Willis, Jean Engebritson, Scott Carter, Denyvetta Davis, Janet Brooks, Rosemary Czarski, Debra Spindle, Traci Jinkens, Heidi Johnson, Pauline Rodriguez, Mary Patton, Pamela Kosted, Ric Rea, Phil Tolbert, Don Updegrove, Norm Maas, Karen Marriott, Anne Hsieh, Kay Bauman

Welcome and Introduction by Kay Bauman

Our vision: “The Metropolitan Library System is Oklahoma County’s premiere information, education and entertainment resource.”

1. Our group exists to:
1. Focus on our target, i.e.: our mission
2. Clarify our roles
3. Bridge our communication gap to help us be ‘on the same page’
2. At each meeting you can count on a few things:
1. Comments from our Executive Director
2. A mini-workshop designed to increase supervisor’s awareness and understanding of major directions that the library is developing
3. Time for eXchange where participants will share experiences and/or thoughts about common issues and challenges for the purposes:
1. Focusing on exchanging the vast amount of information each of us have
2. Providing the opportunity for us to learn from one another
3. Identifying best practices in our system and elsewhere
3. What is expected of you as a team member:
1. Commitment to participate in these quarterly meetings
2. Desire to understand and teach others the directions the library is developing
3. Respect of all participants and their input
4. What you can expect from this organization is:
1. To provide the necessary information to help you understand your role
2. To respectfully listen to participants 

Great eXpectations by Norm Maas

Norm has looked at the previous 18 months to see where the library has been and also to see where it is going. Three questions come to mind:

1. Where are we going?
2. Do we like it?
3. How can we accomplish it?

“Reading readiness” issue – Family Place

• Libraries are stepping up to this issue around the country.
• What do we get out of making this a reader-oriented community?

As we work through the Strategic Plan we need to:

• Look at benchmarks
• Give staff credit for accomplishments

Some benchmarks currently in the works are:

• Downtown Library & Learning Center
• New Choctaw Library

In the next four-to-five years plans are in the forefront for a:

• New Northwest Library
• Renovation of Ralph Ellison Library
• Renovation of Southern Oaks Library
• Renovation of Capitol Hill Library

The entire organization needs to fit into the Strategic Plan. All staff needs to be connected and have input. One thing that Norm has done is to suggest to our Commissioners to visit with the 19 people that head each library and get to know that library.

Strategic hurdles that we will be accomplished within the next few years are:

• February 2004 millage and millage campaign
• Implementation of the Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan will be sent to all employees within a month.

In order for us to be connected and have a common vision, we need to build an ongoing dialogue. This will be better for the public and will empower staff to believe that they have input. 

Some factors that influence customers:

• The fact that people listened to them
• How they were treated during their previous visit

Question and answer session followed presentation.

Time for eXchange by Kay Bauman

Every project begins with a vision of the desired outcome. As supervisors, our challenge is to utilize all of our resources to get a dynamite product. Coordinating all the tasks, all the people, and all the positions WHILE seeing the desired result is a daunting task.

Kay presented a video excerpt of “Blast” and had participants think of the following questions as they watched the segment:

1. What would the impact be if one of the employees didn’t walk that way?
2. Do they each understand the impact of their part?
3. Who all is involved in the product?
4. What is their focus?
5. Do you think they know what their part in the whole is?
6. How did they get everyone to understand their part and see the whole?
7. What can we learn about coordinating our projects?

What can we learn from the video?

• We need to have a common goal
• We need a plan
• If you plan it out right, it looks great
• Trust
• Fun
• Equally important jobs
• Dependence on each other
• Production – we exist for our customers

eXcellent Service by Judy Walden

Judy handed out “Family Place” brochures to participants.

She posed the question, “What does eXcellent service mean to you?”

Studies show that the average person wants to do the bestjob possible.

What prevents us (hinders us) from accomplishing this?

• Resources 
• Good role clarification
• Workload 
• Lack of clear vision & direction
• Money 
• Make sure our motions count
• Time 
• Make signage more customer-oriented
• Staff 
• Steer clear of library lingo, jargon
• “Buying in” 
• Coordination, in sync
• Empower
• Right attitude is needed

Back to the first question, “What does eXcellent service mean to you?”

• Surprising customer above & beyond consistently
• Anticipate needs before you need them
• Attention
• Wow!
• What you can do for the customer
• Referral, honesty
• Not having to wait
• Acknowledgement
• Communication from one person to another

Judy posed these questions to all participants as a final thought,

• “Why are you here?”
• “Why do you work for the library?”

Developing our eXpertise by Helen Chacon

Helen gave each participant a handout of what Planning & Training has been doing.

Business as usual…

We are continuing to do room set up, enrollment, and announcements for training opportunities.

Projects, projects, projects…

Core Competencies Project

• You will be hearing more about this in the coming months
• This project will help us find and build a way for training
• It will also focus on specific skills

Course and Curriculum Revisions Project

• We will be updating training manuals
• There will be new training topics and training titles
• This project will be completed within the next 12 weeks

Delivery Exploration Project

• This project will explore the “where” and “how” of training
• Helen pointed out that there is no reason why training has to be stationed solely at the Downtown Library

 Focus 2002

Formerly known as Staff Development Day, this event will still be held on Columbus Day, October 14, 2002. Be sure and stay tuned for more information about this year’s schedule.

eXpress our Message by Kay Bauman

Our Mission: “Equitably facilitate the free-flow of information and ideas to our customers.”

The Vision Thing and our Strategic Plan

1. What: Library as the information hub
2. Who: For our community
3. Why: To touch people’s lives positively through services and interactions making their lives more successful, easier and meaningful
4. How: Using our Strategic Plan which includes:
1. Facilities
2. Finance
3. Services
5. When: 24/7 every minute of every day
6. Where: At every position in our system

Why an “X”?

• Each leg represents a portion of our Strategic Plan: Facilities, Finances, Services.

No matter what leg you work on most, you play a vital part in working towards the vision.

• By using an “X” as a visual aid, notice that in doing so, each ‘leg’:

1. Intersects at the target, which is the customer
2. Connects with other areas (finance, facilities, services)
3. Forms pyramids (which are traditional forms of sturdiness)

• When we all have the same target and work toward it we become a 10!

Kay presented a video excerpt from “Blast!”

10=

Finance

Facilities

Service

Service

Customer

Mark your calendars now for the next X-Change meeting. It is scheduled for Monday, August 19, 2002, from 2:00-4:30 p.m.