|
|
Rebecca Jones posted this in Change & Innovation, Planning on January 30th, 2011 Bet that got your attention! This is what got MY attention:
“Designers cannot be, by definition, pessimists. It just doesn’t go with the job. We’re supposed to be defining the future, aren’t we? [...] If we can’t see the world as a better place to live in, than what chance does anyone else have?”
“History tells us that before great business can happen, it first has to be a mission. And a mission starts with a dream. As designers, we potentially hold enormous power. And with it comes responsibility. Wield it imaginatively and wisely. And optimistically. Or f@#k off and do something less dangerous.”
That’s written by Richard Seymour, Futurist & Designer of Seymourpowell in the UK — one of the world’s leading product design & branding strategy firms. If nothing else, do look at their website – it is outstanding, to me — compelling, simple. Love it. Seymour wrote the above in ACM’s Interactions (that’s a site you should frequent as well) in 2008′s “Optimistic Futurism” , in which he “he points to the potential, the role, the necessity and the responsibility of designers to dream and design bright, positive futures.”
I”m working on strategic planning. I work a great deal on strategic planning. It’s not only our work, it’s our passion. We’re passionate about libraries, so how can we NOT be passionate about facilitating their future-directed planning?We always say to clients they SHOULD enjoy developing the plan, especially the vision. If you don’t enjoy
Continue reading Design a f@##ing bright, positive future!
Woot! We have a wonderfully busy week ahead at OLA’s SUPERconference (and a super time it is, for everyone!). We are co-sponsoring the Poster Sessions with dmA Planning & Management Services, highlighting our new strategic alliance with dmA & planning thought-leader Jim Morgenstern. Woot!
We’ll be tweeting @ #SC2011.
Check out the Poster Sessions Thursday, February 3, 2011 and Friday, February 4, 2011, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Each day a set of 16 displays will be set up for viewing for the full 2 hours. Individual presenters will be given a 45-minute presentation time within the 2-hour period.
We are also talking….and talking….and I don’t just mean talking in that restaurant at the Intercontinental (although we WILL be talking & laughing in there too!), but at sessions. These sessions!
Thursday February 3 @ 9:05 a.m. Visioning: More Than Words or Plaques! Stay tuned for those slides.
Later that same day…..@ 3:45 p.m. Thinking Strategically & Critically: Seeing Possibilities. Here’s the slides, but do come & test your critical thinking approaches.
Thinking strategically & critically: seeing possibilities
View more presentations from Rebecca Jones.
Friday February 4 @ 2:10 p.m. Innovative Approaches in Library Service Delivery. We’ll present with Deane Zeeman of Library & Archives Canada about research regarding innovative information services underway in corporate & government organizations.
Innovative Services Research for Library & Archives Canada
Innovative Approaches in Library Service Delivery View more presentations from Rebecca Jones.
And, later THAT day @ 3:45, Jane will present Change Management: A View with
Continue reading OLA 2011 Superconference: Strategic, Shopping & Services
Rebecca Jones posted this in Planning on January 26th, 2011 I know what great cat curiousity certainly hasn’t killed, or even maimed or slowed down in any fashion. Jane Dysart.
Jane is one curious character (if I called her a “curious cat” it would make me sound like I’m remaking an episode of Dobie Gillis or Ozzie & Harriet. Oh dear, most of you are too young to know that before he was Gilligan, Bob Denver was none other than “Maynard Krebs” – a “beatnik” who referred to cool people as “cool cats” on Dobie Gillis. I digress!)
As I prepare a paper for next week’s OLA Superconference on Strategic & Critical Thinking: Seeing Possibilities, I reflect on Jane’s ability to view situations from a different perspective, largely because she has an incredible sense of curiosity and she’s a risk taker. Curiousity is an important attribute for strategic thinking; strategic thinkers are those who question and explore issues and developments to see where they lead. Coupled with their comfort for risk taking, they will follow these unmarked paths — sometimes to poking about to see what emerges. One of Jane’s favourite sayings is “What’s the worst thing that can happen? If you can live with the worst, then explore it a bit.”
I’m not talking about strategic planning, but rather strategic thinking — which had better be involved in the strategic planning. Without strategic thinking, you aren’t getting the disruptive thinking and fresh paths leading to change — which is, of course, the whole purpose of strategic planning. If you aren’t
Continue reading Curiosity doesn’t kill cats, or ideas
I just did my annual interview with Stephen Abram about tech trends, with highlights on ebooks, mobile, community-based discovery systems or platforms, measurement/ROI, privacy and more. Fits with “10 Ways Social Media will Change in 2011″, an new article.
Continue reading Tech Trends
Rebecca Jones posted this in Planning on October 19th, 2010 Before the ink was dry on my last blog post about strategic thinking, another source of scenario planning for academic libraries was released by ARL (Association of Research Libraries). The ARL 2030 Scenarios: A User’s Guide for Research Libraries is available, free, with the 4 scenarios as well as details about applying these in developing strategies (including managing workshops). On November 4, 2010 they are offering a webcast, “An Introduction to Using the ARL 2030 Scenarios for Research Library Planning.”
Combining this with ARCL’s scenarios in “Futures Thinking for Academic Librarians: Higher Education in 2025,” and their podcast on applying this work would be incredible for any library, not just necessarily academic libraries.
One of the other sources I follow that I forgot to mention today is Top Trends NowandNext and Trendwatching.com; along with Harvard Business Review, these are musts for me.
Rebecca Jones posted this in Planning on October 19th, 2010 I’m about to do a webinar for Jane – actually for The Partnership’s Education Institute; this is part of a “Conversations with Leaders” series Jane initiated in which she interviews people about their experiences with particular issues. I certainly don’t consider myself a leader, but I’m fortunate that my business partner (that would be Jane) is and so many of our friends and colleagues are leaders. So do check out this series.
I’m going to talk with Jane about Thinking Strategically: How to See the Big Picture. I’m not being glib when I say to see the big picture, you have to look for it — and you have to want to see it. Seeing situations strategically is about learning, curiousity and questioning. It isn’t analogous to playing chess or war games as many think it is. Those games have predictable outcomes. It is really about purposefully looking at what is going on in the broader context around your job, your department, your library, your community or campus or organization. It’s about identifying and detecting relationships, connections, trends or even non-trends. And it’s about 2 of the scariest questions for organizations, including libraries: Why? and What if?
Most libraries look for the “big picture” when undertaking planning. Well, ok…..better late than never. But to think strategically, scanning needs to occur regularly and really become a habit. As service organizations, Libraries must be keenly aware of what’s impacting their patrons or clients, their stakeholders (a.k.a. decision-makers and impactors), and suppliers. Library staff
Continue reading To see the big picture, you have to look for it
I am very lucky to work with really talented people and to have a great channel for interviewing these wonderful practitioners and speakers. The Education Institutes provides a forum for a series of one hour conversations which you can listen to from your desk or just about anywhere! Here’s the great fall line-up and I know they will present many insights, ideas and strategies that you can use in your envinroment.
Continue reading Conversations with Leaders
Rebecca Jones posted this in Planning, Tech & Tools on August 26th, 2010 Next to Harvard Business Review and Stephen’s Lighthouse, ReadWriteWeb is “must scan” for me each morning. I scan for anything about organization’s planning, strategies and “people-stuff” that make me think about their implications or applications for libraries.
As libraries focus on developing more and more mobile applications, they need to consider their strategies for mobile services and applications, and see if other organizations have learnings to share. Too often libraries have quickly adopted new tools without considering the implications and asking hard questions: “What’s the impact of this tool or this service on our existing services? Is it complimenting other services? or cannibalizing or competing with other tools or services?” Don’t get me wrong — I’m all for quick adoption. I’m also for quick consideration of implications & quick setting up for success. Remember when virtual services were initiated in 2000? Many libraries thought we could put a link on the reference desk computer and have the same staff responding to in-person, telephone, email and virtual patrons. After a few months of stressed staff or no virtual traffic at all they realized they needed to consider their service delivery model and strategy —- was virtual reference replacing or enhancing the other service delivery modes?
Now libraries are considering their mobile strategies. Klint Finley summarizes Forrester’s report on a strategic framework for mobile development: POST – People, Objectives, Strategy, Technology.
People: profile the group you are targetting with mobile. Forrester
Continue reading Developing Mobile Strategies? Put People & Implications 1st
Rebecca Jones posted this in Planning on August 19th, 2010 A few months ago I wrote about the “buy-with” concept from Sam Harrison’s “IdeaSelling: Successfully Pitch Your Creative Ideas to Bosses, Clients and Other Decision Makers”. Harrison contends, and we agree, that it is much more success-oriented to gain decision-makers’ agreement and approval when you build their understanding throughout a project than to wait until the end and try to wow them with a “isn’t this terrific!” presentation. ”Buy-in” is a dangerous game; it’s ultimately better for all concerned to be buying together than to say “come on in!” at the end.
In this cost-conscious climate we’re often asked to help organizations review their information services and develop recommendations “within new parameters” (translation: “we have fewer employers…or… the university’s overall budget is begin reduced & everything’s on the Web anyway, so we can’t spend this much on information services/libraries”) And, of course, the decision-makers controlling the library or information services want the recommendations tomorrow (ok, I exaggerate — they want it in a week…sigh….which is just as difficult)
We’ve worked hard not to be “eagle consultants” who swoop in, perch awhile, peer around, leave some droppings and fly off again. Staff involved with information services need to be involved in this project, no matter what. And so must those making the final decision. It’s a bit like planning and delivering a delicious meal for decision-makers (ok, probably not a good analogy, but try it for a minute). You have to be clear at the outset if there are any allergies
Continue reading 6 Steps to Decision-Makers & Staff Buying Solutions “With” You
There’s an increasing interest among libraries in the the concept of managing their service portfolios. For good reason. We all know that libraries and information organizations are service organizations that like nothing better than adding services, enhancing services, and customizing services. But suggest that some services be phased out or eliminated to make room for new services and there’s this eerie silence…..these sideways glances…..a few sighs….and a lot of resistance. It doesn’t seem to matter how burned out staff are, many libraries just find it incredibly difficult to stop certain services.
Yet the reality is that a library’s service portfolio is its very lifeblood. An over-stuffed portfolio of too many services is confusing for customers and draining for staff, processes and resources. Imagine a garden that’s never weeded or pruned —- it’s impossible for new plants to take hold or be seen, and even the strongest plants are eventually choked. For libraries to keep their service offerings fresh, relevant and innovative, they have to manage the lifecycle of their services: new services eventually mature and need to either be revamped or divested. Yes, divested — ceased — stopped.
So, how should libraries decide what services need to be started? continued? stopped? By committing to manage their portfolio of services. That is, all the services they offer to balance risk (usually the new services) and value.
Sounds reasonable, but it’s very difficult for service-oriented organizations like libraries to stop offering a service, even if there are only a few clients really
Continue reading Managing Library Service Portfolios
|
What’s Impacting Our Future?
|
