Presented at the On the Front Lines conference, August, 2013

1. Leading From the Middle
on being an agent of change

2. Me
Leah White
Reader Services Librarian
Northbrook Public Library
facebook.com/yolaleah
@leahlibrarian
www.leahlwhite.com

3. Why am I here?

4. The iPad Implementation

5. The Plan
Relentless Enthusiasm
Finding your support group
The importance of brainstorming
The process for enacting lasting change

6. Relentless Enthusiasm

7. The importance of positivity
You're setting the example for change
On venting
Think in terms of outcomes
Complaining doesn't make you a change agent
Be the change you wish to see
Trite but true

8. Build Your Team

9. Build Your Support Group
Find allies
Change can be frustrating and exhausting
Good to Great by Jim Collins
You want the right people on the bus
In libraries, you don't always have that choice

10. Keep Positive

11. My Team
iPads
Created a mentor
program
One person in each
service department
For smaller libraries, it
may just be one other
person

12. Brainstorming
Always be brainstorming. Always.
Keep a list
All your ideas (whether you can change them or not)
Identify the problem and the stakeholders
Check in regularly. Cross off completed ideas.
Talk out your ideas with your support group

13. Yeah but...how?

14. Relentless Enthusiasm!!

15. Start talking to people
Think outside your support group
Unlikely allies
Your not changing anything...yet
Put out the feelers and get a read on how tough it will
be

16. iPad Program
Simple, innocent
questions
"Oh, you have an iPad?
What do you use it
for?"
Potential advocates for
the program
Ulterior motives? YEP!
http://bit.ly/12xPBgh

17. Be a familiar face in
administration.

18. Write a Proposal
Helps you articulate your problem
Gets you thinking and researching about the issue
Firepower against naysayers
The power of writing things down

19. Proposal Should Include
Mission statement
Stakeholders
Plan of action
Timeline
Associated costs
Evaluation Criteria

20. Start Talking
For real this time

21. Start Talking
For realsies
Starting to build buy-in, enthusiasm
OVER-COMMUNICATE
No secret meetings
Submit your proposal to your manager and
administration

22. Take Action
Did you notice this
wasn't the first step?
Lots of ideas fail when
you don't lay the
ground work
iPads - months of
planning

23. Action Time!
Depend on your support group
Use your proposal as a guide
Keep over-communicating!!
Share successes

24. Be Flexible
http://bit.ly/19JFr1z

25. Relentless enthusiasm!!

26. Evaluate
What went well?
What were your unexpected successes?
Be okay with failure
Hard but expect it
Being a change agent means occasionally failing
What did you learn?

28. Impact on Career

29. All Things Considered
Find your support system
Always brainstorm ideas
Form a plan and follow it
Be flexible to changes
Always always always be relentless enthusiastic

30. Thank you!
www.leahlwhite.com