1. Arizona Library Leadership Academy Orientation
January 20, 2010
Elaine Meyers, Coordinator
Big Picture with Secretary of State Ken Bennett
Directors Panel
Discussion of the Political Frame
Tips on Working with a Mentor

2. Agenda 9-10 a.m. Factory Family Jungle Temple
Name tags with leadership style adjective
Four corner exercise one: go to the corner where you feel most comfortable
Factory
Family
Jungle
Temple
Four corner exercise two: go to the corner where you feel the least comfortable

3. Framework for Learning
Structural 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

4. “Cluelessness”….introduction
What do you know about ….hope you are not “clueless”
Secretary of State Ken Bennett?
State Librarian GladysAnn Wells?
Your library director?

5. Common fallacies in explaining organization problems…
Blaming people
Blaming the
organization
Thirsting for power

6. Organizations are…. Complex Surprising Deceptive Ambiguous
Text page 33

7. Avoiding pitfalls… What is a coach? What is a mess?
Not staying around to see consequences of our actions
Cycles of blame and self-defense
Seeing only what we expect to see…dust bunnies
Using theories as self-sealing filters—block us from seeing our errors or opportunities
Remembering positive aspect of getting what we expect
What is a coach?
What is a mess?
Coach—drill sergeant with a whistle? Means of transporting a valuable person to destination
Mess—troublesome situation or place where a group of people work together

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

9. 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

10. Political assumptions
Organizations 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)

11. Sources of power Position power (authority) Control of rewards
Coercive power
Information and expertise
Reputation
Personal power
Alliances and networks
Access and control of agendas
Framing: control and meaning of symbols p

12. 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

13. Constructive side of politics…It is hard to dislike politics without also disliking people.
Set agendas: goals, activities, strategy
Map political terrain
Channels of communication
Principal agents
Mobilize internal/external
Anticipate counterstrategy
Network
Relevant relationships
Resistance-why? Strength?
Hold enemies close
Have back-up plan
Build coalitions
Know power and roles
Negotiate
Quote page 220 quote from Moliere.

14. 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)
P 221 and

15. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Moral leaders appeal to higher-order human needs

16. Questions for moral leaders
Are 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?

17. 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

18. Political Ecosystems Provide support
Work within a system to find own niche
Relationships can be competitive, collaborative or interdependent

19. Big Picture Session Listen 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

20. 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

21. 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?

22. Directors’ Panel
Tell 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?

23. Leadership Lessons from Children’s Literature: Big PLANS

24. My leadership style groups
Creative
Nurturing
Communicative
Steady hand

25. Sources of power Position power (authority) Control of rewards
Coercive power
Information and expertise
Reputation
Personal power
Alliances and networks
Access and control of agendas
Framing: control and meaning of symbols p

26. Brainstorm some strategies for building on your skills
What 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?

27. Working with your Mentor
Gail’s overview
Mentor training
What you want your mentor to know….

28. GROW Model: GOAL What 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?

29. GROW Model: REALITY What 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?

30. GROW Model: OPTIONS
What 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?

31. GROW Model: WILLING TO DO
Which option or options do you choose?
To what extent does this meet all your objectives?
How will you know if you are successful?

32. GROW Summary with Mentor
So 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?

33. Mentor review and individual outcome plans
GROW 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

34. How do our leaders work in the political frame?

35. 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.

36. Questions and Answers