Comments on: Open Thread Thursday: Seriously, Who *IS* the Boss? http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/ the neverending reference interview of life Fri, 17 May 2013 00:38:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Andy http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5345 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:40:27 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5345 I don’t see it that graduate school should do all the work for them; I see it as offering the foundations for that work that you describe. Like what Michael said above, the program cannot prepare you for all the possible situations. But I believe it can put you on the right path for leadership in the future. Or, at the very least, ease into a supervisory role.

]]> By: Didi http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5343 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:03:17 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5343 My reply is that staff need to get together to define what the problem is as a team. Set a limit to it, and stick to the limit. Communicate the limit to those who need to know it (others on desk, those who work other desks, security guards, the folks who the patron will complain to, etc).

I’ve been in library management for a couple of years now. My continuing education efforts (on the job and on my own) have helped me FAR more than the classes I took years ago (and I got an advanced certificate in library management specifically), but isn’t that just how life goes? If folks want school to do all the work for them, then perhaps they aren’t good management material…?

]]> By: Andy http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5327 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:49:48 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5327 And what do you think of it?

]]> By: Andy http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5326 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:49:34 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5326 That’s awesome! Glad to hear that they have something to help you in mid career!

]]> By: Librarian Bryan http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5323 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:54:32 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5323 I’m in the middle of a ten part management training offered by my employer.

]]> By: Rebecca Steffen http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5322 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:56:16 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5322 Also many government agencies offer continuing education and management courses for staff. I was just promoted to a management job in May and have already had 4 different continuing education opportunities relating to management, and leadership.

]]> By: Andy http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5319 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:04:12 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5319 Very true, Michael. My position is that there are some basics of administration and personnel management that could be addressed through the coursework. The common factor is that we work with humans; we should address that as best we can and let life, experience, and the individual take over from there.

]]> By: Michael http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5315 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:24:17 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/open-thread-thursday-seriously-who-is-the-boss/#comment-5315 Andy, we’re all familiar with the complaints about degree program content. You’re one of the few I’ve seen who acknowledges that it can’t be as varied as what we’re up against. The daily variety is one of the reasons I continue to support a master’s degree. By the time we become professional librarians, we’re a little older, we have a little more variety in our approach to our work, and, hopefully, somewhat more work and people experience. Fact is, if we were prepared for absolutely everything we came up against, it would probably be a joint MLS/psychology/management/physical fitness/liberal arts/something/something degree! C’mon, folks, we’re supposed to be lifelong learners! Go out and learn something. On the job, like everyone else in the world.

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