Deb Smith-Cohen
Fairfax County Public Library Employee Association President
Statement to Library Board of Trustees
November 9, 2016
I’m back from vacation
and thinking about Thanksgiving later
this month.
It is
inevitably a time for
gratitude, re-connection, and shared
aspirations. What are we thankful for?
· We are thankful for our colleagues who can bring out the
best in us, model the skills and behaviors we aspire to,
teach
us new strengths,
point us
to
new opportunities, and change our minds and our
hearts.
· We are thankful for our patrons
whose enthusiasm feeds our own, whose needs
demand our
commitment
and courage, whose questions make us
stretch, and whose support makes our days inestimably more meaningful.
· We are thankful for our County leadership which can validate our aspirations with the policies, investments, and real commitments that ensure progress in meeting goals
and exceeding expectations.
· We are grateful for our families who inspire our
ambitions and
nurture our effectiveness.
What do we need to build the wholehearted
engagement and
creative performance necessary for both short-term and long-term success? How can we model the courage we look for in others
and move beyond
narrowly “safe” efforts to shape the larger success that could
be
our own and our county’s future
reality?
How can WE change to embrace a
culture of “Yes” in a
budget reality that is
stagnant and so break out
of that constraint?
How do we get to a space where we all imagine improved outcomes that could inspire, but are not premised
on,
more funds? How do we develop a shared message that promotes and advances our value in the
experience of all our
patrons?
We need
to
challenge all proposals to “do more with less”
based on staffing efficiencies -- UNTIL we significantly increase investment in:
· broadly expanded training on management skills, service skills, technical
skills, planning skills, and coaching skills,
· improvements in both customer-facing and staff-facing
technology, and
· a tolerant culture of innovation, experimentation, and candid community engagement.
Finally, I wish you good eats, good company, and good times as we all celebrate what we have to be grateful for and what we can share when we work together.
