I think about emerging trends a lot, and realized that sometimes that’s not good enough. I think about them, research them, share those ideas and projects out with other staff. Sometimes those ideas stick, and sometimes they don’t.
What’s missing? Having a plan for those emerging trends, BEFORE YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM.
How does that work? Watch my video to hear my ideas on that. I focus on these points:
- Being a Nimble Organization
- Have a Flexible Staff
- Budget for it!
- Assign Staff
- Use Listening Tools
- Attend Conferences out of your “Comfort Zone”
- Just Do It!
Those are my thoughts. What would you add?
I think you have the start of your next webinar! I will share a few thoughts about how we manage for emerging trends and for growth in general, some of which overlaps with your thoughts.
At our library we aim to be antifragile. Where a fragile system breaks under stress and a resilient system is unaffected by stress, an antifragile system grows stronger under stress (much like the heart and bones and lungs grow stronger through the stress of exercise). (I highly recommend Nicholas Nassim Taleb’s book, Antifragile).
Flexibility is a key component of this, not just with regard to staff but also with regard to the way our buildings are laid out, our policies are written, our budget is constructed, our job descriptions are written, and our scheduling is done.
Building relationships (by listening to and supporting others) is also a huge component. Having strong relationships within our staff, with our volunteers, with our members, with local governments, and with local businesses means we work together well, and when we want to try something new, we can find the support and partners we may need.
A positive, progressive work culture is also essential. Beyond just flexibility, the culture needs to support individual decision making, mistakes being treated as opportunities, the practice of non-judgment, a valuing of the contributions of every member of the team, cross training (no work is beneath you), and a pitch-in work ethic. The team is most successful when each member is successful, and we work toward positive growth for everyone. When a new idea comes along, we look for ways to support it.
Change is an expectation in the regular course of work, as we continually strive to better meet community needs. We never rest on our laurels. But change is not about trying the next best thing that everyone else is trying. It must align with the library’s mission and the vision for growth laid out by leadership. When someone brings a new idea, we first measure it against mission and vision, and only then do we move forward. Vision directs activity, and without it, we could be trying all manner of things not ultimately suited to what we are trying to create for the community. A hodgepodge approach may impede our making the impact we might otherwise make with a more directed approach.
A strong supportive structure is also essential. Beyond supplying vision, we have an administration that makes sure we are not stretching into territory that we cannot sustain with the resources that are likely to be available. Administration also ensures compliance with law, addresses liability concerns, and manages public relations as we stretch in new directions.
Finally, opening our library to trying new things requires analytical strength. We think before we act, predicting and planning as much as we can for disruption. We also look for ways to assess efficacy against goals/vision.
In a way, our library is not unlike the human body. By strengthening its muscles (flexibility), heart (relationships), systemic functioning (all the parts working in support of each other), immune system (contingency planning and support when things go awry), bones (administration), and brain (analysis and assessment), we build a library capable of adapting, thriving, and responding to emerging trends.
Thanks for such a thoughtful comment! I’ll definitely find that book, too – sounds really interesting. I like the idea of growing under stress.
#8 – allow for failure. If you’re not failing every now and then, you’re not trying hard enough.
Yes – that’s a good and important one. Thanks!