Another successful Friday Breakfast meeting was hosted by Sue Hill Recruitment last Friday. Despite the impending 'gloom' of more snow an intrepid crowd joined Sue Hill, Nicola Franklin and Sue Edgar to discuss hot topics facing both public and private sectors alike.
A recurring theme was the expectation that more needs to be delivered with less in terms of personnel and resources. Most felt that 'success' was measured in terms of running hard just to stand still. The struggle to persuade, cajole and in some cases brow beat stakeholders and users into recognising the value of information is still an uphill battle. The morning discussion around how to survive and keep afloat through the tough economic climate that most organisations face, found some consensus in the need for managers and staff to delve deep into their competency box to display tenacity, resolve, flexibility and motivation.
However the group felt that one missing link for many is a commercial awareness that in this climate is critical. It is applicable to both public and private sectors as organisations, teams and departments seek to find ways to provide 'more with less'. Absolving all responsibility or burying your head in the sand benefits no one so getting a good understanding of what drives your organisation is important. We are 'assets' to our companies and by knowing were we/our department sits helps us define what we can offer and to whom. We are all in 'it' together! As an Information Professional well and truly in the 21st century fully understanding your organisation, team and department performance indicators is critical. If you are told there are no performance indicators push back and ask why. It is much better for decisions to be made about budget and staffing based on some hard data rather than on a perception. Get close to the decision makers who can often give you some insight into what issues they are facing. Getting involved makes for a richer experience even in tough times.
There was a good exchange of ideas around mentoring and its importance to us as professionals. By seeking out a mentor in your organisation it encourages a better understanding of the profession, by being a mentor you get to share your wisdom and help a fellow information professional flourish, by being a mentee you get the wisdom of your mentor- a win/win situation. A mentoring programme can bring a richness to the individual and organisation for very little effort. Employers are expecting a lot from their staff at this time, dig deep into your personal skills and competencies to deliver the best service you can and seek out a mentor! It could even be one of the key decision makers. To paraphrase- Keep your peers and colleagues close and the 'decision makers' even closer!!
- Sue Edgar
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