College and Research Libraries What Professional Librarians Expect from Administrators: Another Librarian's View Deborah Fink This article is a nonadministrator's response to Cheryl A. Price's contribution. Effective ad- ministration is described in terms of leadership, clarity, and the actualization of values. The thirteen factors presented by Price are analyzed from that perspective. ike most nonadministrators, I am certain that if I were manag- ing, I would do things differ- ently, which is to say better. However, I must hypothesize that the per- spective gained when one ascends to the heights of administration makes it clear to the manager, though obfuscated to oth- ers, why certain choices are made. Being asked to respond to the Price article has provided me the opportunity to articulate my perceptions, unaffected by direct ex- perience or exhaustive research, of what constitutes effective leadership. Before reading the article, I brain- stormed to release my own thoughts about what an effective administrator is. Upon reading the article I discovered that we are essentially in agreement. We differ primarily in emphasis and in the details of implementation. I will proceed, then, by setting forth my own view and analyzing Price's thirteen factors from that perspec- tive. Library administration is a special- ization-just as bibliographic instruction, serials cataloging, and rare books are areas of specialization-that practitioners must keep up with and advance in. The effec- . tive administrator is conversant in an ar- ray of managerial theories and styles but synthesizes an individual approach and continuously develops and refines th_at approach, consciously selecting and ap- plying the particular technique that seems most useful in a situation. Because people and organizations are complex and multidimensional, an eclec- tic approach to management is the most viable. Managers do well, therefore, to draw not only from management theory but also from psychology, sociology, com- munication, anthropology, political sci- ence, women's studies, the human poten- tial movement, learning theory, and problem-solving skills, remaining open to potentially useful techniques wherever they may be discovered. Ideally, the administrator will discern the most effective managerial structure for each direct line manager and develop rela- tionships that vary but are individually conducive to unique needs and styles. The process is organic, for the administrator grows, changes, and evolves while draw- ing upon new information and experi- ence. £ffective administrators will actively engage in continuous analysis and self- evaluation. Individuals who are receptive and willing to experiment and take risks will create a dynamic process. Deborah Fink is Instructional Services Librarian at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309. The author wishes to acknowledge the insightful assistance of Bartholemew Logue Greenberg. 413 414 College & Research Libraries Key attributes an administrator must develop are leadership, clarity and actual- ization of values. The primary function of administration is leadership, which in- cludes setting direction, fostering positive attitudes, and making choices. Organiza- tional purpose and direction are typically mapped out in mission statements and goals as well as in an organizational chart. To be effective the overall mission and goals would emerge from and provide structure to more specific unit goals and objectives. The relationship parallels the way a well-wrought thesis statement and outline reflect each other. Administrators have the perspective from which to look for congruence of institutional and depart- mental goals and objectives. A careful or- chestration of the goal-setting process will also provide for the integration of individ- ual and institutional needs. Most individuals in service occupations seek personal satisfaction through com- mitment to social values . While a mission and goals are fairly standard and may be taken for granted on the day-to-day level, such operating guidelines are most valid when they emanate from a clear, evolving vision. Administrators have the opportu- . nity to express the role of the library in the ideal, noting its relationship to, and po- tential to serve, its community. Policies and procedures must also be clearly stated and should exist to support the goals and mission. The effective ad- ministrator should be familiar with and supportive of all policies, but the develop- ment and maintenance of work flow and procedures will be delegated to line man- agers. The effective administrator is also cognizant of and able to walk the fine line between providing general direction and allowing autonomy. Another function of administration is to foster positive attitudes toward the library both internally and externally. Adminis- trators will spend considerable time out- side the library promoting, lobbying, and generating support, both fiscal and attitu- dinal . Political savvy must be honed. Equally important is time spent inside the library. An open-door policy will not demonstrate receptivity as convincingly as an ''open encounter'' approach, in September 1987 which the manager engages with person- nel where they live-in offices and at ser- vice points. Only from such a firsthand, experiential practice can an administrator know the working reality of the organiza- tion. The attitude perceived, however, must not be one of intrusion or judgment but of shared interest and concern. 11 • • • the open encounter will balance the administrator's concern with the big picture-the institution, the mis- sion, the budget-with a focus on em- ployees as the people who bring the mission to life with their actions on the job." The open encounter is also valuable be- cause as one moves higher in the organi- zation and the perspective widens, it is critical to retain the ability to focus on and relate to the details that recede. In addi- tion, the open encounter will balance the administrator's concern with the big picture-the institution, the mission, the budget-with a focus on employees as the people who bring the mission to life with their actions on the job. The administrator can then return to the outside world with the capacity to feel and thereby better artic- ulate needs. From such forays into the front lines the administrator will be able to determine both the public image and the self-image of the library, which is an indication of em- ployee morale. Organizational morale is the manager's responsibility. The ulti- mate measure of leadership is a sense of shared purpose and team effort. In fact, this discussion points to the creation of high morale and positive self-image be- cause a library's positive self-image will translate into the public's positive experi- ence. A sense of team effort is engendered in subordinates in part through participation in decision making. Where choices are made over a period of time, standard pro- cedures for equipment requests and budget or personnel allocations can offer opportunities to express needs. Such op- portunities will provide maximum benefit when the final decision-making process is explained, however. Managers must de- cide when it will be worthwhile to extend the decision-making process and to whom, but it is more satisfying to partici- pate when the entire process is revealed. The second attribute of effective admin- istration is clarity. Not only should all forms of communication be characterized by this, but a variety of communication channels needs be established and main- tained. Communication flow requires channels for both downward and upward movement. Effective administrators will provide direction and information, as well as solicit information, both factual and af- fective. The sense of team effort is further engendered when personnel feel in- formed. Certainly in a profession that spe- cializes in acquiring and providing infor- mation, these functions should be a personnel priority as well. Two areas where clarity is especially critical are in setting job responsibilities and standards and in providing feedback. Job descriptions should be provided dur- ing hiring and reviewed regularly as a part of the evaluation process. Standards for job performance must be set forth along with criteria for assessment. Just as impor- tant as a routine, standardized evaluation process are continuous, constructive feed- back, acknowledgment, and recognition. The combination of formal and informal responses can be used to create an atmo- sphere of open evaluation in the spirit of working together to best accomplish indi- vidual and mutual goals. Recognition and appreciation are imperative for high mo- rale. The third attribute of effective leader- ship is the actualization of values, espe- cially fairness, excellence, and service. The ideal leader is above all a model. Effec- tive administrators must be clear about their values and act in accordance. Two ar- eas where fairness can be demonstrated are in salaries and affirmative action. As members of a female-dominated pro- fession, librarians have comparatively de- pressed salaries. This situation should not . be compounded by internal salary inequi- Another Librarian's View 415 ties, especially gender-based discrepan- cies. ARL salary surveys indicate that fe- . male librarians are paid less than male librarians, who hold managerial positions in numbers that exceed their percentage in the profession. Administrators must mon- itor internal salary equity, provide dis- crimination restitution where problems are evident, and actively seek to hire and promote both women and minorities. Effective administrators will also make a commitment to excellence. Excellence is not easily described, but it embraces high standards, definition and achievement of results, and the ongoing adjustment of priorities. Professional development is integral to developing these qualities. Because effec- tive administrators are dynamically en- gaged in their own professional develop- ment, they should actively encourage and provide for the professional development of their personnel on a variety of levels. Library functions are typically desig- nated as "services" -technical services, public services, instructional services. Ad- ministration will succeed most when ap- proached as an internal support service providing maintenance (budget, staffing, equipment), overall environment (both physical and affective), and positive sup- port (constructive criticism, encourage- ment, and recognition). The service atti- tude is manifested in a desire to make it possible for, or to empower, personnel to do their best by providing direction, con- text, and support. Any thoughtful person who has focused attention on management or leadership can enumerate qualities considered most essential for effectiveness. What Price at- tempts is a translation of such qualities into tangible factors shaping working con- ditions. The factors themselves are clearly desirable, if not essential. However, many of the arguments posed for each factor are flawed in their development. Price describes a stable environment as one in which role ambiguity and work- related stress are minimized. She relates role clarity to job satisfaction but does not discuss stress. The need for clarity sur- passes clearly defined responsibilities and permeates all aspects of administration, as 416 College & Research Libraries discussed above. Price fails to be clear her- self about how an administrator achieves clarity of communication, other than through consistent behavior, although the two do not necessarily equate. Her later discussion of clear administra- tive lines dissolves into a confusing dis- cussion of management style, including the need for upward communication. One of the leadership functions of an adminis- trator is the establishment of an organiza- tional structure, but Price has not made a clear connection between structure and style. She notes later that an administrator should seek input from librarians for deci- sion sharing but does not mention the need for downward communication. Feeling informed about what is going on and why goes a long way toward creating a feeling of stability. Established, routine channels of communication, such as regu- lar newsletters, meetings, and encoun- ters, are mechanisms that can enhance stability through information and partici- pation. Price maintains that an administrator "has the obligation to . . . match qualified · people with appropriate positions," and she equates this with meaning in the posi- tion. Matching people and positions should be accomplished through hiring, including written job descriptions and forthrightness in discussing expectations. The administrator must insist that an ap- propriate search process be maintained through library procedures as well as through institutional support. "Meaning in the job transcends matched skills and duties . ... " Meaning in the job transcends matched skills and duties, however. Appropriate and challenging responsibilities, delin- eated in a clear job description, should be combined with the flexibility described by Price. Meaning is also derived from an en- vironment that maximizes congruence be- tween personal and organizational val- ues. Although I agree that opportunities for September 1987 professional growth and creative develop- ment are essential, I question whether it is realistic to expect that when a '' profes- sional has interests in areas where he or she does not have skills, it may behoove the administrator to provide an opportu- nity for that growth." Rather, I place pro- fessional and peripheral development in the broader context of excellence as an overall value. Every employee should be empowered to achieve personal excel- lence as they are stimulated to achieve or- ganizational excellence. Price claims that ''fear is the worst ele- ment that can be unleashed in an organi- zation,'' and that ''an administrator must inspire trust.'' She then advocates partici- pative management but does not explain how that particular style will alleviate fear or engender trust. Rather, she moves di- rectly to a discussion of where participa- tive management is not appropriate. Par- ticipative management is a preferred approach in many contexts, but, as I main- tain, the effective administrator will avoid identifying with a single style in order to dynamically develop and draw upon an array of approaches. Leadership is included in Price's list of thirteen factors, but she argues for this · quality only in the context of where partic- ipative management leaves off. Leader- ship is a complex, subtle, and pervasive administrative attribute. It must be mani- fested within and without the library in the fulfillment of responsibilities ranging from developing mission statements to modeling values. Price is clear about the dangers of autoc- racy and the value of the feeling of pres- tige that involvement can create. Once again, however, she provides only pass- ing reference to one of her thirteen factors-supervisory support. In my own analysis, I defined administration as a sup- port service. Providing such a service is no less than actualizing the service ethic upon which our profession is based. I agree with Price that administrators should "fight to upgrade ... employ- ment conditions and salaries," making claims for comparable worth where ap- . propriate. The external administrative function is to generate both fiscal and atti- tudinal support for the library. While ad- ministrators may face overwhelming ob- stacles in this regard, autonomy and flexibility can usually be exercised with the internal distribution of salary monies and promotional opportunities. In this re- gard the manager will actualize the value of fairness. Administrators may again be faced with overwhelming obstacles in their attempt to provide a healthful environment. At the very least, managers can identify problem areas and make whatever adjustments are possible without major cost or remodeling Another Librarian's View 417 commitments. Assessment procedures by staff or outside consultants can facilitate this process. Price's thirteen qualities are useful for assessing administrative effectiveness. The attributes I identified are similar, though organized and prioritized differ- ently. We are in complete agreement, however, that "good management is a team effort.,., No doubt, administrators give just as much thought to what they ex- pect from librarians in order to create an effective team.