How to deal with People and other such stuff.

"Teamwork is -- it's a combination of Attitude and Planning. The two fit together. 

It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of thought."

-Enid Irwin

For some reason I've been avoiding writing this post. It's actually an easy post to create when I consider my larger background in teamwork and management.

For over five years, I've worked for Starbucks Coffee Company as a either a Manager, Assistant Manager, and now as a Shift Supervisor. Every day that I go to work, I must plan out how my shift will be run depending on the time of the shift and the staff that has been scheduled. Each member of my team has specific duties that must be fulfilled in order for the shift to run smoothly and effectively. If any one member of the team falls out of place, whether due to the amount of business on a "rush" or from poor performance, the team must band together to fix the situation. A great manager can see all of this as it happens and moves the team into a different direction to correct the problem. 

Sometimes teamwork come naturally in my current position. Yet, I can say this after five years of experience. Even when I walk into a new store, I still know my expectations for the business and the role I play in employee relations. Any new experience, outside of my current role, can be scary and intimatding.

Which leads to my role as a SLIS student. Having completed online courses before, I am used to an individualistic approach to my coursework. The idea of group projects with students I have never met, never seen, and whom may live thousands of miles away from me, is a daunting concept. Yet, this is the role that many current librarians must now experience as the world of information becomes smaller and smaller, thanks in part to the internet.

Ken Haycok, in a lecture at San Jose State University's SLIS Colloquia Series, discussed the different aspects of teamwork as a way of showcasing how important each person can be when a group is formed to accomplish a goal. Teamwork is "... acknowledging the process, what's involved, what behaviors we should expect, what I can do to help us address those behaviors, and move forward."

Just like in my first days at Starbucks, or in any new position, there must always be not only an adjustment period, but an acknowledgment from all members of a newly formed team that new ideas must be allowed to grow. The comfort zone that we all take, well, comfort in should be destroyed to seek a new path that we might find challenging but will ultimately proof rewarding. It is with this in mind that I must both be open to new ideas, but acknowledge the fun in the challenge.