WEEK 5 - PRE-WORK ON DEALING WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING
This is sort of "ass-backwards" as my mom would say (and she's 78 so I guess it's ok!) Having met Rebecca, I appreciate the opportunity to gain insight where, admittedly, I am quite blind.

I'll admit it is difficult, and has been, for me to wrap my brain around her parting words: "Take the mayor to lunch." as she was also adamant that said lunch could not include arsenic. I'll admit that my initial experiences with City Hall have not been the best, much of it soured before my arrival. 

And, alas, I know this will not be resolved like a Hollywood movie where the new comer comes into town, challenges the tight knitted  status quo (usually involving a bible thumping minister, a sour group of parents shouting "Think of the children" and the marginalized spinster/hooker/weird old lady with a heart of gold) and it all comes out swimmingly at the end in a gushy, uplifting soundtrack featuring the latest singer du jour belting out the theme which no matter how often you change the radio dial you just can't avoid hearing.

Upon returning from the retreat, I was greeted with a whack load of the same old issues from blinkered individuals. To be honest, I felt more like the battered woman from the 50s being told to return to her husband because he is, after all, the husband and head of the household. Things like having two small mentions of the Library in the City's recently release cultural plan ("Yeah, I do it all as the little missus don't understand these sort of things..."), being told by a school board that they'll consider my Board's revisions of a proposed contract for a service location after they talk to the City about it ("Hello, little lady, let me talk to the man of the house..."), these had me chomping at the bit.

So, Rebecca, what I would like:
1- The knowledge of planning - yes, I know. "What?????!!!!!" I'll admit my planning skills with regards to this are poor. I thought I understood planning but then came the retreat and it was "Holy crap! I'm like that guy who leaped on his horse and rode off in all directions." The literature provided is a start and I know that you have some great exercises planned so this is doable. And don't misunderstand me when I state that I need examples, exercises and sample plans returned with big red comments. Most struggle to think outside of the box: I struggle to get inside the box. Most don't see the forest for the trees: I don't see the forest for the leaves. Kids with ADD would tell me to focus. Heck, you've met me, possibly seen some of my blog postings.  I'm more "all over" than mucus from a three year old's sneeze.

2- The confidence to solve - This will come with the knowledge but it needs some nurturing. I an extremely creative. I am remarkably intelligent. And when given knowledge I can spin stuff that would make Rumpelstiltskin's look like tinfoil. But I need to grow into it. I need to be able to play, break things without an admonishing parent going "If you can't take better care of your stuff..." So, the dialogue I will have with you about my exercises will be important.

3- The ability to communicate - This is riffing on something I got out of an OLA conference: it's all about them. I need to become Machiavellian in making the community groups and the City understand that I am trying to align myself with them and not come across as an overzealous missionary talking to natives. There are many critical things that this Library needs in order to survive but I have found that to present these as a laundry list of shortcomings, they are ignored because, pffff! it's "just" the Library. I need to be able to voice our growth so that others buy in.