Blog June Post 9 - Memories

This post does is not meant to be something to give me a "big head" or boost my ego. It is merely a process of looking back at what others have said about me a long time ago and where I am now. It was prompted by me looking for my birth certificate - it appears I have lost it for a second time during a move - and finding a box full of memories. So here goes.

This was from 1992 when I did work experience at a library when I was in year 10:

Sharon worked well is very keen to enter the library field. She is a little quiet but that is expected at her age.

This one is after I had worked at a library for 12 mths while I was completing my library technician course - I was 18 at the time :

I have worked with Sharon at the ..... for approximately the last 12 months. During this time I have worked along side Sharon in the capacity of a Library Assistant. Sharon is a very pleasant lady and displays well mannered working habits.

An important aspect of her job attitude is her willingness to be self motivated and a "team member." Sharon has great enthusiasm for Library work and is dedicated to her job.

I wish Sharon the very best in her future and can recommend her personally as a fellow worker as an asset to any future position.

I just love the work experience comment. The librarian there at the time had been there for a very long time and was nearing retirement. I actually think she had gone beyond retirement but everyone looks old when you are a teenager.

I love her comment about being quiet but it is to be expected at my age. I believe I was 15 at the time. I don't see too many 15 year olds these days expected to be quiet - but I suppose most of them have their iPods on or are on the phone texting or facebooking so perhaps we haven't changed.

Here's another one from when I was working and completing my library technician course:

Sharon Eileen Benstead undertook part of her field work for the Associate Diploma of Applied Science (Library Technician Studies) at the ...... from 28 February to 1 May 1996. Sharon's performance during this time was so impressive that she was offered a casual position at the ..... following her completion of her field work program.

Sharon's duties have mainly involved circulation desk activities using the ANZ URICA library system. Her tasks in this area include charging and discharging library items, taking reservations and video bookings, preparing overdue notices and answering reference queries.

Sharon also performs the role of Duty Library Officer on two mornings per week at the ....library. In this position Sharon is solely responsible for the operation of library services on this campus and as well as undertaking the circulation desk duties outlined above she is required to start up and shut down the library system.

While the majority of Sharon's work has been in the circulation area, she has also performed a variety of technical services tasks. These include bibliographic verification of items to be ordered and price checking using the.... library network online union catalogue, the .... local INMAGIC acquisitions database and Book-Find CDRom.

Throughout her field work and employment at ...., Sharon has displayed a high level of interest in al facets of library operation. She has a good understanding of library systems and procedures and is able to work efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision.

Sharon always demonstrates a responsible, friendly and helpful attitude towards library clients. She enjoys good working relationships with other staff and her cooperative approach in negotiating allocation of tasks and roster arrangements have made her a valued team member.

I have no hesitation in recommending Sharon as a competent, enthusiastic and committed Library Technician.

I look back at these references and I think about how I felt at the time. I was very shy and very nervous serving people at the desk. The bullying I had received during my schooling years really dented my confidence and it really wasn't until I took up a position in Emerald, Central Qld that I managed to come out of my shell. I can only put that down to moving away from everything I knew and everyone that knew me to a place where I could start afresh. No one there knew that I had been bullied or that I was the chubby girl from school. I was just Sharon the new Library Technician who came from Ipswich.

While I was still a bit unconfident in Emerald, it was having to take the first step of putting myself out there to make friends that really helped. I still have moments of lack of self confidence - probably more than I should - but I think we all have those moments.

The other day I was talking amongst colleagues about former employers providing bad references. I have always thought when asking my supervisor for a reference that I would only ask if I knew I would get a good one. But I suppose you just don't know what they are going to say.

Has anyone out there been shocked by being informed that they had received a bad reference?

What do you do when you are trying to get out of a toxic environment where you haven't got on well with your supervisor but you need to provide them as a reference?

Supervisor vs Friends

Early in my career I applied for the same supervisory position 3 times. I never got the position and was once told I wasn't supervisory material. They did not elaborate so I'm still not sure why they thought that. After not getting the job for the 3rd time, I left that department, well I left the library and took part in a 12mth secondment. The secondment gave me time to reflect and look in from the outside. Look in at myself and at the position I left. I came back with new motivation and ended up taking a slightly different direction with my career. I haven't looked back. But it took me a few more years to finally get in a supervisory role - and really here I am.

I have been told numerous times that you can't be friends with the staff you supervise/manage. Well in my POW I manage 3 branch libraries, all located in a small LGA. Total population at the 2006 census saw us in the 13,000 range. I have a small staff of 4 permanent part timers and 6 casuals. Moving from a metropolitan area where I knew people in my suburb and my POW was just that a POW. Yes I had friends at work but I didn't supervise/manage them. They were my work friends. But I also had friends outside of work. Moving here - I didn't know anyone other than my own family and then the people I work with - my staff. It was hard not to become friends with them as they were all I was seeing in the first months of moving here.

So yes, friendships formed and they are great people. But when it comes to doing the hard stuff - like changing "this is how we've always done it" to "this is how it should be done" - being friends makes it hard.

I'll admit that one of my weaknesses is that I like to be liked. So if I have to do things that may make a person not like me - then perhaps I decide it's easier just not to do it. Hmm, as a manager you can't really do that. Especially when it effect the quality of service we are supplying to our customers. So how do you approach it??

I first thought I would go slowly slowly. I wouldn't come in guns a blazing and start off with putting the foot down. I'd get to know everyone and how each branch operated. Then I'd make little changes. I'd talk with the staff and suggest things - see how they reacted and then implement when they were on side. This has worked in some cases - in others it hasn't and I suppose after 3 years the foot may have to start to come down.

Perhaps those people who said I was not supervisory material were right - or perhaps it's down to the people I'm managing. Or perhaps it's just all a learning experience but 2012 will tell because I think the foot may be coming down harder than in the past.

I'd like to hear from others who've had to work with and manage friends and how they tackled it.