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Libraries Have Cliques Too! Understanding Interpersonal
Relationships in Libraries |
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Often, when you are interviewing for a job, the librarians who work at your new, potential place of employment put their best feet forward and play the part of a wonderful, collegial staff. The interpersonal relationships between these co-workers can often be a key to how happy or miserable you will be in this new job. Yet, how can you recognize honest collegiality and enthusiasm for the library from an interview when everyone in the room can be faking it? Just like in every other workplace or social organization, libraries too have cliques and you will have to decipher the signs and watch carefully during your often long, grueling interview day to spot these. The following article outlines some clues to look out for when surveying a potential employer and contains advice for those who are just looking to get along in their current job. Collegiality in the Workplace Obviously, not everyone will get always get along in any organization, including a library. Libraries are often filled with introverts and extroverts, competing personalities, shy individuals, and alpha personalities. What you truly need to ask yourself when interviewing for a position is, "Can I fit in with these people and work with them?" Now, while you may not be in this position forever, it is best to imagine if you could stand it for the long haul. So, as much as you should be interviewing the people to find out important information about the town, the boss, and the job expectations, you also want to work on your observation skills. Watch the people interact with each other. Is the person who will be your supervisor domineering? If so, can you handle that or will your personalities clash? Do these people get along with each other fairly well? Is there any obvious animosity between individuals? Is there a lot of teasing going on? Joking around with work colleagues can often be the sign of a relaxed, casual atmosphere. That may be a great thing, or you may prefer a more rigid, professional work environment. True collegiality is nothing more than a relationship between colleagues. You want to make sure that you look for a work environment in which people have goals, accomplish them, and thrive together. If they all get along, that is just an extra bonus! Ask questions like, "If I had an idea, how would I get it accomplished?" or "What are the obstacles to getting things done?" In the search committee's answers, specific people being mentioned as obstacles may be a warning sign that collegiality is missing in this workplace. If the obstacles are purely bureaucratic, that's another thing to consider; however, your most important allies in your library should always be your co-workers, so make sure this is a place where you could build those relationships. Management and Collegiality Another thing to look for is the collegiality between librarians and management. Do the people in management positions (director, dean, assistant director) understand what the librarians do on a day-to-day basis? This may seem like a trivial question, but a director who does not know what everyone does in their organization may signal a serious disconnect. Does the director take part in some of those same activities that librarians do (collection development, outreach, instruction)? If so, that can signal a director who can be sympathetic to trials and tribulations you may have on the job, because they are in touch with your job duties. Another reason to be aware of a manager's collegiality with the librarians who work for him or her is to understand if the library is a house divided. You want to avoid, at all costs, working in an organization that is divided between those who support and like a boss and those who do not. Things will be hard to accomplish in this environment, which will often contain underlying animosity. The same can also be said about a work environment that is two-sided; in libraries, this often means the public services department versus the technical services folks. Ask some people point-blank how the two areas get along. Do people in your prospective department even know those in the other? This is a key question to ask. Sometimes, however, you cannot control working in this atmosphere or sometimes a division occurs after you are already working somewhere. If so, the best advice for the new librarian is to stay as neutral as possible. It is not wise to be the low man on the totem pole and choose sides. Remember, you will have to be working towards things like promotion or tenure and you do not want to create any tension between yourself and others who may be part of that decision-making. Avoiding choosing sides is as important as understanding that libraries also have cliques. Cliques and Workplace Culture Everyone has had experiences dealing with cliques. You had them in high school, you had them in college and, yes, you have them at work. This does not automatically mean cliques are a bad thing. Sometimes your clique could be you and three other people who were all hired at the same time. Sometimes a clique exists, however, that could make working in a place a little bit harder for you. Most often, in my experience, cliques exist among those with similar work habits who work well together. This kind of group mentality in the workplace can be a positive force of energy. If there's a group of people that always seem to get things done and like their jobs, by all means try to be a part of that group. The clique you want to avoid at all costs is the group of people that like to complain. They may even be hard workers, but a negative attitude at work will almost always produce negative results. You may not even recognize it, but often someone who is unhappy and has a bad attitude can rub off on you. Cliques can also evolve based on the topic discussed above: those who are for the boss and those who are against. Again, I would highly recommend avoiding these cliques if at all possible, whether you are the new person or not. You need to be aware that every workplace, including libraries, has cliques; don’t be naïve about the impact they may have on decisions, workflow, and happenings in your library. Aligning yourself with the right or wrong people could have serious consequences on your job and even your happiness outside of work. Conclusion · Do these people seem to genuinely get along? · Are there domineering personalities that you would find hard to work for or with? · Do you sense any tension between future colleagues? · What is the management style of your future boss? If you are already in a position and struggling with the culture, here are some points to consider: · Stay as neutral as possible. · Get involved with others who have similar personalities, career goals, and work habits. · Be aware of organizational changes, like a new director, that could signal a shift in workplace culture. As librarians, we are constantly working on our interpersonal skills when it comes to networking with librarians in other organizations or working with our own constituents, but we often forget to work on our interpersonal skills in our own workplace. Every workplace has its own distinct culture. You, as a new librarian or potential job candidate, need to learn to navigate the intricacies of different personalities, cliques, and management styles. Understanding people and how they interact together will go a long way towards your success in a position. Michelle S. Millet is the Information Literacy Coordinator at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She received her M.L.S from the University of South Florida in 2001 and an M.A. in History from Florida Atlantic University in 2000. Article published Feb 2004 Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer editors.
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10/03/2005
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