SLO 5, ARTIFACT 1:
Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
Link: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits.html
This list of habits was featured in a reading I did for Dr. Moniz’s library administration and management class. The principles embodied in the list are ones that I will adhere to in my work as a planner, problem solver, communicator, and team manager.
I have a certain leeriness of self-help literature, as much of it presents an oversimplified view of life’s obstacles, while offering vague solutions. What I like about Covey’s habits is that they state specific actions that one can take to be more productive and successful in life.
While several of the habits are highly relevant in the public library environment, the one that I find most important is “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.” Listening is an absolutely essential skill for anyone trying to serve the public. Only when we listen can we truly understand what people’s lives are like, how they feel about their lives, and what kind of services they want from their community institutions. Librarians are often in a teaching role; this is to be expected, given our position in the community, and it can be a positive thing. However, the history of libraries in the United States reveals the danger of constantly presuming to know a community’s needs better than they know their own. To avoid slipping back into the times when librarians essentially dictated what communities could access, often censoring anything they felt was inappropriate, we have to practice conscious and engaged listening in all of our interactions with patrons. Doing this supports the ALA Core Values of Service and Democracy and makes us more competent professionals.
When doing outreach work with marginalized and underserved communities, I will need to draw on many different communication and problem solving techniques in order to foster trust and promote community engagement. The 7 Habits is one of many guides that will help me promote and support an inclusive, responsive library environment.
Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
Link: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits.html
This list of habits was featured in a reading I did for Dr. Moniz’s library administration and management class. The principles embodied in the list are ones that I will adhere to in my work as a planner, problem solver, communicator, and team manager.
I have a certain leeriness of self-help literature, as much of it presents an oversimplified view of life’s obstacles, while offering vague solutions. What I like about Covey’s habits is that they state specific actions that one can take to be more productive and successful in life.
While several of the habits are highly relevant in the public library environment, the one that I find most important is “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.” Listening is an absolutely essential skill for anyone trying to serve the public. Only when we listen can we truly understand what people’s lives are like, how they feel about their lives, and what kind of services they want from their community institutions. Librarians are often in a teaching role; this is to be expected, given our position in the community, and it can be a positive thing. However, the history of libraries in the United States reveals the danger of constantly presuming to know a community’s needs better than they know their own. To avoid slipping back into the times when librarians essentially dictated what communities could access, often censoring anything they felt was inappropriate, we have to practice conscious and engaged listening in all of our interactions with patrons. Doing this supports the ALA Core Values of Service and Democracy and makes us more competent professionals.
When doing outreach work with marginalized and underserved communities, I will need to draw on many different communication and problem solving techniques in order to foster trust and promote community engagement. The 7 Habits is one of many guides that will help me promote and support an inclusive, responsive library environment.