In this issue:
Important Leadership Dates
A Message from the Executive Director
Leadership Summit Update
October Launch for Member-Get-a-Member Campaign
Leadership Encourage Students to Apply for Scholarships
Bulletin Editors - Information Outlooks
SLA Task Forces 2005-06
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October 7, 2005 |
Deadline to Vote on Bylaws Amendment |
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October 10, 2005 |
Deadline to Submit Reports to SLA Board of Directors for October Meeting |
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October 14, 2005 |
Deadline for Receipt of Division, Committee and General Program information for Preliminary Conference Program (see Community of Practice) |
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October 20-21, 2005 |
SLA Board of Directors Meetings |
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October 31, 2005 |
Scholarship Application Deadline |
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January 18-21, 2006 |
Leadership Summit, Houston, TX USA |
A Message from the Executive Director
Crisis Management: A Leadership Imperative
The devastation of the hurricanes of the past few weeks and the tsunami a few months ago drive home the point that crisis management is not a discipline to be learned on the job, in the midst of the storm. It must be learned and practiced when there's not a cloud in the sky.
We all watched heroes -- firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, and rescue workers -- respond to these unimaginable disasters. Skills they learned and practiced in hundreds of different crises prepared them for the ultimate challenge. The many teams became one team, and their enormous courage, passion, planning, preparation, and total commitment inspired the world. We also saw that when not prepared, chaos ensued.
A crisis management team must undertake a study of every possible crisis that could hit the organization, and develop a scenario for the response to each one. Crises are certainly not just weather related. Your organization may have a product failure, a lawsuit, a computer security breach, or any of a million crises. This list of possible crises coupled with the responses required for each takes time and investment, but it is the best disaster insurance we can have. Once the plan is ready, the training and preparation for implementation takes place.
Even if the crisis that may hit is not on the carefully prepared list of possibilities, the principles are the same, the plan of action works, and the results are positive. Are you prepared for effective crisis management?
* Appoint a crisis management team.
* Brainstorm all possible crises that could hit the organization; develop the response required for each.
* Prepare a master plan everyone understands, a plan with clear delegation of responsibility across the organization.
* Designate the official spokesperson at every location, or the one voice for the organization.
* Prepare to act as one team, one voice, and one response.
Crisis management on the job and in your personal life is what comes to mind first. On a much smaller scale, a crisis could hit in your SLA leadership role: a speaker may not show up for a chapter or conference presentation, the printer may not print and mail your meeting announcement in time, someone may not complete an important project. Hone these principles and you will be able to take on any challenge.
--Janice R. Lachance, Executive Director
Leadership
Summit Update
Begin 2006 by honing your leadership skills at the SLA 2006 Leadership Summit at the Hyatt Regency Houston - Downtown in Houston, Texas USA, January 18-21. Join information professionals from multiple geographic areas and disciplines in a journey you won?t soon forget. This unique leadership development program will provide both substantive content and time for individual reflection. Seize this opportunity to step back from your day-to-day routine and engage in group learning and
skill-building exercises guaranteed to push your thinking and advance your
leadership skills. Whether just beginning in a leadership role, mid-career,
or experienced, this will an be opportunity you won't want to miss.
Our keynote speaker is Doug Lipp, an internationally acclaimed expert on customer service, leadership and diversity, who motivates and challenges audiences around the world as a consultant and speaker. Doug has spent over 25 years working from the front lines to the boardrooms of corporations around the world.
Formerly
the head of training at Disney Studio's Walt Disney University, Doug also
worked at Disneyland where he provided the well-known Traditions orientation
program and other leadership courses. Pivotal in Doug's career with Disney
was his experience in the mid - 1980's when the corporate culture changed
from the arrogant "We're the best, why change?" to the progressive
"Don't rest on your laurels" powerhouse corporation that it remains
today. Join Doug as he takes you on an entertaining and insightful journey
behind the scenes to discover both the secret of Disney's success and how it
has overcome spectacular challenges. You will be able to learn from his
experiences and apply to the challenges you face within your information
center or organization.
The SLA
Board, SLA Committees, program planners and Division Boards will meet on
Wednesday and/or Saturday. Thursday will be devoted to leadership development
lead by Doug Lipp and professional leadership trainers. Friday will focus
more on your SLA Leadership Skills and responsiblities.
If your chapter,
division, committee or caucus is planning to meet at the 2006 Leadership
Summit in Houston, TX, USA, please contact the Leadership staff for program
development and function room reservations. Contact
Encourage Students to Apply for Scholarship
Do you have student members in your chapter or division? Applications are now being accepted for the Special Libraries Association's (SLA) 2005-2006 Scholarship Program. Each year, SLA grants scholarships for professional development and graduate study at accredited schools of library and information science. The SLA Scholarship Committee will determine the winners based on applications, transcripts and personal interviews with SLA members. Winners will be announced in the spring of 2006, and officially recognized at the 2006 Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD, June, 11-14, 2006.
Available scholarships include:
SLA
Scholarship (3)
Mary
Adeline Conner Professional Development Scholarship
SLA
Affirmative Action Scholarship
Institute
for Scientific Information (ISI) Scholarship
Plenum Scholarship
Encourage your student members to apply. Applications must be postmarked by October 31, 2005. Scholarship listings, descriptions,eligibility requirements and applications can be found on Virtual SLA at www.sla.org. For additional information,contact Jill Calabria in the SLA membership department at +1.703.647.4926 or via email at jcalabria@sla.org.
Bulletin Editors - Information Outlook
Bulletin Editors have been contacted to submit articles for Information Outlook. In particular, articles for a wider distribution than that of your newsletter should be considered. A proposal can be sent to John Adams, Editor,Information Outlook at jadams@sla.org. If there's any "big news" in your unit, we may be able to get that into the magazine.
SLA Task Forces 2005 - 2006
SLA president
Pam Rollo has formed six new
task forces. The new tasks will be in addition to the two task forces
formed by Ethel Salonen, SLA Past President. These task forces were created
by SLA President Pam Rollo to address the strategic implications of
challenges and opportunities facing SLA, its members, and the information
profession at large. If you are interested in the work of any of these Task
forces, please contact Pam Rollo by phone +1.212.592.7220 or email (prollo@nypl.org).
If you have any questions or comments about Leadership Connections, we would like your feedback. Please share your comments with leadership@sla.org and visit the Leadership Resource Center on the SLA website for information on Leadership.
©2005 Special Libraries Association. All Rights Reserved.
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