Notes from SLA 2013 - Ninja Skills for Librarians

SLA Conference 2013 – San Diego
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Presenters:  

Jennifer Doyle, Law Library Manager, Robins, Kaplan, Miller, & Ciresi, LLP
Jill Strand, Director, Knowledge Resources, Maslon Edleman Borman Brand LLP

Note: This presentation was a good overview of librarian skills framed within the Martial Arts discipline.

White belt – Discipline

·         Self-Discipline will help you reach your goals.  Self-discipline is better than imposed discipline.

·         Use down time to plan and explore.

·         Respect will help you reach your goals in a way you can be proud of.

·         Respect your client.  Respect your teacher.

·         Martial Arts – bow to your opponent to show you respect her/him as a worthy opponent.

·         Reach your goals in a way you can be proud!

Yellow belt – The Team - We can do more together than we can accomplish alone!

Be candid.  Share insights and strengths.  Be a coach and mentor to others.  Empower others in their positions.  Support the team.

Orange belt – Be confident.  Or pretend to be.

Act like you know you can win in a situation.  Be prepared for meetings and presentation and remind yourself that you are ready to face the audience.  Learn to be an extrovert.  Be engaged.

Green belt – Listen

Listen with your eyes, your ears, your heart, and give your undivided attention.  Listening shows respect and helps us gain information.  Empathic listening is listening with the heart.

·         Minimize distractions

·         Concentrate

·         Use supporting comments

·         Ask questions

·         Let the person finish her/his comments

·         Take notes

·         Keep an open mind

·         Use positive body language

·         Put your own needs on hold

Book recommendation: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Blue belt – Balance

1.      Keep Calm and Carry On.

2.      Identify  & Make Connections

3.      Get to know your client. – Who is your customer?  What do they need/want?

Chi is where the martial artist finds balance, peace and power.

Ask others how you can help them.  Don’t let others upset your chi.

Blue belt is also about stealth.  Who can you work with behind the scenes?

Purple belt – Adaptability

1.      A good ninja blends in with her/his environment.

2.      A ninja always has a plan.

Don’t be so wedded to your plan that you cannot adapt.  Know the tools you have at your disposal.

Red belt – Negotiation

Practice hard – Play fair

Work with decision-makers and represent the needs of your people and your customers.  Don’t let your emotions get the better of you.  Be transparent.  Don’t be afraid.

Is it more important to be right or to maintain the dialogue?  (Sometimes yes.)

Brown belt – Failure - Failure can help us to improve if we chose to learn from it.

What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better. – Bruce Lee.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill

Black belt – Pay it forward.

A black belt is a white belt who didn’t quit.

Become a teacher and mentor.  Pay it forward.  Engage others.  Develop others and help them achieve.