One of the most daunting challenges a library leader faces is implementing change. It’s a challenge for multiple reasons.

First of all, libraries were never either designed or intended to change. On the contrary: for centuries, the purpose of the library has been to stay the same – to be constant, reliable, and solid, to act as a bulwark of consistency while all else in the world was being pushed to and fro by the winds of fad and innovation. This constancy is a deep-seated and longstanding characteristic of libraries, both for good and for ill.

Second of all – let’s acknowledge this – the library profession has not historically tended to self-select for people who are naturally inclined towards constant change and innovation. Historically, it has attracted people who feel an affinity for the traditional characteristics of the library: consistency, reliability, solidity, etc. (Please note that I am not saying there are no innovative people in libraries; of course there are. But it’s only been relatively recently that libraries have actively worked to attract out-of-the-box thinkers; historically, our job has been much more about gaining a deep understanding of the box and then thinking inside of it with a great deal of effectiveness – both for good and for ill.)

And third, it’s just a general fact of human life that change is disruptive and sometimes deeply distressing, especially at work. When you hear that your job is changing, a part of you may be excited, but usually a much bigger part of you is freaking out: will my new role be seen as equally essential to the library as my old one was? Will I be good at this new job? Will I enjoy doing it? What about all the effort I put into becoming good at my old job – will any of that effort translate as preparation for my new one? Do I even agree in principle with the new direction my library is taking?

All of the above are fully rational and reasonable responses to change. And this is where good leaders come in. Because leaders who reflexively dismiss such questions as reactionary rigidity or resistance will make both their employees and themselves miserable. So what’s the right approach?

In my experience, what works best when managing change in the organization is a combination of two things: firmness of purpose and kindness in implementation. Believe it or not, these two characteristics of approach are fully in harmony with each other; you don’t have to sacrifice one in order to do the other. Let’s look at them in turn.

Firmness in Purpose

Once you have done the necessary due diligence, considered alternatives, weighed costs and benefits, taken all reasonable steps to anticipate unintended consequences, and have made the decision to change something about the organization, you are ready to proceed. And at this point (as at earlier points in the process) some people will try to dissuade you. Of course, if they bring up legitimate and substantive issues you hadn’t considered as part of your due diligence, then it may well be wise to tap the brakes and reconsider. But for the sake of this exercise, let’s assume that you and your leadership team really did do all appropriate due diligence and are convinced the change is necessary. Now you have to be willing to stand your ground while people try to get you to stop.

Firmness in purpose does not mean heedless intransigence. Nor does it mean stopping people from (or punishing people for) expressing their concerns. What it does mean is not letting yourself be swayed from your chosen course of action by factors that aren’t actually relevant to your decision. In other words, it makes sense and may be wise to take a pause if someone brings up an unintended consequence that wasn’t discovered or discussed during the decision-making process. It does not make sense, and is not wise, to cancel the change because someone in an affected department has a panic attack. (In that case, the employee should be offered all necessary medical help and support, but the fact that this person reacted strongly is not an argument against making needed organizational change.) It makes even less sense, and is even less wise, to cancel or pause the change because an employee vociferously objects or threatens to make life difficult for their manager or peers.

One of the most challenging tasks of leadership is dealing calmly, professionally, and wisely with people who are very upset. A moment of organizational change is one when this challenge is likely to be felt acutely. And that leads to the second principle:

Kindness in Implementation

For leaders in libraries, it’s all to easy to think in terms of a false binary: “I have to choose between being firm in purpose and treating my employees with kindness and compassion.” I can’t stress enough how much damage a leader can do by buying into this false dichotomy. We’ve all had experience with leaders who either couldn’t bear to make anyone unhappy (and therefore ended up making everyone unhappy) or who didn’t care whether or not their employees were happy (and therefore made everyone unhappy), and I’ve written previously about the difficult but essential work of balancing genuine care for your employees with a willingness to make them unhappy when that’s what is best for the library and its host institution.

But I can’t stress this enough: even – especially – when you have to do things that some or all of your employees are going to hate, it’s essential to do it with kindness and empathy. As I’ve suggested before, the message “you don’t have to get on board because you’re upset” is just as destructive to the organization as the message “I’m in charge and you’ll do as I say.” Instead, a much more productive message is “I hear your concerns and I can see why this change is going to be very difficult for you. What can I do to help make this transition less stressful?”. The answer to that question may be a request that you do something impossible – but if you ask the question sincerely, and with the real intent to try to ease the burden of change for your employee, it will make a big difference even if you can’t give them everything they want. And you will almost certainly be able to do something that eases the burden for them.

Caring about your employees matters. It matters even – especially – when you have to do things they don’t want you to do, or have to make them do things they don’t want to do. Of course, the more clearly, consistently, and convincingly you convey your care for them on a day-to-day basis, the more likely they’ll be to believe that you really care for them when the chips are down. This is the kind of thing that can’t be faked; if you’re only pretending to care about your employees, they’ll know. But the good news is that they’ll also know when you genuinely do care for them, and that will help both them and you navigate organizational change.

Takeaways and Action Items

• As a leader spearheading change in the library, it’s essential to be both firm and kind.
• Your genuine love and concern for your employees will help you find the right balance of firmness and kindness.
• What was the worst experience you’ve had as a line employee in a library that was undergoing significant change? What could your leaders have done better to make that experience easier? How will you apply those lessons in your work now?