Getting buy-in and doing effective training for 2.0 projects Jenica P. Rogers-Urbanek Computers in Libraries 2008 Academic Library 2.0 GOING BEYOND THE GREAT IDEA

Without a head lemming, most groups will never step off the cliff. COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS STILL NEED LEADERS

Without a head lemming, most groups will never step off the cliff.

2.0 projects are described as ‘intuitive’, ‘social’, ‘participatory’… but they still need a leader to: Sell the idea Organize the project timeframes Facilitate training, setup, and follow-through Learn from Ghandi. “ We need to be the change we wish to see in the world.” Step up! Collaborative ≠ self propelled

2.0 projects are described as ‘intuitive’, ‘social’, ‘participatory’… but they still need a leader to:

Sell the idea

Organize the project timeframes

Facilitate training, setup, and follow-through

Learn from Ghandi.

“ We need to be the change we wish to see in the world.” Step up!

Most of us are the middle duck, if not the little bitty last duck. You need support from your supervisor, administration, colleagues, and support staff. How to convince them all? GETTING YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW: YOU NEED SUPPORT FROM ABOVE, ACROSS, AND BELOW.

Most of us are the middle duck, if not the little bitty last duck. You need support from your supervisor, administration, colleagues, and support staff.

How to convince them all?

Avoid “uncritical me-too-ism” Prepare the ground before you begin Sell the project: Utility

Avoid “uncritical me-too-ism”

Prepare the ground before you begin

Consider each stakeholder separately – what do they care about? Be relevant to internal and individual needs Bring data to support your arguments Adapt to your audience Sell the project: one size does not fit all

Consider each stakeholder separately – what do they care about?

Be relevant to internal and individual needs

Bring data to support your arguments

Adapt to your audience

Focus on your reality-based library Have reasonable expectations Do sensible user assessment Strive for achievable results Plan to measure success in meaningful and do-able ways Sell the project: Avoid truthiness

Focus on your reality-based library

Have reasonable expectations

Do sensible user assessment

Strive for achievable results

Plan to measure success in meaningful and do-able ways

You wouldn’t want to hang off a building without safety ropes, a training program, and appropriate oversight. We need to apply those same ideas to our projects – even small and informal ones. LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP: PREPARATION IS ESSENTIAL

You wouldn’t want to hang off a building without safety ropes, a training program, and appropriate oversight. We need to apply those same ideas to our projects – even small and informal ones.

Show and Tell Provide documentation, no matter how “self explanatory” it seems Hands-on exploration is worth 1000 words Allow private learning before public roll-out Integrate the learning into the doing Multifaceted Training = Learning 2.0

Show and Tell

Provide documentation, no matter how “self explanatory” it seems

Hands-on exploration is worth 1000 words

Allow private learning before public roll-out

Integrate the learning into the doing

Maybe you do... The path to nirvana runs through training by doing – it’s like constant on the job training, only less painful. “ I DON’T HAVE TIME TO LEARN A NEW TOOL!”

Maybe you do... The path to nirvana runs through training by doing – it’s like constant on the job training, only less painful.

You must teach and learn the basics formally – you can’t skip this step. But, then… Encourage exploratory use of the tool Assign, delegate, or collaborate on necessary tasks that require use of the tool Have an “expert” who is prepared to assist when necessary If the tool is relevant and useful, the task work will be relevant and useful – and will facilitate learning the tool with minimal extra time required. Advanced On the Job Doing

You must teach and learn the basics formally – you can’t skip this step. But, then…

Encourage exploratory use of the tool

Assign, delegate, or collaborate on necessary tasks that require use of the tool

Have an “expert” who is prepared to assist when necessary

If the tool is relevant and useful, the task work will be relevant and useful – and will facilitate learning the tool with minimal extra time required.

You’ve taken the lead, gotten key buy-in, and trained your participants, and now… TIME TO JUMP.

You’ve taken the lead, gotten key buy-in, and trained your participants, and now…

Plan for success – is your project scalable? Prepare the ground – will your library know what you’re talking about when you first broach the topic? Write it down – document your process for future use. Assess the project – what’s working? What isn’t? Respond to criticism – and then make appropriate changes. Plan for failure – what happens if it falls apart? Other pretty good practices

Plan for success – is your project scalable?

Prepare the ground – will your library know what you’re talking about when you first broach the topic?

Write it down – document your process for future use.

Assess the project – what’s working? What isn’t?

Respond to criticism – and then make appropriate changes.

Plan for failure – what happens if it falls apart?

Lemmings Ducks in a row iPhone party Stephen Colbert Safety Training Road to Heaven Learn Base Jump All found on Flickr or Wikipedia, licensed for reuse through Creative Commons. Photo Credits

Lemmings

Ducks in a row

iPhone party

Stephen Colbert

Safety Training

Road to Heaven

Learn

Base Jump

All found on Flickr or Wikipedia, licensed for reuse through Creative Commons.

Thanks for listening! Questions and commentary welcome now or during the unconference

Jenica P. Rogers-Urbanek Collection Development Coordinator and Technical Services Team Leader SUNY Potsdam College Libraries http://rogersurbanek.wordpress.com [email_address] AIM/Meebo/Twitter: Jenica26