Holiday Morale Boosters

As we enter into the holiday season, it is time to think about ways to acknowledge the staff, both individually and collectively. I like to take time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year, which has been full of major changes at the El Toro and Laguna Woods branches. Both branches have had a change of command and new direction. We have implemented a new digital phone system. We had two major renovations, the repairing of a damaged wall and a new HVAC system. By the end of the year we will have trained eight extra help staff and two new staff members at El Toro and trained three staff members in procedures at Laguna Woods. We cross trained one staff member in clerical duties. The Laguna Woods Branch has a new Friends of the Library. We implemented a rotation between the El Toro staff and Laguna Woods staff. This gives the Laguna Woods staff time to work on back up duties and projects and the El Toro staff can brush up on procedures at the Laguna Woods Branch.

Orange County is currently going through reorganization and OC Public Libraries is now part of OC Community Resources. This has not directly affected the public, but there has been a rearranging of staff between the four departments of OC Community Resources, OC Parks, OC Community Resources, OC Animal Care and OC Public Libraries. It will take some time to settle into the changes.

If I have to choose one word to sum up 2008, it would be CHANGE. Change is good. Change is necessary to life. Anything living is constantly growing and changing. Change is life. If something is not changing, it is not living. OC Public Libraries is a living, growing organization, progressive in technology and library services. But I digress. Our staff has weathered these changes and maintained a high standard of service.

So how do I acknowledge this? I usually take the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas to ponder the contributions of each staff member. I look over personnel files and make notes to be included in future personnel reviews. As we near the holiday season, I make out a Christmas or Hanukkah card with a personal note of appreciation for each person, including the library pages. These are given out at the annual Holiday Breakfast. When I can I include a gift with the card. I like to make gifts usually from one of my hobbies, cooking, gardening and sewing. Each year I can the fruits of my garden and I also enjoy making jams and jelly. But the gift can just as easily be a gift certificate or movie pass tucked into the card. The important thing is to recognize and acknowledge what each of us has contributed.

It is extremely important for team building to spend some recreational time together away from work. I try to have a holiday staff party at my home every other year. I will try to do this, unless another staff member would like to host, this year. We also have the holiday breakfast before work. And I try to include an outing either dinner or the theater or concert at some other time of the year. These are optional and not mandatory in any way. Usually if a staff member is hesitant to participate, the glowing reviews of the participating staff is encouragement for the next event.

These are little things, but they knit the staff together. I try to get staff participation in planning and executing these functions from the smallest potluck or farewell to the larger extracurricular activities. We have come together as a team this year.