Coaching in the Library

Library Journal

Surely, management must be one of the toughest roles in any organization, and the performance appraisal function must be the most difficult task any manager must perform. From the world of organized sports has come a litany of works on applying the principles of coaching to improve employee performance and productivity inside business. Metz (deputy director, Multnomah Cty. Lib., Portland, OR) summarizes and wonderfully applies these important principles for use by any manager in any library. She defines coaching as "the purposeful and skillful effort by one individual to help another achieve specific performance goals," and her focus is to provide a structural basis for coaching and for learning how to improve coaching. Topics Metz discusses include barriers and paths to performance excellence, a basic structure and overview of coaching, basic coaching behaviors, and solid descriptions and illustrations of coaching scenarios with individuals, teams, leaders, and managers. The intended audience includes supervisors, leaders, and managers, and the overarching reason for coaching to make the library more effective in serving its community rings clear throughout this important title. The inclusion of the numerous examples of actual coaching sessions help further apply this concept in a practical manner, but many readers may cry out for hands-on training to practice this style of managerial communication, especially as they struggle with staff demonstrating poor job performance. Highly recommended. Dale Farris, Groves, TX Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Coaching is described as a method to "develop your sensitivity to conditions that threaten the effectiveness of your own library." The descriptions, scenarios, and management techniques have been drawn from public library settings, but the ideas presented relate to a variety of personnel management issues that arise in any type of library. Situations include complaints about a coworker, addressing a staff member's poor performance, and coaching a team to come together. In each chapter, a prelude sets the scene or context, followed by what, why, and how sections. Scenarios are realistic, and should provide librarians with ideas for resolving work and people-related problems, whether coaching an assistant, a library clerk, or a volunteer. This book offers objective solutions and methods for resolving personnel issues. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.