This Could Hurt

Finished February 25
This Could Hurt by Jillian Medoff

This novel is set around the Human Resources department of a company, Ellery Consumer Research.The head of the HR department is Rosa Guerrero, a woman who leads with compassion. Other department members include Leo Smalls, a benefits vice president who is devoted to Rosa, and who has very little in his life outside of his job; Rob Hirsch, a middle-aged married father of two who is increasingly unenthused with the jobs he has before him; Lucy Bender, a single woman looking for her passion and a chance to prove herself; Kenny Verville, a senior manager who considers Ellery a stepping stone to a better future.
Lucy is also Rob's "work wife" and the two are close allies. Kenny's wife has a more high-powered job than he does and is very competitive. Rob would love to be able to afford to buy a home for his family, but money is a big worry for him.
As the book begins, Rosa encounters some health issues and some of the staff try to rally around to cover for her and manage her communications with others in the organization.
The book has organizational charts placed at intervals through the book that show the relationships and the reader can see how things change. The book ends with organizational charts going into the future, showing how various characters go on in the future on a professional level.
Anyone who has worked in a midsize or bigger organization will be able to recognize some of the dynamics here, and the work environment.
We see the various characters change, and adapt to new circumstances. I really enjoyed this read.

Staff Development on a Shoestring

Finished November 16
Staff Development on a Shoestring by Marcia Trotta.

This manual is aimed at library managers and covers a lot of ground. The first chapter looks at the reasons to engage in staff development, first giving a definition of what staff development can include. The second chapter is a how-to guide on creating a program for staff development for your library. Chapter Three looks at more than just training opportunities using in-house expertise. It covers creating a team of people in your organization through figuring out tasks and determining needs and delivery methods. Chapter Four looks at what the Manager's responsibilities at for staff training, from making sure the training relates to the library's vision to addressing specific needs, tying in job descriptions, giving feedback, and a self-audit tool for the manager.
The fifth chapter looks at best practices, giving some good ideas from what some libraries have done successfully already. Chapter Six looks at the role of mentoring in developing staff. Chapter Seven goes beyond the in-house and looks at opportunities for development outside your library, from the larger organization, to professional organizations, other agencies with similar goals or mandates, local partnership opportunities, institutes of higher educations, and e-learning.
The eighth chapter gives several models for specific training sessions. Topics here are Effective Communication, Orientation, Teamwork, Time Management, and Customer Service. Some are quite extensive. Chapter Nine looks at both developing staff in terms of technology and using technology to provide staff development. The tenth chapter looks at the role of evaluation, including a section on responding to resistance to change. Chapter Eleven covers performance rewards from recognition to more tangible rewards, and motivators.
The last chapter is a collection of resources, some lists, some referrals, and some bibliographies.
A useful book with many tools to get your library organized around this important element for successful library practice.