Staff members Katherine Kalsbeek and Shirin Eshghi are part of the Managing at UBC program.
Investing in professional development, whether it be in-person workshops, online learning or through coaching, is an important factor in employee retention and engagement at the Library. Here’s one of the ways in which we foster the Focus on People strategy with our staff.
Managers at UBC Library are participating in a program designed to support leadership development. The program, Managing at UBC, has been offered by UBC’s Organizational Development and Learning unit for years; however, the Library worked with the unit to develop a more tailored program for its managers focusing on such topics at change management, interpersonal relationships, and conflict resolution. The program has been tailored specifically for the Library and allows for the participation of faculty, CUPE 2950 and Management and Professional staff.
“This initiative allows managers to self-identify and work towards their own developmental goals as well as the developmental goals of those reporting to them,” says Chantal Duke, Leadership Program Manager, UBC Organizational Development & Learning. “Some of the areas participants want to strengthen their muscles in are teamwork, working structures, future orientation and communication.”
The desire to develop a tailored program for Library management was, in part, triggered by the Library’s results from the campus-wide Workplace Experiences Survey conducted in 2011. Library-specific results were shared with staff in March 2012. Soon after, the Library established an Exceptional Workplace Committee, which has focused on the creation of a variety of programs, projects and initiatives to contribute to the development of an exceptional workplace at the Library.