Monthly Archives: February 2021

CPDWL Podcast Project Season 2, Episode 4: Ulrike Lang and Vera Keown (Part II)

Colleagues, we are excited to announce the our next episode (for season 2) of the CPDWL Podcast Project where we feature library and information professionals who support and participate in professional development work.

This episode’s returning guests are Ulrike Lang and Vera Keown. They both will highlight more about coaching work in IFLA and in their own experiences.

To see the episode, see here: https://anchor.fm/ifla-cpdwl/episodes/S2E4-Ulrike-Lang-and-Vera-Keown-on-Coaching-Basics-Part-II-eo3aeq

Transcript is below.

Ulrike Lang – Until June 2020 Ulrike Lang was head of the Education and Training Department at the State and University Library Hamburg, Germany. Also responsible for Health management, conflict management, diversity management and addiction prevention. She is a member of the German library association BIB and gave several presentations at national and international conferences concerning CPD. Ulrike Lang already served eight years at the Continuing Professional Development Section (CPDWL) as co-chair, was four years member of the Education and Training Section of IFLA and now returned to CPDWL again as co-chair. She is a member of the coaching working group and served also as coach in the past years. At the 2019 Satellite conference in Zagreb she held the workshop „Challenging Presentation Needed? „

Vera Keown has been with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada since 2010. First as Head of the Sciences and Technology Libraries and since 2014, as an Associate University Librarian. She previously held a number of library and business positions at the National Research Council of Canada. Vera has been a member of the IFLA Management & Marketing section since 2016. She considers it a great honour to be working on the IFLA Coaching Initiative with such talented and dedicated committee members. Vera is a certified leadership coach, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and a  member of the International Coaching Federation. She offers one-on-one coaching to managers, leaders, and executives of all levels for leadership and performance development, and provides coach training to organizations.


Transcript:

Hi, this is Raymond Pun, Welcome to the IFLA CPDWL Podcast Project. In this space, we talk with library and information professionals who support and participate in professional development work.. Today’s returning guests are Ulrike Lang and Vera Keown. This episode is a continuation from episode 3.

Until June 2020 Ulrike Lang was head of the Education and Training Department at the State and University Library Hamburg, Germany. Also responsible for Health management, conflict management, diversity management and addiction prevention. She is a member of the German library association BIB and gave several presentations at national and international conferences concerning CPD. Ulrike Lang already served eight years at the Continuing Professional Development Section (CPDWL) as co-chair, was four years member of the Education and Training Section of IFLA and now returned to CPDWL again as co-chair. She is a member of the coaching working group and served also as coach in the past years. At the 2019 Satellite conference in Zagreb she held the workshop „Challenging Presentation Needed? „

Vera Keown has been with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada since 2010. First as Head of the Sciences and Technology Libraries and since 2014, as an Associate University Librarian. She previously held a number of library and business positions at the National Research Council of Canada. Vera has been a member of the IFLA Management & Marketing section since 2016. She considers it a great honour to be working on the IFLA Coaching Initiative with such talented and dedicated committee members. Vera is a certified leadership coach, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and a  member of the International Coaching Federation. She offers one-on-one coaching to managers, leaders, and executives of all levels for leadership and performance development, and provides coach training to organizations. 

Welcome back Vera and Ulrike! 

Hello, Ray. Hi, Raymond. Thanks.

2:08  

So we’re really excited to have you both back to talk about the process, the basics of coaching. And I will admit, currently, right now, I am actually a coach at the New York Public Library as a volunteer supporting users of New York Public Library, who are interested in career development, resume health, planning, and so forth. And I initially had worked at New York Public Library, oh, maybe the past seven, eight years ago. And so when the pandemic happened, there were offering up virtual services and, and I decided to volunteer, and I’ve been volunteering since May of 2020. And I’ve been having such a great opportunity meeting with all types of users who are looking for coaching help. And so I’m so excited for this episode, because we can have a conversation on this, on the experiences that others are having and the basics and concepts of coaching.

Now, I’m curious here, as our first question, why did you get involved in coaching? Did you had experiences from it before? Ulrike, why don’t you start first?

3:12  

Yes, happy to do. And I was always happy to be involved in lifelong learning. I think it’s so important. And coaching is not only a learning for the coachee, but also for the coaches as well. And I had some experiences from my work at the state and university library in Hamburg, where I was responsible for education and training of the staff. And in some reasons, I had to find coaches for those situations where it was appropriate to get input from outside is almost helpful, and I would German Library Association. We had a mentoring program years ago, and I was involved as a mentor. The situation for mentorship is more of a learner and an advisor that was curious to learn more of coaching, while it’s a low threshold possibility if the coach and coachee are familiar with the basic rules.

4:09  

Well, thanks for giving us your context here. How about you Vera?

4:14  

Well, for me, I took a coaching program in early 2019. As a form of professional development for myself, I was originally looking for another way to support my managers beyond the usual advice giving and problem solving. And it far exceeded my expectations. The training program that I  took and I was determined to learn all I could about coaching. So since that time, I’ve taken a number of other courses and I’m on my way to towards becoming a certified coach with the International Coaching Federation. I had been a member of the iIFLA Management and Marketing section for a few years and last year they were looking for a member to join the coaching initiative working group. I eagerly volunteered as I thought this was an area where it you know, I could make a significant contribution to IFLA. And I really wanted to spread the word about coaching and have more librarians be able to experience the benefits of coaching.

 5:16  

That’s a really great points there. And for our listeners, in our previous episode, we dive deeply into the resources of CPDWL and management marketing section on the training tools that are available, please check that out. And so I do want to say that on LinkedIn, I do see people sharing their certification of international coaching Federation. So that’s pretty exciting for you, Vera, to work on that. And so let’s talk let’s talk about why coach training is important. And sort of from your perspective, Vera, would you like to start first?

5:53  

Sure. So I think a lot of managers and leaders have have coaching in their job description. It’s usually, you know, within a sentence of manage, mentor, and coach employees. I know it’s always been like that in mine whenever I’ve had management positions. However, I think we assume that every manager knew what coaching was. And now that I’m a trained coach, I know that what I was doing before as a manager was not necessarily coaching in the truest sense. And so coaching is a tool that managers can use when their employees surpass their need to be managed and mentored. It’s it’s the next level of development for your employees. So coach training is important, because in order for your employees to really benefit from it, it needs to be different from managing and mentoring. The coach needs to learn how to help the coachee solve their own problems, or develop their own strategies. If you know, just do what I did strategy always worked, we wouldn’t really need this ongoing management, training and management books that we have that teaches us how to be great leaders. So learning to coach has many benefits for the manager as well. While coaching employees may seem like it’s a bit more time consuming at first, in the long run, you help your, your help your employees develop their own abilities to solve their own problems. And it really does take the pressure off managers to always have to have, you know, right answer to every situation that comes up. So I like to describe myself as a recovering problem solver. When I describe myself as a coach.

 7:43  

recovering problem solving, that’s a good one. So Ulrike, tell us why coaching training is important.

7:49  

As I think everybody has experiences in dealing with people at work, or in their private environment. But it’s a difference to give just an advice or an hint or offer help, how to deal with the problems, then to offer coaching. And it’s important to have knowledge about the regulations of coaching, and the kind of questions you as a coach have to ask. Otherwise, there’s a big risk of dropping into mentoring. So I think the coach training series which are offered on the CPDWL website, unnecessary and very useful.

8:24  

Definitely. And so with that being said, if there are people who are interested in being a coach, tell us what every coach needs to know, Vera.

 8:36  

Well. So in the the coach training recordings, I covered the important principles for coaching. And these include creating a safe and trusting environment and developing a good relationship with the coachee. Coaching requires the coachee to discuss often some difficult situations and feelings and without creating trust, they need to know that they won’t be judged or that they’re and that they also their information will be kept confidential. Without that it’s really difficult to make any progress with with coaching. Probably one of the most important principles, though of coaching is that the coachee owns the agenda. And what I mean by that is that the coachee decides what the goals are, what they want to accomplish in the coaching session, and the strategy they will use to to solve their problems or reach their goals. So this is what makes coaching so different from managing and mentoring. In managing, the manager says, ”You need to do this and it has to be done this way”. In mentoring, the mentor says, ”What you need to do is this, and here’s how I did it”. Or they’ll say, “Well, I did it this way and it worked for me so maybe you can try that as well”. And finally with coaching, we want to hold people capable. As coaches, we really need to believe that the coach is capable of achieving their goals or solving their problems on their own. They have all the knowledge and wisdom to come up with a plan for success. If we just give advice, we’re really robbing them of the opportunity to learn, grow and develop.

10:15  

Those are really great points. And it’s a form of self empowerment, sounds like and trying to develop their own capabilities, as you were saying, to be able to make the decisions and address the problems on their own, of course, with support right from the coach. And as I hear you, I’m very, I’m reflecting on my own experience, where I give options, I don’t tell them what they should be doing or not doing, but give suggestions and maybe some ideas, but also in a way that helps them because I am not in regular contact with some of the coachee. And they have to make those decisions at the end. And

10:53  

I will say, right, it’s very important that you know, it’s not a dependent relationship, it’s it’s, you don’t want to create a situation where the, the coachee always needs the coach forever to solve every problem. It’s a really learning and a developmental opportunity for the coachee to to learn how to tackle problems on their own at some point.

11:17  

Right. And so this pivot so our next question about the coachee, what kind of coach expect during a coaching session or Ulrike? Can you start first?

11:27  

Sure. There are almost said before, when she described the process of coaching, I think the the coachee, in our process can expect the full attention and the secrecy of the coach, there will be no judgement of the topic, but also a helpful process that will give them the possibility to solve solve their problems with the way that themselves that they have found, and which suits them the best. And sometimes, the coach and coachee might agree agree to continue the relationship for a short period of time, not lifelong, like Vera said before,

12:06  

Right, anything else to add?

12:09  

Well, so during normally, during our coaching session, the coach will ask the coachee, you know, what their goal or challenges are, what their big issue is and then the coach will often ask you to describe what you’d like to accomplish during the coaching session. So you know, the coaching sessions are usually only about an hour long. So we have to be realistic about what can be tackled in that one session. So for example, with a big goal that may take a few months to complete, the session goal may be able maybe to determine four steps, identify resources, or identify the information that needs to be gathered to move forward. The coach will also ask you why it’s important to you, this question is just as important as what the goal is, unless the coachee is clear on why this is important to them, the commitment to it may not be there. Also, it has to be important to them, and not others. Too often people are chasing goals and definitions of success that are not actually their own.

13:21  

Those are really important points there because as I am also listening, I’m thinking about my own experience when I meet with my coachee. Right, and I asked them in the beginning, what would you like to accomplish in this 45 minute session? Right? Like, they only have 45 minutes with me. And we have to focus on the on their agenda, right their needs. But then at the end, we circle back and say, Well, what are their next steps after meeting with me? And they have to really think through and process that. And what’s important to them, right, as you’re saying what are their specific goals, right, and commitments after the session is done so that they’re holding themselves accountable? And I think those are good practices to keep in mind. And so with that being said, I know we talked about a lot of what what we should know and what people should think about in terms of coaching.

But what about misconceptions that people may have about coaching? Ulrike?

14:21  

At our first session in Kuala Lumpur, it was very obvious that the coaches, most of them expected mentoring. That means the coach will give you the perfect advice how to solve your problem because of her or his experience. The coaches asked questions, and mentors usually argue in an almost same situation like yours, I did this or that. But that might not be helpful for you as a coachee. Because of your situation might be different in another cultural context of our example. So the coaches will not get answers. But mostly questions. What about you, Vera?

15:04  

Oh, I totally agree with Ulrike. Coachees are often surprised by all of the questions asked by by the coach. You know, they don’t understand why the coach will not just tell them what they need to do. It’s it’s important for coachees to understand that they are the ones that have to do the hard work of coaching. Otherwise, you know, it can often lead to the coachee becoming frustrated and feel that the coach has failed them. Another misconception, at least in the business world is that coaching is for managers who are not performing well. So in the past, coaching was often seen as a form of performance management or a last ditch attempt to improve managers performance and relationship skills. But that’s really not the case. Coaching is, is very much for those people who are actually really high performers already. And and they’re looking to, to get to that next level, they just might be stuck for some reason. And finally, there’s also some belief that coaching is only for top executives. There are so many types of coaching available, and and because the focus is on the individual coaching is highly customizable to the person and their situation. So coaching really is for everyone.

16:32  

And may I add here? 

16:33  

Oh, yes, please.

16:35  

I think Vera is very right. It’s not only for the top executives, coaching might be very helpful in your personal development, to change your way in business career, the right person who asks you, where do you want to be in five years? And what do you need for this? What supports you and what hinders you? And you might start your own process of development right now.

16:58  

Those are really great points. I think, when we think about that kind of work, it’s often those misconceptions that hold people back right to weather, get a coach or to be a coach. And so with that being said, What advice do you have for those who would like to be a coach? Or Ulrike, would you like to start first?

17:18  

Sure, you should be really interested in other people, and have an affinity to dive deeper into work situations of others, you are not familiar with? Check how much you like not to solve problems, but light problems by asking questions, be open, be able to follow the regulations of coaching and keep your own feelings apart, be open to learn new techniques and change your own leadership, then you would be really good coach. I think.

17:49  

Vera — Yeah, I

17:51  

I totally agree with what Ulrike has already mentioned. Those are those are great. That’s great advice for for wanting to be a coach, I would just add also to learn to be comfortable with silence. You know, coaches should not actually do a lot of talking during the session. I think they also have to be willing to take the coachee into some uncomfortable territory. You know, problem solving tackles what’s on the surface, you know, what’s wrong and what needs to be done to change it. With coaching, we dig a little deeper.

Why is this important to the coachee? What will be different if this is solved, and also what’s getting in the way? It’s, it is more effective at getting the coachee to see new perspectives, develop more self awareness, and discover options that they didn’t know were available to them. 

18:55  

Wow, those are really great and advice from both of you and sharing your perspective on coaching being a coach and coachee and with that being said, for those listening, please be sure to check out the CPDWL website, the coaching resources, webinars, and M&M team and the CPDWL team worked together to put these free resources in many of the different languages for you to take advantage of, and to learn more about being a coach. And with that being said, Thank you so much, Ulrike and Vera for taking your time to talk with us today.

19:32  

Thank you. It was a pleasure to be part of this podcast Ray. Thank you for arranging it.

19:39  

Yes, thanks very much, Raymond. I really appreciate this and I’m so excited to see what the coaching initiative working group is going to come up with this year.

Prevent psychological illness following the Corona crisis

(Helsingborg, Sverige – Photo from @hansericorre)

Mental illness is unfortunately increasing after crises and therefore it is important that we see the risks and act on them. This is an important managerial issue to work on as the pandemic evolves. It is also an important professional development issue.

it is important that we bear in mind that mental illness is something that we can all experience, in different phases of life. Also, a small reduction in our well-being is also a loss.

During the pandemic, the media in Sweden has written about the connection between mental illness and COVID-19. In June, a large part of Helsingborg’s library management team participated in a webinar organized by our occupational health, “Prevent mental illness following on the Corona crisis.”

As a continuation of this webinar and as part of our systematic work health activities, we have made a plan in the area. Helsingborg is now looking at how we can implement measures at organizational, group and individual levels.

The work is based on the following areas:

  • Using positive sides of the crisis (the need for social activities increases, the focus on new solutions and initiatives taken as well as increased creativity and innovation)
  • Identifying early health signals (increase the awareness of all staff so that we all see the early health signals, professional development within this, and continue to discuss this in individual dialogues)
  • Focusing on group development (continue with professional development, work on social activities, do not just focus on Covid-19)
  • Supporting managers, both on group and individual levels.

We are continuously working on this and have various activities during the year. One concrete initiative is to use a tool to learn more about how to see early health and stress signals together with all staff. We are also looking at how we can carry out group activities in a Corona-safe manner. And we also have a research project which has just started together with Lund University.

Feel free to share with us how you work with this important issue. We would like to get inspiration on how we can develop this work further.

Catharina Isberg, Library Director Helsingborg City Libraries

IFLA, Advocacy, and Communities: Championing Broadband in COVID-19 times

By Loida Garcia-Febo, CPDWL Consultant, International Library Consultant

Libraries as we knew them were forever changed by COVID-19. The pandemic brought up an opportunity to re-envision libraries to provide services in a way that reflects specific needs from communities deeply affected by it. This global situation also taught us to prioritize and shone a light on inequalities. How to start addressing all of these to create the libraries we deserve?

Recently, I coordinated and moderated an online event part of IFLA CPDWL and New Professionals webinar series with ALA entitled “Librarians supporting universal broadband to continue providing essential services to communities everywhere.” This event also highlighted advocacy efforts of IFLA which are guiding and supporting the path of libraries as we move towards the future, post-COVID-19, its aftershocks, and beyond.

This webinar spoke to the value of libraries and to the fact that as librarians we strive to work towards providing access to information to all. IFLA has championed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for a long time. As we know, library services include providing access to the Internet through computers and wifi to library users that would have access to information that might help them to prevent health conditions such as COVID-19, better their education and overall prospects in life.

These are areas that are intrinsically related to the achievement of development as it is contemplated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Advocacy towards universal broadband can change our world! Librarians working together in concerted action with different stakeholders can secure actions from governments to ensure that all citizens have access to the internet.

All of this is supported by the 59th session of the United Nations’ Commission on Social Development currently in session in New York and online and until 17 February and its priority theme: socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all. 

Remarkably, and as per IFLA’s recent communication, the United Nations has underlined the role of libraries in extending connectivity and building skills, ahead of discussions (taking place during this 59th session) about how digital technologies can advance social development.

IFLA continues to lead the way in these advocacy efforts with submissions  to the Commission stressing that  it remains a priority to overcome the digital divide and allow more people to benefit from the possibilities that digital technologies can bring.

Another successful advocacy initiative from IFLA is the launching of a Library Pledge to Promote Digital Inclusion and access to information during COVID-19 and beyond. This is an advocacy tool to collect signatures and “demonstrate to decision-makers the commitment of libraries to do all in their power to ensure that everyone, especially during COVID-19, has the possibility and skills to access and use information effectively.”

 Global organizations such as UNESCO have indicated that broadband is “the missing link” in global access to education. But as we know, COVID-19 propelled a massive shift to digital which made evident the reality of inequality of access to the Internet which also plays into the mission and operation of libraries.

IFLA’s pledge speaks to pronouncements from UNESCO and also from the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) which recently called attention to the Internet as a vehicle for human resilience and solidarity. The IGF have stated that inclusion achieved by access to the Internet is a key contributor towards a stronger economy and enhanced economic development through shared wealth, shared employment, and equal opportunity for all. Additionally, the IGF has said that the Internet is an enabler towards the fulfillment of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A Library Pledge to promote digital inclusion and access to information during COVID-19 and beyond is an advocacy effort highly visible in the global arena.

Empowered by these actions from IFLA, library associations are developing advocacy efforts to support broadband and digital inclusion at national and local levels. Therefore, IFLA is positively impacting advocacy efforts towards universal broadband and digital literacy in nations worldwide. For instance, advocacy efforts by the American Library Association (ALA), state that broadband in libraries is needed by patrons to access devices, collections and information, and a myriad of services. It is also used by librarians to create and develop content accessed by patrons and provide access to transformative resources to better the education and lifelong learning of communities deeply impacted by COVID-19 in all regions of the world.

Furthermore, during ALA’s Midwinter Meeting this past January 2021, the ALA Council passed a Resolution in Support of Broadband as a human right which resolved that ALA, on behalf of its members:

  1. affirms universal access to affordable high-capacity broadband is as essential as electricity and therefore a basic right for all; and,
  2. advocates for legislative and regulatory policies through which libraries can affect positive change toward such universal access.

This resolution would be used by library advocates to support efforts towards universal broadband in their local areas. These actions can take various shapes at national and local levels. For instance, the ALA is a sponsor of an upcoming webinar by the Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) entitled “Biden and Broadband” featuring former advisors to US President Biden which explores what comes next in the areas of prospects of legislation, the U.S. Federal Communication Commission, and other aspects within and during the US President Biden administration.

Additionally, I am happy to share that the ALA’s UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Task Force which I Chair is coordinating a webinar to support universal broadband as essential for development.

I would like to encourage everyone to pay close attention to all these advocacy developments to support libraries. Continuing to work together in concerted action with cohesive leadership will ensure that we reach stakeholders and partner with key agencies and organizations to bring the change we need to help communities deeply impacted by COVID-19, the aftershocks and beyond. With IFLA leading, Together, we can!

 ——

Webinar information:

“Librarians supporting universal broadband to continue providing essential services to communities everywhere”

I was honored to moderate the webinar featuring library leaders from IFLA, UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL), and libraries in different regions sharing considerations on how to move forward towards this urgent goal. Speakers included: 

  • Dr. Jesus Lau, Co-Chair UNESCO Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy (GAPMIL)
  • Catharina Isberg, Library Director Helsingborg City Libraries, IFLA Governing Board Member;
  • Sanjay Kumar Bihani, IFLA Governing Board Member, Library and Information Officer at the Ministry of External Affairs, Patiala House Annexe, Tilak Marg, New Delhi, India. 

CPDWL has presented webinars for the global library community since 2012 when I, together with CPDWL and IFLA New Professionals, established the “New Professionals Global Connection: Best practices, models and recommendations” webinar series. Over the years we have collaborated with other IFLA Sections such as the Latin America & Caribbean Section to present webinars in Portuguese and Spanish besides English. See available recordings on the CPDWL YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj-wuXjzoITokcO5qr0R4xA/videos and on the IFLA New Professionals website: https://npsig.wordpress.com/webinars-2/

CPDWL Podcast Project Season 2, Episode 3: Ulrike Lang and Vera Keown (Part I)

Colleagues, we are excited to announce the our next episode (for season 2) of the CPDWL Podcast Project where we feature library and information professionals who support and participate in professional development work.

This episode’s guests are Ulrike Lang and Vera Keown

To see the episode, see here: https://anchor.fm/ifla-cpdwl/episodes/S2E3-Ulrike-Lang-and-Vera-Keown-on-Coaching-Programme-Part-I-eo3a93

Transcript is below.

Ulrike Lang – Until June 2020 Ulrike Lang was head of the Education and Training Department at the State and University Library Hamburg, Germany. Also responsible for Health management, conflict management, diversity management and addiction prevention. She is a member of the German library association BIB and gave several presentations at national and international conferences concerning CPD. Ulrike Lang already served eight years at the Continuing Professional Development Section (CPDWL) as co-chair, was four years member of the Education and Training Section of IFLA and now returned to CPDWL again as co-chair. She is a member of the coaching working group and served also as coach in the past years. At the 2019 Satellite conference in Zagreb she held the workshop „Challenging Presentation Needed? „

Vera Keown has been with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada since 2010. First as Head of the Sciences and Technology Libraries and since 2014, as an Associate University Librarian. She previously held a number of library and business positions at the National Research Council of Canada. Vera has been a member of the IFLA Management & Marketing section since 2016. She considers it a great honour to be working on the IFLA Coaching Initiative with such talented and dedicated committee members. Vera is a certified leadership coach, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and a  member of the International Coaching Federation. She offers one-on-one coaching to managers, leaders, and executives of all levels for leadership and performance development, and provides coach training to organizations. 


Transcript:

Hi, this is Raymond Pun, Welcome to the IFLA CPDWL Podcast Project. In this space, we talk with library and information professionals who support and participate in professional development work.. Today’s guests are Ulrike Lang and Vera Keown.

Until June 2020 Ulrike Lang was head of the Education and Training Department at the State and University Library Hamburg, Germany. Also responsible for Health management, conflict management, diversity management and addiction prevention. She is a member of the German library association BIB and gave several presentations at national and international conferences concerning CPD. Ulrike Lang already served eight years at the Continuing Professional Development Section (CPDWL) as co-chair, was four years member of the Education and Training Section of IFLA and now returned to CPDWL again as co-chair. She is a member of the coaching working group and served also as coach in the past years. At the 2019 Satellite conference in Zagreb she held the workshop „Challenging Presentation Needed? „

Vera Keown has been with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada since 2010. First as Head of the Sciences and Technology Libraries and since 2014, as an Associate University Librarian. She previously held a number of library and business positions at the National Research Council of Canada. Vera has been a member of the IFLA Management & Marketing section since 2016. She considers it a great honour to be working on the IFLA Coaching Initiative with such talented and dedicated committee members. Vera is a certified leadership coach, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and a  member of the International Coaching Federation. She offers one-on-one coaching to managers, leaders, and executives of all levels for leadership and performance development, and provides coach training to organizations. 

Welcome Ulrike and Vera!

Hi, Hi, thank you.

2:04  

Our first question is really to look at the collaboration of coaching the idea of coaching. So we’re really excited to have you both coming in from CPD wl and mmm sections to talk about it. So how did this idea on coaching come about in cpW, well, and m&m sections to start things off, or Rico? Can you please talk about this?

2:27  

Sure. The CPD wl section always try to present interactive programs and sessions at the word Library and Information conferences. And we realized that a lot of colleagues have the need to communicate about the tasks and problems with colleagues from abroad, they might talk much more open than with the colleagues in their own institution. Because in some business cultures worldwide, it’s not appropriate to name your lack of knowledge or competency. Also on previous satellite conferences of CPD, wl career and professional development coaching has already been part of the program of beige in a smaller size. And pushing usually is cost and time intensive. So we thought about offering a low threshold supply, which was also an experimental balloon.

3:18  

So let me follow up with that. Who is the coaching program for Oh, Rica.

3:23  

Actually, it’s for everybody who has a problem in daily work with her or his team, with the leadership, the organization of the customers, or the own role in the institution. There are lots of topics which has been raised during our years of coaching. And it’s not only problems, but it’s maybe just to will to change anything.

3:45  

That’s very interesting. Thanks for giving some context here. And I know that at CB wl we working with the m & m section, we have started hosting these online asynchronous training and video support for the area of coaching. Vera. Can you tell us a bit about the training videos and why is it important for potential coaches to complete the ifla coaching training webinars?

4:13  

Yes, so we recorded five training videos for the CPDWL website. And they’re presented in English however, through the work of numerous volunteers, we were able to post copies of the slides in six of the seven languages. But you know this, it was a huge undertaking to do that. But we really felt it was important that if the coaches could review the material in a language that they were most comfortable with. Coaching is about developing a good relationship and building trust for the coachee and it’s vital to the success of any coaching session. That can be more challenging when you’re coaching in a language that is maybe not your your first language. conversations that happen between coaches and coaches are usually very personal. And it’s very important to be able to convey and capture the essence of what’s being communicated. So I am really happy that we were able to get the translations of the materials and that the coaches feel that they were better prepared. They’re important to watch, because in my experience, there is a lot of confusion between, you know, what is mentoring, and what is coaching, both for the coach and the coachee. For the coaches, they often tend to be very accomplished managers and mentors already in their careers, they’ve had long careers doing that. And they’re kind of used to that problem solving environments where the, you know, the coachee or their employee comes to them with some problem and, and as the, you know, more senior person, they tell them what they need to do. So, so, the videos go through a lot of that, to try and clear up some of the confusion between what is managing what is mentoring, and what is coaching, and how they’re different when to use them. And then it also gets into how to do it, which involves a lot of open ended questioning. And the one of the things that we talked about, I believe, on the live webinar that we did with how to handle some of common coaching challenges that come up. So anybody who’s interested in being a coach could watch those videos, they’re only about a half hour each, and they can get a real mini course, in how to how to coach.

6:50  

Thanks for setting that up. And so that’s very helpful to see the resources that you have given to, to the members of IFLA. Right, and learning what types of differentiations of the types of positions. Now, Rica, can you talk about the the coaching program in the world Library Information Congress in 2018, and 2019? And what was that like? And I know you mentioned a little bit about it, but can you tell us more about that?

7:22  

Sure. And actually, we had no idea if participants of the wl IC in 2018 would take the time or felt the need of being coached. So we ordered a ballroom style room in Kuala Lumpur. We looked for coaches in our own section, but also every member of the Standing Committee of CPDWL with contacts to experienced colleagues tried to motivate them to participate too. We started long before the Congress to advertise for the session. And we also provide some colleagues as hosts to guide the coaches at the session itself. As we didn’t know how many would participate, we seriously worried if we would be just the coaches or too many interested coaches, we were pretty prepared to connect one coach with one coachee, but also to organize some kind of group coaching, if there would have been too many people interested. The organizing group prepared a list with coaching areas where the coaches could mark the topics she or he felt safe to coach with like management skills, health management, lifelong learning, marketing libraries, sectors, like academic or public libraries, career planning, change, men, management, etc. At the doors, the hosts would guide the coaches to an available coach who covered the asked topics. That was the theory. In practice, there were too many interested colleagues. So almost every coach had three to six people at her or his table. And it was the individual choice how the coaches deal with them. Of course, there was not very much privacy at the tables. So mostly they had some kind of group coaching. Our every coach he was waiting to get in the row. After the W li c 2018. We decided to offer more theoretical input about coaching, because some of the coaches came with the expectation to get the clue that means to find a mentor. And in some cases, it was very even for the coaches very difficult to go the way of coaching instead of just giving advice in 2019. In essence, we were prepared better, didn’t divide the coaches in topics offered only one by one coaching and also offered the coaching in all official languages. So the only Way to split the coaches was what was the language they would like to be coached in. We had more hosts who watched which coach could welcome the next coachee. And we started to collaborate with the m&m section, where a lot of well experienced colleagues are on board.

10:20  

Riga, thanks for that context. Actually, I do recall for myself being a coach for both 2018 and 2019. And it was quite quite different. So I’ve seen the improvement 2018, it felt like it was a good pilot, where we had a group of participants in one table, and everyone was trying to almost group coach each other in such a certain extent. And so 2019 was more consistent in terms of one on one support. And now with the pandemic, we know that things have flipped online, and there was no 2020 Congress, unfortunately, so we couldn’t get together and do another coaching session. However, I do know that some of our listeners and and might know this, that we flipped online. And so what was what was it like pivoting to online coaching format in 2020? Were there any logistical challenges that you’d like to share? Vera?

11:19  

Well, yeah, there were some things online. But coaching is actually fairly easy to do either by phone or video conferencing. In fact, that’s the way I’ve been doing most of my coaching is through virtual coaching with the clients that I have. It’s very convenient, both for the coach and the coachee. And it’s also very low cost, especially when we’re using online free online services. So there’s no long distance charges or travel time that’s required for on either parties. Um, it also needs to coachees are not limited to working with those coaches that are within their local area. And this is especially important for anyone living outside of a major city. One of the main challenges we had was implementing an online booking system for the coaching appointments. Because we had quite a number of coaches and coaches, and we didn’t have a paid subscription to an online booking system. And we also wanted to maintain the confidentiality and the privacy of everyone that was involved. But we did actually work that all out, and I think it worked quite well. I think the other challenge with the online coaching versus having the coaching with at the conference, or at the Congress was, you know, coachees not showing up for appointments. I think that happened a few times, because these tend to be booked in advance. And although they are put into people’s calendars, you know, it doesn’t always match up with what’s going on in people’s lives at that time. So we were at the Congress, everybody’s you know, more focused on on the Congress and, you know, are able to leave sort of their day to day lives a little bit behind they are there.  One of the biggest challenges though, with online and phone coaching, is the ability to read people’s body language, or to see their facial expressions. So with video coaching, you know, it’s actually not that bad because we, because of this year, we’re actually getting quite good at it. I think that doing this. But when you’re only coaching by audio, it can be a little bit more, more difficult. But a lot of the communication happens outside of the words people actually speak. So as a coach, it’s important to notice changes in body language and facial expression. If you only have audio to go on, then you know, you’d have to really pay attention to the tone of voice that  people are using the rate of their speech. These are all good cues as to what the coachee is feeling when they’re talking about an issue.

14:11  

Those are really great points about body language, facial expressions, the tone, like you had mentioned for in person, right? And then now it’s it’s, it’s a little different online where you could still see some body language, but it’s difficult, right? If they are if the videos are off, obviously you can’t see it, but the tone really picking that up. And so about the feedback from participants, what about that and you know, I recall hearing and reading about rolana Ron has experience a participant from the Philippines speaking about her experience with Coach Rajan a CPD wl member from Singapore remotely and highly enjoyed it. And I wonder if you could talk more about the feedback where we go.

14:53  

Yeah, you’re right, Ray. I think feedback is something we can really improve because it was different This year, we send out a questionnaire after the coaching sessions. And the return write rate was very low. The years before, it was much easier when the hosts at the exit doors of the room where the session took place, just asked the leaving coaches. But I know that some of the coaches got feedback from the coaches later. And I also know from one coach who is now friend with a coach he on Facebook, so it could be Yeah, connection for a long time.

15:37  

Yeah, those are great points for consideration how those connections right are so important, especially right now. And so we are we’re heading to our final question here on this topic, what’s next for the coaching? Sure,

15:57  

we’ll certainly continue with the online coaching as long as we cannot meet in person. And the W li c will be virtual in 2021. The coaching working group will meet soon via zoom to discuss the next steps.

16:14  

But those are great next plans, Vera.

16:18  

And well, For my part, I have lots of ideas that I will be bringing to our next meeting of the working group. I think we talked a little bit about these, actually this year as well. But I’d like to do a video training session for coachees to help them prepare for the coaching session. As I Ulrike had mentioned that, you know, there’s still some misunderstanding from the coachees as to what coaching is, and what their role is in it. And, you know, they may be still looking for advice. And for the coach to, you know, tell them what they need to do. But for coaching, it’s the coachee is the one that is expected to do all of the hard work of coaching. And it’s about discovering the capabilities that they already have within themselves to reach their goals and to find solutions to their challenges. The other thing I’d like to try and develop is a group coaching session, in order to help the the IFLA coaching program meet the demand that we’re getting. So with one on one coaching, the coachee determines the topic for the session, and they work with the coach to develop a solution that’s tailored to their situation and their their personality. With group coaching, it’s still focused on the individual and developing their own strategy, but it’s centered around a common theme or topic. And the coach leads the coachees participating in the group through exercises that get them to work through challenges, or define their goals and strategies. So each coachee does their own work. But the questions are, are, and they’re a little less less spontaneous than they would be in a one on one session. But it’s also a way to reach more coachees and  on a common topic that might be familiar and important to some people often around career. You know, how do I get my next job, those types of things, points that people will often

18:30  

have in common.

18:32  

Well, those are really great projects and plans. Bera thank you for sharing that. And it’s so helpful to hear what projects are in store right, even though we’re all working remotely to a certain extent, wherever we’re located. So these are still exciting projects and plans that Ulrike  shared. With that I want to thank our guests today or Riga and Vera, thank you so much for speaking with us today on coaching.

 18:59  

Thank you, it was really a pleasure. And for any questions from the listeners. Of course, we are here on the CPD wl website and I think on M and M to, to answer

19:13  

Thank you very much. I really appreciate you putting this together. And it’s been it’s been great having an opportunity to talk about coaching.

19:22  

Great, thank you all for listening.