Mid-year check up: Reflect, Adjust, then Strategize

By Michael Feit | Feit Consulting

Jul 13

While a library can modernize without a strategic plan, having a strategic plan provides direction and concrete goals and objectives to reaching this vision. It can be challenging to find the time to create this strategic vision, however.

We wrote last December about the power of reflection:  both as to what went well last year, and what can still be improved upon. At year end, it can seem almost impossible to make time for reflection, but that same process can provide significant value at mid-year, when the power and time to adjust course is still in your grasp.

In 2016, a group of researchers comprised of experts from Harvard Business School, HEC Paris, and the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School found that taking time to reflect can greatly improve job performance. In one of their studies, individuals who took time to share and/or reflect on their learnings increased their performance by 22% than those who did not take time to reflect/shared. (Source: https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/reflecting-on-work-improves-job-performance)

The take-away – take time now to write down your reflections on the following:

  • What are the accomplishments for the Library/Team/Department so far this year?
  • What have I done well so far this year to enhance/improve workflow?
  • What have I done well so far this year to enhance/improve work culture?
  • What could I do differently between now and year-end to improve workflow?
  • What can I start planning now to do differently next year to improve work culture?

Also, as a business unit within the firm, incorporating awareness  of strategy should be part of this reflection.  Library professionals should be cognizant of the firm’s overall strategic plan, and resources and initiatives should be evaluated to make sure that they are in support of where the firm is going in the future.

  • Is the firm’s overall business strategy integrated with library services?
  • Does the library have the right tools in place to support the changing needs of the firm?
  • Does firm leadership capitalize on the skills of your team to assess, implement and utilize new processes and technology to move the firm’s strategic vision forward?

Making this time to reflect can be a key step to making the Library’s success your business as well as help you perform better through the end of this year and on the right course for 2019.

About the Author

Michael Feit earned his J.D. from the Loyola University School of Law in Chicago and was an executive at Westlaw before founding Feit Consulting 16 years ago. Feit Consulting partners with law firm administrators and legal information professionals to optimize vendor contracts and the management and delivery of legal information resources by providing leading-edge, customized solutions. Contact Michael at mike@feitconsulting.com