Mission-oriented management: librarian-trained directors in nonlibrary settings - The Library Director

REWARDS

A common perception is that the director in a nonlibrary setting is there, in part at least, to earn more money than is possible in the traditional setting. The interview group, as noted earlier, contradicted that image (see Table 4). While two individuals acknowledged their greater earnings or earning potential in their current nonlibrary positions, those who commented about earning power stated that money was at best a secondary motivator. Primary were the needs discussed earlier, particularly related to the working environment. These individuals valued their "freedom" above compensation.

TABLE 4

REWARDS IN THE NONLIBRARY SETTING

                                           Number of interviewees
Reward                                      specifying this item
Earning potential greater than in
  traditional
  librarianship (but a secondary motive;
  a
  "score-keeper")                                    2
Flexibility, lack of bureaucracy; new
  opportunities and challenges                       6
Have fun! Enjoy one's work!
Multitasking, variety of roles,
  responsibilities                                   8
Knowing that one can "make a difference"             3
Ownership opportunity or                             5
  "Build something from scratch"
  "Pioneer in some element of profession"
  "Being the first!"
  "Satisfying personal quest"
Responsibility & authority, ability to
  "get
  things done"                                       4

The greatest "rewards" appeared to be the ability to work and contribute within a mission-oriented setting which fostered the flexibility, rapid pace, and control which have been described. Of paramount importance was the ability to exercise decision-making without the spectre of second-guessing which often haunts the traditional library director. The phrase "bottom line orientation" was often used in a positive sense to summarize this desired environment. Important messages in all eight interviews included "Have fun!" "Enjoy your work!" "My job must include a high fun quotient" and "After all these years, I still love my job!"

On the other hand, the lack of interest in earnings as a primary reward does not mean the respondents are not involved constantly and intimately with the organizational process of earning revenue. As Alice Sizer Warner (1990) states, those who are successful in nonlibrary environments must be "comfortable with money" (p. 946). Further, Warner maintains that: "You have to like selling. You have to sell all the time, think about it all the time" (p. 947). She urges those crossing into information entrepreneurship to "get tough in the for-profit sense" (p. 948), which is certainly advice that applies to the managers of library-related organizations in today's financial climate.

These themes were echoed by the directors in nonlibrary settings. As one individual phrased it: "One challenge to librarians working in the business side of the information industry is to charge for information--the normal librarian mindset is to provide information or access at no charge." Again the phrase "bottom-line orientation" must be cited. Nearly every interviewee, at some point, used these words, perhaps meaning by them the environment which allows and supports rapid and nonbureaucratic decision-making, as noted earlier, and most likely illustrating, as Warner suggests, a "comfort" with the "tough-minded" nature of the nontraditional setting.