View and Reflect

Purpose: Build a culture of continuous feedback rather than once a year evaluation. This builds trust, improves performance, and addresses concerns as part of the everyday work relationship.

 

 

Purpose: Ensure clarity and fairness in evaluating performance.

 

Discussion Questions:

Purpose: Prevent unequal treatment that damages morale.

 

Discussion Questions:

Purpose: Support staff development without straining limited budgets.

Discussion Questions:

Create Individual Development Plans (IDPs)

Purpose: Support growth in a way that retains staff and builds internal leadership.

Discussion Questions:

• Which staff members might benefit from an IDP right now?
• What 2–3 reasonable development goals align with your library’s mission?
• How can we balance staff aspirations with the reality of a library career path that may not include traditional promotional pathways?
• What free/affordable trainings support those goals?

Add Structure to Evaluations with Behavior Based Examples

Purpose: Make evaluations objective, consistent, and understandable.

Discussion Questions:

• Are our current evaluation categories clear, or do staff interpret them differently?
• What does “meets expectations” look like for customer service, programming, or communication?
• Can we identify concrete examples of a “1,” “3,” and “5” for each key job area?
• How can we incorporate these examples into evaluation forms?

Address Issues Immediately, Not Later

Purpose: Prevent small issues from becoming major problems.

Discussion Questions:

• What issues do we commonly delay addressing—and why?
• How can we word immediate, respectful correction?
• What training or practice would help supervisors gain confidence in difficult conversations?
• How do we hold each other accountable for timely follow through?

Use Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) Correctly

Purpose: Apply PIPs only to skill based performance issues. Using them incorrectly erodes trust and does not address the underlying problem.

Discussion Questions:

• What kinds of problems should lead to a PIP (skill gaps, accuracy, system usage)?
• What kinds of problems should not (attendance, rudeness, misconduct)?
• What would a 30, 60, or 90 day PIP look like for common library tasks?
• How do we ensure follow-up meetings actually happen during a PIP?

Recognize External Factors Affecting Employees

Purpose: Balance empathy with accountability.

Discussion Questions:

• What local factors affect our staff (childcare, second jobs, housing, transportation)?
• How can we show understanding without lowering core standards?
• When is flexibility appropriate—and when does it become inconsistency?
• What scripts or statements help reinforce: “When you’re here, you need to be fully present”?

Prioritize Leadership Development for New Supervisors

Purpose: Equip supervisors who often learn on the job with the skills they need to be effective. This reduces problems and builds a culture of trust.

Discussion Questions:

• What training or onboarding did current supervisors wish they’d had?
• Which MSL or federation trainings could support newer supervisors? Which trainings could support supervisors with more experience?
• How do we build mentorship between libraries?
• What leadership skills (communication, conflict resolution, delegation) do we most need to strengthen?

Reinforce Mission & Public Service Purpose

Purpose: Ground performance conversations in shared values.

Discussion Questions:

• How does each role in the library contribute to access, learning, and community?
• Do staff understand how their tasks connect to the library mission?
• How can we bring mission reminders into meetings or huddles?
• What local stories or successes demonstrate our impact?

Maintain Strong Communication with Boards

Purpose: Navigate governance structures transparently and responsibly to reduce confusion and improve the work environment and performance.

Discussion Questions:

• What does our board need to understand about performance management?
• Which issues are supervisory (director-led) and which require board involvement?
• How do we document processes, so board turnover doesn’t disrupt expectations?
• How can directors brief their board annually on staff structure, roles, and evaluation practices?

Resources and Links

• Information Sheet and Webinar Summary
• Slides

Questions?