Regardless of anyone’s position at ALA, we are all expected to contribute to creating and nurturing a work environment where everyone feels valued, heard and ready to bring their A-game. Here are some lessons I’ve learned that have helped me adapt the insights I’ve learned from my colleagues, peers and mentors to foster collaborative and inclusive leadership at ALA.
1. Open Communication Is Key
It is critical that our team feels comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. Whether someone comes to me or someone else they trust, we strive to create an environment where there are open communication channels. By ensuring every voice is heard and considered, our employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment. We provide as many outlets as possible for that to happen, whether it’s project updates via our weekly Monday Message, feedback in regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings, or personal concerns that are appropriate to address with supervisors or human resources. Our standard is to make sure our communications are clear, consistent, and aligned with the organization’s values and goals.
2. Expose Staff to Unique Perspectives
At ALA, we want a team that’s buzzing with fresh ideas. To help accomplish this, we make it a priority to expose our team to people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to broaden and enrich our perspectives and help us serve our members and business partners. Likewise, we encourage staff to take advantage of participating in diverse groups outside of ALA. Embracing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) sparks creativity and helps make us a stronger, more cohesive team.
“In a time when hybrid work has become the norm, it is crucial that we as leaders remain intentional about finding opportunities for employees to work together closely and constructively.”
Leadership is also demonstrated in trusting our team by giving them responsibilities, the autonomy to make decisions, and the confidence to make mistakes. These are opportunities for learning and growth, showing them that their professional development is a priority and that it may manifest in different ways. Empowering our team supports the desire to increase engagement and build attachment to ALA.
3. Collaboration Creates Inclusion
Strengthening team bonds enhances collaboration. This may sound easy, but it isn’t. There’s a lot of trial and error, and the results can be as varied as the people involved, all of whom have different needs and expectations. Using digital collaboration tools to keep everyone informed and on the same page is certainly necessary, particularly since we work in a hybrid environment. Planning fun team-building activities and switching up who leads these efforts helps to keep things fresh, and we often discover a hidden talent or interest in someone that we never knew before.
Demonstrating inclusive behavior in our daily interactions is a big part of exhibiting and sharpening our leadership skills. One of our staff core values is holding ourselves and others accountable for maintaining and protecting a positive work environment. With a staff size of 25, there aren’t many places to hide, especially when we’re not living up to our values. When we embody and reinforce our values, others are more likely to follow suit.
In a time when hybrid work has become the norm, it is crucial that we as leaders remain intentional about finding opportunities for employees to work together closely and constructively. Inclusion doesn’t happen on its own — it is the result of a concerted effort by all to ensure that every voice at the table is heard. With that culture in place, staffs large and small can work cohesively to accomplish their goals.
