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Minutes

IRIS Communications Taskforce
Minutes of 2/22/02 Meeting
Recorder: Deb Raftus

Present: Paul Constantine, Carol Buckley, Carla DeMello, Sarah How, John Marmora, Deb Raftus

I. Introductions

II. Paul distributed and explained "spider" outline describing questions, our audiences, goals, and techniques:

1. Goals include developing a 9-month public plan, engaging staff, encouraging staff input and buy-in, and generating a positive, forward-looking spirit.

2. Our three major responsibilities, or techniques, are team building, communication, and helping people deal with change.

III. We discussed our goals for improving communications during transition to all IRIS staff members:

1. Establishing what people know and what they do not know.

2. What is important to people?

3. What are people's concerns?

4. Communicate the Vision and the "Why".

5. Speak honestly and openly to all staff.

6. Create many avenues for feedback, so that people can respond in whichever way is most comfortable for them.

7. Remember to look at the library from User perspective.

IV. Suggestions of techniques:

1. 1 or 2 all-IRIS meetings, providing an open forum for in-person discussion, to serve as companion to IRIS listserve

2. Listserve (established)

3. Electronic feedback form or survey (results will be sent to one individual for gathering, protecting anonymity, if desired)

4. Create small focus groups
a. Weekly meetings
b. Communications task force member present
c. Comfortable setting ("safe" milieu)

5. Create a grass-roots model. Discussion on small focus groups led to taskforce agreement that encouragement of small, localized conversations is essential.

IV. Suggestion for IRIS

We suggest hiring a Change Consultant (in addition to the Change Workshop facilitator) to serve as an external expert to ensure that all required steps are met during transition. This consultant could be a resource for administrators as well as for all IRIS staff, and could be present at open forums.

V. Immediate action to be taken by communications taskforce:

1. Create questionnaire/wish list, giving staff several ways to respond

2. Establish budget

3. Plan social event
a. We decided that having an All-IRIS coffee hour(s) during spring break (other than Wednesday, due to Library Craft Show) would be a great initial social event. We discussed the possibility of reserving Libe Cafe for event, serving coffee and pastries. We would strive for a casual, drop-in setting.

b. Some other ideas included a happy hour, group lunch, or ski trip.

4. Clarify any questions we have of the vision, so that we may best articulate it to all IRIS staff

VI. Agreed on weekly meeting schedule: Fridays, 2 - 3 pm in 106 Olin.