Spotlight: Personal AGM

Introduction

The email circulated, “How to have a happy and healthy career”, how could I resist?  I was there, a SHINe AGM virgin, on Thursday the 10^th May 2007.  There was hustle; there was bustle, the atmosphere electric.  I was sitting on the edge of my seat – waiting.  And then in hushed anticipation it began.

By the way if you heard the pod cast you will hear my tickly cough and also the rustling of papers, this is me trying to open a little three pack of jammie dodgers.

The morning sessions offered some interesting and diverse talks for the “study” part of the day. The afternoon session saw the “AGM proper” start.  There were reports from various committee members detailing past and future activities, the financial situation and then the elections.  It was an opportunity to question and reflect on the development of SHINe as an entity, a living-growing organisation. 

It started me thinking about the AGM process and how it is used as a barometer to report on growth and sustainability within an organisation.  More importantly, I considered the idea that the “AGM methodology” could be used for my own personal development – after all I want growth and sustainability too.

Lets propose the idea of the “Personal AGM” and the hypothesis that it can used to encourage and manage professional development of the librarian.

Generic AGM Methodology

Firstly, is the generic AGM methodology compatible?  Let’s review the process and consider the main features of the AGM.

1. Run on a yearly basis.
2. Details of previous activities.
3. Ideas for future activities.
4. Forum for election i.e. putting yourself forward to do a task or job.
5. Details of fiscal year.
6. Questions and reflection on business development and growth.

It strikes me that the above points are similar to a structured personal development or review at work.  We may even informally go through this process ourselves.

So hypothetically the generic model does provide a reasonable structure from which to base our “personal AGM” on.

“Personal AGM” Methodology

Lets reconsider the generic model of AGM’s and alter for the librarian and information professional,

Yearly basis

·         If you are an employee you will probably have an annual review with your line manager.

·         Some of us will have a yearly reflection; perhaps in January when it’s all talk about “out with old and in with the new”.

Previous activities.

·         What does your job entail at the moment?

·         What do you actually do?

·         What are your core competencies?

·         Are there gaps in your knowledge?

·         Does your work fit in with your “personal constitution” ie: what do you believe in and what is important to your life?

Future activities.

·         Do you want to stay in your job or in the organisation?

·         Do you want to move upwards?

·         Do you want to downsize your work commitments?

·         Where can you get the skills and competencies that you are missing – in-house or elsewhere?

·         What about becoming a mentor or getting one?

Elections: putting yourself forward.

·         Do you want experience in other areas?

·         Do you necessarily need to change jobs?

Financial

·         What are the financial risk scenarios for changing your work either job upsizing or down sizing?

·         What preparations do you need to make to allow these changes to happen?

·         If you hold a budget at work: analyse how the budget was spent, did the spending tie in with the overall service strategy.

Questions and reflection

·         What is in your own personal constitution: Moving forward is not always about up scaling work; it may be a case of getting more out of where you are and taking opportunities for further development.

Findings

This short (very short) investigation considers that the proposal of “personal AGM’s” could work.  The generic model of AGM’s could be altered and used as a career development tool for the librarian and information professional.

Okay, so this is not exactly a systematic review process or a critical appraisal of all the evidence but you can see where I am heading with all this.

There is no short cut to personal growth and development.  Like organisations it takes time, hard questioning and periods of reflection to ensure on-going sustainability and ultimately happiness.  Finding time for development is always hard, but as Sue Hill said in her talk at the study day “you must be responsible for your own personal development and must make it a priority”.  Who are we to argue with Sue?  As SHINe moves forward from its AGM all “fired up” for another years structured growth and development, why not do the same setting out your own “Personal AGM”.

Conclusion

I have been a personal member of SHINe for a few years now.   I like that connection to like-minded people for development and growth of my business and consequently myself.  I generally work in the health sector because I truly believe I can make a difference (perhaps indirectly) to the man on the street; that’s part of my personal constitution.  Last year I became a sub-editor for the SHINe journal.  This year I have become a committee member.  To coin a phrase from mathematical game theory it’s a “win-win situation” for both us “entities”.  SHINe and myself can develop and grow simultaneously helping each other along the way.  Imagine your “personal AGM” this time next year. What would you like to hear about yourself?

  

Joanna Ptolomey
SHINe Journal Spotlight Editor