Organizational restructures don’t always happen at the most opportune times. Change often happens when we are deep into doing the work we’ve always done, requiring a quick pivot to new services, responsibilities, and roles. Our large, R1, academic library went through a major restructure, creating (among other new units) the Teaching and Learning department. As new leaders in this department, we were responsible for facilitating micro-level, departmental change and community-building while macro-level change was occurring as well. There was and remains work to be done, but we knew we wanted to create a strong sense of team while accomplishing the work our department was created to do. We spent the time needed at our department’s inception cultivating a sense of community and purpose, planning and thinking, and creating a foundation upon which to build our work. This is a complex process that often falls by the wayside as day-to-day responsibilities take over, but it is one that we believe is necessary for meaningful work and lasting change.
Through this presentation, attendees will learn how to manage change both up and down the organizational structure, create a sense of purpose and community among newly connected colleagues, and develop departmental priorities that will guide the current and future work of their new team.
