[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Help needed - promotion (?) opportunity



I head an archives department of five people.  My time constantly goes
to handling paperwork, working with employees, and dealing with
organizational and outside politics.  At times, it becomes an uphill
battle, although I enjoy it immensely.  I find that having a personal
"hard edge" helps in dealing with various individuals and groups.  There
is no way to please everyone, so I operate according to my principles.
Management can be very stressful.  There are times when I wake up in the
middle of the night thinking about what I will do or how I will handle a
problem the next day.  According to one speaker I heard, 85 percent of
the general public cannot handle management positions.  To be effective,
you will need strong interpersonal skills, especially diplomacy,
empathy, a keen ear, and savvy in recognizing and handling political
problems.

My recommendation is that you not wear two hats; either you continue as
the archivist or plan to give up those activities and serve as the
director.  I would make it clear to your Board in any case that the
position of Archivist should continue to be funded.

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>