Solve for XTom Bruno
Head of Resource SharingHarvard College Library
The Equation
If Dedicated Library Staff + Effective Communication +Well-implemented Technology + X = Excellent Customer Service; Solve for X
Do you like apples?
Wait, I read this book…
42!
On second thought
•Maybe this is a trick question•Maybe there
is no X
Plug & Chug
• Let’s not go down the Keanu rabbit hole (yet!)• Remember your high school
algebra?• Plug in some values and see what
we get
X= Walking the talk?
• Colleagues who’ve done their time, know their stuff make the ideal role models
• Competence is the cornerstone of mutual respect- both internally and externally
• Never trust a librarian who doesn’t love the smell of red rot in the morning
X= Once more unto the breach?
• Maybe X is inspiration• Belief in the research
mission of the library• Employees who are
emotionally invested are more likely to want to grow and excel
• Library work becomes collaborating towards a shared vision
X= Tell me about your day?
• Maybe X is empathy• Superior customer
service goes beyond mere obligation
• High touch service hasn’t gone away, but it must be applied strategically
• Do it right and you turn customers into advocates
Or does X= the vision thing?
Creating a culture of innovation
• What if X is QUESTIONING?• What if X is NETWORKING?• What if X is OBSERVING?• What if X is EXPERIMENTING?• What if X is all of the above?
Source: Scott Anthony, “How do you create a culture of innovation?” http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669657/how-do-you-create-a-culture-of-innovation
Let’s get integral!
• Put it all together and what do you get for X?
• X is ideal, inspirational, individual, innovative
• When we integrate over all values of X, the result is transformative customer service
Q.E.D.
• Transformative customer service requires transformative leadership- or does it?
• The goal of leadership: create effective units that can accomplish their objectives even under unpredictable circumstances
• As transformative leadership becomes the norm, X -> 0
Back to Keanu
• Neo: What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?
• Morpheus: No, Neo. I’m trying to tell you that when you’re ready, you won’t have to.
The Scan & Deliver Experience
• Harvard Library’s scan on demand service, Scan & Deliver, required transformative leadership
• Positive role modeling, inspiration/motivation, empathy for individual concerns, need for system-wide innovation & creativity
• Result: a service which set the bar of expectations for Harvard Library patrons
So long and thanks for all the math
• Questions?• Comments?• Corrections?
(Special thanks to Yale, the Wachowski Brothers, and Gottfried Leibniz)