As a huge proponent of strategic planning for public libraries (see here, here, and here) I often struggle with finding the balance between being strategic while allowing for flexibility. It is important to follow your strategic plan, and not fall victim to trying, willy-nilly, every new idea that pops into anyone’s head. Such willy-nilly-ness is a recipe for disaster, in my cookbook. But, so is such rigid following of your plan that you miss profiting from serendipity and happy accidents.
I struggle with the same search for balance in my everyday life. It is important to have a plan, and a schedule, but it is equally important to be open to a last-minute change of plans. Sometimes you have to “Just Do It.”
As this post on Infoblog says, “Yes, careful planning is important; but there comes a point when ‘careful’ gives way to a kind of scrupulosity that means ‘stalling.’ You and/or the library staff may simply be stalled out by fear, rather than by a need for more helpful information or insights.”
How do you find that happy medium? When should you just do it? Ah, dear reader, if I knew the answer to that, I’d be a rich woman. Instead, I’ll just say each of us have to find that balance for ourselves and our libraries. Let me know how you find it.
OST Strategic Plan Initative Writing @ Worcester Academy (Photo credit: Antonio Viva)
A Life in Libraries 