Yale librarian Todd Gilman's "The Four Habits of Highly Effective Librarians" (published in the Chronicle of Higer Education, 5/23/07) has been making the rounds of library blogland, and rightly so. He makes the point that "many of us librarians are our own (or one another's) worst enemies and that if we were more adept at working together, we could improve our lives and those of our colleageues." Borrowing from Steven Covey, he recommends four traits (or "habits"): 1. openess; 2. responsiveness; 3. collaboration; and 4. communication. I've pinned the list over my phone as an aide-memoire, to keep me from sinking into the slough of despond* when nothing's going well, or even going at all.
I also find motivational speaker Deena Ebbert's FISH! philosophy useful for the same reason (and it's also posted by the phone, where my despond usually takes place): 1. be there; 2. play; 3. make someone's day; and 4. choose your attitude. Number 4--choose your attitude--is especially important. We go through life making choices. I've learned (the hard way, of course) that the attitude I choose affects how the rest of my day goes, how I deal with problems and how people respond to me.
It's not just a bunch of blah-blah. Life is tough enough, so . . . choose your attitude.
Gilman's article: http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=hzkjQFgJVFwvCjYJVQsyhZdxwxrkjPTq
FISH! principles: http://www.charthouse.com/content.aspx?nodeid=1076
*a state of extreme depression, from Pilgrim's Progress (by way of Merriam-Webster)
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