LEADER INTERVIEW 1

Leadership Interview

Zachary Baker

iSchool, Kent State University

60401 Leadership in Libraries

C. Allen Nichols

March 7, 2021
Leadership Interview 2

Leadership Interview

Leaders wield power when put into high positions. Power can be used for good or

bad, to better the organization or the position holder, and help or hurt individuals and

groups inside and outside the organization. As stated by almost every contributor of the

Chase book, there has been a lack of open leadership positions due to Boomers pushing

off retirement for economic reasons (Chase, 2018). The effect of this has been an

unsettling feeling of generation X, who are not fulfilling the positions that should have

been open to them. It also leads to those positions that do open being filled by the more

adaptable and travel-able Millennials.

Cheryl Kuonen is the Executive Director of the Mentor Public Library and is the

Chair for the board of directors of the Ohio Library Council. Over the past month, she

and I have discussed various topics revolving around generational differences,

mentor/mentee relationships, and some 'do's and don'ts' of being a new librarian. The

appendix attached below is the interview text, which is what my writings are based.

The first impression of mentees in Cheryl's life was lukewarm. I figured that she

would be a little closed off since I am a stranger asking about personal things. Given

more time to build more trust, I may have received more in-depth answers. Her current

and past mentor relationships take on a dual role in both work and private life. This is

not surprising; even though several chapters of the Chase text discuss the excellent

separation of work and private lives of millennials, there is always overlap (Chase,

2018).

The mentee is not the only one who can benefit from the built relationship.

However, Cheryl states that mentor growth "should not be the reason for mentoring" (C.

Kuonen, personal communication, February 10, 2021). The focus of these relationships
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should be on the needs and development of the mentees. Both participants should

discuss the needs between the two parties, and each party should focus on those goals

created. Regular communication can help those goals be reached, but it is not

uncommon for there to be periods of silence. If the relationship keeps needing to be

forced, it will be a lot more work and has greater potential to fail.

Cheryl's work brings her into contact with the generations that the Chase text

discusses. Being Gen-X herself and a director at a medium-sized library system, she

works with people of every demographic. She admits that problems arise as they do with

all workplaces, but to help, it is best to look at the individuals involved and not put them

into generational boxes. In the Mentor Library, Cheryl states that leadership and

management positions are filled with all generations (C. Kuonen, personal

communication, February 10, 2021). She did not provide numbers to back this up, so it

is hard to tell if there is even distribution of generations in management positions.

A common theme across the Chase readings is the need for millennials to grow in

a position, and once the position no longer provides for that growth, they move on to a

different position. To keep pace with the need for growth, many libraries offer

continuing education opportunities. Mentor’s employees congregate once a year for a

full day of training in various areas of the library. Throughout the rest of the year, it is

encouraged that librarians attend local, statewide, or nationwide conferences. Most

expenses are paid if it is within the budget.

Another part of budgeting is the competitive wages and plethora of benefits

offered to full-time employees. Cheryl did review what some of those benefits are, and

most were standard for the field. Nothing stood out as exceptionally unique from

Mentor Library. Similarly, Mentor updates position descriptions to reflect the current
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needs of the position. This usually asks that applicants be "physically able to perform the

duties, have a pleasant demeanor, be able to maintain relationships with other

co-workers, follow the policies and procedures, and act per the library's mission" (C.

Kuonen, personal communication, February 10, 2021). This is far from unique and

standard for job descriptions.

On a related note, but not the topic of this paper, I have been searching through

jobs posted and their descriptions throughout the program. Most of the descriptions

contain the same or similar duties for the job descriptions and contain a workplace

description that emphasizes a great atmosphere. I do not know if this is true in all

instances, but it makes me weary when I see it in every description.

Cheryl Kuonen was the first person I messaged through her library website, and I

was shocked when she replied that she would help with this interview. I let her know the

due date and the topics of the interview. I was worried that being a stranger poking

around aspects of her life that could be private would stifle the interview responses. I

believe this happened to a degree. Nonetheless, it was insightful and educational.

The biggest theme of the interview was individualism. The Mentor, the mentee,

co-workers, and patrons should be treated to how they need to be treated. This will be

different for each person. This individualism needs to be kept in mind when entering or

taking positions of leadership. Leadership is about using that individuality like Lego

blocks. Find where it fits into the overall structure with the other unique pieces, and the

final product will be strong, sound, and effective.

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Reference

Chase, A. K. (Ed.). (2018). Millennial Leadership in Libraries. Getzville, NY: William S.

Hein & Co., Inc.

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice (Fifth

edition). Los Angeles: SAGE.

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Appendix

The interview questions and answers as given and received. Black Text are the

questions posed. The red text is the answers given. The order in which we conversed is

maintained, and minor spelling and grammatical mistakes are corrected.

2/9/2021

Name and Positions: Cheryl Kuonen, Executive Director of Mentor Public Library

Have you mentored anyone recently or taken anyone under your wing?

Yes. Some have been formal and some informal.

Is there a certain quality or qualities you look for in a potential mentee?

I believe it’s every leader’s responsibility to mentor and help staff grow professionally.

I don't particularly look for anyone to Mentor, it's more of letting everyone know I'm

available and seeing who is interested.

Is the relationship created strictly professional or is there personal mentoring involved?

Generally, it’s mostly professional. Though naturally in the course of mentoring there’s

chat about family and friends and an occasional drink after work

2/10/2021
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What was the best mentoring relationship you have had? How did it start? End? Major

accomplishments for you and the mentee?

Currently the best mentoring relationship is with my now HR/Assistant Director. It

started many years ago when I was director at another library and she was the children’s

librarian. The major accomplishment is that she grew so much professionally that I

hired her as our HR/Assistant Director at my current library.

Do you feel that growth is as important for the mentee as it is for the Mentor during the

relationship?

Some might say growth is promotion to another position with more responsibilities or

leadership. Promotion is wonderful, but not always the goal for everyone. Growth can

occur in the same position by learning new skills and having new experiences. A

Mentor’s goal should be for professional growth of their mentee in some way. If the

Mentor also grows and is stretched that’s great, but that should not be the reason for

mentoring.

Do you have a negative experience you could tell me about?

No.

How important are goals for the relationship? Are there common or grand goals you or

the mentee have?

You may have some formalized goals set up, but often the best mentoring occurs when

you discuss and share experiences and ideas.

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Are there any techniques or methods you use when mentoring?

Checking in regularly to catch up and chat are important. Both parties need to be open

to sharing things that might be difficult to share, hear, or talk about. Both parties need

to ensure there’s respect and trust between each other.

2/16/2021

For the next parts of this interview, we will be shifting to a few different topics regarding

Millennials in the library.

What generation do you fall under?

Gen X

Do you prefer to work with a certain generation?

No.

There is a lot of research into the characteristics of certain generations and how they

mingle in the workspace. Do you see any tension when different generations work

together?

Sometimes. Tension between co-workers can come from a variety of reasons including

generational differences.

Do you see yourself changing tactics or methods when troubleshooting/solving

problems according to different generations?

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I think it’s important to recognize when there’s a need to change tactics or methods

when working with different communication styles.

Is there a lack of millennial leadership within your library system?

Our library has a variety of generations in manager roles and this includes Millennials.

2/26/2021

A big part of the Chase readings is that hiring new millennial leadership requires

different tactics than that of previous generations in regards to job responsibility

descriptions, schedule flexibility, and professional development opportunities.

Does your institution provide for financial compensation of those who attend

professional development opportunities like conferences?

Yes, provided there is funding available and the training/conference/workshop is job

description related we will cover financially the event including travel and meals, if

needed. We believe continuing education is important for staff and allows staff to better

serve our community.

Is there a large interest throughout your employees for development opportunities? Do

you see certain kinds being more popular?

We are members of OLC and NEO-RLS. We ask all staff to attend at least 2 NEO-RLS

webinars a year regardless of position. Staff are welcome to submit requests for
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10

webinars/trainings to their manager. Requests are granted based on scheduling, timing,

and available funds.

Does your library create it’s own continuing education programs like staff development

days? If so, what topics are discussed or learned?

Traditionally we do close the library one day a year for staff development. We usually

have a combination of educational trainings and teambuilding activities. We’ve covered

lots of topics such as customer service, database resources, managing conflict, opioids,

updates from our cities and much more.

Are your job descriptions regularly updated? Are there parts of them you specifically like

or dislike?

We worked with managers and staff to update all our job descriptions within the last

several years. All job descriptions now have the following paragraph:

"All Mentor Public Library Employees are expected to have and maintain good

interpersonal and communication skills; maintain a tolerance and sensitivity to the

needs of patrons and staff; maintain a positive and pleasant attitude, and be

co-operative with co-workers. All employees shall adhere to the library's policies and

procedures and support the library's mission within the library and in the community.

Employees shall have regular attendance, be flexible with regards to scheduling which

includes daytime, evening and weekend hours; and be in adequate physical condition to

fulfill the requirements of the job."

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Does your library offer unique benefits?

I’m not sure this is unique but we do offer an employee assistance program. We also

offer a discount, through our health insurance, for gym membership provided certain

attendance goals are met. We offer sick leave and personal time to all staff. Staff above

a certain number of weekly hours also receive paid vacation and holidays, health

insurance, life insurance, and short-term disability. All staff are eligible to participate in

Ohio Deferred Comp and participate in OPERS.

3/2/2021

A continued complaint about millennials is that we move from job to job too often.

Personally, I see a natural end to every employee/position. When position and employee

no longer grow or benefit from each other an end is needed or both will suffer.

What do you think about millennials job jumping? Is it to be expected?

I think that’s a natural progression in a person’s career. I’m Gen X and I remember

changing jobs with regularity as each new position brought new responsibilities and new

opportunities. I also remember applying for a job when I was in my early 20’s and the

hiring manager commented about how many jobs I’d had in such a brief period of time.

So I think it’s normal to switch jobs when starting out in your career.

Is this type of turnover good or bad? Why?

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I think when starting out in a career it’s important to determine a good fit between

employer and employee and determine what career aspirations you have personally.

Hopefully both the employee and the employer benefit from the time together.

Is there hesitation in the employment process knowing the employee may be short

term?

I think this depends on the position and the current needs of the employer, which can

change.

Finally, is there any advice you can offer to a new librarian?

It’s ok to start in another position in the library for example circulation or a

paraprofessional position. When you are hired give your all to that position: be

enthusiastic, work hard, and let them know that you are interested in growing and

learning more. Find a mentor or someone in the library that can help you grow

professionally.