1. Managing for What Matters Getting to First Principles of Service and Leadership Rick Anderson rick.anderson@utah.edu

2. What is a “first principle”? The “Why” Game Why do we preserve books? Why do we protect patrons’ privacy? Why do we behave professionally? Why do we build collections? Why do we have committees? Why do we collaborate?

3. What is a “first principle”? The “Why” Game Why do we preserve books? Access Why do we protect patrons’ privacy? Intellectual freedom Why do we behave professionally? Service Why do we build collections? Access Why do we have committees? (Depends) Why do we collaborate? Efficiency/effectiveness  Service

4. First principles ≠ core values

5. Big problem: institutional mission Mission focus means picking favorites How will we: Identify what constitutes a “first principle” locally? Shape our policies and practices accordingly?

6. Identifying local first principles 1.Listen to your president

7. “My vision for the U is simple” “To provide an environment where interested, well- prepared students have the opportunity to explore, and grow; where faculty are supported and encouraged to discover, create and innovate; and where hard-working staff can have life-long, rewarding careers."

9. Identifying local first principles 1.Listen to your president 2.Look at your curriculum

10. Problems arise when: we disagree on what constitutes a first principle we confuse subordinate principles with first principles recognition of first principles forces difficult choices

11. The primacy of tough choices 1.Resources are limited 2.Demands are functionally infinite Therefore 3.We have to make tough, unpopular, hurtful choices

12. Resistance to tough choices 1.“That’s the wrong choice” 2.“We shouldn’t have to choose”

13. Managing for first principles in real life

14. “Patron-driven acquisition undermines the collection’s coherence.”

15. Managing for first principles in real life “We can’t stop doing X, because X is important.”

16. Managing for first principles in real life “We should cancel Journal X, because its publisher is evil.”

17. Managing for first principles in real life “We shouldn’t replace ILL with short-term ebook loans, because that undermines our traditional First Sale rights.”

18. Bottom line We need to know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. We need to know the difference between goals and tools. Our decisions have to reflect that knowledge.