How to prioritize problems/issues @ work

August 17, 2021 8:38 PM

I'm a new manager and, frankly, the place I'm managing is a fucking mess. The previous manager was awful and pretty much left the place in shambles. Right now EVERYTHING feels like a huge problem to me and I'm having difficulty figuring out what to prioritize, what's actually important vs what can wait, etc. Any advice?

So, I'm a brand new library manager replacing an absolutely dreadful manager.

*LITERALLY* everything you can imagine in the library is awful: staffing issues, issues with our board (ugh, not going to get into that), staff behavior issues, issues with our hours, the library is messy and looks like shit, the collection is awful, there is too much clutter, not enough people use the library, our till is 30 years old, our computers are 10+ years old and our library system is refusing to update them until we buy new ones, etc. I could *literally* go on forever. It's bad... but on the other hand, I think there's lots of potential. I don't think I can solve EVERY ISSUE, but maybe I can solve... a few.

I find it so hard to focus on my work because EVERYTHING FEELS IMPORTANT. The staffing issues feel JUST AS important to me as the peeling wallpaper in the storage room. I know that, obviously, the staffing issues are more important, but everything is breathing down my neck. I want to fix EVERYTHING in this dump, but I can't seem to prioritize properly. I don't know where to begin. How do you prioritize tasks as a manager that are actually important when the entire building feels like it's on fire??

I'm so stressed out and I've already been here a month. If the previous manager literally did 10% more work we'd be better off, but here we are. She let the library go to shambles and now I have fucking fix EVERYTHING. Fuck, where do I begin? Help!

I also feel really stressed out because I feel so ALONE in this position. Yes, I have staff members, but there are things that aren't appropriate to talk to them about and they're also busy working. Same with the board! I just feel so ALONE as a manager and, honestly, lonely (heavy is the head that wears the crown (ok not really) is a saying I kind of get now, to be honest). I just don't know who to go to for advice/guidance for issues that confuse me. I have a few people I can ask in my immediate work network, but I feel like I'm bothering them ALL the time.

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (11 answers total)

I'm so sorry. That's so stressful!

When I'm in this situation, I write everything that I can think of that needs doing down. Just one big long list of thoughts. It can be cathartic. I don't use it as a to-do list. It's literally a stream-of-consciousness list of problems that I can use to MAKE a to-do list. I don't edit it, or prioritize it.

Sometimes I just make a commitment to try to do the following every day:
1 - Delegate one thing to someone else
2 - Do one thing that's an easy win
3 - Do one thing that's hard but will move the needle on a big, messy problem

If you aim for that every day, even if you only get one of them done, you'll start to make headway sooner than you think.
posted by pazazygeek at 8:52 PM on August 17, 2021 [18 favorites]

If you're new but your staff are not, you could put five ideas up at each weekly meeting and ask them to vote on it? Could be great to get their buy-in, too, and they could feel more involved and invested in the improvements?

Honestly if the list is really as long as your arm, getting some quick and easy wins in will boost morale!
posted by tinydancer at 8:53 PM on August 17, 2021 [5 favorites]

I am not a library expert, but I have managed a lot of people. First thing I would try to address are customer facing issues. It may take a while, but you want the library users to know that you are trying and are aware of the problems. When you figure out how to make their experience better, you will start to see a priority list. Also, some of this can be delegated. I would also focus your own analysis on the budget. What of the budget is available to address the issues. Staffing fixes are often budget intensive as are buying computers. I suspect that the budget will drive a lot of decision making in the near future.
posted by AugustWest at 9:29 PM on August 17, 2021 [6 favorites]

I took over a non-profit that I described as a "haunted house" - skeletons and bats were metaphorically flying out of everywhere. I created a personal tactical plan (personal so no one could poop on it). Take a spreadsheet, on the left write down what needs to be fixed (everything) and use the rest of the cells in the row for a timeline on when you think you can get to it. Prioritize and decide what makes sense logistically and give yourself a long lead time. For me, it took 4 years.
posted by Toddles at 10:04 PM on August 17, 2021 [7 favorites]

My dept is in a similar situation, and one thing my new boss is very good at is deflecting the external pressures. She has a rough idea of what the priorities are, and if other people come up to her with their "urgent" issues, she can tell them "look. I've been here for 72 days. I can't save the world in that time. How did you all manage this before I got here? I will add this to my list, but I am very busy on other things right now", without being insulting about it.

So, after you formulate your game plan, allow yourself enough time and energy to chip away at things without letting everything else spin your head around (too much).
posted by Sparky Buttons at 10:30 PM on August 17, 2021 [6 favorites]

Seconding Rock 'em sock 'em.

I want all new managers to watch the first few episodes of Ted Lasso. First thing he does is take staff complaints seriously and start fixing things. He doesn't make a big deal about it, just starts addressing their concerns. This will go a long way to building up morale, re-energizing people about their work, and inspiring them to help you implement change.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 1:53 AM on August 18, 2021 [10 favorites]

One strategy to help with matching priorities to resources is to make a matrix of the tasks, giving each a 1-5 urgency number, and a 1-5 difficulty number. This quickly highlights the low hanging fruit or indicates what will need long-term prep, etc.
posted by Thella at 2:24 AM on August 18, 2021 [5 favorites]

Ask your employees for the list of things to fix. They probably know what actually needs fixing. Ask them what it would take to fix these things. See if any of that is within your control to fix, vs. whatever you're not permitted to fix.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:20 AM on August 18, 2021 [1 favorite]

Definitely stressful to start that way.

My completely amateurish suggestions:

1) Schedule both a group meet (getting to know you) and individual times, for subordinates AND their supervisors and managers. You need to hear from both the intermediaries AND the grunts. Also institute an anon suggestion box so employees can suggest things or even complain about things.

2) Identify the issues and assets via the meetings and whatever you use to assess what you have to work with and what needs to be accomplished. For each project, identify effort needed the impact that can be felt. That should give you some obvious priority sorting.

3) Get some feedback from YOUR superiors on what needs to be fixed ASAP, which may not agree with yours.

4) Think about some clear and unambiguous metrics that can be publicized internally for each project. So progress can be measured and transparent.

5) Pick something simple as the first "baby steps" that everybody can "buy-in" while having some significant impact on things. You need to generate buy-in so everybody can feel they have a stake in the outcome.

6) Check for obstacles and roadblocks that can be preventing projects from progressing. If you have buy-in, people will step up and you just need to stay out of their way and/or remove obstacles. Learn from each

7) Rinse and repeat for subsequent projects
posted by kschang at 7:44 AM on August 18, 2021

I'd find or make a big whiteboard or tape together a lot of big sheets of paper and start listing.
Then start adding dependencies - Update software depends on Newer Computers depends on Funding.
Then do the Urgent Important grid for every item.
Then assess each item for whether it can be done, based on current Funding and Staffing.
Do this out of sight of staff*; then do it all over again in an all-staff workshop and let staff help determine problems, priorities and potential resolutions. In theory, that will help some with staff shittiness. You may need a few all staff workshops, but your staff probably have some insight, even if it's been suppressed or blunted. (Once you do this, maybe make a written list that can be on your computer; I find doing it on the wall really useful to start.)

Your staff sound demoralized, leading to shittiness. People are always a priority; tell them and show them by scheduling 1:1 meetings with every staff member, no more than 1 a day. Not bitchfests, ask for ideas of what the problems are, what's been attempted, what can be done, where they fit in, what are their goals. Ask every staff member to try to help improve morale in some way. If possible, have lunches with staff; the act of eating together has a psychologically beneficial effect, or that's what my Psych prof said. Previous Librarian let stuff slide, but no trash-talk; there may be loyalties. Don't borrow trouble. With people, remember: What gets rewarded, gets repeated. Look for what is being done right, call it out.

I just don't know who to go to for advice/guidance for issues that confuse me. Ask other librarians in your area/ state/ trade organization for help, even if it's a couple zoom meetings to help you strategize. I once bought a business and asked all sorts of people for advice. Not all of it was great advice, most of it was good, some of it was excellent.

Libraries seldom ask patrons for books, there's probably some details I don't know, but you could ask patrons to bring in books in good condition, not over 5 years old, to get some new titles in, and anything not worth adding to the shelves can go on a free books shelf or annual book sale. This is work for volunteers; if you don't have a Friends of the Library group, make it a priority.

The library seems to be an unhappy place, and we want a library that serves patrons well, has a good collection, and is a good place to work. I'm committed to that, and I want you to join me. You sound overwhelmed, justifiably, but people in a mess want a need a clear voice setting a clear direction. Don't share your woes right now on a personal level; make it all about making the library better.
posted by theora55 at 12:05 PM on August 18, 2021

I'd start with neatness and a professional appearance. This is about both setting a tone with the employees and fixing a customer-facing issue. The staff knows the place is a mess, and knows the it's their responsibility. As with a restaurant, everything should be clean and put away before the lights are turned out.

After that, look for the low-hanging fruit to shorten the problem list. Some things, like budgets and relationships with higher-ups are probably perennial and will never be totally fixed, but the more organized you are, the better you can make your case, so do your homework before rattling those cages.
posted by SemiSalt at 7:42 AM on August 19, 2021 [1 favorite]