ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 644/C&RL News Planning and im plem enting a cross-training program By Peggy Johnson Multiskilled employees can make services more effective Cross-training is a win-win proposition for libraries because: • staff members enhance their job skills; • barriers between units become less rigid; • empathy with and support for cowork­ ers increase; • communication across departmental lines improves; • services and operations improve through increased insight into the “big picture”; and • libraries can respond more quickly to challenges when they have staff members who are able to perform several jobs. Cross-training is the process o f teaching an individual new job skills in a position other than his or her usual one. Staff must be able to acquire the necessary job skills through hands- on training. Cross-training offers one approach to breaking down barriers between geographic and functional units. It can be considered one alternative to matrix management or formally restructuring into teams. The benefits are simi­ lar, but without the stress of fundamentally re­ designing the organization. While benefits can be impressive, a library should evaluate cross-training to confirm that it is appropriate in the local context. If the de­ cision is to go forward, careful planning is es­ sential. This article identifies factors to consider when planning a cross-training program and presents a project in the University o f Minne­ sota St. Paul Campus Libraries as one model for planning and implementing an effective program. W h y cro ss-train in g ? All projects should begin with a clear under­ standing of what will be accomplished. Why is cross-training needed? What are the goals? What are the benefits? To whom do these benefits accrue? Most libraries using cross-training dis­ cover that both the staff and the library see gains. For cross-training to succeed, all parties must recognize what they have to gain. Cross-training benefits from the staff perspec­ tive are numerous. Staff members can acquire new job skills. Staff members with a broader skill base and wider experience are better pre­ pared for career advancement. They can move more easily to positions in the library outside their “home” unit when they have a repertoire of job skills. Variety and challenge in work in­ crease job satisfaction. People like knowing more about how colleagues do their jobs. The risks of repetitive motion syndrome are reduced when staff members have more variety and an option of moving to different types of work for a time. The trainer has the satisfaction of pass­ ing on his or her expertise and sharing compe­ tence with others. During cross-training, the trainee functions as an apprentice who is learn­ ing the tricks o f the trade from skillful job per­ formers. Libraries also gain in many ways. They de­ velop a larger pool o f employees who can step in when a unit is short-staffed. This means an increased ability to respond to crises by pro­ viding trained and willing staff members to meet deadlines, fill in for a sick colleague, or handle unusually heavy service loads. Staff members who understand several aspects of library op­ erations and services are more effective. They have increased empathy and can better under­ stand each other’s perspectives, concerns, and Peggy Johnson is planning and special projects officer at the University of Minnesota Libraries; e-mail: m-john@maroon.tc.umn.edu mailto:m-john@maroon.tc.umn.edu November 1996/645 problems. Individuals comprehend the flow of work through the library and how work done in one area affects work done in another. Tech­ nical services staff gain insight into how the records they create are used and learn the sat­ isfaction (and frustration) o f dealing with pa­ trons. Public services staff gain an understand­ ing of the complexities o f working within local and national standards and the volume o f ma­ terials that move through the units. The library benefits through having staff members who are well informed and well rounded in their ability to perform related job functions. Libraries can experience improved operations, services, and communication. O n e a p p ro a c h In the spring o f 1994 the St. Paul Campus Li­ braries (SPCL) initiated a program of cross-train­ ing for staff members. Initial goals were to 1) increase the number o f staff members able to perform key job functions in other units and fill in when needed, and 2) increase under­ standing across units and jobs. At the time this project was initiated, SPCL consisted of a large central library, five on-campus branch librar­ ies, and one remote branch library 20 miles away. The central library, in addition to hous­ ing central reference and circulation services, included support units that served all St. Paul service points. These were interlibrary loan, book acquisitions, serials management, bindery preparation and marking, cata­ loging, shipping and receiving, and an administrative office. SPCL had 32 full­ time staff members, about one-third of whom were professional librarians, and several hours a week o f student assis­ tants. The organizational structure had been a traditional mix o f functional units (serials management, interlibrary loan service, etc.) and client-based units (for­ estry, plant pathology, and other subject- specific branch libraries) with limited opportu­ nities for staff members to move to new posi­ tions. A technical services staff member tended to remain in technical services and a public services staff person was likely to remain in public services. Many staff members had not spent time in or even visited other units (espe­ cially the branch libraries) in SPCL. Planners quickly realized that an orientation to units and their services had to be an early part o f a cross- training project. The project was proposed initially as a so­ lution to problems providing coverage in the smaller branches during staff absences. The idea of cross-training was discussed in two meet­ ings— one o f professional librarians and unit heads and another for all staff. Attendees sug­ gested potential benefits o f cross-training, both personally and for SPCL, and they identified possible problems. People agreed not all posi­ tions had components suitable for cross-train­ ing, but everyone was interested in learning more about their colleagues’ responsibilities and getting an in-depth orientation to work in each unit. Unit heads were willing to support staff participation. This widespread willingness to give cross-training a try was critical. Without interest and support, cross-training participants will not sustain the motivation to learn and apply new job skills. Four volunteers stepped forward to plan and guide the project, which was sponsored by the SPCL assistant director. The planning group developed learning objectives and activities for the program. They designed a generic syllabus or outline o f information to be covered in each unit and prepared a checklist of handouts that the trainees would receive. Because some units were less suited to cross-training, the emphasis in these areas was on an overview of the unit and its work. Other units, those with certain tasks that could be learned in a short period The w idespread willingness to give cross-training a try w a s Critical. Without interest and support, participants will not sustain the motivation to learn and app ly new job skills. and that could be regained with an “aid,” pre­ pared packets that would serve as simple “how- to-do-it” reminders. These packets included floor plans, procedures for opening and clos­ ing the unit, and information about keys, oper­ ating equipment (fax machines, phones, pho­ tocopiers, etc.), special services and collections, and procedures for basic services. All SPCL staff members were encouraged to participate in site visits and cross-training, though no one was required to do so. The plan­ ning group coordinated and scheduled the ses­ 646/C&RL News sions, which lasted between 45 minutes and an hour and half and were offered to groups of five or less. Each unit, except the remote branch library, scheduled several sessions. Site visits, which provided an overview o f work flow and responsibilities and did not include hands-on training, were as well attended as those that included cross-training. The training portions of the project concentrated on entry-level pub­ lic service work— opening units, answering phones, circulating materials, answering direc­ tional questions, orienting users to services and facilities, etc. Each session’s goal was to con­ vey an understanding o f what staff in that unit did and the competencies needed to open and close the unit and provide basic services. Ev alu atin g the pro g ram The planning group followed up on the four weeks o f site visits and cross-training (in which nearly all staff members participated) with an evaluation. They wanted to know what went well, what could be improved, and how staff members felt about the project. The brief evalu­ ation survey also asked people to indicate units in which they would like to work on an “on- call/as needed” basis, on special projects, and (perhaps) through regular part-time assign­ ments. Survey responses confirmed informal comments made during the project. SPCL staff members were delighted! They liked learning what their colleagues did and liked explaining their own jobs. They appreciated the opportu­ nity to try other types of library work and were eager to help out when they could. Feature your collection on the cover of C&RL N ew s C&RL News wants to feature aesthetically pleasing photos o f items from library col­ lections on its covers. If you have material in your library’s collections that you think would make an attractive C&RL News cover, please send us a photograph or a color photocopy and a brief description o f the item and the collection. Photos may be ei­ ther color or black-and-white and should be 5" x 7" or 8" x 10". Illustrations with a vertical orientation work best. Send to: C&RL News Covers, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 6 0 611 . The main problem or concern raised was the impact on a “home” unit o f staff working in another unit. Supervisors wanted to know if their units would get paid back for time given to another unit. Individuals worried about per­ formance evaluation if they fell behind in their primary responsibilities because of work in another unit. There are no formula-based an­ swers to these questions. Some types of work are easier to handle in a short-term, superficial way. Other units will see no direct benefits from cross-training. Supervisors and staff members agreed to concentrate on the “greater good" and to focus on SPCL as a system in which assisting in any area benefits the whole. A few simple ground rules were affirmed. • When a unit will be short-staffed or has a special need, a call for help is made on the SPCL staff listserv. • Units weigh advantages o f requesting help from permanent staff members against using students to fill in. • Anyone can volunteer to cover the needed hours. • Volunteers will consider their own dead­ lines and critical obligations. • Volunteers will check with their supervi­ sor and keep their home unit informed of their volunteer location and schedule. • No unit will be left without coverage. Conclusion Cross-training does not solve all problems. When being short-staffed is a chronic condi­ tion, moving individuals from unit to unit and task to task will only keep the fires under con­ trol. Site visits and cross-training make clear both the complexities of all library work and the difficulty o f mastering more than basic skills in brief training sessions. Nevertheless, cross- training has been a well-received and success­ ful program in SPCL. The benefits outlined at the beginning o f this article have accrued to individuals and to the libraries. A cadre of trained staff members is available to step in and help when the need arises. Units are not reluctant to ask for help— they know people are prepared and interested. Knowledge gained working on other units enhances work in home units. The combination o f site visits and cross- training has strengthened a sense o f commu­ nity in a geographically dispersed and func­ tionally separated organization. Cross-trained staff members are now an essential part o f ser­ vices and operations at SPCL. ■ November 1996/ 647