Some decisions librarians and information specialists (not unlike other managers) have to make:
Personnel |
How to manage people, Who to hire, How to evaluate performance, What tasks to assign, When to fire, When to promote, How much raise to give |
Resources |
How to allocate money, What budget categories are important, Which programs and services to invest in, Who gets which office, Where to place new computers, |
Products/Services |
What performance standards to set, What is the "marketing mix", Where is point of delivery, When to adopt of new product/service, When to discontinue an old one |
Organization |
How to divide up tasks, How tall/flat should the organization be, Who reports to whom -- in what manner --how frequently, What is flow of information between departments, |
Technology |
What level of investment to make, Make or buy decisions, Is training necessary -- what kind, to whom, when, how; When to abandon an old technology, How to determine which system to adopt, |
There are many, many more. Please think about your own organizations and consider when/where/how decisions are made.
Is initative encouraged? Who proposes new ideas?
What is process of adoption?
Does change come as a surprise?
Are there policies?
Where are decisions made in your organization -- at top/middle/bottom?
Are they made by individuals, groups, or organization as a whole?
What distinguishes the different kinds of decisions?