Presentation

New Manager, New Assessment: How to Get the Lay of the Land as a New Archives Head

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Abstract

Managers of all types of repositories juggle complicated positions and are often responsible for personnel, operations, and collections. New managers can easily find themselves overwhelmed by the major decisions that need to be made and the mountain of information they may feel they need to process to make those decisions wisely. Decisions made—and decisions not made—early on affect the vitality of a collection and the staff and set much of the tone and future course for the institution.

How do we as managers weigh challenging decisions and exponential opportunities for the future of the collection, operations, and staff when we've only just begun our positions? We assess! Accurate assessment (formal or informal) can help a new manager act in a way that's both timely and informed and find success.

When we think about acquiring new collections, implementing new strategies for the management of the repository, or considering organizational changes, what factors are weighed against one another? Do legacy collections, former managers, or existing relationships have a strong presence and what does that mean for new leadership? Do you have the resources to successfully implement your changes? Do these changes devalue the existing collections, or even the repository in which they reside? Or, how does the impact of new leadership during a public-health crisis change the demands made on collections and staff?

There are leaders at every level of an organization; we all work to move the institution forward and drive toward a common goal. Thoughtful initial assessment can empower and support decisions to start building momentum toward those goals as quickly as possible.

How to Cite:

McRoberts, L. V., Nash, K. & Webb, D., (2023) “New Manager, New Assessment: How to Get the Lay of the Land as a New Archives Head”, MAC Annual Meeting Presentations 2023(1).