by Greg Lambert

Most of us could walk into work each morning and keep ourselves completely engaged without even attempting to look for additional tasks to take on. However, we continue marketing ourselves and our people despite the amount of work already on our plates. This keeps a steady flow of work coming into the library and keeps us gainfully employed. Yet it can also lead to a stagnant work environment and create a situation where the work is controlling us, rather than the other way around.

If we spend our entire day treading water, we're setting ourselves up for failure. We are often so absorbed by our day-to-day activities that we don't realize how out of control the workload has become. Before we know it, we're so busy that we can't take the time to go to a local library meeting or a training session on a new piece of software. Or we are angry that a required meeting causes us to stay late in order to finish the day's work. If it doesn't lead to failure, it can sure lead to frustration.

When you evaluate your work flow, look at what you do with an independent eye. You might even want to bring in a friend or co-worker from another department and discuss your daily activities with him or her. That way, they can honestly listen to what you do and not be afraid to ask, "Why are you doing that?" There are many things that we do only because we've always done them. When you step back and honestly answer why you do some tasks, you may very well find that you can jettison some and delegate or negotiate others. Of course there are tasks that are yours and yours alone, but after a full evaluation of your tasks, you'll find that you are probably taking on some things that are just not a good use of your time.

One of the best things I've done in the past few years has been to join a clique, namely, a group of people that I can bounce ideas off of. I e-mail a group of four or five other legal professionals (most of them librarians, but not all) almost every day for their opinions on one thing or another. We call ourselves "The Bradys," as the group contains a Greg, a Jan, a Marsha, and someone we nicknamed Sam the Butcher. When I have an idea, want to try a new product, or want to see what others think about a new Web site I found, I e-mail the Bradys and get their feedback.

This type of relationship with others outside my specific workplace allows me to get honest opinions from others without the bias I might get from someone within my organization. Of course there are a number of things that we cannot discuss due to ethical or legal reasons, but there are a number of general topics that we can discuss, and we are able to leverage our combined experiences in order to make more informed decisions.

Most of us are pretty good at what we do. However, we may be reluctant to try something outside of our expertise. Such things as public speaking, writing professional articles, or working with a professional organization can be very intimidating. But it is exactly these types of activities that challenge us and sharpen our abilities to handle our daily activities. The first few times you step outside your comfort zone, you may find that you are not very good at some of these things. In these instances, you may be able to find others who are willing to cowrite an article or copresent at a conference. After a while, you'll find that you no longer need help writing that article or presenting at the conference. Soon you'll be the person who is assisting others on their first article or presentation.

One of my favorite quotes is one that is attributed to Pablo Picasso: "Good artists borrow, great artists steal." I love this saying, and I take it to heart when I'm looking for solutions to problems I encounter. What it means to me is that you do not have to come up with an original answer for every problem you encounter. In fact, you'll find that most problems you face in your profession have already been faced by many others. When you've built relationships with others in your profession, it makes it much easier to find those who have faced similar problems. Post a question to an electronic mailing list, join an online social network of fellow librarians, or attend the local chapter meetings of your library association. As you make the effort to connect, you'll find that you are not only taking ideas back to your office, but you are also contributing to the overall conversation. It is much easier to borrow (or steal) solutions than it is to try to come up with the solutions all on your own.

Most of us did not enter the profession thinking that we were going to get rich. We entered it because we believed that being a librarian would be both intellectually challenging and enjoyable. Many times I'm so engaged in a project that I enter "the Zone." My staff always knows when I'm in the Zone because my brain is so focused on the task at hand that it takes me a few moments to snap back to reality and answer a question. It is the times when I enter the Zone that I remember why it was that I wanted to be in this profession.

Greg Lambert is Library and Records Manager at Kind & Spalding LLP in Houston. His e-mail address is GLambert@KSLAW.com.