A Week Out of Time: A Mentor's Reflection on the TALL Texans Institute 1999

By Tish Mulkey

As the participants began to arrive, one by one and in small groups, we had our first opportunity to put names with faces and make personal contact. During the next five days we would be together in a family-style lodge, attending sessions together in a large meeting room, snacking, playing UNO, working puzzles in the kitchen/family room, playing "killer" water volleyball games, and taking meals together under the spreading branches of large oak trees. Learning about the people behind the resumes was an important part of our jobs as mentors and as fellow participants in the institute. During the next five days we would all participate as self-understanding, realization of talents and skills, and growth of professional goals blossomed.

Getting acquainted with all of the Institute participantsmentors, leaders, and class memberswas critical. Always wearing our badges to help solidify our identification of fellow participants, we soon began to link personalities with the names. Learning about others' backgrounds, job experiences, and personal preferences was important in order to recognize perspectives, personality characteristics and styles. As our week progressed, those special qualities that make each person unique began to take on more importance in the various group activities in which we engaged. Studying, working, eating, playing and talking together would build a multi-dimensional experience that would be priceless.

One of the first activities of our week was a sharing time in which the mentors were asked to tell a little bit about our jobs and our present and past involvement in TLA. At this point, I must confess, I felt more than a little intimidated! Sitting with Gleniece Robinson, current TLA president; Julie Todaro, in-coming TLA president; James Stewart, past TLA-president ('92-'93); George Huffman, current recipient of the Distinguished Service to Libraries; and Betty Yarbrough, chair-elect of Friends and Trustees Round Table; and hearing their stories made me realize the wonderful depth and breadth of experience that this group of mentors offered. Being there with them was a tremendous honor and learning experience for me.

Sitting at the front of the room and looking out over the quiet, solemn group of participants, I wondered if what we (and myself particularly) had to say would be meaningful to them. However, I should not have worried, because after a few minutes of mentor reflections and a few shared laughs, I was assured that these individuals were going to be open and accepting. Later, as I reflected on the overview of the week and a discussion on leadership lead by Maureen and Jack, and our mentor stories, I knew this was going to be worth all the time, effort, and personal investment that we would expend.

I particularly appreciated the guidelines for learning shared by Maureen which stressed individual participation, listening with an open mind, respecting differences, assuming self-responsibility, helping and supporting each other, testing assumptions, and maintaining confidentiality. This laid a wonderful foundation for our week's work.

Days 2, 3, and 4 passed in rapid succession. We discussed challenges that we face in the workplace and our profession, learned the key concepts about leadership, explored leadership skills and characteristics, and examined risk taking. Defining the differences in management and leadership was a particularly valuable exercise as was examining interpersonal communication. Each session built on knowledge and experience from previous sessions. The interweaving of the various topics mirrored how we actually function as professionals and as leaders in our workplace and organization.

Early in the week we each completed the Myers-Briggs instrument to help clarify our own behavioral tendencies and better understand the ways in which we differ from others. The goal was to use these tendencies and differences as a mirror in seeing how we function as part of an organization and as an individual. Often we are expected to deal with work/professional situations in ways that are contrary to our natural preferences, and it is good to know how we can make accommodations to accomplish that task. I think everyone enjoyed working through this instrument and seeing how they and others fell into the various categories. Personal permutations of the SJ, SP, NF, and NT categories became a tool for each of us in analyzing why certain situations were more comfortable than others.

Dealing with communication techniques and issues was extremely valuable. We all need to work constantly at being active listeners, giving and receiving feedback, and identifying assumptions. If we are to be leaders in our professional life, both at work and in TLA, we must communicate in order to assume and carry out responsibilities and tasks that advance our organization(s). The discussions on influencing others through our leadership style and the communication of our vision resulted in some lively small group interaction.

Continually throughout the five days we were divided into small groups consisting of a mentor and four or five participants. The ground rules were that these groups had to be different each time so that mentors got to know every one
of the participants and vice versa. As we made our way around the room each session it was delightful to see the common respect and interest that each group member exhibited. We were becoming a powerful team! In fact, Wednesday's session began with a study of working with groups and teams. By examining the stages of group development and actually witnessing the process in our immediate experience we were able to see how this could be carried back to our own organizations. Topics of team basics, decision styles, consensus process, problem solving, conflict strategies, and getting beyond impasse were presented with concrete examples.

One of our real-life assignments using the group/team strategies we had learned was to create a design for our official TALL Texans 1999 T-shirt. This proved to be an activity marked by tremendous bursts of creativity, competition, and fun! The group designs were taken by a committee and refined into the official logo. Voting on the color proved to be the biggest point of contention! Not everyone looks good in orange!

Thursday dawned, and things began to focus on the individual. Each of the participants was required to devise a personal action plan based on his/her interests and goals for participation in TLA. After a day spent in examining motivation, self-leadership, risk-taking and vision, the participants met with mentors to discuss their plans. This personal interaction gave mentors and participants alike the opportunity to ask some specific questions and examine individual needs. The completed plan was to be turned in on Friday morning, so some time was given during the afternoon and evening to polish the finished product. On Thursday, we also worked as a large group on identifying our TLA vision for the future. The energy and synergy was exciting to see! These library leaders brought to the process a far-reaching, inclusive, innovative quality that was inspiring. Sheets of paper with numerous sticky notes attached were transcribed into a document to be presented to the entire group on Friday morning. A small group of hard-working people worked late into the night synthesizing and organizing the large group's work.

Bringing the Institute to a close on Friday was difficult. We had all worked so hard during the week on becoming a connected, cohesive group that we began to have separation anxiety! We felt that we were overloaded with relevant, important information and at the same time were tired and a little disoriented. Being away from our normal routine of work and family and in the company of people equally dedicated to the library profession and TLA had created an environment that was safe, insulated. Now we had to leave this supportive community and re-enter our own worlds. Maureen gave us guidelines for "Re-Entry." Obviously, our anxiety was common after such an intense, packed week.

The TLA Vision for the Future was presented in a wonderful PowerPoint format to an enthusiastic audience. Additionally, a surprise PowerPoint presentation was shown which captured the unique flavor of this 1999 class. Inside jokes, humorous quotations, and appreciative tributes all resonated through the group. We had indeed bonded. As the final activity of the day, the participants received their certificates of completion. More than a few of the people in that circle had the glimmer of a tear as they recounted something of particular significance that they would carry with them from this encounter.

With the rallying cry of "Save Your Forks!" (one of those "inside jokes"), we adjourned to lunch for our last group event. The cool breeze, the shady oaks, the delicious food served on tables with gala decorations and the sound of now-familiar voices all combined to round out a wonderful week of discovery and growth. After the meal, participants gathered their belongings and departed amidst hugs, promises to keep in touch, and "thank IOUs."

The mentors, Maureen, Jack, and June sat down to de-brief and share our feelings about the week. We were tired, but all agreed it had been successful and that this was an excellent class of participants. They were already well on their way to being exceptional leaders in TLA and their professional lives, and we felt gratified that this week had helped them in that direction. We, too, had been enriched and revitalized. Maybe we were all becoming TALL Texans!

Tish Mulkey is assistant director for learning media services in the Plano ISD and a mentor for the  TALLTexan's Institute 1999.

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