When our library adopted EZborrow, a transformative resource-sharing platform, it was clear that this would require us to rethink our logistics and operations. Implementing such a system is no small feat—it involves careful planning, team coordination, and the ability to address challenges as they arise. To navigate this change successfully, we combined Appreciative Inquiry (AI) with a powerful project management tool, ClickUp.
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an approach to organizational change that focuses on identifying and amplifying strengths rather than focusing on problems. We posed questions like:
- What’s working well in our new EZborrow workflows?
- How can we build on our successes to improve our service?
- What are our team’s strengths, and how can we apply them to streamline the system?
This strengths-based focus helped foster a culture of positivity, collaboration, and progress as we implemented EZborrow, ensuring that our team remained motivated during the transition.
Leveraging ClickUp for Streamlined Operations
In addition to using Appreciative Inquiry, ClickUp became an indispensable tool for managing the complex logistics involved in the EZborrow implementation. ClickUp’s customizable columns allowed us to break down the details of each task and provide transparency and clarity across teams. The key columns we used included:
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Status: This column allowed us to clearly mark whether books were Checked In or Checked Out. This visual cue helped student workers and staff keep track of the flow of materials and quickly assess where things stood at any given time.
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Date Created: This column tracked the creation date of each task (book request), which gave us insight into how long each transaction had been active. This helped us prioritize tasks and ensure no book requests were overlooked or delayed.
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Time Tracked: This column was vital for monitoring how much time was spent on each task. For example, if one book took significantly longer to process than others, we could investigate and troubleshoot potential bottlenecks in the workflow. It also provided a way to track student workers' productivity.
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Created By: Knowing who created each task (e.g., who processed a check-in or checkout) allowed us to track accountability and assign follow-ups. If any issues arose with a request, we could go back to the individual who handled it for clarification or resolution.
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University Name: Since EZborrow involves collaboration across multiple institutions, this column identified the requesting or lending university, allowing us to manage interlibrary loan logistics more effectively. We could see which institutions were involved and ensure that the proper protocols were followed for each transaction.
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Supply/Not Supplied: This column indicated whether a requested book had been successfully supplied by the lending institution. This helped us keep track of pending requests and manage expectations for turnaround times.
By using these columns, ClickUp provided a clear, organized, and comprehensive way to manage our EZborrow tasks. Each student worker could easily log in, see their assigned tasks, and take action based on the information displayed in the relevant columns. Supervisors, in turn, could monitor progress in real time, ensuring a smooth, collaborative process for interlibrary loans.
How AI and ClickUp Combined for Success
The combination of Appreciative Inquiry and ClickUp allowed us to implement EZborrow smoothly while keeping team morale high. Appreciative Inquiry encouraged us to focus on the positive aspects of change and build on our strengths, while ClickUp provided the structure and clarity we needed to manage tasks effectively.
Key Benefits We've Seen:
- Streamlined workflows for resource sharing, with clear task visibility through the use of ClickUp columns.
- Increased engagement and responsibility from student workers, who can easily track their daily tasks.
- Real-time tracking of materials and tasks across institutions, allowing for greater transparency and efficiency.
- A culture of collaboration, where strengths are amplified and celebrated, resulting in a more cohesive team.
As we move forward, we continue to use Appreciative Inquiry to foster positive change and ClickUp to manage our projects with efficiency. This combination of strengths-based change management and detailed task tracking has resulted in smoother operations and improved resource sharing, benefiting both our library and the institutions we collaborate with.
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