Morale Low at Ferguson Library

Report: Morale low at library
By Neil Vigdor, Staff Writer March 9, 2008

Greenwich Library suffers from poor employee morale, a lack of opportunities for advancement and general dissatisfaction with management, according to those surveyed in a consultant's report on the institution. The 6-page report commissioned by the town paints the library as a dysfunctional place where employees said they felt alienated and bullied at times by management.

Employees interviewed for the report told the consultant that management's support of and communication with the staff was lacking. Some confided that they felt discriminated against because of what they described as perceived favoritism on the part of management and a lack of personal and professional respect and courtesy.

In a statement, the town said the consultant's work was the result of an agreement with the unions representing Greenwich Library staff. "This special initiative was designed to effect positive change so as to hear and address union members' complaints without formal investigative fact fg and without the intent to find or assign fault or blame," the statement said.

Mario Gonzalez, who has been the library's executive director for the past 81⁄2 years, said in an interview that the institution had its problems like any organization and was trying to correct them.

"It was apparent to me that we needed to do a better job at addressing internal communication and getting our house in order," Gonzalez said. "This is a cherished institution. When you have so many people that are very passionate about their job and the work that they do, issues arise, and it's my responsibility to address them."

Town officials hired Stamford-based consultant Julie Jansen last year to evaluate the work climate at the library after a number of employees and union officials complained about conditions there. The library, which is the second-busiest in all of New England, receives about 80 percent of its funding from the town.

Jansen, who previously had been used by the library to train staff members and develop a strategic plan, interviewed 24 of the library's 180 employees for the report.

The subjects who were interviewed were recommended by the human resource officials of the town or volunteered to be interviewed. All were promised that their names would not be used. Eighteen of the 24 employees interviewed are members of the Laborers' International Union of North America Local 136, most of whom are librarians.

Lynn Mason, who is the union's business manager and works at the town-owned Nathaniel Witherell nursing home, said the employee responses summarized in the report were consistent with sentiments of the LIUNA members.

"The sad thing is it was allowed to get to this point," said Mason, who declined to discuss specific grievances of the union members.

Roberta Denning, president of the library's Board of Trustees for the past two years, said the report was being taken to heart but was meant to be confidential and not for public discussion.

"The conclusions and the recommendations were shared with the staff several months ago," Denning said. "All of the issues that were raised are being addressed."

The town gave a copy of the report to Greenwich Time in negotiations after first denying a Freedom of Information request, but maintains its position that the report is not a public document.

Neither Denning nor Gonzalez, who was portrayed quite negatively in the report, would say how much the town paid for the consultant's evaluation and referred questions on its cost to town Human Resources Director Maureen Kast. A message seeking comment was left with Kast's assistant.

In the report, the library's employees said they perceived Gonzalez as dictatorial, controlling and bullying. Gonzalez disputed the report's characterization of his management style and dealings with employees. "I believe that I'm open, that I have access to the staff and that I embrace the employees and value the work that they do," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez also questioned the consultant's methods, saying that Jansen asked leading questions about issues such as employee morale that elicited critical comments.

Jansen said she worked very hard to ask open-ended questions, however, which she said were not shared with members of the library's management ahead of time.

As part of her consulting business, Jansen said her job is to try to help people become better managers. She declined to say how much she was paid for her work or how conditions at the library compared to her other clients.

In her report, Jansen recommended that regular meetings between the library's management and staff be held, coaching of management in the areas of communication and leadership, implementation of team building exercises and conflict resolution.

"I've heard there have been improvements, which is good," Jansen said. Gonzalez said the town hired another consultant to help the library implement the recommendations in the report. A number of changes have already taken effect, from holding monthly staff meetings to improving the lines of communications, he said.

"So, all in all, there's more access and more communication and people getting together face-to-face. So it's not just e-mailing and telephone calls," Gonzalez said, adding that he is attending more staff meetings than in the past.

Gonzalez said the library's entire operation has been turned "upside-down" as a result of the report, with rank-and-file staff members have more say in the decision-making process. The employees also have formed working groups with the consultant's assistance focusing on communication, staff development and staff recognition, he said.

"Like any business, you're going to have employees that may not be 100 percent satisfied," Gonzalez said. "I recognize that, and I'm trying to address that."

Despite the concerns aired in the report, Gonzalez pointed out that the library has a low rate of attrition and has many employees with long tenures.

Mason, the LIUNA representative, said the library was slowly making positive strides. "It's better, but we're a long way from the finish line," Mason said. Another area where library officials said they have made a conscious effort to improve the work climate is getting the Board of Trustees more involved with the staff and day-to-day operations.

Denning, the board's president, said she had confidence in the library's ability to overcome its problems because of a common bond.

"Whether it's the staff, the management, the board or the unions, we all love the library and want to make it better," Denning said.

Copyright © 2008, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.