Why Young Professionals Say “No” to Leadership Roles

June 21, 2026Leave a comment

We have all heard the standard career advice: start at the bottom, work hard, and get promoted into leadership. Becoming a supervisor or manager has often been seen as an important step on the career path. However, what happens if a person decides that traveling the leadership route is not worth the stress and workload? Is there a way to make these positions more appealing?

In an online post titled, Why Library Workers Are Saying “No” to Leadership Roles, Choice360 contributor Alejandro Marquez shares reasons why some young library professionals choose to stay away from leadership roles. While his focus is on the library profession, many of the factors apply to other professional careers. Among the several workplace issues Marquez cites, one is the arrival fallacy.

The arrival fallacy is the mistaken assumption that a goal or outcome will allow an individual to achieve happiness. In an organization, bosses often promise their workers a reduction in workload or stress simply by hiring new people. Often, there is no reduction as other people leave, positions are frozen, or institutional priorities shift. Instead of a reduced workload, leaders often inherit a backlog of issues, and the initial optimism can quickly fade as they grapple with the same systemic challenges. The cycle of hiring new leaders with the expectation of change, only to see the same problems persist, creates a sense of disillusionment and fuels discontent.

Does this mean that critical leadership roles will go unfulfilled in the years to come? That does not have to be the future. Marquez suggests several ways that young professionals can be encouraged to view leadership roles in a positive light. A starting point is by ensuring that organizations have carefully considered the concepts of compensation and workload equity.

Leadership roles demand significant time, energy, and expertise. Compensation needs to reflect a workload that accurately represents increased responsibilities. Workload differentials—recognizing that leadership roles often extend beyond a role’s core duties—are essential and must be accounted for. Transparent workload assessments and the equitable distribution of responsibilities are tools that can help this process.

To learn more about the reasons why young library professionals are avoiding leadership roles along with ways to address their concerns, please read the rest of the article.

Have You Rediscovered Reading?

June 14, 2026Leave a comment

Summertime is the best time to return to the simple joy of reading.

This year the Palm Beach County Library System has launched the Rediscover Reading campaign. No matter where you live, we are encouraging everyone to pick up a book and tap into the many benefits of reading for pleasure. If you have never stopped reading, we invite you to expand your horizons and tap into new authors and genres. With so many choices, there is definitely a novel novel awaiting you!

It might seem counter-intuitive, but sitting in your quiet reading chair actually benefits your neighbors and friends. As our society wrestles with loneliness and separation, pleasure reading offers an affordable, evidence-based path for a better life. In fact, a growing body of research finds that reading leads to reduced stress, better sleep, enhanced empathy and improved well-being. Simultaneously, shared reading like book clubs and read-aloud sessions activate brain regions tied to social cognition and emotional connection. This counters feelings of isolation and distrust.

It’s simple. Reading for pleasure combines the private delight of enjoying a novel with the social lift from shared reflection.

Therefore, I challenge you to spend 15 minutes a day reading for pleasure. Then, once a week share your reading suggestions with others, whether a work, around the dinner table, or in your favorite online space. The more we talk and think about the books, the more engaged our minds become with the material and with others.

If you are not sure where to get your next book, remember that public libraries are ready and waiting to serve you. Not only do we offer traditional print books, but most libraries have a growing collection of eBooks. All of them are available through your library card. Don’t have one? No worries. Plan a trip to your local branch this week to get a card!

Finally, I must put a debate to rest. Yes! Audiobooks count as reading. The act of listening to a book forces our minds to imagine scenes and view the world through the eyes of the characters. This is different from watching a movie or TV show where actors and camera angles guide your interpretation. Any type of read-aloud allows the listener to create the scenes in their mind, deepening the connection to the story.

The challenge is issued. This summer, put down your smartphone, turn off the TV, and step away from your computer. Instead dive into a good book. The benefits are worth it!

Some Sort of Blog Post

June 8, 2026Leave a comment

I love Star Trek. My first experience as a teenager was watching The Next Generation. Later on, my favorite series became Deep Space Nine, although the animated Lower Decks now comes in a close second. After watching countless episodes, one particular quirk came to my attention. It was an odd turn of phrase that keeps popping up across the series. It goes like this:

There is some sort of spaceship on the sensors.
The patient has been exposed to some sort of alien virus.
It appears to be some sort of communication device.

The phrase “some sort” or its variant “some kind” shows up in almost every Star Trek episode. Don’t believe me? Watch this YouTube compellation of all the times it is said in the Next Generation!

My beef with this phrase is that it adds nothing to the discussion. Saying something is “some kind of” is an example of a pleonasm. This occurs when a speaker or writer adds words that convey no extra value. For example, when Johnny Cash sang of a “burning ring of fire” he was using a pleonasm. After all, fire by its nature is burning. Another example is a “free gift.” A gift by its very nature is free! In Star Trek, the statement “some kind of spaceship” is pointless. One can just say it is a spaceship and be done with it!

Why do I bring this up? In order to improve our speaking and writing skills, identifying unnecessary words is a helpful process to master. Eliminating words that fail to add value is a way to develop effective and efficient communication.

In the Star Trek example, the constant use of “some sort” is meant to convey a sense of mystery regarding the item observed. However, in my opinion it lacks value. How could these statements be improved? Here are suggestions:

There is a scout class ship on the sensors.
The patient has been exposed to a illness similar to Klingon virus.
It is an ancient short range communication device.

Here is your challenge if you wish to take it. Next time you draft a speech review your word choices. You may find “some sort” of pleonasm of your own to iron out.

Until the next post, as the Vulcan’s say, live long and prosper!

It’s Not About Project Management

May 31, 2026Leave a comment

Do you have challenges with project management?

For knowledge workers, projects are the key items that they work on day in and day out. Yet very few people have thought deeply about what constitutes a project and the best way to tackle them. This can create a vague sense that projects can be handled more efficiently and effectively, but it is not obvious where to start.

Thankfully, David Allen of GTD fame has spent his career thinking deeply about how we actually work and the ways to do it better. In a recent blog post titled, You don’t have a project management problem (you have this instead)…and why it’s such a squishy area, he explores the idea that most people don’t have a clear understanding of their projects.

I was often asked by line managers and training people whether I had a good “project management” seminar for their people. My first response is, “what exactly do you mean by ‘project management’?” Very few have an immediately good answer. They’ve often just heard it as a need from their reports or their constituents. “Do you have people who need to know how to lay out a GANTT chart or detailed critical path for complex projects like constructing a building or implementing a new corporate information system? Or do you have people who feel overwhelmed with the sheer load of things to do, many of which can’t be finished in a single action step?” Usually, it’s some combination of the two, but mostly it’s the latter.

Allen has a very clear definition of a project. It is anything that requires more than one action to complete. These means that most workers have anywhere from 20-50 projects on their plate at a given time. Also, he believes stress related to projects does not arise from the tactics of doing them, but instead the overwhelm of all the potential tasks to do. Therefore, Allen sees two problems to solve. The first is that organizational approaches to project management are either too complex for the project or not encompassing enough. As he states in the piece:

Problem #1 – I’ve never seen any two of those projects that needed the same amount of planning or detailing of steps to get them under control. It ranges from three bullet points on the back of an envelope in a coffee shop (usually your most productive thinking) to days of intensive planning with a dozen people, pages of outlined steps, critical path, the works. So, most single “project management” model will either under- or over-plan most of your projects. There’s no one-size-fits-all.

To learn about the second problem and his overall conclusions on the topic, please read the rest of his post.

The Perils of Probability – The Monty Hall Problem

May 24, 2026Leave a comment

Have you ever pondered any of these questions?

Should I buy that airline ticket now or wait to see if the price will drop?
Should I buy the extended warranty on my used car or risk possible repair costs?
Should I buy a ticket for the lottery since the jackpot is very high?

Day after day we have to make decisions based on probabilities. Some choices are as simple as packing an umbrella when it’s an 80% chance of rain. Others are more complicated like how to invest retirement account money amongst many fund options. With the rise of prediction markets, more and more people are putting their money down on sports gambling without fully understanding the odds. Alas, many of those people are losing their bets because humans are very bad at understanding probability.

To learn more about the risks of sport betting, listen to the latest season of the excellent podcast, Against the Rules, from Michael Lewis. (Note – as much as the sports betting commercials try to sell you on it, think twice before betting a parlay!)

I explored the challenges we have with understanding probabilities in an article several years ago called Deal or No Deal, Mr Hall! – How We Misunderstand Probability The centerpiece of the article concerns a much-discussed probability puzzle called The Monty Hall Problem. Here is how the problem is described.

You are a contest on Let’s Make a Deal. Your game is to pick one of three doors. Behind one is a new car and behind the other two are goats. (For purposes of play assume you want the car.) Monty Hall invites you to pick a door, so let’s say you choose Door #1. Monty, who knows what is behind each door, opens Door #3 to reveal a goat. Then he gives you the opportunity to switch your choice to Door #2. The question: Are your chances of winning the car better, worse, or no different if you switch doors?

Monty Hall - Game Show Host, from ABC TV — Monty Hall – Past Host of Let’s Make a Deal.

What is your answer?

To learn the right choice, please read the full article on the Efficient Librarian website. Just know in advance that even the smartest college professors got the logic wrong when they first pondered it!

If you are thinking The Monty Hall Problem is merely a fun little puzzle, know that the ramifications of logic errors in other aspects of our lives are significant. Failing to understand probabilities can lead to poor decisions. As I state in the article:

We face a whole host of probabilistic situations throughout our lives. For example, is it worthwhile to buy extended warranties on appliances? To make an informed decision we have to know the probability that the appliance will fail and the projected cost of an uncovered repair. How about the weather? The accuracy of a five-day forecast is much lower than tomorrow’s forecast. Yet we often treat the two forecasts with the same value. Is it a better investment to buy stock in a single company or purchase a market index fund? The truth is that individual stocks are statistically more volatile than a weighted market index, yet most of business articles focus on finding the next home run stock pick.

If you enjoyed reading about The Monty Hall Problem, then I invite you to explore the follow-up article focusing on the logic behind the game show, Deal or No Deal. In that piece, we learn the important lesson that possibilities are not probabilities!

Enjoy and good luck with your next decision!

Meetings – A Healthy Conflict Space

May 17, 2026Leave a comment

What’s worse than a boring meeting?

Imagine a conference room where those gathered, despite the best of intentions, are launching metaphoric war against each other. The participants spend their time engaging in personal attacks against their colleagues and any idea dared presented is destroyed in the crossfire. In the end, all that anyone takes away from the meeting are lasting scars.

Managing healthy conflict in a meeting is vital to the success of any organization. After all, one of the main reasons to hold a meeting is to robustly discuss ideas. However, without ground rules for engagement, meetings can become adverse spaces where no one wants to tread. Therefore, are their ways to manage conflict in meetings to get positive results and enthusiastic engagement?

I’m excited to share that I wrote a chapter for a new book on library management publishing this fall. It is titled, Librarianship Beyond the Textbook: A Practical Guide for Real-World Challenges. In my chapter on running effective meetings, I share several ways to enable healthy discussion when everyone is gathered around the conference table. Here are a few suggestions to consider right now.

Set Ground Rules: Establish norms for respectful communication and ensure everyone understands that differing opinions are welcome. No one will be judged or criticized on their contributions.
Encourage Diverse Perspectives: Actively invite input from all participants by emphasizing that differing viewpoints are valuable for the discussion.
Focus on the Issue, Not the Person: Encourage team members to address ideas rather than personal attributes of the other participants. This helps keep discussions constructive.
Use “Yes, and…”: This technique from improvisation encourages building on each other’s ideas by tossing out the word “no.” The invitation in the “and” fosters collaboration.

In my chapter, I share many tips and strategies for successful meetings, including defining the purpose, selecting the participants, setting agendas, and ensuring next actions are assigned.

To read more about this topic and get great management tips from the other contributing library leaders, be sure to order your copy of Librarianship Beyond the Textbook: A Practical Guide for Real-World Challenges.

Shelf Promotion – Branding for Librarians

May 10, 20262 Comments

Do you have a personal brand?

You can be forgiven for believing that branding is the sole domain of businesses selling a wonder product or influencers marketing themselves in the quest to obtain millions of followers. However, personal branding is not restricted to large companies or individuals with lofty online dreams. Developing a personal brand is a practical approach that any professional can take to advance their career and expand their network.

This week at the Florida Library Association conference, I am presenting a breakout session titled, Shelf-Promotion: Crafting Your Brand in the Digital Age. The session will outline a non-influencer approach to developing a personal brand. Below is the description in the conference agenda.

Building a brand is not just for influencers. Professionals of all types benefit from creating an engaging online presence to drive their career. This interactive workshop provides practical tools and a personalized action plan to confidently build an authentic, effective brand while maintaining professional boundaries. Presented by the Efficient Librarian.

Laptop displaying Alex Chen creative director branding alongside matching notebook, business cards, mug, and stamp on wooden desk — Image created with WordPress AI.

In the breakout session, I’ll guide participants through a simple series of steps to create the foundation of their brand. One concept that will be shared is known as “Skill Stacking.” Here is how the website, Indeed, defines it.

Skill stacking is the concept that individuals can make themselves more valuable by gaining a wide range of skills instead of pursuing one skill or talent. Try pursuing complementary skills that may support each other and create a unique new set of skills. Doing so can offer a more realistic path to success and may provide more professional opportunities in various fields.

In my case with the Efficient Librarian, I have matched the skills of productivity, leadership, and librarianship together to forge my unique brand.

Go ahead and try this for yourself. Make a list of all the skills you are good at and enjoy doing. The trick is you don’t need to excel at any one of them. A high level of competency is good enough. Review the list and then match together skills that complement each other as the basis of your brand.

To learn more about creating a personal brand, please attend the Florida Library Association conference in Orlando this week. I hope to see you there.

On the Town in the Palm Beaches

May 3, 2026Leave a comment

Media Alert!

In the most recent episode of On the Town in the Palm Beaches with Frank Licari, I was interviewed while showing off the new Canyon Branch library. In case you are not familiar with the series, On the Town takes viewers through a series of unique local points of interest in Palm Beach County. The host, Frank Licari, is a pleasant and engaging guide who takes the viewer on a whirlwind tour of fascinating places, events, and people in the Palm Beaches.

The library hosted Frank and the South Florida PBS team at Canyon Branch earlier this year. During the visit, I highlighted how libraries have become important community hubs and undergo constant change to match the needs of our residents. We toured the new library branch, with stops in our Children’s area, front reading room, and creation/maker spaces. A highlight for Frank was using our sorting machines for library item returns.

The segment is second on the episode after a tour of the new Canyon District Park. If you live in Palm Beach County or close by, I invite you to visit the Canyon Town Center to experience both the library and the park. It is well worth the visit.

Thank you to our friends at South Florida PBS and Frank Licari for being wonderful community partners by highlighting the library in their latest episode.

A Power Public Speaking Tool

April 26, 2026Leave a comment

When we think about great public speakers, we often focus on what they say. From “I Have a Dream” to “Four Score and Seven Years Ago” history’s orators spent many hours searching for the perfect words to highlight their message. However, the content of speeches, while important, can be easily overshadowed by poor delivery. Speaking too quickly or packing too much information into a speech can deaden its appeal.

Paradoxically, the most powerful part of any speech may be the moments of deliberate silence. The strategic pause is an underutilized public speaking tool; despite the many useful roles it can serve for a speaker to connect with the audience.

In a recent article on the Enthusziastic website titled, The Power of Pauses in Public Speaking, the authors share why people need to add more moments of silence to their speeches. They open the article with this statement:

We rush through sentences trying to sound confident, sharp, and impressive. But in that speed, something important gets lost, the emotion behind the words. And in public speaking, that loss is costly. The truth is simple: the most impactful public speakers aren’t the ones who speak the fastest; they’re the ones who know exactly when to stop.

Strategic pauses can be used to accomplish many goals.

A pause allows important points to sink into the audience’s minds.

A pause slows down delivery to combat nerves that lead to fast speaking.

A pause signals authority, as it shows the speaker is confident enough to embrace silence as they command the stage.

Additionally, the authors share that a pause deepens emotional connection.

A pause is not just a technique, it is an emotional doorway. It is the moment when your message stops being noise and starts becoming truth. In public speaking, that shift is everything. Words might fill the air, but pauses fill the heart. When you pause at the right moment, you give your audience a gift, the space to feel. And that space is rare in today’s world. We live fast, we listen fast, we respond fast. But we feel slowly. Emotion needs room. It needs stillness. It needs silence.

Mastering the pause is an excellent way to improve public speaking skills. To learn more about the power of pause and the many ways to deploy it, please read the rest of the article on the Enthusziastic website.