Bravo Award from Edmonds Community College
Communication
I have used excellent written and verbal skills in my communication with students and staff as an academic advisor. In appointments, e-mail, and group orientations I have used my verbal and written skills to guide students in pursuit of their education. I know I have done a good job of communicating based on my performance review which rated communication skills as exceptional and exceeding the goals and objectives of the unit in these four areas
- Is thorough, organized, and concise in communication
- Communicates easily with people from diverse backgrounds
- Listens intently and quickly comprehends complex subjects
- Shares knowledge with others
Another example of my communication skills is my ability to speak in public. A student I advised at Edmonds Community College won a scholarship award, and the granting institution, the Soroptimist Club, invited me to be the guest speaker. The lecture addressed the importance of education and how it changes lives. My speech was designed to honor a student who overcame substantial hardship to attend school to gain new job skills. With a little encouragement and funding students can achieve the success they desire to improve their lives. I am a strong proponent for speaking on behalf of my institution for community outreach.
Valuing Diversity
At Edmonds Community College we have a way of honoring people who demonstrate exemplary service, leadership, and concern for our campus community. In the eight years that I worked there, I was honored by eight Bravo Awards. One of the Bravo Awards I was nominated for came from a student. Genet valued my customer service and how well I served her and treated everyone equally, and her nomination demonstates my value for diversity on a personal level. I also served as the Diversity Liaison for the Advising Committee for two years. Libraries are built on the premise that access is equal for all, and I believe that I can easily uphold that principle.
In order to promote the free flow of ideas and information, libraries have the unique responsibility to promote equity in access to information. Libraries strive to be neutral and open; however, all institutions are influenced by historical, social, and political context. By comparing the competency standards of different library organizations, we can identify areas which promote diversity. Based on the scope and type of the library institution, each set of competencies promotes diversity in different ways. This paper, Review of Diversity Standards, demonstrates that I have been able to compare the ways in which diversity is promoted by different library organizations, not just on a personal level, but at an institutional level.
Customer Service
Part of any good reference interview is customer service, which includes providing a friendly and welcoming environment. Another Bravo Award I received was for the strong customer service that I provided for our Worker Retraining students. Since the downturn in the economy many students were coming back for further education, and I believe that libraries also provide a ray of hope for people who are seeking work by providing access to computers and job search skils. In order to receive Worker Retraining Benefits, students need a full academic plan from an advisor, and I was able to provide that service with a smile. My colleague who nominated me wrote:
With the downturn in the economy, potential Worker Retraining students are streaming in, all in need of a Training Plan to submit with their application. Patty Northman has gone above and beyond to assist them, and get them off to a terrific start. She maintains a positive, welcoming attitude at all times, which goes so far in reassuring these new students, already in a difficult time in their lives. ~Darl Christen
I was also recognized for my outstanding customer service skills when I was nominated Employee Of The Month by my colleagues in Enrollment Services in May 2009. You can read both pages of unsolicited praise in the nominations from my colleagues here, or just read a few of these excerpts that demonstrate my customer service skills:
- She is dedicated to serving each student with integrity, pride, and care
- She does an outstanding job helping our students enter college
- Every student has nothing but great things to say about their experience working with her
- She always does this with a smile and treats each student as if they were the most important student on campus
- Patty always cheerfully supports us
- Patty is a lovely person and an extraordinary team player
Teamwork
The academic advising unit functioned well as a team. We created a sense of camraderie and unified purpose to get the work done. The reason we functioned so well as a team is that we communicated frequently. Although we each had individual work, there were also team projects and responsibilities. I think we worked well together because each of us treated everyone with respect and created new projects collaboratively.
For the Future
Many libraries include employee development workshops. I will continue to attend workshops on how to give the best service , whether it is through customer service skills, conflict resolution, or new technologies. As a professional librarian, I will seek out workshops which can help me to improve my customer service and communication skills. If the institution I work for has a diversity committee, I will certainly join and promote equal access to all people.