Department of Library Services Newsletter - Issue 1 - 2018
News and Events
GO BIG OR GO HOME Dear Colleagues, I welcome all of you back to the DLS at the start of 2018. We are fast entering uncharted territory in which our ability to deal or handle change effectively and efficiently is being tested to the limit.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Dear Colleagues, I welcome all of you back to the DLS at the start of 2018.
We are fast entering unchartered territory in which our ability to deal with or handle change effectively and efficiently is being tested to the limit. It has become clear to me that the times in which we live and the magnitude and the speed of change confronting us cannot adequately be handled by adopting the gradual (bietjie-bietjie) and small steps kind of approach. We are being challenged to THINK and ACT BIG. Anyone not willing, not able, or who finds this THINK and ACT BIG approach daunting is better off getting out of the way or simply “going home”. These are the people who do not want to vacate their comfort zone. This is what I said in my last year welcome message about the comfort zone:
My wish for each one of you in 2017 is that you may vacate, leave or evacuate your comfort zone. Michael Kerrigan in his book entitled “The power of making the right choices” refers to the comfort zone as: “settle-for zone or even the boring zone!” He describes it as a place where things are familiar: people, jobs, foods, attitudes etc.
The time for comfort zone is over. So my message to those who are still trapped in it you are better off getting out of the way.
INNOVATIVE MINDSET
In the business world sustainability is inextricably linked to innovation. Being innovative means creating new ways and methods of taking advantage of opportunities in the market place. Successful entrepreneurs and business people are those who are preoccupied with being better and more relevant tomorrow. These people have an innovative mindset which makes them future oriented. “If you lack this foresight [of being better and relevant tomorrow]… you are likely to be pushed out of business and rendered irrelevant” (J Maluleke: Entrepreneurship 101; 2017).
An innovative mindset is not an option but an imperative.
REMODELING THE DLS PROJECT
We are GOING BIG on this project in 2018. I shall kick the year off with paying visits to the various units/sections of the Library to facilitate and/or check our readiness for implementing this project. The Focus Area Drivers and their respective teams are polishing their presentations to the external stakeholders. A seminar is being organized on the “4th Industrial Revolution” – details about this seminar will soon be landing in your inboxes.
I therefore wish to extend an invitation to you at the beginning of 2018 to GO BIG in being INNOVATIVE and FUTURE-FOCUSED. Remember: YESTERDAY is past, and TODAY is YESTERDAY’S future.
