Introduction

To run any successful organization a great deal of strategic planning is involved every step of the way. Managers are essential for implementing these plans and strategically thinking of ways to make these plans a reality by utilizing marketing and advocacy strategies. To plan effectively the managing team needs a deep understanding of the organization’s mission, vision, values, ultimate goals, and target audiences. Once these elements are firmly established the management team can create objectives and implement a plan for reaching them. This requires prioritizing and optimization in a strategic plan, implemented by management, marketed to the target audience while advocating for shared values and the ultimate success of the organization (Rosenblum, 2018, p 234). 

Statement of Competency 

Without the elements of management, planning, marketing and advocacy most organizations will fail. I learned about strategic planning in INFO 204 in Parts One and Two of our Organizational Analysis which included strategic plans, budgets, advocacy, a PESTEL, SWOT Analysis, an evaluation of: mission, vision, goals and objectives. In INFO 282 Project Management I learned about the importance of hard and soft skills in management, the importance of managing stakeholder needs, scope creep, and what developed strategies of accountability look like. In INFO 282 Crisis Management I created a staff crisis training program outline, as an example of an action to be taken in the face of a social crisis within an organization. This program shows my ability to think and plan strategically, and advocate for the training the staff needs to handle that crisis. In my National Parks Golden Gate Museum Archive Program I learned the importance of emergency operations, and best practices for creating procedures for worst case scenarios and maintaining collections. In my time as chair of the American Library Association Student Chapter (ALASC) we focused on self-advocacy and I found that many of the principles on how to advocate for oneself could also apply to the coworkers and patrons my organization serves. Lastly, I worked with three other team members at the ALASC to create some new promotional materials to market and advocate for our student group as shown in the YouTube promotional video below. Going forward into an information profession I have a strong understanding of the planning, managing, marketing and advocacy skills necessary and how to best utilize them in varying environments. 

Theory

Management

Without managers to guide, resolve conflict, de-escalate, decide, and keep others accountable, an organization's operations could be compared to herding cats. This is why most organizations have some semblance of hierarchies and organizational structure to their management. There are many different elements within an organization that must be managed and most require a person in the role of a manager. The best managers are effective leaders and communicators with great technical and soft skills which I explore further in Comp M. Managers must set realistic expectations for the organization, have clear work breakdown structures while also overseeing stakeholder and team member buy-in, budgets, deliverables, and milestone timelines (Watt, 2014). This variety of essential tasks that managers perform means they often have many different skills: human, organizational and conceptual (Kinkus, 2007, p. 354). A good manager can retain talented people at the organization, influence the work atmosphere and daily organizational flow to create a healthy work culture, while also serving the end client’s needs (Rajhans, 2018).      

Marketing

Libraries and information organizations are no longer just book depositories, but often the public does not realize this as their perception is founded in outdated models. Thus, marketing is required of all libraries and information organizations to reach out to the public, engage with them, understand their needs, and remain relevant in a competitive world where there are many other institutions demanding the consumer’s attention and funding (Minkovsky, 2018). If libraries and information organizations want to remain relevant, they must meet their patron’s needs and secure future buy-in by utilizing marketing as more than just promotion of current services, but as a way to connect and evaluate what people need in order to predict future needs (Lucas-Alfieri, 2015, p 31-32). In the past libraries had a monopoly on information, now there is heavy competition and libraries are no longer the default power, thus they must pivot, utilize marketing strategies to know their audience and establish themselves for future generations.  

Advocacy

Advocacy is “a planned, deliberate, sustained effort to develop understanding and support, incrementally over time” with a holistic long term approach, according to research professor and expert in governance Ken Haycock (Stenström, 2018, p. 344). To advocate includes the following elements: promotion, public relations, marketing, networking, persuasion and lobbying that can be coalesced into an advocacy plan depending on an organization's ultimate goals, defined values, and long term plans for effective messaging (Stenström, 2018).  Founded on the principles of intellectual freedom, the Bill of Rights, equity, diversity and inclusion, libraries will always be involved in advocacy efforts to raise awareness of social issues, to support collections of diverse themes, and to take actionable steps in order to be inclusive information centers for every member of their community (ACRL, 2021). Advocacy helps us connect with each other and our community, grow individual and collective empathy, and take action to overcome new challenges as they arise. In the volatile polarized world we live in, libraries must remain a pillar of advocacy to serve all people in daily practice. 

Conclusion 

No matter where I go in my library journey I will need the skills of strategic planning, managing, marketing and advocating for myself, coworkers, patrons and my organization. To be successful is to utilize these skills, create creative strategies and be flexible and adaptable as the times change. Success comes in many varieties, but elements of management, planning, marketing and advocacy can always be seen as foundations for an organization’s prosperity.   

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