Work shadowing means that one person (the shadow) visits another (host) to experience their work by observing them for an agreed period of time. There are no hard and fast rules for the time period involved and this should be agreed in advance between the parties.
Work shadowing provides an opportunity to find out how other staff work. It enables participants to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of other roles and functions across the Library. This will perhaps be easier to do now we are using Microsoft Teams, certainly when shadowing occurs between colleagues in Exeter and Penryn. Work shadowing can also involve attending a team meeting outside the shadow’s regular experience. Another way to become immersed in someone else’s work is to consult together to identify a short project to be completed by the shadower.
Shadowing could involve:
Really it depends on the goals of the shadower and the experiences of the shadowee.
From <https://www.elsevier.com/connect/library-connect/training-and-development-for-librarians-why-bother>
The benefits which might occur include the following
Breaks down barriers and myths about how others work
Provides the opportunity to observe good practice elsewhere
Allows good practice to be brought back to the shadow’s current role
Encourages the realisation that other people have different ways of doing things and provides fresh ideas and insights about how to be more effective in their own work
Allows the opportunity to compare and contrast standards and achievements in the shadow’s own area with those elsewhere
Identifies areas for further personal development and widens experience, skills and future career opportunities
Provides learning opportunities for the host – explaining a particular task or activity can provoke analysis and improve communication and feedback skills
Improves communication within the organisation
Brings people together who might not normally have contact and provides networking opportunities
Increases the understanding of the wider institutional goals and objectives
You should first seek the permission of your line manager and discuss with them the type of role you would like to shadow, what you want to get out of the experience and the learning and skills you hope to obtain. You may want to take the opportunity to discuss this option during your PDR discussion.
Are you a manager? Would you like to reconnect with the shop floor? Want to gain a better understanding of the user experiences? Then reverse shadowing may be for you!
Reverse shadowing offers managers an insight into the daily tasks and issues that face front-line and customer-facing staff. It also enables managers to gain a better knowledge and understanding of Library users as and when they approach staff for support and guidance.
Reverse shadowing is perhaps best done in person and onsite, as the shadow can sit alongside their host as they staff a help point or assist users remotely via Library Chat, without the need to share screens or personal data.
The benefits of reverse shadowing are that it...
Breaks down barriers between management and junior staff
Improves communication and listening within the organisation, both vertically and horizontally, up and down the management chain
Provides another, more direct avenue for suggestions and ideas to filter up to senior management
Allows experience and good practice to be shared more widely than job roles would normally allow
Furnishes an in-depth understanding of our services for the purposes of benchmarking and comparisons
Permits managers to speak knowledgeably and confidently about library services with colleagues from outside the library
Helps managers Identify areas for further service developments and standards, as well modifications to staffing levels and visibility
Gives senior staff the chance to engage directly with library users as a form of user experience data collection
Enables the realisation that others have different ways of working, providing ideas and insights about how to be more effective in one's own work
Facilitates learning opportunities for the host – explaining a particular task or activity can provoke analysis and improve communication and feedback skills
Ensures that managers continue to be regarded as approachable and in-touch with their staff and library users of all levels and backgrounds
Increases the understanding of the wider institutional goals and objectives
You should first seek the consent of an individual host and/or discuss with colleagues generally what role or tasks you would like to shadow and any learning and insights you hope to obtain, perhaps in the context of an All Library Staff team meeting.