Agency Showcases: Staff Work Up Close
Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
Agency Showcases create meaningful connections between senior leaders and frontline staff through informal, staff-led visits to individual Library branches and departments. Employees design an experience that highlights their work, demonstrates its connection to the Library’s strategic priorities, and gives leaders dedicated time to observe, participate, ask questions, and listen. The format replaces a traditional staff meeting with an engaging experience that builds familiarity, understanding, and trust.
Challenge/Opportunity
Senior leaders need authentic opportunities to understand the day-to-day work, accomplishments, and challenges of frontline staff.
Traditional staff meetings or leadership visits can feel formal, forced, or like evaluations, limiting open conversation.
Staff want leaders to see the work they are proud of and understand how neighborhood services support the Library’s strategic priorities.
Employees may be less comfortable approaching senior leaders when they have not had opportunities to build personal connections.
The Library needed a consistent, sustainable way for leaders to listen and learn across branches and departments while giving staff ownership of the experience.
Key Elements of Innovation
The Library Director and Chief Public Services Officer each attend one staff-led Showcase per month, creating capacity for 24 visits annually.
The rotation is designed so each branch receives a visit every two years.
Staff choose the timing, format, and content based on what they most want senior leaders to see and understand.
Experiences may include presentations, program participation, strengths-based activities, demonstrations, or opportunities for leaders to work alongside staff.
Each Showcase connects neighborhood work to Library strategic priorities while creating a shared topic that supports natural conversation.
Unlike a traditional leadership tour, the model shifts ownership to employees. Staff determine the story, demonstrate their expertise, and invite leaders to participate as learners and listeners.
Achieved Outcomes
Staff report enjoying the opportunity to demonstrate their strengths and share work that makes them proud.
The staff-designed format is experienced as a celebration of employees’ work rather than a leadership inspection.
Showcases allow leaders to observe the real work of the Library and better understand staff expertise, customer connections, and contributions to strategic priorities.
The informal, participatory setting makes senior leaders more familiar and approachable. Staff report feeling more comfortable speaking with leaders following a Showcase.
Implementation measures include the number and distribution of completed Showcases, progress toward the 24-visit annual schedule, branch and department participation, formats used, and completion of the two-year rotation. Qualitative feedback from participating staff and leaders is used to assess connection, comfort, and understanding.
