The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition: A Career Development Framework for Succession Planning and Management in Academic Libraries

Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis is Associate Professor and Interim Director in Westminster Law Library of Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver; e-mail: [email protected]. Deborah S. Grealy is Associate Professor and Associate Dean and Director of the Library and Information Science Program at St. Catherine University; e-mail: [email protected]. © 2013 Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis and Deborah S. Grealy Succession planning and management are critical parts of strategic planning for libraries in the twenty-first century. Making certain that the right people are in place with the prerequisite training and experience to assume leadership positions is a vital part of strategic planning and talent management in libraries that rely on teams of people working in flatter structures and greater accountability. The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition framework suggests that mentoring, coaching, and professional development empower staff for movement up organizational career ladders as part of succession planning and management. To maximize human capital, administrators need to determine skill development levels among staff so that they can identify skill“gaps” internally, create new career ladders, identify emerging stars, and enhance evidence of values for staff contributions.