Why take this course: Enhance your work life and relationships by learning how to approach difficult interactions and conversations with confidence in Strategies for Managing Conflict with Colleagues and Patrons starting March 12. Over three weeks, learn foundational strategies for conflict management at work, both internally with colleagues and externally with patrons. You will explore tenets of cultural humility regarding language, as well as de-escalation techniques and how to assess your own communication and conflict styles in order to bring self-awareness into all situations. Who should take this course: This course is geared toward public-facing librarians and staff; however, all levels of librarians, including managers and directors, will benefit from learning how to work with difficult people. | Course Program Tuesday, March 12, 2024 | Crystal Trice, CSM, CSM@Scale, Library Consultant, Scissors & Glue, LLC | Session 1 | 2:00-3:15 pm ET Foundations of Conflict Management Where do disagreements come from and how does it escalate? How can you stay prepared to address and de-escalate conflict? This opening week will dive into ways you can grow self-awareness and manage your own emotions as a first step to proactive conflict management and relationship building. You'll learn how communication and conflict styles, power dynamics, and cultural humility can impact difficult interactions. Leave this session with conflict resolution methods that will give you tips and tools to communicate with others directly, kindly, and confidently. | Kate Hall, Executive Director, Northbrook Public Library | Session 2 | 2:00-3:15 pm ET Preparing for and Managing Difficult Patron Interactions How do you maintain excellent customer service while dealing with a stressed out or disgruntled patron? And how do you manage these interactions while maintaining your personal boundaries? This week will focus on community and patron relationships and give you strategies to manage challenging interactions with the public. You will learn communication skills to help when initiating and responding in difficult conversations with the public, as well as simple, tangible tactics for de-escalating situations. | Catherine B Soehner, Associate Dean and Executive Director, Eccles Health Sciences Library | Session 3 | 2:00-3:15 pm ET Managing Challenging Interactions with Colleagues and Staff How do you effectively work with resistant or challenging colleagues or staff members? What do you do if your direct supervisor or other leadership is creating challenges? How do you have difficult conversations at work? This week will focus on internal work relationships and teach you practical ways to have tough conversations, give and receive difficult feedback, and overcome or prevent grievances at work. We will also discuss ways to "manage up" and advocate for yourself or your team, including how to build or find support systems where you might not have it. | Request a discount for groups of 3 or more and work with your colleagues on a project for your library. | Purchase packages of course tickets that you can allocate to your staff as needed and apply to our full roster of courses. Purchase 15 or more registrations and apply them across multiple courses. | |