Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Care And Accountability In Library Leadership, Annie Bélanger, Kat Bell, Maisha Carey, Jon Jeffryes, Meghan Musolff

Presentations

Leaders and managers have an outsized impact on workers’ wellbeing. In facing the reality of constant and unpredictable change, leaders and managers need to consider the humanity of their employees as part of their commitment to equity. We suggest that library leaders and managers need to consider human-centered approaches as part of their leadership toolkit. Human-centered leaders have a strong focus on people and the organizational culture. They layer compassion and empathy in taking actions to fulfill the organization's mission.

We acknowledge that there are situations when taking a human-centered approach to the needs of library employees can feel in …

Centering Our Collective Humanity Through Inclusive Leadership Practices, Annie Bélanger

Presentations

What if we brought the same compassion that we reserve for our users to our colleagues? This session will explore what inclusive leadership is and the traits and practices it encompasses. It will consider how leaders, whether formal and informal, can center empathy and compassion in their practice to increase equity-minded practices and fostering an inclusive organization. Attendees will be provided with approaches, frameworks, and tools to explore for their continued growth.

Holding Space For Voice: Using Powerful Questions And Appreciative Inquiry Conversations To Understand Values And Needs, Annie Bélanger, Preethi Gorecki

Presentations

Change management is often process-centered instead of people-centered. People are centered when we focus on what is good. Appreciative Inquiry’s strengths-based, positive approach to organizational change allows leaders and facilitators to re-center individuals’ voices.

Appreciative Inquiry helps people move toward a shared vision for the future by engaging others in considering what is good, what could be, what should be, and how to co-create the future. It can foster equitable processes that decenter whiteness and deficit-mindset. Powerful conversations connect thoughts and feelings, result in new ideas, develop new perspectives and understandings, and have an increased potential for action. Developing conversations …

Thriving Through Human Centered Approaches To Change, Annie Bélanger, Megan Musolff

Presentations

Can you think of a time when you have thrived through change? What made that possible? How did the change effort center on organizational values and engage those impacted? Most traditional change management practices focus on process and implementation over listening, compassion, and healing. By using human-centered change leadership approaches, we will explore ways to align change efforts with organizational values. We will identify factors that can lead to a change that harness the strengths of the team, while also make space for voices to be heard. Together, participants will consider how the Bridges’ Transition Model enables effective and compassionate …

Towards High-Empathy Hiring: Implementing Leading Practices For More Inclusive Recruitment, Sarah Beaubien, Annie Bélanger, Scott Ayotte

Presentations

Have you ever wondered if the interview process could be a kinder, more accessible experience, meant to develop connections? Would you like to critically examine practices in the hiring process to ensure empathy to applicants going through the process? In taking a closer look at our own practices, collaborating with the Office of Inclusion and Equity, we have made changes, which have led to a more positive experience for candidates and our organizational outcomes.

Merge Ahead: Library-It Organizations In The Liberal Arts, Lisa A. Forrest, Niranjan Davray, Heather Woods, Dave Smallen

Presentations

Organizational mergers between libraries and information technology services have become more common in recent years. From curbing administrative costs to improving communication to supporting student and faculty success, merged institutions cite a variety of reasons for joining forces. How do successfully merged library and IT services work? What are the challenges and opportunities for those leading within these organizations? What lessons can stand alone organizations glean from these unions? Presenters from four liberal arts institutions--Hamilton, Kenyon, Trinity, and Wellesley Colleges--will share a variety of perspectives and advice for those contemplating a merger or just looking to improve Library-IT relationships. Session …