HELP! I Have Too Much Empathy! How to Manage Staff When You Feel Too Much

There are a lot of trainings on how to develop more empathy, but what do you do when you have too much empathy? Are you someone who can walk into a room and feel what everyone is feeling?

Do you have difficulty maintaining boundaries with staff because they feel comfortable sharing so much with you? Are difficult conversations difficult because you can feel the emotions from the other person? This ability makes it difficult to manage and lead other people.

In this session we'll learn what it means to be an empath, how that ability can make us strong and effective leaders, and some tools, tips, and tricks to setting boundaries, taking care of yourself, and being the best leader to help your staff succeed.

Instructor: Connie Sureck has been in libraries for the past 18 years in Virginia and Ohio and has served in various leadership and management roles for about 15 years. Connie has presented at multiple conferences and conventions for both OLC and NEO-RLS and has been involved in OLC action councils and program committees. She was part of the succession plan for chairing the convention serving as Program Committee Chair in 2016 and then Convention Chair in 2017. She's been with Medina County District Library since 2009, taking a short break for a couple of years to manage a branch at Stark County District Library, and then came back and is currently the branch manager at the Brunswick Library.

To register for this webinar please follow this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5017727222730/WN_F-Zcrn1qTj6Skfq9reUGxg. Sessions are free and available only to members of the Michigan library community. Registrants will receive instructions and a link to attend the session directly from PCI after they register.

PCI Webinars are recorded and available to members of the Michigan library community in the Library of Michigan's Niche Staff Skills Academy about a week after they air. New webinars will be in the New category for several weeks. You do not need to register for a webinar in order to view it later in the Staff Skills Academy.

This project is made possible by grant funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the State of Michigan through the Library of Michigan.