Group and Team Dynamics

Behind every effective library is a team that knows how to work together. This 90-minute webinar explores the often-invisible forces that shape how library teams function: group norms, power dynamics, covert processes, psychological safety, and the developmental stages that every group moves through. Drawing on applied group dynamics theory and psychodynamic perspectives, this session helps library professionals understand what’s really happening in their teams and what to do about it.
Key Topics Covered:

• Stages of group development and what each looks like
• Covert processes: the hidden forces that drive team behavior
• Managing conflict, competition, and coalition-building within teams
• Psychological safety and its role in team performance and innovation

What Participants will Learn:

• How to recognize the development stage of their own teams and respond appropriately
• Identify covert dynamics that might be undermining performance
• Intervene constructively in group conflict or dysfunction

Speaker Bio: Vanessa Hills, PhD is a faculty member at Western Michigan University teaching courses in Organizational Change Leadership within the Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology. Dr. Hills received her MA in Communication and PhD in Organizational Change Leadership from Western Michigan University. Her research focuses on how psychosocial dynamics shape organizational life, organizational change, groups, and leadership. She is a Co-Editor of the Research in Management Consulting book series published by Emerald and has published in leading journals, including the Journal of Organizational Change Management, Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, and the Journal of Managerial Issues. Dr. Hills is also a practicing change consultant and a board member of the Midwest
Academy of Management and the Management Consulting Division of the Academy
of Management.

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.