Conversations Worth Having for Library Leaders (2 - Day Virtual Workshop - August 19-20)

The Library of Michigan invites up to 20 public and academic library directors, managers, or supervisors to participate in a 4th cohort of Conversations Worth Having for Library Leaders Cohort led by Library Development Manager, Michelle Bradley. To date, more than 100 Michigan library leaders have participated in this training and gone on to use their experience to grow meaningful conversation and positive relationships in their libraries and communities. This virtual workshop will take place over two interactive mornings on Zoom:

• Wednesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 20 from 9 am - 12 pm 

By registering here, you are committing to attending both days of training. Upon completion of the training, you will receive a certificate of completion and be eligible to participate in additional opportunities with other Michigan library CWH practitioners.

What is Conversations Worth Having?

Communication remains the top issue for organizations, teams, and relationships. Most people struggle to effectively communicate when they are frustrated, angry, hurt, or facing conflict. The effects of poor communication are costly. This workshop will help you establish communication practices that will support productivity, engagement, high performance, regular feedback, positivity, and a culture of “we.”

Conversations Worth Having includes four modules:

1. The Power of Conversation: Understand the nature of our conversations, how they affect human being and doing, and develop your ability to choose. 
2. The Art of Asking Questions: Understand the basics of Appreciative Inquiry and improve your ability to ask generative questions to foster effective communication.
3. Intentional Framing: Use positive framing to intentionally foster effective communication and continue to develop your ability to ask generative questions. 
4. Step Up to Feedback: Develop the skill an the motivation to routinely seek out feedback and promptly provide effective feedback, even in the most critical of situations. 

At the end of this course, participants will:

• Use generative questions to shift the dynamics of personal and workplace communication problems.
• Experience flipping negative conversations to conversations worth having
• Use effective feedback strategies with common workplace situations. 

This highly experiential course is built upon Berrett Kohler’s bestseller, Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement by Cheri Torres and Jackie Stavros. It is highly recommended that participants read the book before attending Conversations Worth Having. LM will provide a print copy of the book, which will be shipped via RIDES following registration so please register ASAP to give those books time to get to your library. If you would like to start reading before receiving your print copy of the book, the e-book is available through MeL.

LM will cover the cost of all course materials and course content, including the CWH textbok, digital workbook materials, and an instructional game, a $1,498.00 per person value. For more information about the Conversations Worth Having Institute and ongoing opportunities to participate with other leaders looking to improve connection, trust, and communication, visit the CWH Institute website. 

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.