Conflict First Aid: What to do when you don’t know what to do - Webinar (02/08/22)

Healthy conflict in a library usually is about disagreements regarding productivity issues. They are tangible and more likely to have a concrete solution: Are the new customer service policies successful? How can we manage the noisy teens after school without making them feel unwelcome? What don’t we like about the different versions of the library’s logo or the draft of the strategic plan? 

Unhealthy conflict tends to be more about people, what some call personality conflicts, and are more about negative emotions, which can flavor even a rational decision. These kinds of conflict are more difficult to resolve. Sometime, they are rooted in resentment going back years. Sometimes they are fueled by rumor, gossip, and innuendo. And sometimes, they are about a library visitor having a bad day and yelling at staff at a service desk.

Many models of conflict management take time and effort, and maybe a degree in psychology, but don’t tell you what to do in the moment. We are going to share some of the tricks of the trade professionals use to stay calm and centered, de-escalate and deflect negative behavior, and help prevent the seeds of unhealthy conflict from taking root.

Topics include why both confrontation and conflict avoidance can fuel and fan unhealthy conflict, words and phrases that can turn an angry conversation into something productive, what good cops know regarding respecting everyone, questions that work versus ones that create new problems, and the long game versus the short game.

We also will discuss special situations with bosses, young people, seniors, people from different cultures, those not conversant in English, and the AOAs: people Angry On Arrival. The goal? For you to feel more confident and competent.

Virtual Trainer: Pat Wagner

Pat Wagner has been a library trainer and consultant since 1978. She has been producing and facilitating online programs for over 20 years. Pat has been a frequent visitor to Florida library and was a facilitator for the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute.

This is an online class. Access information will be emailed one week ahead.

Cost: NEFLIN classes are free of charge for Florida library staff. Registration is required for all classes and NEFLIN members get priority.