Workshops & Speaking

New Learning to Lead: A Three Day Series on Leadership in Academic Libraries (leading, following, coaching)
The University of Latvia
Riga, Latvia
December 4-8, 2006

Sharing the “Whole Enchilada:” Team Development Skills for the Informatics Group at VISN 6.
Veterans Administration
, co-facilitated with Carol Vollmer,  Educational Service Representative, E. E. S.
8:30AM – 2:30PM
April 26, 2006,
Durham, North Carolina

Leading from the Middle

Coaching for Results

“Leading from the Middle” 3rd LAMA National Institute: “What It Takes to Take the Lead”
November 18-20, 2004 Palm Springs, California.
(written up in American Libraries, January 2005.)

The Leader You Are, the Leader You Want to Be: A Retreat

Teamwork in the Library

Attitudes: Dealing with challenging Personalities in the Workplace

Making Performance Appraisal Work

Learning to Lead

New Roles for Supervisors

Coaching for Results

Coaching as defined in this workshop, is the interactive process through which a leader offers sound advice, speaks the truth, challenges and encourages a willing colleague or group to become better at what they do.

The session relies on real life coaching and feedback-giving that John Lubans has practiced and observed inside and outside of libraries, including the Duke Women's Basketball team, Southwest Airlines, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in collaboration with the Manhattan School of Music.

This session is a safe forum for participants to develop and practice their coaching skills through case studies, role plays, video, and problem solving activities. There will be plenty of challenge, and a lot of fun with John Lubans' trademark emphasis on group development.

Leading from the Middle: This session explores the intertwined processes of followership and leadership - of leading from the middle. The session's objective is that by gaining an in-depth and practical understanding of these concepts, each of us can become more adept at advancing our libraries.
After a brief consideration of the prior thinking on the topic from the Taoist to Mary Parker Follett to Robert E. Kelley, we'll develop a taxonomy of the types of followers and apply them to our own circumstances. We’ll look at pragmatic ways to improve our individual skills as followers/leaders. And, we’ll consider in small groups the pros and cons of several suggestions for what a library organization - the total system - can do to encourage and protect the roles of effective followers, present and future.
The session features examples drawn from realms outside of libraries, like the conductor-less Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Tadich Grill, a historic restaurant in San Francisco. And, we will seek to gain individual insights through small group discussion and activities, case studies, and the facilitator's personal experiences in leading from the middle for many years as a library administrator.

The Leader You Are, the Leader You Want to Be: A Retreat

This two day program provides both the new and mature leader the opportunity to pause and to reflect about the seeming mysteries of leading. Potential outcomes include:

An enhanced understanding of concept of leadership and about yourself as a leader;
Practical ideas for improving your performance to become the leader you want to be;
An appreciation of the nuances of leadership success and failure; and,
A supportive relationship with your fellow participants.

The retreat presumes that lasting change comes from within each person. It is an adult learning model that features:

A clear and concise presentation of current leadership concepts.
Hands on exploration of those ideas,
Sharing of relevant experiences by participants,
Peer discussion groups, and

Multiple learning activities including case studies and self-tests 

Teamwork in the Library

Intrigued by team concepts and their promise of high performance? Want greater staff investment in the work of the library?

This workshop will help you:

Learn when to use teams and how to develop results-oriented teamwork.

Practice and refine your coaching and team member skills in simulated team situations through problem-solving activities. case studies and self-tests

Attitudes: Dealing with Challenging Personalities in the Workplace is a one-day session on conflict, trust building, confrontation and negotiation. 

Attitudes at work got your goat? At wit's end about what to do? If you are ready to change, this interactive workshop will guide you step by step in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Making Performance Appraisal Work is based on well-tested personnel theories, including motivation, related to assessing, formally and informally, the performance of individuals and groups.

The workshop design is highly interactive: self-tests, problem-solving activities, small groups, case studies, and lectures.  And, participants are encouraged to bring examples of appraisal methods and relevant questions for discussion. The session will draw on the expertise and experience of each participant.

Participant takeaways include a greater awareness and understanding of individual and group appraisal, limitations and alternatives, and specific ways for giving constructive and helpful feedback.

The target audience is supervisors in public and academic libraries.

Learning to Lead: Engage in leadership activities and teamwork and discover new things about who you are as a leader. Learn where you excel and where you need to improve.

This one-day workshop is grounded in real world management of libraries and in relevant theories and stratagems of leadership, motivation, performance appraisal, teamwork, organization and decision making.

Participants will be challenged to develop and refine their leadership styles and skills through self-assessments, case studies, problem-solving games, interactive feedback, and facilitated discussion.

New Roles for Supervisors: Participants will find themselves literally in the middle of management theory, trying out new roles and ideas, all for immediate application in the workplace. This one-day workshop will challenge participants to identify, develop and refine their supervisory styles through self-assessment, case studies, problem-solving activities and interactive feedback.

Outcomes include:
A thorough understanding of what coaching is and how it differs from supervising. Also, an appreciation of the best organizational climate for coaching.

A general understanding of coaching techniques and approaches, all for immediate application in the work place.

Through role plays, case studies and self-observations, hands on experience in coaching with feedback from the instructor and participants.


http://www.lubans.org
Latest Revision: August, 2007