Leadership & Supervisory Development Program

Leadership Skills for the 21st Century - Solving Common Problems in Management

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About This Program

Dates:	Tuesdays - March 9, March 30, April 27, May 18, June 8, July 13, August 3, August 24 It is highly recommended that participants attend all sessions, but understand that someone may have to miss a session. View calendar for the program
Time:	1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Location:	Mt. St. Alphonsus Retreat Center, Esopus, NY
Presenter:	Barbara Wall

Libraries and their staff deal with many of the same issues that exist in the corporate world. We will take a business like approach to identifying solutions that can provide you with new methods to successfully handle issues related to management and supervision, now and in the future.

Come to this eight session program (8 three-hour afternoon sessions) spread out over the next eight months and learn practical and unique ways to deal with these topics:
Time and stress management Team building Setting mutual goals with employees	Constructive feedback and training Dealing with conflict and difficult employees Conducting performance appraisals
Each topic will be introduced in a one-hour presentation by Barbara Wall, followed by a two-hour peer group interaction.

How this program is different from other trainings:

• The focus is on your real work problems that you bring to the training.
• You will develop your own action plans and obtain targeted feedback from peers.
• You will learn in a highly personalized manner - peer training groups.
• Time to network with fellow librarians.
• Time to work with peers on common challenges.

Outcomes to expect:

• Solutions to real work issues.
• An encouraging group of peers to share and resolve issues together.
• Learn a new method of professional development that you can practice yourself - at work or at home.
• Acquire skills that can be used immediately and continuously.

About the presenter: Barbara Wall is a former School Library System Director at Oswego BOCES and Orange-Ulster BOCES. She is currently an elementary school librarian in the Poughkeepsie City School District. Barbara has been a trainer and presenter at conferences across New York State. Consultant for the project: Carter NcNamara, MBA, Ph.D. is founder and developer of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, Minneapolis, MN, which provides consulting in the peer coaching group method for networking, training, problem solving, and support. Link to the Free Management Library.

Facilitators for the peer training groups are:
Merribeth Advocate	Judy Fischetti	Judy McGrath	Mary Jo Russell
Patricia Carroll-Mathes	Rebecca Gerald	Mary Ann Politi	Barbara Wall
Jim Cosgrove	Tessa Killian	Leslie Riley

Program Fee: $50.00 (Covers all 8 sessions)
Payment and registration must be received by Monday, March 1, 2004.

Registration Form

Directions: Mount St. Alphonsus Retreat Center

This project is supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Copies of the Coaching Contract for Group Members and Facilitators will be available at the first session on March 9th. Please take a moment to review this document before the first session.

Why do I need to attend all eight sessions?

Professional development is like a puzzle - to be complete, all the pieces need to fit together and you must work to get them into place. Each time that you put the puzzle together, practice, you become more proficient at solving the puzzle. Each of the eight sessions builds on the skill and proficiency that you are hoping to bring away from this experience. We highly recommend that people attend all eight sessions, but we also understand that someone might have to miss one.

Please explain the format for this program.

Each session is in two parts – lecture and practice. The lecture provides some knowledge base to go with the information you bring into the training session and the practice – peer coaching – provides reinforcement of the knowledge plus an action plan for following through. Together the learning becomes internalized for use again and again. As groups work together, it will be important to remember that everything is confidential. Group members must be able to trust each and keep any and all information shared within the group.

My time is very valuable and this program involves quite a big time commitment. Why is this program spread out over so many months?

Time provides you with an opportunity to practice and use what you have learned. Again, this is an essential to internalizing so that the learning continues long after the formal training sessions are over.

What is a peer-training group?

A peer-training group is an ongoing group of people who work together, reinforcing and helping each other to learn and to solve real workplace problems. Each member learns the methods and “coaches” each other member. An outside facilitator provides the structural integrity of timekeeping, on topic, etc. Our facilitators are all local librarians who have been trained by the consultants, Teri and Carter McNamara.

Why should I come to this program?

First, you will actually come away with action plans for YOU not for anyone else. Second, you will learn and practice a skill that you can take back to your workplace, home life, or anywhere you go. Few, if any, trainings offer these advantages.

Who should attend this program?

Anyone who wishes to improve his or her skill set in his or her job place should attend. Anyone who aspires to grow in the ability to problem solve should attend. And, every leader and manager in the library world ought to get this experience because you need this technology to do your job most effectively.

What should I, or one of my employees, expect as an outcome for attending this program?

Improved communication with staff members, clients and others with whom you have contact on a regular basis will result form participation in this program.

I’m in a supervisory position but never had any training in management or supervision. Will this program address some of the issues I face as a new supervisor?

Yes. Each topic over the several months is one that supervisors or new managers must deal with. But, more importantly, as you have issues or questions, you many bring them to your peer coaching/training group and develop a solution to your problem.

I am a library manager and would like to see increased productivity from my staff and ultimately, improved library service. How can this program help?

People who have learned to creatively problem solve and communicate are generally more productive and certainly give better service to customers. The basis for peer coaching/peer training is the essential questions, very much like a good reference question. When you practice this daily staff avoid misunderstandings and get their jobs done in a more efficient manner.

What types of support materials are provided?

Several clearly written books are supplied as well as a website with an online library of support information. Also, each facilitator and the program presenter are local and can be called upon for help.

Many of the programs I see on this topic cost a lot more money. Why does this only cost $50?

This program is supported by an LSTA grant written by Southeastern New York Library Resources Council. Nationally recognized experts in the field have trained the presenter. Consequently we have a homegrown resource for the future, further reducing our overall costs for continuing education. We have trained over 10 facilitators who are receiving no further compensation to participate and guide the coaching in the program. All of these factors have cut the cost that we must charge YOU. Were you to participate in a similar program at another location, it is likely to cost in the $400 - $500 range.

I only have a few volunteers in my library; does this program apply to me?

YES! Working with volunteers is both exciting and a challenge. Having the skills to problem solve and improve communication will improve the way you and your volunteers work together.

I’ve attended other leadership programs and only learned a few things. How is this program different?

Action Learning --- Your real-world issues – what is relevant to you will be addressed.

I attended the leadership program sponsored by SENYLRC in July 2003. How is this program different?

Most of the topics are different than the ones discussed over the summer (except for time and stress management). The presenter, Barbara Wall, is a librarian trained by the consultants, Teri and Carter McNamara. The format is very similar, but there is more time, three weeks or so, between sessions for you to take some actions.

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CE Refund Policy  Effective September 26, 2002, Southeastern will institute the following refund policy for Continuing Education Programs:

• Cancellations prior to the two days before a scheduled workshop are subject to a minimum $5.00 service charge. Cancellations made one to two days prior to a scheduled workshop are non-refundable.
• Southeastern will invoice for any registrations made but not paid for or canceled.
• If a Southeastern program or workshop is canceled due to a low level of participation, you will be notified accordingly and a full refund will be issued.