The core class Managing Effective Interactions sets the stage and provides the key definitions and communications tenets for the other workshops. The core class Building Trust in the Workplace concentrates on helping individuals establish relations of trust in the workplace. Most classes are 2-4 hours in length and are delivered by our own librarians and other University employees who are resident subject matter experts and/or certified facilitators.

All sessions will include both a discussion component and skill building exercises, in order to share best practices, build a community of workplace excellence in the Library, and refine our skills in a safe atmosphere while receiving constructive feedback from colleagues.

Core classes

Managing Effective Interactions
Target audience: all staff
Time frame: 4 hours
It is strongly encouraged to attend this class first. Reference will be made to the key concepts of this class in the other toolkit classes.
Co-facilitators: Luisa Paster and a certified trainer from University HR (This class also offered campus-wide in the Core Learning Curriculum)

A formal half-day class which defines catalyst leadership. The five key communication concepts and the feedback model are research based and applicable not only to supervisory situations, but to all workplace interactions. This program uses behavior modeling and a skill building approach, including explanations of core concepts, critiques of video segments, analysis of real life scenarios offered by participants, and small group work. This is an intense and fun class that will help create high standards for communication in the Library. The Managing Effective Interactions class is a strongly encouraged first class, and reference will often be made back to the key concepts of this workshop in order to reinforce and practice the lessons learned.

Building Trust in the Workplace
Target audience: all staff
Time frame: 4 hours
Facilitator: certified trainers from University HR (This class also offered campus-wide in the Core Learning Curriculum)

In this workshop, participants will discuss the personal and organizational effects of mistrust and learn the importance of sharing responsibility for building trust in the workplace. The class will help employees take steps to strengthen trust in their interactions; build a history of trust with coworkers; encourage open communication; and develop an action plan for building trust with coworkers, team members, Library users, and managers.

Additional classes

Coaching for success
Target audience: all staff. This class is of particular interest to supervisors and staff in leadership roles.
Time frame: 2 hours
Facilitator: Luisa Paster

This course shows supervisors how to observe performance, identify coaching opportunities, and provide needed support for high performing staff. Coaching high performers is a positive experience both for coaches and those being coached, and is vital for motivating and retaining excellent staff.

Coaching for improved performance
Target audience: all staff. This class is of particular interest to supervisors and staff in leadership roles.
Time frame: 2 hours
Facilitator: Luisa Paster
Handout

This course builds participants' skills in handling employee's poor performance or work habit issues. We will discuss differentiating performance and disciplinary problems, preparing for the coaching session, documenting the problem, and following up. Participants will learn how to communicate clearly and avoid defensiveness, while adhering to Library policies and procedures.

Conflict management 101
Target audience: all staff
Time frame: two 3 hour sessions
Facilitator: Camilo Azcarate, University Ombuds Officer (This class also offered campus-wide in the Core Learning Curriculum)

This class explores the theories behind what conflict is, why people engage in conflict and how individuals choose to manage conflict. The course includes a role playing session so participants can practice the learned skills.

Group facilitation techniques
Target audience: all staff
Time frame: 2 hours
Facilitator: Luisa Paster

This workshop offers practical techniques for helping groups improve their effectiveness, and is applicable to Library work units, committees, and teams. Key topics include group communication techniques, planning and conducting meetings, and managing group dynamics.

Hiring the best staff
Target audience: all staff. This class is of particular interest to supervisors and staff in leadership roles.
Time frame: 2 hours
Facilitator: Vikki Ridge, Senior HR manager in Facilities, and Luisa Paster

The demographics of librarianship require that we be in constant recruitment and interview mode, always searching for and welcoming the best candidates from all cultures and walks of life. In this workshop we will discuss recruiting, reading applications, selecting candidates to interview, interview techniques, and some legal implications of the hiring process.

Managing meetings
Target audience: all staff
Time frame: as needed
Facilitator: online, consultations with Luisa Paster

This online workshop will provide all the guidelines needed to organize meetings, set agendas, facilitate meetings, and improve the quality of meetings that you attend or lead. Readings and activities will be provided via Blackboard, so that you can work at your own pace. The class includes an initial individual consultation, a followup meeting to set goals, and a final coaching session to discuss how the goals were met.

Presentation skills
Target audience: all staff
Time frame: 2 hours
Facilitator: Ben Primer

This skill building workshop will cover preparing for a presentation, tailoring a presentation to the audience, engaging the audience, and overcoming anxiety. Participants will be asked to prepare a 5 minute presentation before the workshop and present it at the workshop. Workshop participants will critique presentations in a supportive way. Follow-up consultations are provided upon request.

Project Management
Target audience: all staff. This class is of particular interest to supervisors and staff in leadership roles
Time frame: 3 hours
Facilitator: Hetty Baiz , Princeton Planning Office

This OIT workshop is titled: Project Management Made Easy: 3 Hours, 3 Templates and You're Ready to Go! Participants will get an overview of project management principles and best practices, and get hands-on experience developing a project plan, a detailed task list, and a monthly status report.

Setting Performance Expectations of Employees
Target audience: all staff. This class is of particular interest to supervisors and staff in leadership roles
Time frame: 4 hours
Facilitator: certified trainers from University HR (This class also offered campus-wide in the Core Learning Curriculum)

This class helps supervisors encourage good performance and accountability by helping employees understand what is expected of them and gaining their commitment to achieving it. The class will help supervisors ensure mutual understanding of performance expectations, assist staff in identifying performance expectations that align with the Library's goals and constructing performance plans, gain individual or team commitment to fulfilling expectations, and handle challenging situations that can arise during discussions for setting expectations .

Teambuilding techniques
Target audience: all staff
Time frame: 3 hours
Facilitator: Luisa Paster

In this workshop participants will learn the benefits of teamwork and the dynamics of how teams function. We will discuss preparing to be an effective team member, establishing a team project, techniques for getting work done in a team, knowing when and how to bring closure to the team's work, and solving problems within the team. Participants will receive the Team Memory Jogger, a concise summary of teambuilding techniques published by Oriel.

Train the trainer
Target audience: all staff
Time frame: 2 hours
Facilitator: Luisa Paster
Handout

This workshop will be useful for anyone who performs a group training function, either with Library users or with staff members. We will cover assessing a training need, designing a training session, and managing a training session. Follow-up consultations to work on participants' individual training projects will be provided upon request.

Your role as a Library supervisor
Target Audience: all staff. This class is of particular interest to supervisors and staff in leadership roles
Time frame: 2 hours
Facilitator: Lila Fredenburg and Fred Clarke
Handout

This workshop will present the basic responsibilities and duties of supervisors in the Library. We will cover appropriate Library and University policies and procedures using materials prepared by University HR, the Dean of the Faculty's Office, and Library HR. There will be ample time for questions and answers.

Library Excellence Toolkit main page
Facilitators and Instructors
Schedule of classes
Registration form
Individual Learning and Development Plan
Blackboard logon
Core Learning Curriculum from University Human Resources