Hello Michigan library leaders!
You are invited to join us for two upcoming webinars on managing change and supporting healthier team culture in public libraries with WMU professor, author, consultant, and researcher, Dr. Vanessa Hills.
Instructor Bio: Vanessa is a faculty member at Western Michigan University teaching courses in Organizational Change Leadership within the Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology. Dr. Hills received her MA in
Communication and PhD in Organizational Change Leadership from Western Michigan University. Her research focuses on how psychosocial dynamics shape organizational life, organizational change, groups, and leadership. She is a Co-Editor of the
Research in Management Consulting book series published by Emerald and has published inleading journals, including the
Journal of Organizational Change Management, Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, and the
Journal of Managerial Issues. Dr. Hills is also a practicing change consultant and a board member of the Midwest Academy of Management and the Management Consulting Division of the Academy of Management.
Date: Thursday, August 6, 1-2:30 pm
Location: Zoom
Description: Behind every effective library is a team that knows how to work together. This 90-minute webinar explores the often-invisible forces that shape how library teams function: group norms, power dynamics, covert processes,
psychological safety, and the developmental stages that every group moves through. Drawing on applied group dynamics theory and psychodynamic perspectives, this session helps library professionals understand what’s really happening in their teams and what
to do about it.
Key Topics Covered:
- Stages of group development and what each looks like
- Covert processes: the hidden forces that drive team behavior
- Managing conflict, competition, and coalition-building within teams
- Psychological safety and its role in team performance and innovation
What Participants will Learn:
- How to recognize the development stage of their own teams and respond appropriately
- Identify covert dynamics that might be undermining performance
- Intervene constructively in group conflict or dysfunction
Date: Thursday, August 13, 1-2:30 pm
Location: Zoom
Description: Libraries today operate in an environment of continuous transformation. Shifting community needs, evolving technologies, funding pressures, and changing workforce dynamics demand that library leaders navigate change
with strategic clarity and human sensitivity. This 90-minute webinar equips participants with a research-grounded framework for understanding, planning, and leading organizational change.
Key Topics Covered:
- Change leadership vs. change management
- Stakeholder engagement and how to identify and work with champions, resistors, and the “moveable middle”
- Introduction to change models and frameworks applicable in library settings
- Human responses to change: resistance, ambiguity, and the covert forces that shape outcomes
What Participants will Learn:
- How to apply a practical change leadership framework to their specific context
- Anticipate and address human and cultural resistance to change
- Communicate change in ways that build trust and reduce anxiety
- Identify levers for sustaining change over time
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.
Andrea Vernola
Continuing Education Coordinator | Library Development
Library of Michigan, 702 W. Kalamazoo St, P.O. Box 30007, Lansing, MI 48909
vernolaA@michigan.gov | 517-335-0123
https://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan
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