• Learn steps for successful difficult conversations.

• Understand the essence of difficult conversations.

• Practice difficult conversation scenarios.

• Discuss the sources and costs of workplace conflict.

Presenter:

Barbara Baker is the founder of ADR Works, a workplace consulting firm that provides dispute prevention and resolution services, collective bargaining and grievance mediation, and training. 

Training programs include collective bargaining best practices, collaborative bargaining, strategies for newly unionized workplaces, labor-management committees, employment law, ethics, conflict resolution, and effective communication.

Ms. Baker is a federally certified conflict management practitioner and coach. She also serves as a neutral fact-finder for public-sector collective bargaining impasses through the Ohio State Employment Relations Board.

Before establishing ADR Works, Ms. Baker practiced labor and employment law in both Ohio's public and private sectors and served for seven years as a federal mediator with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Session 3
Tuesday, December 8, 2026 at Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library
9:30 am - 3:30 pm
 

Presenter:

Dr. Jo Phillips serves as the Deputy Director of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library. She specializes in organizational leadership, team development, and public service innovation, with a particular interest in helping managers navigate the challenges of leading in complex organizations. Jo holds a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of Dayton and her MLIS focusing in youth services librarianship from Kent State University. She is the Vice-Chair / Chair Elect for ALA’s RUSA CODES section, a 2016 ALA Emerging Leader, and is a 2026 Library Leadership Ohio participant.

9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Wednesday, March 17, 2027 - Location TBA
Session 4 

Better Together:  Building Teams That Work
Strong library teams don’t happen by accident. They develop through intentional leadership, trust, communication, and a willingness to learn and adapt together. In this interactive workshop, we will explore how teams develop, what makes effective teams thrive, and how leaders can create the conditions for people to do their best work. Participants will examine their own teams and discuss approaches for navigating change, coaching employees, strengthening communication, and building on individual and team strengths. This session will help you build confidence in developing and leading library teams that actively help shape a positive workplace culture.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess where their team is in its development and identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities for building greater trust, connection, learning, and resilience.

• Apply practical strategies to help teams navigate change, including approaches that support motivation, a growth mindset, and learning during periods of transition.

• Use coaching and communication practices to strengthen team performance, including asking effective coaching questions, conducting meaningful one-on-one conversations, and creating communication systems that support successful teams.

Presenter:

Empathetic Leadership: Fostering Trust and Psychological Safety in the Workplace
Leadership styles have evolved significantly over the past several decades, making space for more human-centered and emotionally intelligent approaches. Person-Centered Leadership models, such as Empathetic Leadership, not only strengthen connection and trust—but also play a critical role in creating psychologically safe work environments where team members feel valued, respected, and heard.

Please join this engaging conversation to explore the tools and characteristics of Psychological Safety and Empathetic Leadership that help leaders respond effectively to the needs of their employees while cultivating a culture of safety, openness, and inclusion.

Presenter:

 Erin Turner, LISW-S, is is the Supervision and Leadership Educator for Signature Healthy and Adjunct Faculty for Youngstown State School of Social Work Graduate Program. She has worked in community mental health settings for over 20 years as a volunteer, direct service provider, clinical supervisor and program manager. She has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, families and adults with a variety of mental health issues, including trauma, mood disorders and crisis situations. Erin specializes in community-based crisis intervention. Erin has provided multiple trainings within the context of Social Work including Risk Assessment, Trauma, Compassion Fatigue, and Motivational Interviewing. 

Session 6
Tuesday, May 11, 2027 - Location TBA
9:30 am - 3:30 pm

Our mindset is the way we think, filter our thoughts and make meaning of a situation. Is mindset fixed, or can we change it – and help others change theirs?

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck developed the term “growth mindset” after researching motivation, personality and development. Dweck suggests that a growth mindset evolves from an attitude of hard work, learning, training and perseverance. In comparison, individuals with a fixed mindset believe that success comes from innate ability, focus on the rewards of immediate success and dread failure.
 
Because mindsets are shaped by our environments, organizations can do quite a bit to foster a growth mindset within.  The growth mindset is all about learning, growing and continuing to work hard despite setbacks, while a person with a fixed mindset may be embarrassed by and not willing to admit their personal or professional failures.
 
Growing out of a fixed mindset does not happen overnight. It takes conscious effort to move to a different way of thinking. As Leaders, we can help ourselves, colleagues and ultimately the organization by promoting a growth mindset throughout. 
 

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the difference of a fixed mindset vs. growth mindset, take a self-assessment to determine your mindset

• Realize the importance and define five characteristics of a growth mindset workplace and its’ impact on goal setting and feedback

• Learn the two biggest obstacles to organizational growth mindset and how to overcome them

• Recognize the three common misconceptions that contribute to a false growth mindset and spot your fixed-mindset triggers

• Understand what Neuroplasticity is and how it relates to re-wiring the brain to grow in areas such as resilient, grit, optimism and forgiveness

• Acquire strategies to foster a growth mindset and practice four habits to cultivate a growth mindset in yourself

Presenter:

Amy B. Shannon, President, Pinnacle Leadership Solutions, LLC, and a Partner in Your Partner in HR has specialized in Organizational Development, Human Resources and Training for over 25 years. For the past 13 years, Amy has been an Organizational Development consultant working with clients in manufacturing, service, financial and healthcare industries. Most recently, Amy served as the Executive Director II/Vice President of Corporate College where she built robust leadership training curriculum to serve her clients.  Amy also holds certifications with numerous nationally known training vendors. She is a regular speaker at national conferences such as The Corporate University Week at the Disney Institute. She is a seasoned speaker for the HR Star Conference Cleveland. As a result of her high ratings, she has also been a key speaker at the HR Star Atlanta and received the Gold Medal Award three years in a row for best session speaker. Amy was a recipient of the 2015 HR Awards presented by ERC & CSHRM.

Here is your opportunity to ask questions of your peers and share your successes and challenges.