Library Management Skills Institute 1: The Manager
Program Description

The Library Management Skills Institute 1: The Manager (LMSI 1) is our most requested institute. This workshop is considered the seminal management development experience across the library community. It was originally designed over 40 years ago on a solid foundation of tried-and-true management principles and guided by best practices in libraries. Since then, DJA has infused the LMSI 1 with a wide range of new voices and modern theory that brings the workshop to our present context. Our newest iteration is re-imagined to empower busy learners in a virtual environment.

The LMSI 1 is facilitated fully online with both synchronous and asynchronous components. Over the course of 3 weeks, participants will engage on their own with videos and exercises (7–9 hours). The full cohort will gather live with expert DJA faculty for 4 live sessions and 2 informal sessions (11 hours total) to build their learning together, dive deeper into the material, and apply new skills.

Upcoming 2024 Program Dates: 

- January 22 to February 9, 2024
- July 8 to July 29, 2024

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Who is Library Management Skills Institute 1: The Manager Program For?


This course is for both individuals & organizations. It will teach you to:
  • Develop your skills as a facilitative leader who prioritizes well-being and margin
  • Examine situations with cultural competence, emotional intelligence, and appreciative inquiry
  • Recognize your own and others’ behavioral preferences and customize your approaches
  • Navigate interdependent power structures and share power with your colleagues
  • Clarify your participatory decision-making strategies
  • Tap into your colleagues’ motivation and use key tools to help them solve problems
  • Build your facilitation skills for inclusive meetings
  • Give feedback using time-tested techniques to minimize resistance and build commitment

Topics Covered

  • Session 1:

Navigating your changing role as manager
Using cultural competence, emotional intelligence, neuroscience, and self-awareness to support your colleagues and have productive discussions.

  • Session 2:

A deep dive into your own behavioral preferences and how you show up in the workplace
Strategy, structure, culture, and the role of power and influence in our work

  • Session 3:

Strategies for participatory decision making and building clarity around decision making process
A method for helping your colleagues solve their own problems while you provide support
Models to tap into your colleagues’ own motivation based on principles of good job design and factors of motivation

  • Session 4:

Solid meeting design strategies, templates, and facilitation approaches
Giving and receiving effective feedback
A tried-and-true coaching model to build clear performance expectations.

Learning Objective

Participants in this course will:

  • Develop your skills as a facilitative leader who prioritizes well-being and margin
  • Examine situations with cultural competence, emotional intelligence, and appreciative inquiry
  • Recognize your own and others’ behavioral preferences and customize your approaches
  • Navigate interdependent power structures and share power with your colleagues
  • Clarify your participatory decision making strategies
  • Tap into your colleagues’ motivation and use key tools to help them solve problems
  • Build your facilitation skills for inclusive meetings
  • Give feedback using time-tested techniques to minimize resistance and build commitment