Library conflict management: Turning Enemies into Allies

Library Conflict Management: Turning Enemies into Allies (SIRSI seminar with Pat Wagner)

Pat focuses on healthy vs. nonhealthy conflicts in libraries and provides strategies to alleviate conflict situations. In addition to providing an overview of nonhealthy vs. healthy conflicts, Pat presents a 3 point “cure” and the 4 magic words to alleviate negative energy situations. Also outlined are the 10 symptoms of problem organizations.

Some notes that stood out for me (and ones I want to remember)!
• Conflicts cost money…it reduces productivity and distracts the staff from positive customer service; creates a loss of trust and respect
• Conflict personalities may include obsession personalities (obsession with the past…different from venting)
• Take the “true believer” test: If there is nothing I can do to make you happy and if there is only one way, then that person is a true believer…
• Personal vs. personnel issue: Ask myself…if this was a person I “liked,” what would I do…and do the szame (talk to the person, don’t punish them, work on a resolution…)
Healthy workplaces focus on the current problem not the past, focuses on the solution behavior not the person; look for people who can help resolve issues, have a “civility clause” (which insists that people must treat each other civilly---say hello, greet them, etc.)

How you can tell if people can deal with “healthy conflict”:
• Happy home life
• People cheerfully take responsibiolity for their lieves
• People invest intheir futures

The “cure”:
• Ask the person bringing forth the conflict:
• What do you want to happen?
• What do I want to happen?
• What are you willing to accept? Change?

Other issues:
• What do you want to have happen next? Instead?
• Despite the fact that you may have to live with a situation, what would satisfy you and allow you to move forward?

Advice to the manager:
• Think of people as neutral without a hidden agenda
• Assume they are doing the best they can with the information they have
• Decide if it is personal or personality

Ten Symptoms: Copy from Powerpoint
1. Bitterness (people stuck in the past)
2. Exempting themselves (refuse to go to meetings because they feel “entitled”
3. Personal crises…loss of a loved one,

Contact: pat@pattern.com