Who wants to handle a difficult conversation in the workplace? If you are saying, “not it” right now, this show is for you. And, let’s be honest, this probably applies to all of us to some degree. On this show, you will get advice from a knowledgeable panel about how not to sweat difficult conversations. Listen to find out how from Tiffany Peck, Director of Customer Experience, and Jen Wiese, Director of Human Resources, at the St. Louis Public Library, and from Angie Miraflor, Deputy Director of Public Services, and Danielle Perry, Director of Human Resources, with the King County Library System.
Transcript
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Adriane Herrick Juarez:
This is Adriane Juarez. You’re listening to Library Leadership Podcast where we talk about libraries and leadership, and speak with guests who share their ideas, innovations, and strategic insights in the profession.
Who wants to handle a difficult conversation in the workplace? If you’re saying, “not it” right now, this show is for you. And, let’s be honest, this is probably most of us to some degree. On this show you will get advice from a knowledgeable panel about how not to sweat difficult conversations. Listen to find out how from: Tiffany Peck, Director of Customer Experience; and Jen Wiese, Director of Human Resources, at the Saint Louis Public Library; and from Angie Miraflor, Deputy Director of Public Services; and Danielle Perry, Director of Human Resources with the King County Library System. Enjoy the show!
Angie, Tiffany, Danielle and Jen, welcome to the show.
Angie Miraflor:
Glad to be here. Thanks for having us.
Jen Wiese:
Yes, we’re very excited to be here. Thanks, Adriane.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #1: I’m excited to have you here. Today our topic is, Don’t Sweat the Difficult Conversations. This is a good one because it’s common for many of us to want to avoid hard discussions. However, these can be essential at times for the best functioning of our organizations. Will you please talk about this? 01:41
Angie Miraflor:
It’s not something that most of us look forward to, which is to have difficult conversations. But, you know, the reason why we thought that this was an important topic to cover, especially in libraries, is because now all of us have come back into post-pandemic openings. We’re all back working with each other, providing services again. And, having these conversations are critical, because overall, they contribute to a healthy and productive workspace.
We want to be able to promote clear communication between supervisors and their direct reports. Also, building confidence and support for staff is really important. And then, on the flip side, when you don’t have these conversations, and let things fester or continue to grow—not in the direction that you want, it can build a lot of resentment with staff. It can also bring down the morale of a group of people. So, I’ve found that having these conversations, even though they’re difficult for everyone involved, that they do end up benefiting the organization, but also that staff person that you’re having the conversation with.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #2: Jen? 03:13
Jen Wiese:
I think the real key is that one of the things we want to get across here is a message of empowerment to managers at all levels. Understanding that it’s not just okay to have these conversations, but that it’s good, and it’s positive, and essential to have them. We usually imagine a worst case scenario when we start thinking about having to have a difficult conversation with a staff member, and we are frequently surprised at how positively it is received and then, the positive outcomes that come from that. I think also taking that idea of empowerment into this concept, knowing that it does result in a higher functioning of the libraries in the institution.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #3: Tiffany.
Tiffany Peck:
Difficult doesn’t mean it’s inherently negative. It can just be challenging in a different way. And, challenging can be seen as an opportunity for something to grow—something positive to grow out of it. So, the communication could result in a stronger working relationship with someone, or a healthier work environment.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #4: Danielle?
Danielle Perry:
I think that’s absolutely right. I think that the issues that we are often challenged with and need to have conversations with employees about our challenges and concerns, that we’re not the only ones observing or experiencing—their co-workers may be experiencing similar concerns, other leaders in the organization, and ultimately the public, and the folks that we serve. So, leaving issues unaddressed can actually fester and create more concern than being prepared and going into these conversations and having that empowerment to know that it’s not only your job, but the right thing to do.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #5: If someone is feeling nervous about a difficult conversation, how can they prepare before having it? Jen? 05:04
Jen Wiese:
As an HR director, I really encourage managers to address things right away when they come up. Do not procrastinate. When you see an issue, it’s so much easier to meet with somebody and talk about that issue candidly, positively—it’s usually received much better. Initially, if you’re starting to notice that there might be a difficult conversation that might be in the works, try to mentally prepare yourself for it. Also remember that it may be easier to address it when it’s a small issue.
That said, I think the other thing that I try to put into a manager’s head, and in terms of a reframe, is that it’s really important to think of these conversations as a corrective action, as opposed to punitive or disciplinary action. It sets the framework for how to have the conversation, and it sets the tone for what the conversation is going to be. As opposed to, I’m worried that I have to have this conversation, and the person receiving it is going to feel like they’re in trouble. Typically, if there’s a conversation that needs to be had, both the manager and the receiving employee know that it’s coming, or that it should be coming.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #6: Tiffany?
Tiffany Peck:
I would say breathe. That’s the very first thing I would tell anyone to do, is just breathe. Don’t work yourself up in your head having a conversation with someone who isn’t actually participating. Go in knowing the goal of the conversation—what your goal is, and what points you would like to touch on. Just have some notes for yourself so that you can remind yourself. It’s important to know as the person leading, you set the tone. So, if you go in smiling, saying, Hi. You can set the energy for that conversation.
So, it doesn’t have to be serious and hard. It can definitely be gentle and firm, or if it needs to be firmer, you can do that. But, you don’t have to come in like—I won’t even give any examples because you can’t see my face, they won’t be as funny. However, just go in, bring yourself to the table, and you don’t have to—don’t work yourself up would be what I would recommend.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #7: Danielle?
Danielle Perry:
One of the things that I have observed with leaders, especially when they’re newer to having some of these conversations, is they have a lot of that emotion that we’ve talked about already—those nerves. They’re thinking the what if’s, and in some cases those worst case scenarios.
For me, the piece that I think that can help greatly is to think about that rational detachment, and to set that emotion aside and really sit in the space of the situation from a fact based perspective.
What is the situation? How do I define it? How do I frame it for that person? What’s the impact of the conditions, or the situation? And, why does it matter for me to have this conversation?
It’s not about me. I’m not part of that equation. I’m not part of that piece of the correction, except I’m going to be there to help support them. I think that speaks to what Tiffany was saying—coming in with that space of compassion, where Jen’s saying that this is not punitive, it’s corrective. So, it’s the spirit that you bring in, making sure that you’re not roping in your own emotion into that.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #8: Jen?
Jen Wiese:
I think one of the other things I really think is a great tool is to practice. We all have managers too, right? And hopefully we have good relationships and can use them to pick their brains for other ideas, any experiences they’ve had in the past. But, if you know that this could be a particularly hard conversation because of past experiences, or just because of your own nervousness—sit down with your manager or a trusted colleague and have that conversation. It’s okay. You can work out some of the potential questions you might get asked, some of the reactions that you might be able to prepare for if you just sit down and talk it through with somebody else.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #9: Yes, kind of a practice run—can’t hurt. Angie? 09:04
Angie Miraflor:
I agree with Jen. Actually, I was going to say that as well. To practice with your own manager, if you have an HR department like your HR colleague—that could be also helpful.
The two things I wanted to mention too, is to be okay with silence, because whether it’s something really big, and really difficult, or something smaller, it’s still going to be a little jarring to the staff person. So, be okay with that silence and not have to fill that space.
The other thing, too, is that you don’t have to know all the answers. It’s okay to say, Well, let me get back to you on that, if there’s a specific question that they have about the conversation. That doesn’t mean that you’re a bad manager or a bad leader, you just want to make sure that you get the best answer to support them.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #10: Sound advice. What are the steps to a successful, difficult conversation? 10:06
Danielle Perry:
I’ll jump in first on that one, but I think that we all probably have pieces that have been tried and true in our experience, things that we would bring into it. In the space in which I would prepare to go in is—I want to make sure that I’m well rooted in the situation that I’m talking about. So, I’m keenly aware of as many facts as I can alert myself to, or orient myself to—going in.
If there are policies or procedures that these things, these conversations relate to— anything in a collective bargaining agreement that may be applicable in a union environment, just really, really being rooted in that space of as best information and best informed as I can be to start the conversation. Not to say that shouldn’t be an interactive conversation in that exploration and that curiosity to be brought into it—but at least from that starting point.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #11: Angie.
Angie Miraflor:
If possible, be really proactive and already have those one-on-ones established with your staff, and have those expectations discussed so that hopefully—not that this could happen 100%, but that the conversation won’t be this complete surprise to the staff person. You will have already developed some kind of a rapport with them. And, along with the one-on-ones just checking in on them as often as possible, making sure that they feel supported during their work. That could help. That could help both sides be less nervous about the conversation.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #12: Jen?
Jen Wiese:
That’s a really great point, Angie. I’m glad you said that. Once you have that set up,
when there’s an expectation of regular meetings—open, candid conversation, even the difficult conversations are much less difficult. Because, if you just walk into a room and someone’s never had a sit-down conversation with you before, they are going to expect the worst, right? If you can have regular coaching—check-in meetings where most of what you’re saying is either neutral or good, then there’s more trust established and more respect, and you can have the, Hey, I noticed this issue and it seems unusual, and you can address that and try to find a solution.
The other thing I want to talk about, and it speaks a little bit to what Danielle mentioned, is going into that conversation confidently—knowing that you are having it for a reason, and that it needs to be done. But, to also bring empathy into that conversation. Understand that this is a human being and that you’re a human being, and even if they know that they are having some sort of issue at work, they probably didn’t want to be called out on that behavior by their boss. Trying to understand that there may be other reasons leading to this. So, you want to be open minded and empathetic to their responses and their explanations—whatever their part of the conversation is. So, be willing to listen and hear them out. It does help you understand their why, if there is one. Then you can work together to find solutions on that.
Tiffany Peck:
I would also say, building off of Jen and Danielle’s points, you want to go in managing with curiosity, but also name the issue. You’re bringing someone in, you’re having a conversation, make sure you name what the issue is. Identify. Make sure that both parties, or all parties involved who are having that conversation are on the same page of what you are talking about, and wanting to address at that moment.
Then have clear, actionable steps for the person to improve upon that issue. What you don’t want is for the person to leave the conversation without any tools or resources and how to be successful, because really, the conversation is so you can help all of your employees be successful in their role. The best way to do that is to equip them with tools and make sure that they’re tangible, that they have access to them, and that they’re realistic.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #13: Thank you, Tiffany. Danielle? 14:15
Danielle Perry:
At the conclusion of the conversation, documentation is going to be really important and making sure that there is, as Tiffany was saying, those tangible, realistic goals, that there is a place—to not just have those stated in the conversation, but then reinforce through that documentation afterwards.
Documentation doesn’t have to be heavy. It doesn’t have to be—again, it’s not punitive. This is for a corrective purpose. It can be fairly light in the way that it’s delivered, depending on the situation to say, Danielle, it was really great to have that conversation today to talk to you about my observations. Together we discussed—and we both committed to doing these particular actions, whatever it is. But some way that we’re both still maintaining being on the same page. That we’re transparent about any next steps, that the employee knows what those next steps might be—if we’re going to check in again at our next one-on-one, or maybe we’re going to sign me up for a training to address the thing, whatever it might be, but some kind of documentation that’s very clear. Again, not trying to be opaque, be really transparent about what the situation is and making sure that both people have that as you’re building that relationship and trying to correct those actions.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #14: Thank you. Jen? 15:39
Jen Wiese:
One other thing I should have mentioned is just a reminder that this is a conversation. This is not a lecture, right? I know when I’ve worked with newer managers who were, maybe, having their first difficult conversation with a staff member, and they were nervous. We talked about the best practices going forward. I’ve seen a lot of people inclined to write out a script. Write out exactly what they’re going to say, and 90% of the time that conversation is not going to go exactly how you think it’s going to go.
So, I really encourage people to treat it like a conversation—to be open, to not write a script. Certainly take notes, if there are ideas that you want to make sure that you communicate, if there are examples you want to present. You can go in there with those notes at hand. But, writing out a script will only create an awkward situation when that person throws you a question you weren’t expecting, and then all of a sudden you look like an unprepared, confused manager. When in fact you know exactly why you’re there. You could speak to it a hundred times in a row, and allowing yourself that grace to know that you do know what needs to be said without having it written out in front of you, is really important.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #15: That’s helpful, thank you. Another question is—in our in our organizations, how can we develop a culture that embraces difficult conversations? Tiffany? 16:53
Tiffany Peck:
I would say the first step is to normalize conversations in your organization so that communication is free flowing—whether that’s up and down, left to right, just conversations are happening. That way when you are having to have a one-on-one conversation, it doesn’t seem like it’s bad or it’s going to be negative.
Angie mentioned earlier just normalizing one-on-ones so that they’re regular check-ins. When someone sees another staff person go into a supervisor’s office, everyone’s not wondering or whispering, I wonder what happened? I wonder who did what wrong?
I would also add—set clear expectations, because that also gives clear guidance on what people are supposed to be doing and how they’re expected to perform. That will also help having difficult conversations, because you don’t have ambiguous things that you’re trying to point to and say, Well, you were supposed to do this, and it wasn’t clear because there aren’t clear expectations.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #16: Danielle?
Danielle Perry:
In addition to normalizing general conversations, I think also normalizing a culture of feedback where there’s feedback that happens throughout an organization. Upward feedback, peer feedback, direct report feedback, and feedback that’s positive—very positive, and feedback that’s constructive in nature, all tying back to our shared goals.
The thing that we hold together is that we want to have that service excellence. We want to be able to meet the needs of our communities, meet the needs of our patrons. That’s why we’re all here at the library system, regardless of what position you occupy. Where we have that shared value, as folks that work in a library system, that feedback that feeds up into that can come across strongly as long as it’s part of that normalization that Tiffany was talking about.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #17: Angie?
Angie Miraflor:
Going back to something that Jen said in another answer—practice is good. Within management teams to talk about: if you have an article; or a podcast, for example; to talk about how to have those difficult conversations and practice. I think the more you just have those up-front conversations about having difficult conversations, it works.
Also, I’m trying to think of those that might be considered middle management. Maybe they’re not making the really big overall decisions in an organization. I would really try, if an organization is also into change management, which I think a lot of organizations would lean towards, and not say, We don’t believe in change management. This is an element of it—being able to talk to your staff about why things are shifting. Some of those conversations won’t be easy to have, because change is difficult.
So, I think if you are in a space where you may not be able to make a huge decision over an organization, try it with your staff. Try and talk to your direct supervisor, This is what I want to do. Can I try doing this with the people that report directly to me—and potentially start small?
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #18: Start small. That’s a great point, Angie. Jen? 20:26
Jen Wiese:
I want to say the obvious here, which is that as an HR professional, it’s really important for an HR team or department to help an organization create a culture that embraces that sort of difficult conversation mentality. But, I also recognize there are a lot of organizations that don’t have an HR department or an HR team. Then that responsibility really does fall on the management team there. That might be just one person, or a couple of people.
I really encourage those people to get together and figure out what their culture looks like, how they can communicate that, and how they can set those expectations. At the end of the day, when employees know their real expectations at work, some of this behavior that causes difficult conversations might not happen in the first place. So, you might be able to preclude some of these by just setting those expectations and communicating them clearly and trying to create a positive work environment in the first place.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #19: Danielle?
Danielle Perry:
I really like that in setting some ground rules, or group agreements for that leadership team, whomever that leadership team is comprised of. One of the things that I would want to have in a setting like that is that we own our messages, that we own our feedback. That’s one thing that I think that we’ve all experienced before—is somebody giving us feedback about something that we need to manage or address, but we haven’t necessarily observed it ourselves, or we’re not directly involved in it.
The ownership piece—and not taking that space of, I’m speaking on behalf of others, but I’m speaking on behalf of myself. I’m speaking on behalf of the organization, and we’re addressing this thing—roots back to that, the empowerment place that we started this conversation with. That is really it is my responsibility, and I am empowered to have those conversations on behalf of the organization, and because I am a leader in this organization.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #20: Thank you. These are all such good thoughts. Is there anything else you’d like to share? Tiffany? 22:32
Tiffany Peck:
One of the things that has helped us at SLPL have difficult conversations, is clearly identifying the difference between course correction and corrective action. That’s one of the things that we talk about with supervisors. What does course correction look like and how do we define it, and what does corrective action look like, and what are the steps along that road? That also helps empower supervisors as well as it helps lay out a road map of the direction things can go based on the employees performance.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #21: Jen?
Jen Wiese:
I think one of the other things that I would like to talk about, because I find that it happens a lot, and it came up a lot when we presented similar material at PLA. That it’s really easy to overlook problematic behavior from a good employee, and managers tend to procrastinate on that more than on any other person. You can overlook it. You can think maybe it’s a one time issue or say, Well, they’re putting out really good work, so I don’t want to rock the boat, for fear of negatively impacting their performance. But it’s really, really important to address that issue, even if it’s a small one, right as you observe it. It really is so much easier just to make a casual comment immediately than it is to correct something down the road that has already become part of their routine.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #22: I can definitely see how that would happen, so I’m glad you mentioned it. Angie? 24:06
Angie Miraflor:
I think too, is to remember that you’re not alone as a leader manager. If you’re the chief librarian of a small town, you could be—but even if you are, find a peer or a mentor that you could just bounce this stuff off of because I want to make sure that whether you’re the supervisor or the staff person, that this difficult conversation will be beneficial to both of you.
Supervisor has to think that these conversations will help that person do their job successfully, because what you’re also doing, too, is coming in with curiosity and trying to find the tools that will help them succeed. But also, the reason you’re doing it as a supervisor, you want to hold folks accountable.
You’re also looking at the overall health of the organization. It is a beneficial thing for both sides. And, to make sure as a supervisor that you have that care for yourself too, whether that’s bouncing the idea off of a mentor, practicing, or just finding that moment to rest, or to breathe—like what Tiffany says. Just to remember that part too.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #23: Tiffany?
Tiffany Peck:
One of the things that we talked about at PLA and it came up several times is we’re seeing a shift in supervisors. There are people, especially after the pandemic, who have decided to retire. We’re seeing a new generation of supervisors and people inheriting staff that have long been problematic—and they’re now inheriting a problem.
One of the things that we talked about was, although it is a known problem, you’re coming in is their opportunity to have a clean slate. So, you don’t have to bring along all of the baggage that they’ve had previously. Give them the opportunity to show you who they are, and then start addressing things from that moment forward.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #24: Jen?
Jen Wiese:
We’ve been talking a lot about difficult conversations, course correction, corrective action here today. Those are all, obviously, very important things. But I would be remiss if I did not mention the fact that sometimes that difficult conversation may be when an employee is being terminated, or an employee is receiving a severe warning. Sometimes that is the appropriate action. If an employee is being terminated, and you have followed these other guidelines we’ve given you there should have been conversations leading up to that. Unless of course, it was a one-off terrible situation.
But if someone’s been having a problem that is happening over and over, you’ve already talked to them. You’ve had those straightforward conversations. You’ve set expectations. You’ve given them warnings, and makes that conversation much less difficult if it does come down to a situation where there’s a termination. Sometimes it is necessary to go that route. I also want to use the word empower—to empower managers to feel okay if that is the final decision. If it does come to that, it doesn’t mean it was a failure on anybody’s part. It shouldn’t be a surprise to the employee at that point. So I just want to also extend that bit of empowerment to the fact that sometimes difficult conversations do keep going down that road, and sometimes we have to have the most difficult conversation.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #25: I appreciate you bringing that forward in this conversation, Jen. Danielle? 27:31
Danielle Perry:
I think there’s a part of that too, Jen, that you bring up where the conversations that we have—when they continue need our conversations to be progressive. We can’t continue to stay at the same level of conversation and think that we’re going to get a change of outcome or a change of behavior. There are times that we need to progress that conversation up so that the employees can hear that the gap between where they’re at right now and what we’re experiencing, and what those expectations are, hasn’t come together—that there still remains a gap. And, that we need to be able to continue to do something different.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #26: We always hope these conversations will lead to progressive, positive change. In the event that doesn’t happen, we all need to have a game plan in place to handle those situations. So thank you for talking about that. Do you have any favorite management or leadership books or resources and why? 28:17
Jen Wiese:
There are two books that offer a lot of helpful information regarding this topic. One is Crucial Conversations. I think a lot of managers have heard of that book. Of course, keeping in mind that any book is going to have things that appeal to people and don’t appeal to people. But I think that these two books both offer something that is very usable.
The other book is called Radical Candor, by Kim Scott. I apologize, I didn’t list the authors for Crucial Conversations because there are many of them. But again, approaching a conversation with radical candor or being able to have the crucial conversation, these two books for me are something that I would like to recommend to any managers who are looking for just that toolkit, especially new managers who really haven’t had to deal with any of the management or responsibilities before. I think these are two good resources.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #27: Angie?
Angie Miraflor:
I would suggest—I don’t know, maybe it’s the same book, but Fierce Conversations, and that’s by Susan Scott. That book has had many iterations. I remember reading it in a management team during one of my—probably one of my first management jobs as a librarian. I have a current, most current copy, I think, right now. I always go back because they literally have scripts in there to help.
So again, it comes with practice, but it also does a good explanation of the why, as well. I think something that’s a little bit more casual is Ask a Manager, which is a blog, kind of advice column-ish thing. There’s stuff that can be silly-ish. But the thing is, those things have happened, and I like hearing or reading about everyone’s responses and how they would react. Then it just gives you this wide breadth of different ways to approach a situation.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #28: Tiffany?
Tiffany Peck:
I would suggest the Harvard Business Review Management Tip of the Day. They send one email out every morning, and it has given me lots of food for thought for things that are not even happening. But when they come up, I’m like, Oh, I read a brief little article about that and it was really helpful.
I also like John C. Maxwell’s work. He not only gives management tips, but also leadership and how to invest in yourself as a leader, because we’re talking a lot about how do we have difficult conversations with staff, a part of that is also developing us professionally, and so we have to pour into ourselves and make sure our cup is full, so we can continue to pour into others.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #29: My reading list is growing even as you all speak. Danielle? 31:11
Danielle Perry:
If somebody that’s listening doesn’t have a human resources department, a great resource for tools, and tips, and ideas for how to manage situations can be The Society of Human Resource Management. SHERM. They’ve got a website. If you’re a member, of course, you get more access to the tools that they have available, but there’s a lot that’s just generally available to the public and a good resource to get yourself well situated if you don’t have those resources in house.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #30: Thank you for sharing all of these resources. I know they are going to help our listeners. In closing, what do libraries mean to you personally? Tiffany? 31:43
Tiffany Peck:
I would say life is a series of seasons, and whatever season you are in, the library has something for you, whether you are getting ready to go on vacation—so you need a good rom-com book. We have that. Whether you’re going through a breakthrough and you want to jam out to Waiting to Exhale. We have that for you. So, whatever season you’re in, we’re here for you.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #31: Angie?
Angie Miraflor:
Libraries have been part of my life since I can remember. I remember my mom driving me to the public library. That’s the first thing she did as soon as she got her license in this country. And just knowing my school librarians, and even as of recent—in the last ten years or so, my mom was part of an adult literacy program at her local library for quite a few years. So, it’s just always been a resource in my family, in my life. And, I enjoy working in the library. So it’s like, well, you know, what do I do? So, that’s kind of the reason why I like being here.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #32: Danielle?
Danielle Perry:
Libraries to me are about community—that community space that people find in a library, that connection that they make to what we have to offer. But, to others that are in our spaces, whether that be in our facilities themselves, or online, or in community events that we sponsor. Having been part of that community growing up, as a patron, a youth patron, and now to be on the community side of it as an employee of the organization, I get a lot of personal value in that shared purpose, and that real connection that people that come to the library have to the work that we do.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #33: Jen?
Jen Wiese:
Libraries are one of the most powerful safe spaces in the world. They are open to everybody. They are free to everybody. That is so, so powerful. When I started working at a library system, inevitably when I talk to people—if I meet someone or if I’m talking to an old friend, they have a library story, right? For some people it’s about a book that they just read. For some people it’s about getting access to a recording studio. And, some people just would go there when they were a kid because it was safe and they had air conditioning. It’s just a very powerful social institution. I think all the people on this podcast, at least, believe that it is one of the most important institutions we have.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
Question #34: As you talk about what libraries mean to you personally, it strikes me that not shying away from difficult conversation helps us to do just what you’re talking about. If we have an organization that can’t have difficult conversations, we are less able to serve our communities in the ways you are mentioning. Your thoughts today are going to help all of us be our best in libraries. So, thank you for being here. 34:26
Jen Wiese:
Thank you so much for having us on. It was truly an honor and a pleasure to speak with everybody today.
Adriane Herrick Juarez:
You’ve been listening to Library Leadership podcast. This is Adriane Herrick Juarez. For more episodes, tune in to Library Leadership Podcast.com, where you can now subscribe to get episodes delivered right to your email inbox. Our producer is Nathan Sinclair Vineyard. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you next time.
We would like to thank the Park City Library for their dedicated support of this show. The opinions expressed on this show are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of Library Leadership podcast or our sponsors.