Building Equitable, Actionable Feedback Cultures

Description: 

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a leader has, and one of the most misused. This session invites library leaders at every level to examine how to give and receive feedback. Most feedback in organizations isn't as objective as we think it is. Research consistently shows that who receives useful, developmental feedback, and who doesn't, often breaks along lines of gender, race, neurodiversity, and communication style. Drawing on research-backed frameworks and practical library-specific examples, participants will leave with concrete strategies for giving, receiving, and structuring feedback in ways that are fair, actionable, and bias-aware.

Learning Outcomes: 

At the end of the webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Identify at least three documented ways that rater bias shapes feedback quality and career outcomes 
• Apply an equity lens to their organization's current feedback structures and practices 
• Use at least one practical framework for delivering feedback that is specific, behavior-focused, and free of personality-based judgment -Recognize the systemic conditions, psychological safety, trust, power dynamics, that determine whether feedback actually lands -
• Develop tools for receiving and processing feedback 
• Use proactive strategies to request specific, actionable feedback from others 
• Articulate a first step toward building or improving a peer feedback culture on their team

Who Should Attend: Library Manager at All Levels

Presenters:

Bobbi is an Associate Professor of Practice, where she teaches future librarians in courses such as Public Libraries, Community Engagement, and Management, Teams & Leadership. She leads Bobbi L. Newman Consulting LLC, and is the founder and director of Thrive, Culture Shift Consulting, LLC, which hosts the ThriveLib Conference, an international virtual event focused on building healthier, more sustainable library workplaces. Through her consulting and speaking, she works with libraries, library systems, and professional organizations to translate research on workplace well-being, leadership, and organizational culture into practical strategies for real-world library environments. Her career spans public, academic, and special libraries, including leadership roles in strategic planning, digital services, community engagement, and national initiatives. For nearly a decade, she led national engagement work with the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), where she developed national partnerships, managed national projects, and grants. She is the author of "Fostering Wellness in the Workplace: A Handbook for Libraries" and editor of "Well-Being in the Library Workplace: A Handbook for Managers", with additional books and scholarly publications on leadership, burnout, psychological safety, and healthy workplace culture. Bobbi holds dual master’s degrees in Information Resources and Library Science and Political Science, along with a graduate certificate in Public Management. She is also a certified wellness practitioner, project manager, and instructional designer who specializes in creating engaging, learner-centered programs across formats. Across her teaching, writing, consulting, and speaking, Bobbi’s work focuses on helping libraries build cultures where people, and the profession itself, can thrive.

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