In our presentation, three leaders from different institutions will discuss their experiences with the drama and trauma that often surround institutional change, particularly as that change relates to the hiring and promotion process. We will describe and reflect on our experiences dealing with the institutional memory related to those events, and how that feels depending on whether you have continued to stay at a place with a lot of upheaval or have chosen to move on to a place and deal with upheaval that happened before you arrived.
Librarians are often quick to point out that if you’re in a bad situation at work, you should just leave. But what if leaving isn’t an option? How do you navigate an institution that you feel has wronged you in some way, and keep managing other people? How do you help keep morale high if this has happened to you or someone else at your institution? And how can you lead through a situation like this if you do find a new job and are confronted with drama and trauma from previous incidents?
Our session will focus on both individual and team tactics for recognizing that institutional memory is long and wounds about hiring, promotion, and academic drama can cut deep. We will draw on our own situations to highlight approaches that have and have not worked, and make suggestions for how others can navigate similar situations.
