No Bosses Here

A Peer-to-Peer UnConference on Managing Up

Course Details

October 27, 2026 | 1:00 - 4:00 PM ET

3-Hour Live Online UnConference

3 Credit Hours

Recommended for all library workers, regardless of type.

$135 (Save with early bird and group rates!)

Managing up is one of those skills everyone is expected to have, but hierarchies, communication styles, and internal politics can make even small conversations feel loaded.This UnConference creates space to talk honestly about those dynamics and learn from people who have dealt with them firsthand.

Ways to communicate your value, your ideas, and your concerns upward
Strategies for navigating friction with leadership styles that don’t match yours
A stronger sense of how to advocate without blowing up the relationship you still have to work within

IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LEADERSHIP MAKING YOUR JOB HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE?

You’ve got good ideas, but you’re not sure how to get them heard.
You’re doing solid work, but the people making decisions about your role barely seem to see it.
You're not looking to go around your supervisor; you're looking to work with them more effectively, but you're not sure how.

You’ll leave with more practical ways to communicate upward, navigate friction, and manage up without making the dynamic worse.

CHOOSE FALL SESSION

Early bird rate is $102 through September 27, 2026. Standard rate is $135 through October 27, 2026.

Need flexibility? If you can’t attend live, you’ll get access to the recording for 6 months.

Invoice or PO options: Orders of $600 or greater can choose invoice at checkout. For orders under $600, please do not check out online. Submit this form, and we will process your order manually.

Need approval? Email this course to your supervisor.

TRAINING A TEAM?

When more staff understand how to manage up effectively, communication with leadership gets clearer, ideas move more easily, and everyday friction causes less drag across the organization.

Multi-seat discounts are automatically calculated in the cart.

Buying for a larger group? Explore all purchasing options

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What You'll Learn Who This is For All the Details

AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:

Identify practical strategies for communicating your value, surfacing concerns, and making a case for change with supervisors and administrators.
Recognize how your own approach impacts workplace dynamics and adjust it to reduce friction and build credibility.
Navigate common managing-up challenges in library contexts, from mismatched communication styles to bureaucratic roadblocks, with more confidence and less friction.

You will leave with honest, actionable strategies drawn from colleagues who have faced the same dynamics and found ways through them.

This course is especially helpful for:

Library staff at any level who need to communicate ideas, concerns, or requests to supervisors
Librarians who feel stuck navigating workplace dynamics or internal decision-making processes
Staff responsible for advocating for programs, services, or resources
Managers and supervisors who also need to manage up within their organization
Anyone working within a hierarchy where communication and influence affect daily work

If that sounds like your role, you will probably see yourself in this course.

If you are someone who:

Has ideas you care about but struggles to get traction with leadership
Feels like your work isn’t fully seen or understood by decision-makers
Is dealing with a supervisor whose style doesn’t match yours
Has tried to advocate for something important and hit resistance or silence
Wants to improve these dynamics without damaging relationships or overstepping

This course was built for you.

Managing up is one of those skills everyone needs and almost no one is formally taught. In library environments, where structures can be complex and communication styles vary widely, even simple interactions with leadership can feel difficult to navigate.

This UnConference takes a different approach. Instead of a single instructor delivering a fixed framework, the session is built around participant-driven conversations. You’ll bring real situations into the room and work through them with peers who understand the dynamics, sharing strategies that have actually worked in practice. The focus is on finding realistic ways to communicate more effectively, reduce friction, and move your work forward without burning relationships.

SESSIONS AND PRICING

This is a live online session. If you can’t attend in real time, you will receive access to the recording.

Rate + deadline	Fall Session
Early bird deadline	September 27, 2026
Early bird price	$102
Standard deadline	October 27, 2026
Standard price	$135
Course date	October 27, 2026 1:00–4:00 PM ET

GROUP OPTIONS

Training a team? Choose the setup that matches how you want to plan and pay:

Group course enrollment: Enroll 3+ staff in this course and save.

Bulk course credits: Prepay once, get the highest per-seat discount on every course, and assign seats later.

Unlimited annual licensing: System-wide access for a year with no per-course approvals.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

Questions? Email groupsales@libraryjournal.com.

COURSE FORMAT

This is a live, 3-hour online session using an UnConference format, with structured peer discussions instead of a traditional lecture.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

Plan for approximately 3 hours for the live session, plus optional time for reflection and applying what you learn.

ON-DEMAND ACCESS

You will have access to the session recording for six months after the live event.

CREDIT & CERTIFICATE

You will receive 3 professional development credit hours and a Library Journal certificate of completion.

ACCESSIBILITY

All sessions include auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.

SUPPORT

For technical or course-related support, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.

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