No Cringe, Just Clarity

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

• Prepare for feedback conversations instead of going in half-hoping you will figure it out on the fly
• Say what needs to be said clearly, directly, and without unnecessary cushioning
• Respond more calmly and effectively when staff reactions get emotional, defensive, or uncomfortable
• Build better feedback habits so input feels more normal and less like a once-a-year event
• Write performance reviews that are specific, useful, and easier for employees to act on
• Document feedback in professional, efficient ways that support accountability and align with HR expectations
• Support staff growth without avoiding hard conversations or making them bigger than they need to be

You will leave with language, tools, and a clearer approach you can use right away in real management situations.

This course is especially helpful for:

• Library managers who supervise staff and want feedback conversations to be clearer and more productive
• Department heads and team leads responsible for setting expectations and addressing performance issues
• Directors and senior leaders who want more consistent feedback practices across their organization
• New supervisors who have management responsibility but have never really been taught how to give feedback well
• Experienced leaders who want a more practical, people-centered way to handle documentation and accountability

If this is your role, you will likely recognize these situations.

If you are someone who:

• Puts off feedback conversations because finding the right words feels harder than it should
• Wants to be honest with staff without sounding harsh, awkward, or robotic
• Has had moments where expectations felt clear in your head but not clear to the other person
• Needs better ways to handle emotional reactions, defensiveness, or silence during feedback conversations
• Wants a clearer process for performance reviews and documentation, not just vibes and crossed fingers

This course was built for that kind of real-world pressure.

Session 1 | 2:00–3:20 pm ET

Giving Feedback Part 1: The Culture and Conversation

How can feedback become a shared practice rather than a stressful moment? What does it take to build a team culture where input flows up, down, and across? In this foundational session, you’ll explore how culture shapes feedback conversations and learn practical strategies for giving honest, direct feedback with empathy. We’ll also unpack common feedback pitfalls and how to avoid them. Leave with tools to foster trust, invite diverse perspectives, and approach feedback conversations with confidence and clarity that support ongoing growth and accountability together.

Break | 3:20–3:30 pm ET

Session 2 | 3:30–4:00 pm ET

Giving Feedback Part 2: The Documentation

How can documentation support growth while protecting your organization? What belongs in a performance review, and how much detail is enough? Building off Part 1, this session focuses on turning feedback conversations into clear, effective documentation. You’ll learn how to write meaningful performance reviews, document feedback efficiently, and align records with HR expectations and compliance requirements. Leave with tools, templates, and strategies to ensure your documentation is consistent, professional, and supportive of both employee development and organizational accountability.

Kristen Sorth, Director and CEO, St. Louis County Library

Kristen Sorth became St. Louis County Library’s first female director in November 2013. Under her leadership, Sorth guided SLCL’s building and expansion program, Your Library Renewed. The multi-million dollar capital improvement campaign renovated or replaced 21 facilities within 11 years.

During Ms. Sorth’s tenure, the Library has focused on building community partnerships to provide innovative programming and cultural enrichment. This effort has resulted in several successful and award-winning partnerships with local organizations, including Operation Food Search, the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank and Eye Thrive. Programs include offering meals and other basic needs at SLCL locations, hosting full-time social workers at the Library, addressing digital access for students, families and older adults by providing technology, and hosting weekly legal clinics for the justice-involved.

The Library has earned two national awards under her leadership: the Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize in 2025, which recognizes libraries for their active collaboration with local governments and communities, and the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2022, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries. Additionally, the Missouri Library Association named St. Louis County Library the Missouri Library of the Year in both 2022 and 2014.

Sorth was recognized in 2025 by the Community Builders Network with the Award for Excellence in Public Sector Leadership; by the St. Louis Women’s Forum with the Trailblazer Award; and by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis with the Annual Salute to Women in Leadership. In 2024, Kristen Sorth received the Community Changemaker Award from Focus St. Louis for What's Right with the Region and the A-List Visionary Award from St. Louis Magazine. She is the recipient of the 2023 Titan Business Award, which acknowledges the achievements of both entrepreneurs and organizations worldwide. She is the 2019 winner of ALA’s Ernest A. DiMattia Award for Innovation and Service to Community and Profession.

Ms. Sorth is the Chair of the Advisory Council for the Regional Response Team, Chair of the YWCA Academy of Leaders Selection Committee, Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Kathy J. Weinman Shelter, and co-chair of the Investor Council for Greater St. Louis, Inc. She also serves on the Connecting All Missourians Statewide Advisory Council and the Executive Committee for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri Board of Directors. Ms. Sorth volunteers for several organizations, including FOCUS St. Louis and the YWCA.

ALL THE DETAILS

Providing honest feedback is a reality of any management role, but that does not make it easy. A lot of supervisors either soften the message so much that it loses meaning, delay the conversation until the problem gets worse, or walk away feeling like they somehow made it more awkward than it needed to be. Then there is the documentation piece, which can feel like a second stressful job layered on top of the first one.

This live crash course is built for those real-world pressures. You will learn how to prepare for feedback conversations, use language that is both direct and empathetic, respond when staff reactions get emotional, and document feedback in ways that are clear, efficient, and HR-compliant. The goal is not to make feedback feel easy exactly, but to make it feel much more doable.

SESSIONS AND PRICING

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

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, 2-hour online session. You can attend live or watch the recording afterward.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

Plan for approximately 2 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 2 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.