2026 NORWELD Leadership Workshop

Leadership Workshop for Library Supervisors, Managers & Directors

Strengthen your leadership skills and connect with fellow library leaders at our Leadership Workshop, designed specifically for supervisors, managers, and directors. This one and a half day professional development event will take place at the Findlay Inn in Findlay, Ohio.

Join us as we explore key topics in personnel management, including:

Day 1 facilitated by Bryan Cavins, Ed.D, Owner and Principal Consultant of Pathfinder Leadership Solutions

Navigating Everyday People Challenges Using DISC

• DISC Foundation
• Understanding Others and Building Trust
• Generational Communication Dynamics
• Managing Difficult Personality Styles and Communications
• Building Accountability and Motivating Staff

DAY 2 

Everyday Coaching for Library Leaders by Andrew Whitis
Effective coaching is more than giving employees feedback about their performance. It is an
ongoing conversation that helps employees reflect, solve problems, build on their strengths,
and take ownership of their growth.
In this interactive workshop, you will explore practical approaches to coaching employees in
everyday situations. We will begin by examining the differences between feedback and
feedforward and how a future-focused approach can create more productive conversations.
From there, participants will explore coaching strategies that encourage reflection, clarify
expectations, support problem solving, and help employees identify their own next steps.
Through discussion, practice, and realistic library workplace scenarios, participants will
develop coaching skills they can use with employees at different levels of experience and
performance. The emphasis will be on making coaching a regular part of daily practice rather
than something reserved for performance reviews or problems.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Distinguish between feedback, feedforward, and coaching conversations.
2. Identify situations in which coaching is an appropriate management approach.
3. Use questions and active listening to help employees reflect, problem solve, and identify
next steps.
4. Practice a simple framework for structuring coaching conversations.
5. Adapt coaching strategies to common library workplace situations.

You’ll leave with actionable tools, fresh perspectives, and a renewed sense of purpose in your leadership role.

Speaker Bio

Bryan Cavins, Ed.D.
Founder & Principal | Pathfinder Leadership Solutions
Bryan Cavins is the Founder of Pathfinder Leadership
Solutions, where he works with leaders and teams to
improve how they operate together, especially in
environments that are fast-paced, complex, and people-
driven.
His work focuses on helping leadership teams move from
good intentions to consistent behavior. Rather than delivering traditional leadership
training, Bryan designs practical, interactive experiences that tackle real challenges,
communication breakdowns, unclear ownership, difficult conversations, and inconsistent
accountability.
Bryan has spent over two decades working with leaders across organizations, including
healthcare systems, where strong leadership behavior directly impacts team
performance and outcomes. He is known for helping teams identify where work breaks
down, align around a few critical behaviors, and apply them consistently in day-to-day
operations.
His approach is grounded in real-world application, ensuring leaders leave with clarity,
confidence, and specific actions they can use immediately.

Bio
Andrew Whitis is a Strategist at OhioNet and also serves as Director of Financial Operations.
He has over 20 years of experience working in and with libraries across Ohio, including 13
years as a library director at two small Ohio private universities. Before entering librarianship,
Andrew worked in knowledge management and business development at Deloitte.
Andrew holds a BS in Agriculture from The Ohio State University, a Master of Library and
Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master of Business Administration
from Defiance College. He completed Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner Certification through the
David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry at Champlain College and earned a
certification in Leading Psychosocial Safety and Care through the Leadership Lab.

Dates & Times:

Thursday, September 17: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Friday, September 18: 9:00 AM - 12 PM

Location:
Findlay Inn
200 East Main Cross Street
Findlay, OH 45840

Registration Fee:

$50 – NORWELD / Other RLS Members
$200 – Non-Members
Included with Registration:
✅ Breakfast and lunch on Thursday
✅ Breakfast on Friday
✅ Optional overnight accommodations available 

To reserve a hotel room at the NORWELD group rate, call (419) 422-5682. The rate is $112.00 per night (plus applicable tax). Rooms are being held under the NORWELD block until August 17. Be sure to make your reservation before that date to receive the discounted rate.

A detailed schedule and speaker information will be shared soon.

This event is supported by the State Library of Ohio with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.