• Participants will leave with a list of specific, practical strategies that have worked at other CTLs for coping with the most challenging relationships in educational development work.

• The session will help educational developers feel supported and encouraged in terms of the emotional, cognitive labor required for coping with difficult interpersonal situations and taxing workplace relationships.

Welcome

• Session Discussion Agreement

Introduction

Assumptions and actions that make CTL professional relationships challenging. Examples:

1. Lack of trust/expertise not recognized

2. Unclear roles

3. Micromanaging

4. Accusations of being "unrealistic"

5. Intersectional systemic biases

6. Others? 

7. Cyndi’s examples: Managing up while responding to unrealistic demands; managing sideways when accused of “always being on the student’s side” 

8. Jessamyn’s examples: Managing sideways when participants expect The Magic Bean or “tips and tricks” to make ongoing challenges of teaching effectively simple and easy; managing from above working to secure office administrative assistance when allocated insufficient support

Reflections to Self

Pairs or Small Group Discussion

• Task: Identify at least one proven, effective strategy for navigating a difficult professional relationship in CTL work

  • Example: Regularly use and refer to POD's Ethical Guidelines and our own values/mission

• Share out (to be added to a shared Google doc)

Discussion Agreement

1. What has been a particularly challenging professional relationship in your CTL work?

2. How did this relationship create emotional labor or professional and/or personal damage?

3.  What strategies/actions did you find most productive in navigating and/or improving this relationship or, when necessary, identifying necessary outside actions (such as legal recourse) or implementing an exit strategy?