Leading Through Differences: Supporting Faculty & Staff When Values or Views Diverge
In today’s complex campus environments, leaders play a critical role in supporting faculty and staff as they navigate diverse values and perspectives. These situations can be especially challenging when leaders themselves feel emotionally impacted or hold different views from their colleagues. Leaders may worry about appearing biased, struggle to balance free expression with a respectful workplace, or feel personally triggered by the issues their teams are facing.
To support leaders in these situations, this interactive session builds on existing strengths and offers practical strategies for guiding faculty and staff through tensions among colleagues or managing their own differing perspectives. Through reflection, case studies, and hands-on practice, participants will learn to engage constructively across differences, validate concerns without taking sides, and frame conversations around shared goals and respectful norms. They will also explore how to apply the CARE model and psychological safety principles to lead supportive conversations, maintain composure, and connect colleagues to appropriate resources when tensions arise.
Participants will leave with actionable strategies, clear language, and increased confidence to support faculty and staff effectively to foster collegiality, understanding, and psychological safety across a variety of differences within their teams.
Audience: Faculty and Staff Leaders (registration required; contact epcinfo@yorku.ca for information)
Facilitator: Oliver Martin, Director, Workplace Restoration & Culture, CHREI
Upcoming Related Events:
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November 19, 12 to 3 p.m., Listen In, Reach Out: Building Relationships for Collaborative Leadership (for academic chairs & directors; hosted by Faculty Affairs & CHREI; details here)
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October 28, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Leadership Dialogue Courses: Healthy Teams (for managers; hosted by HR Organizational Learning & Leadership; additional dates available; details here)
