Your leadership style will play a role in creating a climate where people want to do their best.
I am a fan of MWA (management by walking around), a deliberate management strategy for keeping current with your team and their work. MWA takes the director into the classrooms to engage with the teachers and to observe all of the processes that keep the childcare center running. The director can see firsthand how everything is really going—what needs improvement, and what else teachers need in order to do their work effectively. These unplanned visits by the director are spontaneous, impromptu, and much-appreciated opportunities for each to get to know one another.
The director connects with each teacher informally, and listens, observes, recognizes, and assesses what’s happening in each of the classrooms—where the real work is taking place.
Teachers thrive when they receive meaningful feedback from their director about what they are doing, and how to further the vision of the program. They need from us an insightful observation of what we see, followed by a reflective conversation. “Good job” is just not enough.
Teachers will grow and develop when we create a climate where everyone participates and shares—teachable moments, delightful stories, ideas, questions, and thoughts. And teachers will want to do their best, because they are supported by an organization that sees their value, that appreciates what they have to offer, and that truly wants them to succeed beyond their wildest expectations!
And here might be tangible evidence of your vision! People come first. All are focused on the same goals. All are working toward the same vision. All continue to grow professionally. And the children thrive and develop in such an environment.
This new school year, give some thought to your leadership style. If mine resonates with you, take it for your own. It served me (and my children’s centers) well for forty years!
My very best to you this new school year!
For more tips, techniques, and how-tos that worked for me, take a look at Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, at amazon.com books.
