Latest / The Teacher's Lounge For Early Education / Leading The Way: 5 Key Actions To Establish Yourself As An Effective New Leader
Transcript
- 5 tips a new leader === [00:00:00] Hey there, it's Noel. How are you today? I'm gonna tell you I'm pretty good because right now I'm recording this podcast and I am all alone in my house. This never happens, so it's pretty amazing. Today I have an exciting topic to talk about because I know that we have many of you out there that have just come from the role of lead teacher. [00:00:23] And you jumping into assistant director, or you're going from assistant director to leading the center on your own or maybe taking a new career, new job and going to a different center. And so today I'm gonna talk to you about five things that you can do as a brand new leader or a leader of a brand new center that you've just moved to and. [00:00:48] Because I know as a new leader it can feel overwhelming with so many tasks and responsibilities that you know, require our attention or that maybe you have to learn. But I [00:01:00] believe that it's important to prioritize certain activities that will help you jumpstart your leadership and set yourself up for success. [00:01:08] And one thing I know is that we must make time as leaders to schedule specific hours each. To focus on these critical leadership tasks. And I know a center that I'm thinking of right now that I went to one time, and it was a new leader. She'd been there for about six months and she was struggling with a lot of different things and it was just overwhelming. [00:01:36] And so when she approached her new position as director for the first time. She didn't really have a plan. She just was like, oh, I'm gonna get in there. And she thought about the kids and she thought about the curriculum. And those are super, super important, but how the business works is important. [00:01:54] The people the policies, all the things. And so she just was overwhelmed [00:02:00] and it just wasn't working. This woman is an amazing director, and when she got herself on a plan, focusing on what needed to be focused on. And for every center that's gonna be different. And you are the new leader, so you're gonna decide what that looks like. [00:02:17] But when she put herself on a plan, good things happened. And when she scheduled time in her day to do these things, it just kept getting better and. and I find often when people are in new leadership roles, figuring out that time thing is so important because as a director, we both know . You're gonna sit at your desk right now and you're gonna dive into something that you've been dying to dive into, and you are gonna find out that you are gonna get interrupted 7,000 times. [00:02:53] I don't know, maybe in the next five minutes. . Really figuring out a way to set boundaries schedule this time. And if [00:03:00] you head to the Director's Club podcast, there is an episode called Boundary Boss. Listen to that. If you need help with setting up systems to create more time. [00:03:12] And because this time is super important, because this doesn't include. , when you set aside this time to work on your leadership, it does not include answering the phone and taking bathroom breaks or faxing paperwork and doing kids files. It means focusing on something specific you need to do to establish yourself as a strong and effective leader. [00:03:36] And when we prioritize these activities, you can set a foundation for your leadership and your position yourself for success in this new. So let's dig into five things we can do to set yourself up for success. And I want, I wanna preface this with, these are five suggestions, okay? And when I share something with you, some people take it [00:04:00] as is and they run with it because you know what? [00:04:01] It works. I do this with centers, I own my own childcare center and it. , but sometimes you, you don't need to do, you can listen to what I'm gonna say and think about your center and your perspective on what you see your vision to be and pick your own plan. But what's important about this podcast and this system is that you have a plan. [00:04:26] and that you make time to implement that plan and you set boundaries so that you get that time. Okay, so that's what I want you to think about cuz your plan, you just need a plan. And so here's an example of a plan. The first step is to get to know your staff and their strengths. That is critical. You need to start building those relationships. [00:04:47] So take the time to get to know your team and what their strengths are. And as they will be your biggest asset in achieving your goals at your childcare center. So kick it off with schedule and one-on-one meetings [00:05:00] with everybody and learn more about. Who they are and their experience, what they're really good at, and what they wanna be great at, and that you can support them in and what their biggest struggle is at the center so that you can help them and. [00:05:17] Continue those one-on-ones, I would schedule one right away and then maybe in a couple months, start just every week grabbing a couple of them and just continue this rotation every week of your meeting for 15 minutes with every employee. Not every week, but every week you just grab two, so like maybe in a month of you doing eight. [00:05:39] So every month you're just like tackling eight to 10 people and just a continuous system of at least three times a year meeting with these te with your team who'll come up with a schedule. Cuz that's the connection that you really need with your team. Those one-on-one moments where you're not sitting there air giving them [00:06:00] direction or giving them feedback. [00:06:02] Those are other meetings. This is a connection, this is a relationship building. Session I want you to think about, and I call 'em employee check-ins at my center. And you can stop a problem. You can like just support somebody. I think it's just super helpful. So the first step is get to know your staff. [00:06:25] The second thing is review your policies and procedures of the. Your center, your new center has policies and procedures to ensure that you're up to date, right In align with the best practices in early childhood. So if any needs changing needs to be made or you need to communicate them to your staff or your parents go through the policies. [00:06:44] I think it's also good that, it's important that we get buy-in on some of the things that we do as leaders from our team. You know that, that part of this whole process. If you're reviewing policies, maybe check in with people and see what they think of your view of it. Get their [00:07:00] feedback. [00:07:00] Those conversations are so powerful. And I think they're beneficial too when we go to implement them. Step three is familiarize yourself with the center's curriculum. Get to know the curriculum and how it's implemented. Observe classes and participate in activities to gain a better understanding of how it's applied in the classroom. [00:07:21] And it's also. a good thing to see what they need, professional development in what they shine in, what you can sell to parents, look at this place does. So that, that's a great time. I love getting in the classroom , and observing that when you're starting to figure out how to change things improve things or just get to know something. [00:07:42] The fourth . The thing that you can do to set yourself up for success as a new leader is connect with your parents. Take that time to connect with parents and build strong relationships. Introduce yourself to them and let them know you're committed to the children's success. Create an open door policy that allows parents to [00:08:00] communicate with you and your team. [00:08:02] I think it's also good that we, I talked to you about employee check-ins. I think parent check-ins are just as important and you can just shoot a quick email to somebody and say, just wanna check in and see how things are going. Anything we can improve as what's going really well. [00:08:17] Any suggestions you have, I want you. Always here for you, confidentially. And we send one of those to parents a couple times a year. Just these one-off emails. And you'll get, you can stop a problem in employees and with parents. You can stop a problem by having those, because sometimes something might be bothering somebody so much that they don. [00:08:43] They're like, oh, this isn't worth talking about. This isn't worth telling them. Or they're afraid to tell you folks, not that you are fearful, but they're afraid to, to have confrontation. And sometimes people are like, you know what? I'm so sick of dealing this. I'm just gonna leave. And this is for teachers and for parents.[00:09:00] [00:09:01] And they could end up. You could send that email and they could write you back and say, you know what? This is really bothering me, and it's something so simple that you can fix. And then they don't leave the center and they feel like they're heard. I think that's so important, and that just strengthens your relationship with the parents. [00:09:24] And then the fifth goal that you can set for yourself up for success as your new. Is set clear goals and expectations, so you need to set clear goals and expectations for your team and communicate them clearly and develop a plan of action that outlines how you will achieve your goals and regularly review your progress to ensure that you're all on track. [00:09:50] and my favorite part is to provide regular feedback and recognition to your team to keep motivated and engaged. So say, you come in and you decide [00:10:00] that you're gonna, the place is going great. Everybody's doing wonderful. It's an amazing team. You'd like to kick the curriculum up a notch. , what does that look like? [00:10:12] So that is a great time, a great discussion at the staff meeting. Share all the strengths that they have, and then a vision of what you see this curriculum gonna be so that they see it and you tell them what it looks like. . If you really wanna add more nature into your classroom, what does that look like? Oh, I would love to see you outside during circle time. I would love to see you outside during this, and so really give them some specifics and then brainstorm some specifics, right? So you're like, you're gonna maybe start saying by, next Monday, I'd like to see you getting outside, one extra time during the day. [00:10:51] Whatever. Whatever you you wanna do, and. and then have them talk about it and then walk out with, this is what we're doing, [00:11:00] this is how we're gonna do it. You're going to get the naysayers like, oh, I can't get outside. I can never get them outside that early. Brainstorm around it. Say it. Okay, so if you are stressed right now, and cuz you're like, how the heck am I gonna get outside at this time? [00:11:16] Let's brainstorm on it, like what's concerning us. Talk through it, and then you'll have this awesome discussion with your new team where you're all collaborating together, and then the next staff meeting come back and reflect on how did it go? What went really well and what didn't. [00:11:37] These can be like such a motivating time and then celebrate, come to that staff meeting and have some concrete things you saw and call the girls out and really celebrate with how they did it. And so you have that was the five things you can do to set yourself up for success. Okay? So it's get to know your staff and their strengths, review policies and [00:12:00] procedure. [00:12:01] Familiarize yourself with the center's curriculum, connect with your families, and set clear goals and expectations. Okay? So those five things, and just write them down and just make a plan, like set time. Don't just say, oh, I'm gonna work on my employee connections this week. Book the time on your calendar like you getting your hair done. [00:12:23] Okay. Book the time on your calendar, two to four, I'm doing this. One to three, like whatever it is you're gonna do, come up with it and set that time aside every single day to work through whatever you set your things up. So if these are gonna be your list as a new leader, then start working on it and set the time aside because. [00:12:45] Super, super important as a new leader that you learn that skill of setting time aside to create your leadership journey. When we set aside time in our strategic with what goals we're gonna work on, my [00:13:00] friend, that's the secret sauce to leadership. That's when you set goals, whatever they are, you book the time to do them. [00:13:09] Then you reflect on that. You reflect on how it's. [00:13:16] It's, delete delete, delete. And when we set aside this time delete, delete. So you can, when you do this, you get improved focus and productivity. by setting aside specific hours to work on important leadership tasks. You can improve your focus and productivity. You can avoid distractions and interruptions, allowing you to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. [00:13:43] This really is super helpful. It has made me less stressed and I get more done. Some days I'll just go in the office and tell everybody, I'm shutting the door from 10 to 11. Let me know if there's a fire drill and call it. Don't, I don't wanna hear from you, . And you know what? It works. [00:14:00] It works. [00:14:01] Another thing when you do this is it's effective time management. It's establishing a system that prioritize specific hours for leadership tasks. That help you manage your time more efficiently. You can allocate the necessary time for leader for your leadership tasks, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed or overworked. [00:14:21] And I hate that feeling when you're like, Ugh, I'm not getting this done. It's on my list and I'm not doing it. And the another thing that I think is super beneficial when you do set aside this time is stronger leadership skills. When we focus on cri on the critical delete, delete. . When we focus on critical leadership tasks, it can help you develop and strengthen your own leadership skills. [00:14:45] And this just helps you build a solid foundation for your role as a new leader at your childcare center. And by allocating the necessary time and attention to these things, you can improve your ability to lead and inspire others and [00:15:00] make sound decisions and achieve your goals. . So if you are moving into a new leadership role and you're listening to gain knowledge to increase your skillset as a leader, congratulations. [00:15:12] I'm so proud of you. I love finding great resources to benefit my learning. So in 30 to 60 days, I want you to come back to this podcast and re-listen to it because we always gain a new perspective after you've had been doing the role for a little bit. [00:15:31] So add it to your calendar in 60 days to come back and. Really hold yourself accountable for the goals that you're gonna set and reevaluate. At that time, I want you to reevaluate these, the five things I still need to be focusing on. Am I, have I, you feel like you're, like, you got the staff part now you're gonna dig into the review and the policies one of the five steps that we talked about in the beginning of the podcast. [00:15:55] So I want you to really come back and think about it and reflect on how it's. [00:16:00] And then recommit to the next 60 days and just keep checking in with yourself and making sure that you're on the right path. So thank you for listening and taking your time. I appreciate that. I know that's so valuable and I hope this content helped. [00:16:15] I would love it if you would head to the show notes and give us a rating. Let us know how we're doing and you can connect with us. All of our links are in this podcast and let us know when we hit in the topics that you need now. Topic, like if I could talk to you right now, what do you need to hear? [00:16:32] Let us know because we are developing new content to help you with your leadership and to mentor the teachers at your childcare center. So thanks for listening, and I'll talk to you soon. Bye everybody. Bye.