Inspirational and Empowering Child Care Business Owners To Build Successful Child Care Businesses

Archive for the ‘Staffing’ Category

Staff Potlucks Are A Great Way To Create Unity On Your Team

 

Five years ago it seemed to me that I had the worse childcare team ever! In fact, there was gossiping, a lack of teamwork, poor morale and some of the teachers could not stand to work in the same room together.

Moreover, I was getting tired of putting out fires amongst the staff and quite frankly, I was getting tired of all the drama on my team. That’s when I decided to read the following books written by Leadership Guru John Maxwell:

  • The Laws of Teamwork
  • Winning with People

After reading both of those books, I was empowered to build the unity on my team, I developed a zero tolerance for gossip and the Status Quo change to—> Teamwork, Unity and Positive attitudes or work somewhere else!

Also, I decided to hold monthly staff potlucks and this really helped to  create more unity amongst the staff. In fact, I noticed that the team appeared to care for one another and they began to work well together as a team.

If you are not already holding a staff potluck for your team, here is a great way to get started:

  1. Set a date for your potluck
  2. Hold the pot-luck when all staff are able to attend
  3. Create a sign-up sheet to invite all the staff members to bring their favorite dish
  4. Develop a staff code of: “Whatever we discuss at our potluck…stays at the pot-luck.”
  5. As you all enjoy food together, encourage the staff members to share something about themselves or their families. Most importantly, get them to laugh together!

Potlucks are also a great way to informally welcome a new staff member to your team. Be sure to only hold the pot-luck for a minimum of one hour and bring a sign-up sheet for the next pot-luck.

If you are not able to hold a monthly pot-luck, consider holding a potluck at least 4-6 times a years to give the staff a chance to fellowship and get to know one another. Bringing your staff together is a great way to re-build or maintain the unity on your team!

After all….for your peace of mind, it is very important that you promote unity and teamwork. If you are having difficulties managing staff, I have the perfect solution for you:  Download my ebook, The Art of Owning a Center or a copy of The Director’s Handbook.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to

dwell together in unity.

Psalm 133:1

With Your Child Care Business in Mind,

Shiketa

Category:

Employee Management, Staffing

Tagged with:

The “Bear” Necessities of Choosing the Right Staff

Seek to hire people who loved their previous Job

 

I titled this blog post after a book that I am reading called, The Bear Necessities of Business, written by Maxine Clark. Just in case you do not know who Maxine Clark is…She is the Founder and Chief Executive Bear at Build a Bear Work Shop.

I bought Maxine’s Book, The Bear Necessities of Business about five years ago while on vacation in Chicago from one of the Build-a-Bear Workshops.  In fact, I was inspired  to buy Maxine’s book, because I was quite impressed with the company that she created with the help of a great team.

Earlier this year, I went on a field trip to the St. Louis Galleria Build-a Bear Workshop with my preschool graduates and I was loving  the spirit of excellence throughout the store. Moreover, I really enjoyed working with the staff at the Build-a Bear work shop. The staff was so friendly, very knowledgeable about their job and seemed to really enjoy working at Build-a-Bear Workshop. Furthermore, the trip to that store, inspired me to read Maxine’s book again, because I really enjoyed the experience and that’s what I want to give my customers…an Experience.

The night before I wrote this blog post, I was reading a chapter of Maxine’s book and came across a statement that inspired me to evaluate the questions that I ask applicants during the interview process. Maxine wrote: “I am not interest in bringing on people who hated their last job. I want to hire those who loved where they worked and came to us with great habits and ideas they have learned on the job.”

Maxine, also suggested that you hire people who have worked for great businesses that you respect and admire. In my case, that would be Kinder care Learning Centers, Head Start  and any Accredited Child Care Facility, because I know that the teacher has worked in a Quality environment.

Also, Maxine recommends that you ask those you hire this question: “What are we not doing that your previous employer did?

WOW!!! I think this is the answer to the job turn-over in the childcare field. What do you think? Do you know how much trouble that you and I can save ourselves if we simply ask the question: So, how did you feel about your last job?

I agree with Maxine 100%, because I recently hired a teacher that loved her previous job and she came to work with me for the summer and she loves her job. In the past, I hired teachers that hated their previous jobs and they hated working for me.

In summary, I think Maxine shared a golden nugget by mentioning the fact that she does not seek to hire people who hate their previous jobs. So, now when you schedule your next interview, be sure to ask: So, how did you feel about your last job?

What do you think about Maxine’s Philosophy about not seeking to hire people who hate their former jobs? Do you plan to ask the questions mentioned above during your next interview? I look forward to your comments below.

Be sure to get your copy of Maxine’s Book, The Bear Necessities of Business Today! Don’t forget to schedule your next field trip to Build-a-Bear Workshop!

With your business in mind,

Shiketa

Category:

Employee Management, Staffing

Tagged with:

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