Leadership development is a multifaceted journey, and one crucial aspect is learning to navigate change. But let's be real: How many of us actually enjoy change? And let's get even more real: How many of us have learned how to navigate change well?
Leadership development has many aspects, and learning to manage change is an important one.
Read MoreDid you know research shows your success is influenced and impacted by the five people you spend the most time with? And the five people they spend the most time with?
It makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, if you're spending a lot of time with certain people, it makes sense that they would have some influence over your decisions, behaviors, beliefs, values, etc.
And this is where being "community-minded" comes in. It's about having a mindset of giving and receiving support from those around you.
Read MoreWhen I was "growing up" as a teacher new to the field, there was an emphasis on cultural competency, which focused on understanding specific cultures.
While knowing about the communities we serve is essential, over the last five to ten years, the focus has shifted to cultural humility, which emphasizes a process of self-exploration combined with a willingness to learn from others.
Ultimately, the goal is to develop skills for approaching individuals from any culture with the intention of honoring their beliefs, customs, and values. This is easier said than done, and I was personally put to the test when I recently visited a preschool program in Jordan, in the Middle East.
Talk about practicing what you preach!!
Read MoreWay back in May of this year, I discussed emotional intelligence and its role within highly effective teams. Today, I’m going to discuss emotional intelligence as it relates to personal leadership.
Read MoreLast week, I started on the topic of integrity in our personal leadership.
We explored Jack Canfield's equation of E (event) + R (our response) = O (the outcome). This powerful tool empowers us to reflect on and take responsibility for our behavior, knowing it directly influences our team dynamics.
I use the same equation when I go out and do Highly Effective Teams training. I just approach it differently.
Read MoreThe other day, I came across a great word: "coherence," which means to be consistent or unified (Oxford Dictionary).
When it comes to being ethical or in integrity, it refers to being consistent or unified in our thoughts, words, and actions.
Integrity or ethics is a big one for our field. We have a whole book dedicated to it (NAECY Code of Ethical Conduct) and what it looks like in early childhood.
Yet, I rarely hear it discussed, and I have yet to see it embedded within professional development.
Read MoreEveryone knows I love a good quote, and here's one I found for commitment:
"Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you would do long after the mood you said it in has left you."
Read MoreCourage means being afraid and doing it anyway.
We don’t often think about needing courage in our leadership so I want you to think about the last time you needed to have an uncomfortable conversation.
Read MoreA quote I use often when talking about having a clear vision is: "If you don't know where you're going, how do you know when you get there?"
And the reason I use it often is because it's rare to begin working with a person or program that genuinely knows what they want. It's more common for people to understand what they don't like.
Yet, when talking about personal leadership...
Read MoreLast week, I facilitated a two-day leadership retreat, and one of the phrases I used frequently was, “How you do anything is how you do everything.”
This phrase was made popular by Martha Beck and refers to your mindset or your approach to life.
I use it often because it raises awareness about our thoughts and beliefs, which are often unconscious yet greatly influence how we behave both in and outside of the workplace.
Read MoreFront-loading. While we all do this, we often do it by default rather than intention.
So, what is front-loading? Dictionary.com defines it as the act or practice of concentrating on something at the beginning of a process or period.
We do this when we prepare for staff to return, and they, in turn, prepare for children and families.
Read MoreStaff are trickling back in or have already arrived.
You've begun your "check-in" and "welcome back" one-on-one meetings.
And now, it's time to meet with all staff to set the tone for the year, starting with norms and expectations.
Setting the tone for how we, the adults, get to "BE" with each other.
Read MoreIt’s the beginning of July, and many of us are preparing for the new school year.
Enrolling new children and families in to our programs
Hiring new staff for our classrooms and other positions
Making sure all forms are completed and compliance regulations are in place
I recently did a training session where a conversation arose regarding working with young children.
First, we know being with young children is physically demanding. It requires standing up, sitting down, and moving from space to space all day long.
Read MoreOver the last several months, more and more people have been asking for support with their staffing teams. This has led to a heavy travel schedule, with more to come.
While I love in-person training, I've been torn because I know programs desperately need help, yet I was beginning to get burned out.
Until I made one small change…
Read MoreI just came from NAEYC’s annual Professional Learning Institute (PLI), where I had a blast.
While my main purpose was to present a session on Strategies for Developing Highly Effective Teams (here’s the link to the PowerPoint),
Read MoreFor the past month, I've been discussing emotional intelligence within a team, and this week, I will conclude by discussing how highly effective teams play "big" teams.
As a reminder, when I reference "big" teams, I am talking about how teams interact with other teams and the organization. In her book Team Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Dr. Greaves refers to it as external relationships and speaks to the many benefits of teams who have this dialed in. For example:
Teams who excel in their external relationships…
Read MoreLike all relationships, having a strong "core" team (those you work with daily) requires time and attention.
This is probably one area we are all familiar with and do often: team building.
Those activities that support us getting to know each other. Having fun, laughing, and sharing experiences. Using the good times to strengthen the team, knowing there will be challenging times the team must navigate through.
Read MoreThe next step is to support your team(s) in building their emotional management skill sets, which would give your team(s) the ability to navigate emotional ebbs and flows that can push a team towards success or disaster.
Emotional management entails reading emotions accurately and reacting in ways that benefit the team's work, internal and external relationships, and the organization's overall goals.
Read MoreHaving a team with high emotional intelligence takes practice, just like building a muscle.
Over time and with regular practice, the team will internalize and use the skills without thinking, similar to muscle memory.
So, knowing that we already have a gazillion other things to do, how can we build our team's emotional intelligence without adding more workload?
Well…
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