And the Ripples Continue – How Mattering Impacts Families and the Organization
The Ripple to Families
Families don’t just experience early childhood programs through policies or lesson plans — they experience them through people.
When staff feel supported and significant, families feel it:
Drop-off becomes a warm hand-off, not a hurried exchange.
Conversations become two-way partnerships, not directives.
Trust builds — especially in moments of challenge or transition.
When educators are affirmed, they affirm families. When educators are needed, they help families feel needed too.
This mutual sense of mattering strengthens family engagement, retention, and community reputation far more than marketing ever could.
The Ripple to Organizational Health
At the organizational level, mattering directly influences the outcomes leaders care most about.
When mattering is present, staff engagement and retention rise, teamwork and communication strengthen, and program goals are implemented with consistency and purpose.
When mattering is absent, turnover and burnout increase, silos and blame cycles emerge, and compliance replaces authentic connection.
Organizations that prioritize mattering also build stronger reputations in their communities — families notice when educators are energized and supported, just as they notice when fatigue sets in.
A culture of mattering doesn’t depend on costly initiatives. It grows from consistent, human-centered attention to the people who make the mission possible.
Practical Ripples You Can Start Today
For Individuals (Me-Level):
Write one “I mattered when…” reflection each day.
Share one moment of gratitude with a colleague before you leave.
For Teams (Core-Level):
Begin meetings with “bright spots” instead of problems.
Celebrate invisible acts of teamwork — the resets, cleanups, and quiet moments that sustain care.
For Leaders (Big-Level):
Build recognition into supervision and communication systems.
Ask, “How does this policy show people they are noticed, affirmed, and needed?”
Make mattering measurable: track acts of recognition alongside child outcomes.
Think about a moment when you felt you mattered at work. What made it meaningful?
How might you create that same feeling for someone else this week?
If your team is ready to move beyond burnout and build a culture where people feel seen, valued, and needed — let’s work together.
Through Team Agreements coaching, leadership training, and customized planning sessions, I help early childhood teams turn the principles of mattering into daily practice.
Connect with me at: deidre.harris@teamagreements.com