In the January/February 1991 issue of Child Care Information Exchange, it’s editor, Roger Neugebauer, wrote and published the article “12 Reasons People Love to Work for You.” In it, Neugebauer focuses on the practices of directors at childcare centers where teacher turnover is low. Based on his observations, he determined twelve practices you can implement to motivate people to remain in your employment.
Reason #1: You believe in people from day one.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he [or she] wants done and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” I trust that you, as a good leader, found the most qualified candidates for members of your team. If so, then do you treat them that way? Did you tell them so when you offered them the job? Did you remind them during orientation how happy you were to have them joining your team? Don’t misunderstand me, not “meddling” does not equate to not training them. On the contrary, believing in them necessitates training them. When you provide adequate training, you have shown you believe in them with your investment of time and money. Ask yourself: Do I tell them what I want in a respectful, encouraging way, or do I speak to them as if they do not have a brain in their head? Sharing our vision and providing the knowledge and the opportunities to achieve it is not “meddling.”
Do you remember a time when someone believed in you even when you were unsure of yourself? What did that mean to you? “Your attitude about a person can have a significant dampening or buoying impact on their self-confidence,” writes Neugebauer. Sometimes a sense of confidence is the missing ingredient between a mediocre teacher and a great one. You can make a difference.
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