BUILDING STRONGER tEaMs Linda K. Slocum

Strength in team

You want the right employee How to hire and maintain the right staff: Focus on the role Value each employee Communicate Set goals Celebrate successes and failures Know each other

Focus on the role Spend more time recruiting the right person Shared vision & mission of your organization Work together to carry out the shared vision Talking points – Don’t just hire a warm body = first person you interview. - You don’t want your organization to be know as revolving door company. – it will cost more money by hiring the wrong person because you were in a hurry to hire someone. – Mediocre hiring is not acceptable. – It’s a step by step process -

Value each employee Each person brings something special to your organization Each employee should feel like their position matters Talking Points – Each staff should feel that their job matters. – Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Communication Learning to use positive language with your employees takes time It helps to guide employees towards choosing and maintaining positive attitude at work It keeps a level of transparency with everyone Talking Points – Keep a true level of transparency. – Having week staff meetings. – If weekly staff meeting are impossible you can always have team meeting with a small group at a time.

Set goals Setting short and long-term goals with staff Being enthusiastic about the outcome and always motivating each other Having milestones and deadlines in place Understanding the BIG picture Stay positive at all times Talking points – Making sure everyone knows the goals of the team. – How to make everyone feel a part of the goals that have been set.

Celebrate successes and failures When everyone works hard together great things happen When someone does a great job give them a shout out in front of the team Never throw anyone under the bus Giving your team equal responsibility to put their heads together helps them to figure out the next solution Talking points – What are ways would you like someone to celebrate your successes? – You could give out award certificates – Have weekly or monthly staff person awards. For failures talk about how to make it better and come up with a new plan. – Failures are a part of great growth.

Know each other Have an open door policy Spend time together outside of work Recognize achievements “Thank You” Support them with clients (they need to know that you have their back) Talking Points – Spending time with staff helps to grow a family environment at work.

Positive Relationship with Parents Communication Involvement Encourage expectation

Communication Greeting parents with a smile Have positive things to say about their child Welcome them into your program Reach out to them by calling them on the phone Help them to become the positive role model for their child at home Stay positive at all times Talking Points – Making sure that the staff stays positive at all times. – Communication with parents helps to ease their anxieties. Providing the parents with monthly or quarterly newsletters.

Involvement Create a parent involvement program Get new parents involved Special projects Talking Points – You can have an parent ambassadors program. – Having special events for parents like a dinner. -

Encourage Encourage staff to see the parents as their customers Encourage the staff to meet the needs of the parents Encourage the parents to take a part in your program Talking Points – Making sure that staff is building good relationships with parents by using encouragement is away of nurturing a relationship.

Expectations Expect parents to get their child to your program each day on time Establish a baseline for professional and courteous exchanges between staff and parents Talking Points – Need to set expectations at the beginning of your program. Parents should know the expectation of your program at all times.

Picking the right outside agencies for your organization Your local community groups Schools Social services, Parks and Recreation Places of worship Talking Points – The agencies must align with the needs of the children and families that you serve. – Is there a cost for their service -

Getting children excited about your program Do your research and make a plan Leverage your resources Be flexible Show the benefits Make them so excited about your program that they will recruit others Talking Points – Set your program up so kids are saying Pick me Pick me I want to be in your program. – Understanding the children your server. – Being able to adjust you plan to to fit their needs, - Having fun with the children daily. – Knowing something special about each child.

Team building activity Silent team building activity. Each team will be given 15 solo cups, 1 rubber band, 4 pieces of string. Without talk they will need to build a tower using these item. They are not allowed to use their hands to stack the tower. Once the first team is done the activity is over. Talking Points – Was it easy to build the tower without talking. There will be times when a team member is having a hard time with a work project And without talking you know that they need help. With silence you can help your team to be strong.